Stamp story

best of game battle zone card's

2011-08-14T10:20:00.001-07:00

best of game battle zone card's Video Clips. Duration : 2.20 Mins.

2 of the only cards i have ever won in a tournament.i won them in the wizards of the coast battle zone tournament.,a little back story on these awesome cards..... These cards were released between December 2002 and July 2003,through Battle Zone tournaments and were essentially a "parting gift" to the fans of the TCG, as Wizards knew their licence to produce the cards was to terminate. Despite the collection being made to commemorate some of the best playable cards, four new cards that had never been released in English before made their way into the set. Rocket's Scizor, Rocket's Sneasel, Dark Ivysaur and Dark Venusaur were Promotional cards in Japan.# These cards also had two versions -- a "Winner" version and "non-Winner" version. The only exceptions to these are Professor Elm as it was a delegate Promotional card, Rocket's Mewtwo and Rocket's Hitmonchan, as the scheduled BattleZone tournaments were cancelled after Wizards lost their licence.The "Winner" versions have a gold foil "Winner" stamp in the bottom right corner of the character art.All cards except Professor Elm also had a Jumbo version with the Winner stamp. However none of the cards had the reverse holo treatment.

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Love Stamp Part 2

2011-08-10T14:45:00.001-07:00

Love Stamp Part 2 Tube. Duration : 8.08 Mins.

Finally done with part 2. Sorry guys for the wait. It took forever for part 2 to finish because I had my spring break and I went on vacation with my bf. Enjoy part 2 :) ***************************************** Someone asked: "...you based this off Hana Yori Dango didnt you; 4 guys as head of the school, girl as main character not attracted at all" I think "Hana Yori Dango" is "Meteor Garden" in Chinese, not 100% sure but anyway. But no this isn't the same story as that show. I was going to make it 3 guys only, 1=Jay the main, 2=His best friend Jo, 3=the bad influence Justin, but then I changed my mind, I want to put the 4th person (Jason) in the group to be the good guy and balance with Justin (the bad guy). So having 4 popular guy within a university setting is coincident with that show ur talking about. *Songs names are at the end of the vid*

Keywords: maple, story, maplesstory, msea, broa, Hitsumaru, ting05, love, drama, film, stamp, series

Address Unknown - Kim Ki Duk - 1/11

2011-08-06T07:22:00.001-07:00

Address Unknown - Kim Ki Duk - 1/11 Tube. Duration : 10.02 Mins.

www.facebook.com Romances end in blood and the frail hopes of individuals are torn apart in a vile karmic continuity of colonialism, civil war and occupation. After surviving Japanese colonization, Korea became the first war zone of the Cold War. The legacy of war remains today in this divided country. Three forlorn teenagers, Chank-guk, Jihum and Eunok are figures in the landscape of this story, which highlights the global implications of a very Korean reality. None of them is able to escape the withering pull of tragedy. All desperate pleas for love and redemption are returned stamped in red with

Tags: Address Unknown, Kim Ki Duk

Randy Travis-1982

2011-08-04T20:45:00.001-07:00

Randy Travis-1982 Tube. Duration : 2.88 Mins.

Live at the Mountain Lakes Amphitheater in Flatwoods, WV May 2009

Keywords: Randy, Travis

A Critique of Jung Chang and Jon Halliday's Book Mao, the Unknown Story

2011-08-02T10:15:00.001-07:00

China's economic amelioration is one of the most needful events in recent times. It is at least partially the consequence of her group and political evolution/revolution in the past century. If the west wants to understand contemporary China, it is needful not to misunderstand her founder, Mao. However, the book of J. Chang (Jc) and J. Haliday, Mao, the unknown story, is misleading the Western group into profound misunderstanding of Mao, China's contemporary history and China itself.

The central theme of the book is to condemn Mao as an evil monster, "as bad as or worse than Hitler". The western media immediately appropriate this claim. When the book was first published in Uk in June 2005, it was hailed by all major media with great enthusiasm, tantalizing many well known China experts from polity (e.g., C. Pattern, the last British governor of Hong Kong), journalism (e.g., J. Mirsky, the Time's East Asia editor) and academia (e.g., M. Yahuda, the ex-chairman of the department of International Relation, London School of Economics). Agreeing to these experts, everyone with a cheap mind should be totally convinced by the book beyond any doubt. On this issue there is a rare harmony in which the voice of the Guardian is indistinguishable from that of the Daily Mail. Within one week, the book jumped to the top position of the non-fiction best selling list. Jung Chang has become the authority on the Chinese history. A person, who asked tantalizing questions during one of her seminars, was deemed by others as "an confident Maoist" and could not stop his questions. Some western readers condemned a less complementary comment about the book on the Amazon web site as "ugly Chinese propaganda".

Stamp Story

The supporters have such unlimited reliance partially because the book is supposedly the outcome of 10 years of intensive research, based on private archives and hundreds of interviews in many countries. Unfortunately, a particular reader can see clearly that there are huge gaps between its sensational claims and vast references. Moreover, the evidence in the book often contradicts, rather than supports, the claims. This divulge will point out these contradictions and inconsistencies which may have escaped most readers' eyes and been ignored by the Western media.
To divulge the allembracing potential of the book, we take on its 17 major claims, which are evenly distributed over Mao's life. Instead of picking up its weaknesses or minor points, we focus on those issues, which tarnish Mao's character most and are praised most extremely in the Western media as solidly proven. These issues are dealt within 17 sections:

1. The Purge in the Ruijin Base,

2. Chiang Let the Reds Go (I)

3. Chiang Let the Reds Go (Ii)

4. The Fake Battle at the Luding Bridge,

5. Mao Carried through the Long March,

6. Mao Did Not Fight Japanese,

7. The Trap for the New 4th Army,

8. Mao Sacrificed His Brother Tse-min,

9. The Rectification Campaign,

10. Opium Sale,

11. 3 Million Deaths in 1950-51,

12. 27 Million Deaths in Jails/Labor Camps,

13. The Superpower Program,

14. 38 Million Deaths in 1958-61,

15. 3 Million Deaths in 1966-76,

16. Mao's Aim of the Cultural Revolution,

17. Mao Compared with Hitler.

This divulge has been sent to many Western media outlets since early August 2005, but received no response. However, it is not the only negative divulge on Jc's book. Four months after its first publication, needful voices began to emerge from exterior of Europe. For instance, in an article in the New York Review, J. Spence of Yale University singles out two false stories in the book. In the New York Times, a former correspondent in Beijing N. Kristof reveals that one of alleged interviewees listed in the book, Zhang Hanzhi denies that she had ever been interviewed by the authors. An Australian H. McDonald reveals in The Age that a recent visit by reporters to Luding Bridge confirms the battle 70 years ago, which Jc claims to be a perfect invention. He quoted from T. Bernstein of Columbia University that "the book is a major disaster for the contemporary China field". Also, "Princeton's Perry Link have felt compelled to criticise" Jc's "factual errors and dubious use of sources". Moreover, "many scholars point out that much of what Chang and Halliday present as a previously 'unknown story' has in fact been exposed long ago. . . . But no reputation is given to these earlier writers". In London divulge of Books, A. Nathan of Columbia University provides plentifulness of evidence showing that "Chang and Halliday are magpies: every tantalizing piece of evidence goes in, no matter where it comes from or how trustworthy it is".

This divulge differs from those of Western academics in two aspects. First, it shows the total fallacy of the book, instead of just a few inaccuracies. Secondly, it demonstrates the book's major flaws without mammoth references about Chinese history, by only using the data and references mainly arrival from the book itself. In so doing, the divulge raises a further question: why did most media and experts in the Uk fail to see these confident inconsistencies and contradictions in the book? If it cannot be excused by the ignorance of Chinese history?

Although this divulge met absolute silence in the west, it has drawn some attention from overseas Chinese. One of the web sites, which published this review, Duowei, interviewed Jung Chang in New York in October 2005, and asked her my questions (see the article at: [http://blog.chinesenewsnet.com/?p=3467], or the whole interview video at: [http://www.berm.co.nz/cgi-bin/video/play.cgi?lz1JaUtTdSm]). This is what Jung Chang said about this review: "I have read it, and read carefully. Some questions are quite good. I do hope to have opportunities to talk them. I think it is very important. However, there are many issues, I do not know either he did not understand English, or did not look at the references in case,granted at the back of the book. There are many details, the origins of the figures, all in the back of the book. Among 800 pages, there are 150 pages of references, the sources of the references. One has to read those sources from the references. I think he either did not understand English, or did not read references carefully. I have looked at his questions, and can give easy answers to all of them".

In the interview, Jung Chang de facto responded to three of my 17 questions, namely, (2), (3) and (4). A reader can look at the paragraphs marked by * signs below, in each of the three sections to appreciate her "easy answers".

After the appearance of this review, Jung Chang's brother, Pu Zhang (a translator for the Chinese version of the book), claims in October 2005 on the Duowei web site that, my Chinese translation seriously distorted Jc's words, and he would post the direct comparison of the traditional text and my translation on the web for readers to see the difference. However, despite readers repeatedly request him to keep his promises, his English-Chinese comparison has not be seen everywhere so far.

1. The Purge in the Ruijin Base

Jung Chang's first major accusation against Mao is that his purge in the Ruijin base, the first Red State in China, caused more than 350,000 deaths, or 10% of the total population. Her figure is grossly exaggerated because she assumes the reduction of 0.7 million in Ruijin's citizen was the succeed of citizen either being killed in battles or dying of persecution under Mao. She ignores civilian deaths and emigration completely.

From 1931-35, "the citizen of Red Jiangxi fell by more than half a million . . . The fall in Red Fujian was comparable. . . . . Altogether some 700,000 citizen died in the Ruijin base" (p. 113). Jc apparently deduces this figure from the citizen ratio of Red Jiangxi to that of Red Fujian. But from her "half a million" citizen reduction in Jiangxi, we should get Ruijin's 700,000 citizen reduction, not deaths.

Then, as "238,844 citizen in Jiangxi were counted as 'revolutionary martyrs', i.e., citizen who had been killed in wars and intra-party purges" (p. 114 fn), Jc uses the citizen ratio again to get the total amount of martyrs in the whole of Ruijin, which is 238,884×700,000/500,000 = 334,438. The rest of the reduction in population, 700,000 - 334,438 = 365,562, i.e., "More than half", she concludes, "were murdered as 'class enemies', or were worked to death, or committed suicide, or died other premature deaths attributable to the regime" (pp. 113-114).

This calculation is not professional. First, it ignores civilian deaths caused by the war, through killing, illness, economic hardship and starvation etc, which often list for a larger part of the loss of life in long continuing wars. during that duration Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek launched five "annihilation expeditions" against Ruijin, one of which complicated "half a million troops" (p. 125). At one time the Ruijin base "had been reduced to a mere some dozen quadrate kilometers" (p. 103) from "50,000 sq. Km" (p.104). Chiang's army had busy most of the area of the base.

Many citizen cooperated with the communists, even "children were used as sentries, and formed into harassment squads, called 'humiliation teams' to hound citizen into joining the army" (p. 110). Chiang's army was not known for treating civilians with mercy. Even before the Red state came into existence, "tens of thousands of Communists and suspects were slaughtered" during Chiang's campaign in 1927 (p. 47). Given all these factors, civilian deaths must have been significant.
Secondly, Jung Chang's calculation ignores emigration out of the Ruijin area, which should be foreseen, after five annihilation expeditions in five years. Especially, we are told that Mao's course in the Red base 'was to confiscate every last single thing' (p. 111), and "China's first Red state was run by terror and guarded like a prison." (p. 113). In that case, citizen should have escaped from Mao's hell when Chiang's army liberated them five times. So the amount of refugees must have been needful too.

If we assume that the sum of civilian deaths and refugees together is almost the same as the amount of martyrs, there would be far fewer left who were "murdered as 'class enemies', or were worked to death, or committed suicide, or died other premature deaths attributable to the regime". The amount would be 700,000 - 334,438×2 = 31,124, less than 10% of Jung Chang's figure.

2. Chiang Let the Reds Go (I)

Jung Chang's second major discovery is to deny Mao's contribution to the Red Army's survival during the Long March. She argues that, it is Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek who let the Red Army go because he wanted an excuse to send his own army into Guichou and Sichuan. She gives no evidence for this. Instead, by her own account, Chiang did not need to use Mao's army as his excuse because a strong Red Army had already been placed in Sichuan for nearly three years before Mao's arrival.

"There can be no doubt that Chiang let the Ccp leadership and the main force of the Red Army escape". "He wanted to drive the Red Army into these hold-out provinces, so that their warlords would be so frightened of the Reds settling in their territory that they would allow Chiang's army in to drive the Reds out" (p.137).

Jung Chang's reference does withhold the customary fact that Chiang thought about his entry into Sichuan as a useful by-product of his pursuit of the Red Army. But it does not imply Chiang let the Red Army escape. On the contrary, in the autumn of 1932, someone else Ccp leader Chang Kuo-tao had "moved to northern Sichuan, where he built a new and bigger base within a year, and vast his army to over 80,000. Kuo-tao was de facto the most successful of all the Communists" (pp. 147-148). At the time of Mao's arrival in Sichuan, Chang Kuo-tao's 80,000 soldiers "were well fed, well qualified with machine-guns and mortars and ample ammunition, and superbly trained" (p. 163). On the other hand, Mao's army "was down to some 10,000, . . . The surviving remnant was on the verge of collapse" (p.163).

It seems odd that "the most successful" Chang Kuo-tao's army of 80,000, after having placed down there for three years, still could not frighten the Sichuan warlords, and Chiang had to use Mao's army which "was on the verge of collapse". Why? Without an explanation one de facto has reasons to "doubt that Chiang let the Ccp leadership and the main force of the Red Army escape".

* Facing this demand in her interview with Duowei, Jung Chang replied: "This is a good question. But we have studied it already. When Chang Ku-tao entered Sichuan, he was in the north; Chiang Kei-shek de facto wanted to follow. But Sichuan had a regional defense principles then, each region had its own warlord, not together, all divided. Chiang Kei-shek drove the Central Red Army from the south into Sichuan. He wanted to conquer the south, the west, the north, also conquer the warlord in the east."

Then, why did not Chiang Kai-shek drive Chang Kuo-tao from the north to the west, east and south, but had to drive the Central Red Army far away from Jiangxi? Jung Chang's talk immediately leads to almost the same demand again. It does not illustrate anything. Isn't it too easy to "give easy answers" just like this?

3. Chiang Let the Reds Go (Ii)

To deny Mao's contribution in the Long March, Jc offers someone else principles to illustrate why Chiang let the Red Army go: he did it to get his son back from Russia. Jung Chang's evidence only shows that Chiang wanted his son back, but does not show he let the Reds go. On the contrary, she shows that for his same popular son, Chiang was not even willing to release two unknown spies.
According to Jc, for Chiang Kai-shek's decision of "letting the Reds go, . . . There was another, more private and totally private reason. Chiang's son Chin-up had been a hostage in Russia" (p. 138). "Chiang had devised a thought about crafted swap: the survival of the Ccp for Ching-Kuo. It was not an offer that could be spelt out. He executed his plan in subtle ways" (p. 140).

It was so subtle that no article was left for Jc to prove that Chiang did it, or even intended to do so. The only evidence is that Chiang worried about his son and asked Moscow to let him back. No swap was mentioned anywhere, not even in Chiang's diary. But there was someone else swap that was spelt out. Agreeing to Jc, Chiang's "sister-in-law, Mme Sun Yat-sen (nee Soong Ching-ling), who was someone else Soviet agent", "speaking for Moscow", spelt out a proposal of "swapping Ching-kuo for two top Russian agents who had recently been arrested in Shanghai. Chiang turned the swap down" (pp. 139-140).

Since Chiang was unwilling to let two Russian agents go in exchange for his son's release, it is unlikely that he let the Red Army of tens of thousands armed men escape. If he did, one would wonder what kind of agents could be so important. Actually, the "two top Russian agents" are the Chinese concentrate Niu Lan and his wife. Jc does not even tell their names, though a dozen other Russian agents are named in her book. Why? Maybe Jc has some "more private and totally private reason".

* during her interview with Duowei, Jung Chang said: Chiang Kai-shek "wanted to trade the Reds' survival for his son's return. How did we get the references? There are many, many references. The first comes from the Russian Archive, how Chiang Kai-shek negotiated with the Russians. There are also many records in Chiang Kai-shek's diary. Chiang Ching-kuo had an own list of the event; it contains such data as well. Moreover, as how Chiang Kai-shek let the Red Army go, there are many historical materials about the Long March, the telegraphs between the Kuomintang armies. We have given detailed explanations for all of them in the book."

Of course I have read all of these detailed explanations. de facto because of this, I wrote: "Jung Chang's evidence only shows that Chiang wanted his son back, but does not show he let the Reds go". Jc just repeats what she wrote in the book, but still fails to show any evidence of how Chiang let the Reds go. Why didn't she naturally quote one sentence from her "many, many references", which indicates that Chiang let or wanted to let the Reds go? Isn't this an easier talk than to list many, many circumstantial references?

4. The Fake Battle at the Luding Bridge

Jung Chang's claim of the nonexistence of the battle at the Luding Bridge has been widely publicized in the west as a fatal blow to the Red Army legend. In the official account, the Ccp and Red Army were close to destruction near the Dadu River. If they had failed to obtain the Luding Bridge, they would have been eliminated. The Luding Bridge battle is famous for its historic significance, not the scale.

Instead of disproving existing accounts, Jc makes her claim mainly based on her interview with a 93-year-old woman. But, even Agreeing to that account, the Red Army did fire heavy weapons at the Bridge. Jc does not illustrate why. Given the Reds' miniature ammunitions, it was unlikely they would have wasted them with no enemy in sight.

According to Jc, the battle at the Luding Bridge "is perfect invention. There was no battle at the Dadu Bridge". "There were no Nationalist troops at the bridge when the Reds arrived" (p. 159). A 93-year-old woman lived there at the time. "She remembered the Communists firing as 'only Yin a shell, and Yang a shot' --- a Chinese expression for sporadic. She did not remember her side of the river being fired on at all" (p. 159).

Jc does not illustrate either her definition of "Nationalist troops" includes the troops of Sichuan warlords which did not belong to the Nationalist regular army. Her source of reference suggests it does not. If so, her proof is flawed, because Agreeing to the official story, it was exactly the warlord's army which defended the bridge.

On the other hand, Jc acknowledges that the Red Army "shelled and fired over the river at Luding on the opposite side" (p.159), and "there was a fire in the town itself, caused, most likely, by Red Army shelling" (p. 160). The Red Army could not have used their gunfire as fireworks because their ammunition was very scarce. Just a month later, without any serious battle, it had "lost all its heavy weapons, leaving it only with rifles, with an average of five bullets each" (p.163). Its heavy weapons would have been used only if de facto necessary. Jc does not illustrate why the Reds shelled at all.

The shelling was unlikely due to a reconnaissance failure either. As "the bridge was not reduced to bare chains" (p. 160), sending a man over could have been done in a few minutes, probably more quickly than setting up the firing position. If it were a reconnaissance failure, the invention of the battle must have been used to cover it up. In that case, Mao, as one of the top commanders, was the cheated, not the cheater.

The only possible explanation left for the shelling is that it was to fake a battle for propaganda purposes, as seemingly suggested by Jc. In this case, the Reds did not need to fire at all, unless they had a video camera then. Moreover, they would not have undertaken extra efforts which make it more likely that the sham would be exposed. But they held "a celebration immediately afterwards", presenting each of 22 fake heroes with "a Lenin suit, a fountain pen, a bowl and a pair of chopsticks" (p. 160). Then the myth could have been exposed de facto by any of these specifically identified fake heroes.

Furthermore, Jc does not illustrate why the Nationalists did not expose this lie for 70 years. Their propagandists, not knowing Chiang's plan to set the Reds free, should have no think to keep the sham as an "unknown story".

Finally, who could benefit from this lie? Agreeing to Jc, as Mao had just led the Red Army through a disastrous "2,000-kilometre detour" (p. 162), "a deep resentment grew towards Mao. . . . everyone was furious with Mao" (p. 155). If Mao could have let the Red Army cross the Dadu River without firing a bullet, his image as a troops genius and his popularity would have shot up the most. A fabricated battle could only have reduced his reputation, not enhanced it. Whoever made up the battle story was more likely Mao's enemy, not his friends or himself.

* In her interview with Duowei, she answered my demand this way: "Many of his arguments are because he did not read our references, even not our texts". She said that her main evidence is not from the 93 years-old lady, "the main references are written documents, one of them shows that the 22 Red Army soldiers crossed the bridge first, these 22 men did not suffer any injury, and held a ceremony after crossing. Each of them got a bowl and a pair of chopsticks, and a pen. . . . He did not read our references, not even the text, but made comments, I do not know why. We also conducted a lot of explore on which Kuomintang army defended the bridge, and illustrate in details in the book. We find that this army was moved away from here before the Red Army arrived. There was a telegraph from that time. Our references consist of the origin of the telegraph. He does not mention this at all, it is not reasonable. Answering such questions would waste too much time".

Sorry, it is exactly having read her text and reference sources, I could maybe write: "Jc does not illustrate either her definition of 'Nationalist troops' includes the troops of Sichuan warlords which did not belong to the Nationalist regular army. Her source of reference suggests it does not. If so, her proof is flawed, because Agreeing to the official story, it was exactly the warlord's army which defended the bridge". From Jung Chang's reply, we still cannot see "whether her definition of "Nationalist troops" includes the troops of Sichuan warlords". Apparently, she does not want to waste her time to read a few words of my question, just "give easy answers". But she said not only she had read my review, but also "read carefully". "I do not know why".

Jc emphasizes that her major evidence that no battle existed is no death. I de facto did "not mention this at all", because it is naturally not an evidence. Even if "these 22 men did not suffer any injury", we can only doubt the intensity of the battle, but cannot rule out the possibility of its occurrence. The warlord army which defended the bridge was called "double gunners", one rifle and one opium gun, lack of basic training and experience. The mere fact of no Red Army death cannot prove that the battle "is perfect invention".

5. Mao Carried through the Long March

Jung Chang's other sensational allegation is that Mao was carried by a litter throughout the Long March. But none of her references suggests that Mao was carried regularly. The closest "evidence" is a statement by Mao himself which was published in one of the most authoritative and tightly controlled Chinese official presses.

According to Jc, from the start of the Long March, Mao, Lo Fu and Wang Jia-xiang formed a trio. "The trio traveled together, ordinarily reclining on litters. . . For much of the Long March, along with the most grueling part of the trek, most of them were carried." (p. 144)

Very oddly, for such a sensational accusation, Jc does not supply any reference to withhold this single sentence. some questions arise. The first demand is either the trio of Mao had the power to obtain such a privilege. "Lo Fu, the only member of the trio who was in the Secretariat" (p. 145), said "I felt I was put in a position completely without power" (p. 144). It was even worse for Mao, who "was isolated and miserable" (p. 132). Before the Long March he was worried that he might be abandoned, and went everywhere he thought the Red Army might go, hoping to be picked up mercifully as he stood on the side of the road (p. 128). With such a position, Mao's litter was less likely for his comfort, but due to the fact that "days before the planned departure, his climatic characteristic shot up to 41°C and he grew delirious with malaria" (p. 132).

Another demand is Mao's desire to be carried. As the trio of Mao was plotting a coup in the Red Army (pp. 144-6), they should have been keen to boost their popularity. "Aversion to privilege was particularly strong in the army because many had originally been attracted to join by the lure of equality, which was the Party's main appeal" (p. 77). It is unlikely that the trio of Mao could grab the leadership while lying in litters. Why didn't the opponents complain about this? This would be possible only if they were also carried. But then it would be unthinkable that the Red Army could stick together and feel the hardship, e.g. In the swampland as Jc describes (pp. 167 - 169).

Jung Chang's other evidence is the existence of a "charge --- Mao and the other leaders had 'sat in sedan chairs' all through the March" (p. 165). The only quoted part of this fee is 'sat in sedan chairs', without a subject. This reference comes from Mao's arch rival Chang Kuo-tao, writing long after he defected from the Red Army to the Nationalists. Chang and Mao met in late June 1935 and departed in early August (p. 166). As indicated on the map of the book, they shared a coarse path only from Fubian to Maoergai, a minor fraction of the March. Chang's fee of Mao sitting "'in sedan chairs' all through the March", even if true, had to come from others' testimony. Whose testimony? Neither Chang Kuo-tao nor Jc gives any clue.

The closest "evidence" of Mao being carried ordinarily is: "Mao himself told his staff decades later: 'On the March, I was lying in a litter. So what did I do? I read. I read a lot.'" (p. 144). Mao's words do not necessarily imply he was carried regularly. Let's see how cheap Jung Chang's interpretation is. Mao's words appear in his personal secretary Ye Zilong's memoirs, published by The Press of the Central Archive (2000). It is one of the most authoritative and tightly controlled government presses. Jc accuses the Chinese government of exterior Mao's secrets. But a crucial part of her story comes from an official press. Even if Mao's loyalist Ye betrayed him, and the government was ahead of Jc in denouncing Mao, it is hard to believe that such an accusation, Agreeing to Jung Chang's interpretation, generates no awareness in China and remains an "unknown story".

6. Mao Did Not Fight Japanese

To discredit Mao among the Chinese, Jc claims that Mao had no interest in fighting Japan, but only in beginning a civil war against Chiang Kai-shek. But, her evidence shows that Mao's strategy was the only feasible way for the Reds to fight Japanese effectively.

In a part entitled: "Fight Rivals and Chiang --- Not Japan" (p.218), Jc writes: "Mao had no strategy to drive the Japanese out of China" (p. 211). "He bombarded his troops commanders with telegrams such as 'Focus on creating base areas . . . . Not on fighting battles' . . . All the time, Mao was urging them to stop fighting the Japanese and concentrate on taking over territory" (pp. 212-213).

What if the Reds had followed an opposite strategy, i.e., fighting the Japanese head on? In August 1937 a war between the Japanese and Chiang's armies broke out. "In Shanghai, 73 of China's 180 divisions --- and the best one-third --- over 400,000 men, were thrown in, and all but wiped out. . . . The Japanese suffered much fewer, though still heavy, casualties: about 40,000" (p. 209).

"At this time, the Chinese Red Army had some 60,000 regular troops" (p. 211). Let's assume they were just as efficient as the best part of Chiang's troops, although their equipment, supply and training were much inferior. Then, if they had fought the Japanese head on, they could hardly have inflicted on the Japanese more than 6,000 casualties before they were "all but wiped out". That is less than one sixth of what Chiang achieved in Shanghai, de facto insufficient to defeat Japan. If Japan had secured its rear, Chiang's force would most likely have not resisted much longer.
Fortunately, the Reds followed Mao's strategy. The result: "By mid-November (1937), the first new Communist base in the Japanese rear was formed, near Peking, called Jinchaji, with a citizen of some 12 million" (p. 213). "By January 1940, the 8Ra, under Zhu De and Peng, had grown to at least 240,000 (from 46,000 at the beginning of the war). And the N4A, operating under Liu Shao-chi near Shanghai and Nanking, had tripled, to 30,000. A score of sizeable bases sprang up in the Japanese rear. The base of Jinchaji alone, only some 80 km from Peking, vast to control a citizen of 25 million" (p. 225). This evidence suggests Mao de facto had a "strategy to drive the Japanese out of China".

A Critique of Jung Chang and Jon Halliday's Book Mao, the Unknown Story

Foodstamp, Reality shows, and Lady GAGA

2011-08-01T09:30:00.001-07:00

Foodstamp, Reality shows, and Lady GAGA Video Clips. Duration : 10.55 Mins.

Random story at the beginning, and then goes to talk about the OVERLOAD on REality shows! Lady Gaga comes in at the end being very OVERATED! But this is just a taste, we got LOTS more to come bout her! HAHA AND YES im a Beyonce fanatic!!!! PLZZZ SUBSCRIBE!!!

Keywords: Tj, Sandra, tim, timothy, Foodstamps, ebt, reality, shows, overload, lady, gaga, gimic, overated, funny, laughing

Taj Mahal- Was a Vedic Hindu Temple.(Part-3)

2011-07-31T08:50:00.001-07:00

Taj Mahal- Was a Vedic Hindu Temple.(Part-3) Tube. Duration : 5.15 Mins.

We have all heard how the Taj Mahal, which is considered one of the great wonders of the world, was built as the preeminent expression of a man's love for a wife. That it was built by emperor Shah Jahan in commemoration of his wife Mumtaz. However, in our continuous effort to get to the truth, we have acquired some very important documents and information. There is evidence that the Taj Mahal was never built by Shah Jahan. Some say the Taj Mahal pre-dates Shah Jahan by several centuries and was originally built as a Hindu or Vedic temple/palace complex. Shah Jahan merely acquired it from its previous owner, the Hindu King Jai Singh. And here is the photographic evidence that will provide greater insights into this. The point to consider is how much more of India's history has been distorted if the background of such a grand building is so inaccurate. These photographs listed below are taken from an album that was found in India. On the back of each photo there is a stamp mark that says, "Copyright Archaeology Survey of India." This signifies that they may have been the property of that institution, or that they had researched the evidence that shows the Taj Mahal and many other buildings were not of Muslim origin. Thus, it would be good if they could open up further research into areas of the Taj Mahal that would reveal the true nature and originality of the buildings, and lead to understanding another part of the real history and glory of India. These photos are black ...

Tags: taj mahal, taj a vedic temple, vedic temple, vedic, mughal, india, taj, contovarcy, taj hindu temple, hindu

hadag nachash - bella bellissima

2011-07-28T20:40:00.001-07:00

hadag nachash - bella bellissima Tube. Duration : 3.72 Mins.

lyrics in english: This is a story worth educating children with This is a worthy story Tuesday, 12th May, 1992 A woman steps out of her house in Jerusalem Normal standard day nothing special like any other day A load of kids in the streets there was a teachers strike Same time exactly a revolting terrorist Pulls out a kitchen knife and with it stabs two innocent kids Another mad cruel attack Another nationalist attack He sets off running because a mob is in pursuit And catches him after a few seconds in the carpark tens of people kicking him they want to close the score I dont judge them, its an irrational event Its a flawed situation, awful, revolting, unclear But then turns up the woman and alters the end of the story Because she straight off throws herself on the terrorist and protects with her body the terrorist who is also a human though without her body would have ended up a corpse I dont understand, werent you afraid with that madman beneath you and the mob so close? Wouldnt it have been easier to get up and leave? She replied to the journalist that she didnt have time to think. She replied to the journalist that she didnt have time to think. Bella Bellissima That incident with the woman is engraved in my head Where did she get the strength to lie there without moving, without fear I ask myself what I would have done in her place If at the same moment I had been in the area Its clear to me that I wouldnt have gone over to boot him But to be fair and to tell the ...

Keywords: hadag, nachash

TEDxJakarta - Irfan Amalee - Incorporating Children In The Peace Solution

2011-07-27T17:20:00.001-07:00

TEDxJakarta - Irfan Amalee - Incorporating Children In The Peace Solution Tube. Duration : 16.53 Mins.

Irfan Amalee, is the program director of Peace Generation. Through this non-profit, he develops peace education modules and trains peace agents from primary schools and junior high school students throughout Indonesia. This incredibly viral program that began with zero funding has organically grown into a community of over 10000 young people who set up their own peace education training from Aceh to Sulawesi and around 25.000 "peace makers". He talks about the background of conflict and violence in Indonesia, the importance of involving children into part of the solution, and how to catch their attention. About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

Keywords: Irfan, Amalee, tedx, tedxjakarta, Indonesia

Card production Ideas - Rubber Stamps

2011-07-26T15:20:00.001-07:00

If you are new to card production and finding for card production ideas, rubber stamps are a excellent expanding to your craft box. Rubber stamps can be used in a variety of ways so they are well worth investing in.

When you begin crafting or card production it is leading that you do not rush out and buy all things you see, you will save a huge amount of money if you buy a few items, some stamps and embossing powders until you discover some card production ideas or find what your extra interest is either it be animal stamps or flowers or what ever interests you.

Stamp Story

Never by cheap stamps for your card production ideas, although some stamps are quite high-priced they will produce a much good print and have a crisper look if they have been properly made.

Rubber stamps range in price, normally the larger or more detailed the more high-priced it will be, I always reconsider how many times I can use a stamp for my card production ideas before I buy one. Some of the larger stamps can also be repeatedly stamped and used for decoupage, which will create a completely distinct type of card.

If you do decree to use a rubber stamp for decoupage never cut into the embossed lines as this may cause the embossing powder to flake off and look unattractive.

I find the stamps that are mounted on a clear block are great for beginners as you can see exactly where you are stamping leaving less room for error.

The biggest tip I can give when using rubber stamps that you will emboss is to lightly brush the area of card you are going to stamp on with talc this will stop the embossing powder sticking to other parts of the card as well as the ink.

Always lay you stamp flat and take the ink pad to it rather than pushing the stamp into the ink pad, this will ensure the entire create on the stamp is evenly covered in the ink.

Remember once you have used the stamp it is leading to clean the stamp and take off the entire ink residue. Depending on the type of in you have used for your card production ideas it may not be needful to use high-priced ink removers, I find an acid free baby wipe works just as well as some of the chemical solutions you can buy from craft shops.

Always store your ink pads level and upside down this will forestall uneven ink distribution and keep the ink on the top of the pad ready for its next use.

Rubber-stamping can be used for all your card production ideas and also for scrap booking, however it is leading that you use ink that is acid free and fade resistant to keep your project finding appealing and effective.

Card production Ideas - Rubber Stamps

The Peter Connelly Story

2011-07-25T07:25:00.001-07:00

The Peter Connelly Story Video Clips. Duration : 5.97 Mins.

Peter Connelly blue ribbon campaign Please take part, it is not for donations Many people are outraged after hearing what happened to this tiny defenceless baby. Some people may vent their anger by leaving a message on the various websites, just as I did originally. Some people may just discuss it with friends, and family, but I believe that many of us would dearly love to do more. We all know that Peter was failed by the system, a system that needs to change, but until it does change what can we do? If we break the law it would not STAMP OUT CHILD ABUSE. It goes on behind closed doors. Sadly Peter was one of many Children that die, or are abused every single day of their lives. Peters pain and suffering is over now, but how can we let him die in vain? We know that there are lots of children like Peter all over the world, that are suffering at the hands of MONSTERS. How can we show the world that we are AGAINST CHILD ABUSE? Should we just do nothing,apart from hope that the law will eventually change? We can send petitions to the government, does it change anything? So I ask myself what can we do as a nation? Not just Britain where Peter was from, because sadly we all know child abuse is worldwide. How can we as a nation show that we are against monsters abusing, these poor defenceless young children? How do we know who these monsters are? They are not brave enough to wear a badge saying I AM A CHILD ABUSER. Instead they use dirty tricks like smearing chocolate on babies ...

Tags: peter, connelly, Kelsey, Smith, Briggs, Baby, United, Kingdom, child, abuse, awareness, prevention, Broomcr, heaven, angel, missed, sad, Social, Services

Mario Party 3 - Courage Star Stamp: Creepy Caverns Part 4

2011-07-23T09:10:00.001-07:00

Mario Party 3 - Courage Star Stamp: Creepy Caverns Part 4 Tube. Duration : 9.92 Mins.

Part 4 of 5. Creepy Caverns -- Courage Star Stamp

Tags: mario, party, story, mode, courage

Scrapbook Stamps

2011-07-22T03:20:00.001-07:00

Scrapbook stamps have been around for nearly 20 years. Nothing makes your pages or cards more personal than stamping and creating your own. Stamping is even easier now days with the new acrylic stamps that are available. Let me tell you about some of the benefits of using the new acrylic stamp sets and blocks.

Stamps have come along way over the years. We have all used those bulky wooden blocks that took up our whole scrapbook rooms to store. Not to mention that when we stamped with them, it was so final, no fixing out mistakes or adding the miniature accents with a perfect placement. It was all a guessing game and you just finished your eyes and prayed you "hit your mark". Not anymore, with the new clear acrylic stamps, it has taken scrapbook stamping to a whole new level.

Stamp Story

The acrylic stamps are stored in a thin envelope and the clear blocks are stored in there own case. Once you have the blocks, you do not have to keep buying them, they are reusable for all the acrylic stamps. The new and improved scrapbook stamps are lightweight and easy to store and vehicle anywhere. Not to mention that when using the clear stamps, everybody becomes an master and most importantly they offer you creative control from task to project. With the clear stamps on the clear block, you will be able to see exactly where you are placing each one which makes it easier to add your accents with matching stamps. You can mix and match stamps sets to generate your own creative designs, backgrounds, and boarders.

Using the stamps is easy, simply remove the stamp from the clear carrier sheet and place on the accepted size block. When using alphabet stamps; simply effect the line guide on the block to generate a level line. This is perfect for titles or journaling. Once you have your stamps on the blocks, pick your color of ink and apply with a downward pressure. You will be able to see the coverage straight through the block, when it is just right, apply to your paper. Continue the process until you have completed the perfect design.

When you are finished, clean your stamps off with acrylic cleaner or warm soapy water. When the stamps are clean, return them to the stamp carrier sheet for storage. If by occasion they do not stick to the carrier, simply wash with warm soapy water and let them air dry. They will not lose their stickiness.

You will be amazed with these stamps; you will be able to generate endless layouts and cards with just one stamp set. And, you will be able to have a bigger collection with all the space you will be recovery with the sleek envelopes instead of the bulky wooden blocks. Not to mention that the acrylic are half the price of the wooden blocks!

Scrapbook Stamps

Love Stamp Part 9A

2011-07-21T03:05:00.001-07:00

Love Stamp Part 9A Tube. Duration : 3.92 Mins.

I know it's been 5 months D: Please watch the Love Stamp summary part 1 to 8 if you forgot about the story line. Here's the link: www.youtube.com Sorry I had to cut it into 2 part again, they won't fit in 10 minutes song used: Passion -Koyote

Tags: maple, story, maplestory, broa, msea, Hitsumaru, ting05, lynnkeke, love, stamp, drama, film, series

Teaching the Thirteen Colonies - The Stamp Act and More

2011-07-20T01:10:00.001-07:00

How do you think about teaching the thirteen colonies? There are so many splendid stories? Do you ever find yourself taking on the role of story teller? Certainly stories are great teaching tools, but they may not be enough.

I always struggle with the power of teaching with stories. Though study says that stories alone are not going to prompt students to think in valuable ways, my popular high school educator told stories all year long. I undoubtedly learned to think critically. But, perhaps this tangent is for a distinct article.

Stamp Story

If you select to teach beyond stories there are so many efficient ways to do so while considering the customary thirteen colonies and the Stamp Act. Here's an example. The stamp act is typically seen as an intensive British performance against the colonists, but was it really? Before the British began to enforce the stamp act, they had spent a great deal of money fighting the French and Indian War. In part, they fought this war to safe the colonists. Weren't the British entitled to earn back some of these funds, from the colonists? Consider keeping a turn over in your class to discuss this question. Of course, you should also put in order students by discussing colonial grievances.

Another way to teach the thirteen colonies is by asking students to take on the role of an individual who lived during the colonial era. So, for example, I recently advanced a unit in which the students play the advisor to a British family that has three sons. Each son has slightly distinct occupational goals and personal interests. The advisor, that is the student, must help the sons rule the most accepted colonial region to which they should move. Students use a set of prompts on Google Earth that I have advanced to put in order their presentations.

Story telling is great. But, not every student will learn from it in the same way that I learned from my high school teacher. The most efficient teachers will engage a multitude of distinct strategies to reach distinct students.

Teaching the Thirteen Colonies - The Stamp Act and More

A Small Story About Self Inking Stamps

2011-07-15T11:45:00.001-07:00

When the illustrious Danish fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen wrote his story about the minuscule Mermaid and the whole world for the first time could read " Once upon a time" as the four first words in his fairy stories he said to himself: How nice it would be if I could just have self inking stamps I could use to stamp these four words so I did not have to write them every time." He was way ahead of his time because in the 18th century no one had ever heard of self inking stamps but the illustrious fairy tale teller was a visionary and he could clearly see the need for the use of self inking stamps so he did not have to write over and over again "Once upon a time..." - but could just stamp them.

He wondered if it could be inherent to make self inking stamps in the shape of the minuscule Mermaid and maybe in dissimilar colours? maybe in blue so they matched the colour of the ocean in which the minuscule Mermaid was swimming or maybe in red so they looked like her cheeks when she was reasoning of her prince.

Stamp Story

The illustrious writer was reasoning about what material to use to make self inking stamps. He fulfilled, they could not be made of wood because how would it be inherent to make a mechanism that would work if in wood? Then he plan of using iron but fulfilled, that would be too heavy and make his muscles hurt because he had so often to stamp "Once upon a time..." Then he plan maybe in the hereafter it would be inherent to compose some other kind of materials that could be used but then again how should self inking stamps be constructed so the text plate was automatically inked and how would it be inherent to preclude the ink to dry out? He could see many issues had to be solved and as a fairy teller he did not have the skills to think as an engineer. He fulfilled, it would not be in his life time it would be inherent to use self inking stamps

He was a dreamer and he was a genius - and minuscule did he know 125 years later his dream would come true. The whole world was using self inking stamps, stamping all kind of documents - and in the millions. In every office and on every desk there would be some self inking stamps being used to stamp all kind of documents. The world had seen new materials advent like aluminum and plastic which made it inherent to compose light weight stamps and in many dissimilar colours. The minuscule Mermaid would without any problems have been able to use the contemporary self inking stamps - but maybe it was good this astounding goods was not colse to in the days of Hans Christian Andersen.

If he could just have stamped "Once upon a time.." instead of writing it with his pen his astounding imagination might have stopped working!

A Small Story About Self Inking Stamps

Hand Lotion The Hat

2011-07-13T19:10:00.001-07:00

Hand Lotion The Hat Tube. Duration : 7.67 Mins.

She had this trick she would do with a ball point pen,for five dollars US she would sign your back door pass,at least she would put an X on it,it's all free,pass it on,the name of the band was glasswater,whatever,how did you get that over the bottleneck,feel of it,try again,once more,again,feel of it,the story goes on, I would say it was a bit of overkill,she cooked the turkey for sunday dinner,we always have a young rooster or a old laying hen - baked in the oven,mashed sweet tators,gravy,green peas,hot biscuits,buttered cornbread,fried tomato stuff,corn on the cob,bread pudding that whiskey sauce,fresh buttermilk,no recipe,the steampunk queen of the year,Isabella came in an airship,Jana came in a '49 plymouth,annie the good dog and the cosmic goat was already here,don't be jaded by the bright lights,good info here but not much more,the cat is under the horse barn,think about that,mind movie,just a pinball wizard,twenty five,fifty,seventy five cents,ball in left pocket,we have a winner,where is the ball girl,in the back, in the booth, in the corner, in the dark,what size high heel shoe did she loose,I found one blue with zipper,open toe,high top,strapless,buckle up,reward to the looser,hang back,tramp stamp,french cut tight fittin' jeans,an old redneck hippie chick and the duck tape girl,buffalo soldier she is,dreadlock rasta,save chicken bones,spider webs,bat teeth,odd socks,free,no refunds,do you hear the melody? Bob Marley RIPand them Wailers,three little birds,cotton ...

Tags: rush, limbaugh, shutupandlistenpodcast, davidsfarm, maytag, gas, engine, hit, and, miss, rat, rod, walmart, tesla, hippy, world, tubalcain, sarah, palin, postage, paid, free, offer, big, deal, vegas, atomic, dog, neon, cat, goldplated, energy, drinks, lobster, claw, reusable, microwave, oven, windshield, washer, microfiber, spray, bottle, red, tag, sale, soda

DARLIN (daft punk 1992) - cindy, so loud demo

2011-07-12T14:40:00.001-07:00

DARLIN (daft punk 1992) - cindy, so loud demo Tube. Duration : 1.47 Mins.

primeros años de daft punk como darlin Thomas Bangalter y Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo se conocieron en la secundaria en París, Francia. Tenian 13 y 14 años cuando coincidieron en una clase. Apasionados por el cine y la música, admiradores de Jimi Hendrix, de los artistas de Motown y de los Beach Boys. Con 17 años crean Darlin. Cabe mencionar que Darlin es una canción de los Beach Boys incluida en el álbum Wild Honey (1967). Además en este grupo estaba también Laurent Brancowitzm (originalmente se llama Laurent Mazzalai pero bueno..) quien es guitarrista de Phoenix (otro dato curioso es que el hermano de Laurent Brancowitzm, Christian Mazzalai, también forma parte de Phoenix) hicieron el grupo de 3 compañeros de clase y editaron un single en el sello Duophonic, de Stereolab, con 1500 copias. pero no tuvieron exito, y la revista inglesa Melody Maker les puso el apodo de un puñado de tonto punk.(en gringo daft punk) aqui es donde darlin se desintrega y cada quien se va para su destino... lo demas es historia early Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo met in high school in Paris, France. I was 13 and 14 years as agreed in a class. Passion for cinema and music of Jimi Hendrix fans, the artists of Motown and the Beach Boys. With 17 years creating Darlin. Darlin is worth mentioning that one of the Beach Boys song on the album including Wild Honey (1967). Also in this group was also Laurent Brancowitzm (originally called Laurent Mazzalai good but ..) who is ...

Tags: francia, chido chingon daft fan

Do You Believe in Ghosts? Here is a Ghostly Tale

2011-07-11T10:20:00.001-07:00

I have often wondered whether ghosts de facto exist, what do you think, do you believe they do? What we need is a blog all about ghosts where citizen can post their ghostly stories and opinions. The question I suppose would be that you would get citizen just production up stories for a laugh, yes very funny I know. In this article, I am going to write about my opinions on this field as well as telling the tale of a ghost which a friend of mine claims he saw. I have to say that this friend is quite trustworthy and not one who is known for telling fibs, but you can never be sure.

Now citizen may think that I am a bit mad or even sad as I have read many books on the field of ghosts. It is an area that de facto fascinates me and I just wish that there was some way of proving that they do de facto exist as I believe they do. I think from all of these studies, that a ghost is created when a person has died before their time as it were. I believe that when we are born there is like some sort of imperceptible stamp put on our head, this stamp has the date when we are going to die in the future. If a person then dies before this date they are then not ready to rest in peace and therefore stay nearby in the form of a ghost until that day arrives. Some like being a ghost so much that they resolve to stay for much longer periods than even this date.

Stamp Story

People may have died before their time due to some form of tragedy such as a car crash or even after being murdered.

The Ghost Story

This is a ghost story a friend told me about a year ago. When he was about ten years of age, on one Saturday afternoon, he was in a local park with three friends. They were all messing about as young boys tend to do when they noticed a girl who was about twelve years of age, who was picking flowers. For whatever guess they decided to run in quite a exciting way towards her, shouting at the same time, this would be in an endeavor to scare her. Why they wanted to do this is not de facto that clear to me but I was not telling the tale and did not want to stop my friend to ask, as he was in some kind of flow.

The girl heard all of this commotion and noise but did not seem scared. She merely turned, looked and smiled at the oncoming boys before just disappearing into seemingly thin air. The boys were soon stopped in their tracks in amazement at what they had just witnessed. They all had to check with each other that what they had just seen de facto did happen. They tried to find the girl but never saw her again.

Years later when my friend was about twenty-three years of age, he started to do some explore about the park etc. He found that a girl of twelve had been murdered there forty years ago, weird!

I have many more ghostly tales but will not bore you with any more at this stage.

Do You Believe in Ghosts? Here is a Ghostly Tale

Spartan Sagas: Kevin Kellermann

2011-07-08T09:55:00.001-07:00

Spartan Sagas: Kevin Kellermann Tube. Duration : 1.50 Mins.

Kevin Kellermann graduated from the College of Social Science in 1982. He and his brother, who also graduated from Michigan State, are professional philatelists-stamp dealers-and among the largest stamp auctioneers in the country. "When things get tough, I tell my kids, 'You have to be a Spartan about it. No matter what, you'll get through it. Just be tough.'" Spartans—alumni, students, faculty, and staff. Have your own Spartan Saga to share? Go to spartansagas.msu.edu and share your story with the world!

Tags: spartan, sagas, msu, michigan, state, university, spartans, will, stories

Philately is an very information Oriented Study of Rare Postage Stamps

2011-07-07T08:25:00.001-07:00

Philately is a term applied to the study of and about postage stamps. Not all collectors are Philatelists. Many habitancy acquire just for the enjoyment of it without no ifs ands or buts knowing the history, origin or value of a stamp. Their goal is just to build a variety of stamps according to anything they chose as their theme. Philatelists, on the other hand, are not necessarily collectors. They could be but their main goal is to study rare stamps and gain knowledge about them without any expectation of owning one. All serious collectors however, could benefit from a normal knowledge of philately. This could sustain a assembler in determining the true value of a stamp and avoid paying too much for a basically worthless one.

The study of stamps came about when habitancy started observing that some of the same types of stamps were on separate papers, had varying watermarks, color hues, perforations, and many other small differences. This brought up questions on how and why they were different. Consequently some of these individuals began researching postal records to rule the origin of these stamps and find out why there were variations on supposedly identical stamps. Additionally, over the years habitancy have found ways to produce forgeries of these stamps. Some of them are exquisite copies and only man experienced in studying stamps would be able to tell the difference.

Stamp Story

Basically philately is divided into two groups. There is technical philately, which examines the technical end of the stamps and topical philately, which specifically studies the designs on the stamps.

Technical philately involves being intricately customary with the make process of the stamp. Understanding the type of paper regularly used for a particular stamp such as whether it's a woven or laid and if it includes watermarks. Knowing the printing methods that are used, this includes engraving, typography and such. Searching for stamps that have been reprinted over an existing design. Study of these technicalities goes as far as to investigate the type of disunion and gum used on the stamps. Technical philately is widely used to rule forgeries in stamps.

Topical philately is strictly the study of a stamp's topical design. Sometimes famed pictures are edited before their use in a stamp and topical philately includes studying about the story behind the editing. Some stamps have the wrong pictures on them. studying about positive images and why those images came to be used on stamps. With the wide variety of subjects that have been used on stamps over the years, topical philately can furnish an endless amount of topics to be studied.

Philately is an extremely detail oriented field of study; one has to have a good eye for some of the tiniest detail that can be found on stamps. Even man who is just a casual assembler would benefit from just some of the basic knowledge about philately. This data would help a assembler understand better about the discrete stamps and reasons behind their values. It may also help man avoid production high-priced mistakes in the buying or selling of pieces in their collections. Some may hold value that a assembler isn't aware of while others may be no ifs ands or buts worthless.

Philately is an very information Oriented Study of Rare Postage Stamps

wwe love story s2 ep4

2011-07-06T00:40:00.001-07:00

wwe love story s2 ep4 Video Clips. Duration : 8.17 Mins.

here is the next episode btw i own none of this

Tags: divas, wrestlers, wwe

How To prevent Holiday Accidents

2011-07-04T18:00:00.001-07:00

The holidays are the worst season for accidents. Ironically, corporate Christmas parties are one of the biggest causes of accidents, in the sense that they push drunk habitancy into cars and onto the streets. Therefore, it helps the enterprise if it takes basic precautions to stop wannabe accidents from leaving the building.

It seems that no one can top habitancy from drinking at Christmas parties, and it only creates a nasty situation when you propose that they drink less. You can limit the estimate of drinks, but habitancy somehow manage to drink more. You can unofficially discourage drinking, but it's jut best to find other ways to deal with it.

Stamp Story

The most basic way is to offer some sort of incentive to designated drivers, those that are willing drink sodas, water and fruit juice, and then drive drunks home after the party. These incentives can take the form of gift cards or actual gifts, but remember that they took on the extra responsibility when it comes time for promotions. These are definitely habitancy that you want to encourage, so make it a point to find a way.

Another idea is to allow them to stay where they drop. It's not the most orderly of things to do, but if you have a large building, then prescribe a room or two as sleeping rooms, and encourage habitancy to bring sleeping bags an bedrolls if they plan on getting drunk. Point out that it's not a hotel, but that it's there for anything who needs it. If nothing else, it will discourage habitancy from driving home drunk, which is what you are trying to discourage in the first place. If you decree to hold the party at a home, the same can be terminated by designating a base room.

A unlikeness of the above is to hold it at someone's house or a hotel, where rooms are actually available. Besides having man else clean up the mess, this makes you feel best because you know that an selection is available, and the hotel may offer a group rate discount. It also encourages the hotel to preserve the space for you again next year. (Bear in mind that most hotels have a dry spell around the holidays, unless they are in traveler hotspots.)

There are basic ways to stop drinking, by the way. The most basic of these is to allow just one drink; just don't toast too often. You can also use some sort of stamp or token system, but be aware that stamps can be washed off and that tokens be traded. There are other ways, but they depend on personal honor, which seems to evaporate like cheap beer around alcohol.

As the idea is to keep your employees safe; if something happens to them, then you have to pay for training their replacement, and your insurance carrier needs to take care of their bills. By taking care of your workers, you save money. That, and you show that you actually like them. Which is always worth it in the end.

How To prevent Holiday Accidents

The Birth of Sorta Realism (PXL-2000 PixelVision)

2011-07-03T14:30:00.001-07:00

The Birth of Sorta Realism (PXL-2000 PixelVision) Tube. Duration : 5.92 Mins.

1987 PixelVisionPalooza 01, The Birth of Sorta-Realism. At around 2 in the morning I decided to improvise a story where putting on a mask and baggy clothing could lead to a world with less physical and racial prejudice. This includes improvising what is most likely one of the worst poems ever. How can a kid afford a video camera in 1987? The Fisher-Price PXL2000! A battery operated camera that recorded postage stamp size, pixelated, combination of IR Filtered, CCD, ASIC video onto an Audio Cassette Tape. Couple this technology with the foundation of our Sorta-Realist Art Form and you get a primitive way to capture improved ideas, crappy looking music videos and fun. Ranging in content from the hilarious to the boring to the lousy and to the WTF? We always had a great time making it happen and if you don't like it, Tuff Poopy Beans!

Tags: Sorta, Realism, PXL, 2000, pixelvision, Fisher, Price, Odd, Wiggly, Trap, Door

Adjustment Bureau - Matt Damon Interview

2011-07-02T13:10:00.001-07:00

Adjustment Bureau - Matt Damon Interview Tube. Duration : 3.08 Mins.

For more tv and movie news head to multipleverses.com The Adjustment Bureau Release 03/04/2011 Do we control our destiny, or do unseen forces manipulate us? Matt Damon stars in the thriller The Adjustment Bureau as a man who glimpses the future Fate has planned for him and realizes he wants something else. To get it, he must pursue the only woman he's ever loved across, under and through the streets of modern-day New York. On the brink of winning a seat in the US Senate, ambitious politician David Norris (Damon) meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt)—a woman like none he's ever known. But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of Fate itself—the men of The Adjustment Bureau—who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path...or risk everything to defy Fate and be with her. The Adjustment Bureau is written for the screen and directed by George Nolfi (writer of Ocean's Twelve, co-writer of The Bourne Ultimatum). It is based on a short story by Philip K. Dick ("Total Recall," "Minority Report" and "Blade Runner"). www.theadjustmentbureau.com Genres: Thriller Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Michael Kelly and Terence Stamp Directed By: George Nolfi Produced By: Michael Hackett, George ...

Tags: adjustmentbureau, EPK, 15, h264, hd

Mario Party 3 - Story Mode - Waluigi's Island END (Part 48)

2011-07-01T12:55:00.001-07:00

Mario Party 3 - Story Mode - Waluigi's Island END (Part 48) Tube. Duration : 10.67 Mins.

Please Read the Description! Join and watch Yoshi's adventure through the boards of Mario Party 3, as he faces many opponents and challengers, as well as slightly unfair AI, to claim the Star Stamps he so rightfully deserves, so that he may become the Superstar of the whole Universe! Yoshi draws ever closer to the epic conclusion of his Stamp-collecting adventure! Yoshi is winning the board, and gets the final Mischief Star Stamp! But the Millennium Star claims there is one more he must fight! Who could it be? -Obligatory disclaimers and stuff- Reading the subtitles in addition to it makes it funnier overall. All-in-all, you can ignore the subtitles or even annotations, which you can even turn off, if you want. They're funny, but you don't need to read them to see the gameplay. PARODY & FAIR USE DISCLAIMER: This video technically qualifies as parody and may not be removed. This does not impede the game's selling in any way, a low resolution video like this does not allow copies of the game to be made, and is made in compliment to Nintendo and Hudson Soft.

Keywords: video, game, gaming, Mario, Party, story, mode, Yoshi, star, stamp, millennium, wit, kindness, strength, love, courage, beauty, mischief, tumble, toad, duel, battle, royal, map, Peach, castle, Luigi, Wario, Donkey, Kong, Daisy, Waluigi, Chilly, Waters, Gate, Guy, Deep, Bloober, Sea, Spiny, Desert, Pipesqueak, Woody, Woods, Blowhard, Creepy, Cavern, Mr., Mover, Backtrack, Waluigi's, Island

comedytrio act 1

2011-06-30T08:55:00.001-07:00

comedytrio act 1 Video Clips. Duration : 1.88 Mins.

a funny film !express# !metadata#!version#v1.0.r291!/version#!format#1.001!/format#!totalTime#112960!/totalTime#!width#400!/width#!height#300!/height#!maxSceneSize#105526!/maxSceneSize#!clientPublishTime#Sat Feb 2 10:28:54 GMT 0000 2008!/clientPublishTime# !/metadata# !scenes#!scene# !asset path="www.youtube.com type="CaptionContent"#!stamp time="0"# !text#welcome to the ellie show!/text# !face#Bernhard!/face# !color#16777215!/color# !display#true!/display# !z#2!/z# !render#!tx#74.10000000000001!/tx#!b#0!/b#!c#0!/c#!ty#85.55000000000001!/ty#!a#1!/a#!d#1!/d# !/render#!/stamp#!stamp time="11178"# !display#false!/display#!/stamp# !/asset#!/scene#!scene# !asset path="www.youtube.com type="CaptionContent"#!stamp time="11178"# !text#todays story " a boy who is obsest with billy and bobby".!/text# !face#Bernhard!/face# !color#16777215!/color# !display#true!/display# !z#2!/z# !render#!tx#2.6!/tx#!b#0!/b#!c#0!/c#!ty#187.05!/ty#!a#1!/a#!d#1!/d# !/render#!/stamp#!stamp time="27651"# !display#false!/display#!/stamp# !/asset#!/scene#!scene# !asset path="www.youtube.com type="CaptionContent"#!stamp time="27651"# !text#he's a nutter!/text# !face#Myriad!/face# !color#0!/color# !display#true!/display# !bubble#Thought Bubble!/bubble# !z#2!/z# !render#!tx#158.35000000000002!/tx#!b#0!/b#!c#0!/c#!ty#59.1!/ty#!a#1!/a#!d#1!/d# !/render#!/stamp#!stamp time="62951"# !display#false!/display#!/stamp# !/asset#!/scene#!scene# !asset path="www.youtube.com type="CaptionContent"#!stamp time="62951 ...

Keywords: trio, act

Tramp Stamp Nation- Dedicated to Tramp Stamps

2011-06-26T17:40:00.001-07:00

Tramp Stamp Nation- Dedicated to Tramp Stamps Tube. Duration : 0.50 Mins.

bit.ly - Check out Tramp Stamp pictures, videos, designs and more

Tags: tramp stamp, lower back tattoos, tattoo for lower back, tramp stamps, bullseye tattoo, tattoos on lower back, girls back tattoos, lower back small tattoos, cool picture of tattoo, free tattoo pics, tramp stamp tattoo, tramp stamp tattoos

Envelope Stuffing

2011-06-25T13:05:00.001-07:00

Envelope stuffers plainly insert contents into envelopes and sometimes address the envelope. Before envelop-stuffing machines were invented, habitancy were employed especially to do this task in bulk quantities. The envelopes had to be stamped, verified for each address, stuffed with insertions and sealed. It is a mechanical job and has now been automated to a large extent.

We get to see a whole of advertisements in newspapers and on the Internet, widely publicizing the need for persons who can stuff envelopes. It is advertised, often, that a man can make upwards of 00 a month from home doing this. Unfortunately, most of these job offers are trying to dupe habitancy who are new to this belief and not aware of scams that are prevalent. Most of the people, who have recently started searching for work, get caught in the trap and end up paying money for registration and or more information. Later they find out it is not a genuine work offer. Since it is very difficult to distinguish real employers from the scam artists, it is great to sense the mailing houses directly if you are curious in stuffing envelopes.

Stamp Story

Today, most envelope stuffing is done by motor - manually stuffing envelopes is little to specialty envelopes machinery may not be able to handle. The automated system inserts, folds, seals and stamps the envelopes at an remarkable speed of nearby 5,000 envelopes per hour. Even address labels can be put on with the help of machines.

If you are curious in stuffing envelopes, sense the mailing houses or the fellowships directly to avoid getting cheated in a scam.

Envelope Stuffing

NANNA SUSAN TALKS ABOUT SEX

2011-06-24T11:00:00.001-07:00

NANNA SUSAN TALKS ABOUT SEX Tube. Duration : 1.75 Mins.

My nanna talking about her sexual excapades when she was young. !express# !metadata#!version#v1.0.r291!/version#!format#1.001!/format#!totalTime#112633!/totalTime#!width#400!/width#!height#300!/height#!maxSceneSize#3315!/maxSceneSize#!clientPublishTime#Wed Oct 17 05:53:14 GMT-0400 2007!/clientPublishTime# !/metadata# !scenes#!scene# !asset path="www.youtube.com type="TransitionContent"#!stamp time="0"# !display#false!/display# !direction#stop!/direction# !duration#0!/duration# !z#5!/z#!/stamp#!stamp time="109633"# !display#true!/display# !direction#forward!/direction# !duration#3000!/duration#!/stamp#!stamp time="112633"# !display#true!/display# !direction#reverse!/direction# !duration#2!/duration#!/stamp#!stamp time="112635"# !display#false!/display# !direction#stop!/direction#!/stamp# !/asset#!/scene# !/scenes# !asset path="www.youtube.com type="BorderContent"#!stamp time="0"# !x#0!/x# !height#300!/height# !display#true!/display# !y#0!/y# !width#400!/width#!/stamp#!stamp time="112633"# !display#false!/display#!/stamp# !/asset# !asset path="finished/7FE325E3533B88D0-39AE6A4FF3668794.flv" type="VideoContent" desc=""#!stamp time="0"# !mute#false!/mute# !height#300!/height# !display#true!/display# !position#0!/position# !width#400!/width# !volume#0.75!/volume#!/stamp#!stamp time="112633"# !display#false!/display#!/stamp# !/asset#!/express#

Tags: Funny, sex, penis, big, pink, story, vaginas, grandma, nanna, ashton, cruz.

Home Loan Modification Hardship Letter - Keys to Success

2011-06-23T04:38:00.001-07:00

Home loan modification is paving the way for many to avoid foreclosure on the homes they have paid so much into and stress to keep for their families. While some have had successes naturally refinancing, many have fallen short of this. Writing a home loan hardship letter is the first step most will take in finding a solution to paying their mortgage and retention what they have worked so hard to attain.

This process isn't quite as straightforward as it sounds and many of these requests have been denied naturally due to incompleteness within the hardship letter. The hardship letter you will write explains the suspect for your financial hardships and why they should give you a modification of your mortgage payment. You must go onto showing them that this modification will enable you to fully repay the loan to the end and that you intend to keep your home as well as continue living within it.

Stamp Story

Your mortgage lender does want to see your mortgage paid. If they have to for real go through foreclosure, they often experiences a loss. So, yes they would like to help you if it helps them too in the long run. When telling them your story, you will need to stick to the facts. Briefly addressing the facts from the time your mortgage payment first became tough to make, and the financial events that have made it worse since is important. You will also want to emphasize that you for real want to keep your home and that with a home loan payment modification you will in fact be able to keep up with it.

Avoid negatively complaining and outright tear-jerking as those may just cause them to be disinterested in your hardship. Daily hundreds of citizen call their lenders repeatedly with hard luck stories, insults, and other bombardment of communications that lead no-where without mortgage payments advent in. Many homeowners wind up in foreclosure and lose their homes. Don't file in with their ranks, rather you want to write a hardship letter that is positive.

Show them why their help will keep your mortgage on track to the end. You want to appear responsible, hard working, and only going through the times with some hardship (as many are). Be appreciative too. Let them know this will enable you to keep up with the payments with their assistance. You can find many templates online that will support you to create a great hardship letter. These give you a great track to run on in requesting the home loan modification you so need.

This is your best shot to keep your home for years to come. Some for real find these adequate. Others will elect to find a trustworthy financial consultant that can support them in putting together an effective financial hardship letter requesting a home loan modification as well. Often these advisers do not payment for some of their services and can furnish invaluable information in successfully receiving a home loan modification.

Home Loan Modification Hardship Letter - Keys to Success

Seppe's Movie, part I

2011-06-21T23:38:00.001-07:00

Seppe's Movie, part I Tube. Duration : 3.43 Mins.

DECEMBER 2010 UPDATE: CONGRATS TO SHEILA REYNOLDS, SEPPE'S WONDERFUL NEW MOM! Original posting: Seppe (aka "Cadenza"). In this video, Seppe had just started under saddle (summer 2008). He is a lovely, easy young horse, 3-1/2 years old in this video, incredibly responsive and soft in the hands, a beautiful mover, with a wonderful sense of rhythm, and very sensible (my third day up on his back - the third time he'd ever been ridden, I loaded him into the trailer, took him to the beach, and we went for a gallop and a splash in the waves!). Instead of arena work, I will continue to trail ride him occasionally until he is four, building his confidence, sensitivity, and enjoyment of light, easy riding. That's about it. At four I'll officially begin his dressage schooling. Here, we took him into our training arenas to make this video. At four I'll begin taking up some gentle contact and start putting him together. We imported Cadenza from Holland as a weanling His registered name is Seppe Van't Molenhuis. His sire is Fetse 349. In Holland, at his official breed Keuring, he earned the coveted First Premium stamp on his registration papers, and was subsequently named Grand Champion Young Horse of that entire Keuring.

Tags: Cadenza, Grand, Champion, Keuring, sire, Fetse, 349, friesian, dressage, horse, Cassy, Ryan, Catherine, Gallegos, horses, horse training, equestrian, riding, western, hunter

Home Equity Can generate a Never-ending Money Cycle

2011-06-18T19:19:00.001-07:00

What could you do with ,000? Well, you can have it, now in a new home equity loan! Did you know that if you have been in your home for just one full year, you may already have the chance to take out huge dollars in equity from your home -- tens of thousands, even! Did you also know that you can get this money with no closing costs, use it any way you like, and, best of all, it will cost you as miniature as the price of your cable bill each month, and you can create an amazing money cycle that will give you an endless supply of cash.

Unlike approved mortgages, home equity loans are paid back with interest-only payments, and have no taxes or insurance added, which make for highly low payments. This means you can get tens of thousands of dollars for as miniature as per month on your equity loan. Imagine having 10,000 dollars and paying this miniature to get it!
What's more, if you use this equity properly, you can pay off debt, recovery hundreds monthly. Then, in a few years, you can get a new home equity loan, with the new equity you have built in your home from simple appreciation in value.

Stamp Story

A real-life home equity loan example. . .

Here's a great story about the power of equity. I had a client once, who was going to sell his beautiful home, which he loved, because he needed money for his daughter's college education. miniature did he know that the money was right at his fingertips, locked away in the vault inside his home. All he needed was the right blend to get it out. When I showed him how he could get a ,000 home equity loan for less than 0 per month, he was astonished. "I figured it would be like a whole new mortgage," he said. You know, around 0 per month, and I could never afford that, on top of my current mortgage payment."

The Money Cycle. . .

He was even more excited when I taught him how to pay that loan off later, using his house again, while taking even more money. This is what is called the Money Cycle. Your home equity loan can create this never-ending cycle.
Imagine paying off a car, a credit card and another loan, all at high interest with combined payments of over 0 monthly. Your home equity loan payment is 0, recovery you over 0 per month and ,000 yearly. Now, instead of spending this extra cash, what if you go to your financial planner and have him spend the money for you? Suddenly, you're construction wealth and creating cash flow. Now, in a few years, your home appreciates, and you whether sell or refinance to a new loan, getting more cash and beginning the cycle over again. Learn all about it in the wealth-building system, Winning the Mortgage Game.

Home Equity Can generate a Never-ending Money Cycle

Love and War

2011-06-17T11:00:00.001-07:00

Love and War Tube. Duration : 6.55 Mins.

OTW Film puts the stamp on Spanish Projects with this exclusive, most recent, brank spankin' new short. Amor y Guerra (Love and War) is a love story, involving war. You should have known better...

Tags: OTW, Film, productions, amor, love, war, guerra, spanish, and, the, dane, parody, funny, hilarious, blooper, pranks, short, spoof

Using Rubber Scrapbooking Stamps For Creative Scrapbooking

2011-06-11T23:19:00.001-07:00

Scrapbooking - collecting mementos and reports and photos of your memory in an album so these memories can be looked over and re-lived time and time again,is becoming a hugely favorite hobby all nearby the world. Whatever can be put into your scrap-booking, but what makes your pages genuinely special are rubber scrapbooking stamps. They are what genuinely help you tell the story.

Rubber scrapbooking stamps bring your pages to life, but they also bring them together as a coherent and genuinely rather gorgeous whole. Manufacturers are catching on to this upsurge in stamp needs. Most rubber stamp fellowships will now yield whole ranges of scrapbooking stamps on all the major themes that citizen tend to include.

Stamp Story

If you celebrate a holiday or important event, such as a birthday, graduation, or wedding; you'll find many different rubber stamp themes to suit your scrap-booking topic. There are now a huge collection of themes available from rubber stamp fellowships in many different styles. Other important theme sets include those for Christmas, Easter, many Jewish holidays, and more.

Happy moments you want to remember forever often make up the best scrapbooking topics. Those seemingly mundane moments of day-to-day life become special when created as a page in a scrap-book. You can also find a large collection of hobbies and daily activities in a rubber stamp sets and themes, often in many different sizes and styles.

As the examples illustrated, there are an approximately endless contribute of rubber stamp subjects and styles that will match the topic of your scrapbook. Because the charm of scrap-booking is that of creating a personalized memory, incorporating rubber stamp sets makes your pages even more unique. Not only are there stamps available on every holiday and theme you can imagine, but also in a wide collection of styles, from casual, to extravagant, and more.

The judicious use of words that carry emotions and moods bring power and clarity to your scrapbook pages. Whatever thought you want to express, you'll find a rubber scrap-booking stamp with just the right word. You'll also have the fun of selecting the typestyle and font that matches the mood and theme of your project.

One of the best buys you can make for scrapbooking is to get a estimate of alphabet rubber stamps. By getting some fonts and styles, you'll always be able to express yourself. Alphabet stamps let you add names, places, what ever is unique to you.

Part of the fun of scrap-booking is creating gorgeous pages which look like they have been expertly designed. Rubber scrap-booking stamps are a grand help in this and they mean you don't even have to be artistic; the images are already there for you. But you add your mark in color and arrangement and words, even the puny arty squiggles you may adorn the gaps in your pages with or to draw the eye on to other pages which link to each other.

Rubber stamps help you to do that too, as many a page has been spoilt by a non-artist thinking 'I'll just add a star or a squiggle - that can't be too hard.' Sometimes it can be Very hard - but stamps have it all. If you know where to look - and these stamps are all over shops and the internet - then that excellent puny decoration for your scrap-booking pages is to be found. No more spoilt pages - just a beautiful, memory-filled scrap-book to be proud of with rubber stamps.

Using Rubber Scrapbooking Stamps For Creative Scrapbooking

The suited Story Behind Singapore Economic development

2011-06-10T21:19:00.001-07:00

Singapore economic development journey was not paved. Today Singapore vibrant economy is determined short of a miracle. Despite the many obstacles facing them, Singapore managed to attain prosperity in a short span of time.

The island city has some four million residents. Also determined as the smallest nation in the whole Southeast Asia, most Singaporeans live in high-rise buildings and commute using communal transport.

Stamp Story

In 1819, Europeans located in Singapore. The British East India Company, managed by Sir Stamford Raffles, created a post for spice trading. Singapore became a industrial and forces center of the British Empire in Southeast Asia.

After World War Ii, Singapore experienced marked changes in technology and in politics. The small island-state decided to implement industrialization in the 1950s. The Singaporeans decided that it is time to detach from their role as entrepot.

The government came up with the policy to join the industrial revolution which had affected countries at that time. The economic development plans mostly revolve nearby providing employment opportunities to the people.

The island nation skilled workforce was a huge offering to Singapore vibrant economy. In the 1960s, unemployment was virtually eradicated when Singapore posted the lowest unemployment rates in Asia at that time.

Singapore attained independence from Britain in 1963. Singapore merged with Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak to be part of Malaysia. But two years later, Singapore became an independent republic.

In the 1970s labor skills and technology became the main focus of the government initiatives. Modern industries became the traditional focus of the government thrust such as petrochemicals, electronics and precision machinery. Foreign ventures also began pouring in at that time, manufacture the industrial transition faster.

The government introduced some changes in 1979. Its policy geared towards low-wage earners was changed to accommodate capital-intensive industries. The 1980s saw the increase of foreign invested industries such as computers, electronics and automotive, pharmaceuticals, optic and other growing industries.

When retreat hit in 1985 to 1986, the government turned its concentration to manufacture Singapore a manufacturing and communications hub for foreign corporations.

The focus of Economic development Board (Edb) during the 1960s was industrialization. This was based on the plans made by Dutch economist Albert Winsemius. But a shift happened towards 1990s. The Strategic Economic Plan (Sep) in 1991 was more bent on pursuing education and human resources development in order to encourage export. Edb is still focusing on the increase of the business sector in this country.

Singapore suitable of living has grown tremendously through the years specifically after they achieved independence from European settlers. The foreign investments and Singapore government thrust to implement industrialization helped established a Modern economy in this island state.

Currently, Singapore ranks fifth wealthiest country in the world as per Gdp (Ppp) per capita. The legal reserves of Singapore as of January 2009 was pegged at Us0.3 billion.

Modern Singapore is undoubtedly a marked improvement from what it used to be. It achieves milestones in its economy which in case,granted its people the financial safety they need. Singapore economic development is a goods of the people foresight and their determination to succeed.

The suited Story Behind Singapore Economic development

Iktomi and the Food Stamp Incident

2011-06-09T01:19:00.001-07:00

Iktomi and the Food Stamp Incident Video Clips. Duration : 9.82 Mins.

Iktomi is the Lakota trickster spider. Here is one of his adventures.

Tags: Iktomi, Lakota, Trickster, spider, native, american, indian, poets, comics, music

Dangerous Waters

2011-06-07T12:19:00.001-07:00

Dangerous Waters Video Clips. Duration : 1.38 Mins.

STORY: The waters off Somalia are the most dangerous in the world. Piracy has flourished in lawless Somalia since the collapse of central government 17 years ago. In an effort to combat the problem, the UN Security Council earlier this year passed a resolution allowing foreign warships to enter Somalia's territorial waters to fight piracy. But it hasn't made Somali waters any safer. Attacks at sea have soared this year. This is the pirate's base - Eyl is a lawless former fishing outpost, part of the self-declared autonomous Puntland region within Somalia. The Puntland authorities are critical of foreign efforts to stamp out piracy. [Abdul-Kadir Yusuf Muse, Puntland Region Fishing and Ports Assistant Minister]: "We know they have been given full mandate by the security council to intervene when the pirates strikes on Somali waters." The Puntland authorities want the United Nations to set up an international force to police Somali territorial waters. Dozens of ships have been hijacked for ransom this year. It's a lucrative business. Most captured vessels fetch thousands sometime millions of dollars in ransoms. Hostages are usually treated well. Shipping companies are urged not to pay...but most do. On Thursday, a German ship and Japanese tanker were freed along with their crew, but pirates are currently holding about 10 ships for ransom and more than 130 crew members.

Keywords: Ntd, NTDTV, News, Somalia, dangerous, Piracy, UN, Security, Council, mandate, resolution, Puntland

When it Rains

2011-05-31T08:38:00.001-07:00

When it Rains Tube. Duration : 4.43 Mins.

Oh no.I just noticed that the images don't fit into the photo frame boxes near the beginning of the video! It's not very visible on my old computer but re-watching it on my newer laptop I noticed that it's off. I think it's something to do with my old computer having an old graphics card so real sorry about that! Um Lag? Try the following: HQ Stream video.kh-vids.net www.imeem.com Download www.animemusicvideos.org ------ Apart from the: -Incredible crap timing -Epic failage quality -Extremely sloppy effects I actually quite like this video ^^ Since most the effects in the 2nd half of the video were completely original and it's been a long time since I came up with something original that I actually liked. It was hellish to make though.Almost drove me over the edge Dx So many damn mistakes.... (Oh if anyone could point me in the direction of some nice new HQ footage,I'd be eternally grateful.The ones I have are all dotty and pixely or have tonnes of interlacing ^^) This video is actually dedicated to alot of people -Sindy(my best friend in real who loves this song) Late Bdays -He-Chan[kairixluvzxsora](birthday 27th February-your real present!^^) -Sanne[Sannex7](birthday 5th March-Mega late Dx) -uhlexeefayce08(birthday 20th March-Another late bday T__T) -Laurin[BlehxIshxMe](birthday 24th March-ARGH lateless!I'm sorry T__T) Early Bdays -Erica[Ehikari014](birthday 1st April) -Joodlie(birthday 8th April) -SongstressStudios(birthday 23rd April) Oh yeah,if I missed anyone elses ...

Tags: When, it, rains

Telly Trailer

2011-05-28T12:57:00.001-07:00

Telly Trailer Video Clips. Duration : 0.92 Mins.

A soon to come 3D Animation Film From Burning Block Animation Studios about a TV that wants to see life from the other side of a store window. !express# !metadata#!version#v1.0.r291!/version#!format#1.001!/format#!totalTime#54181!/totalTime#!width#400!/width#!height#300!/height#!maxSceneSize#0!/maxSceneSize#!clientPublishTime#Fri Dec 21 18:28:08 GMT-0600 2007!/clientPublishTime# !/metadata# !scenes#!scene/# !/scenes# !asset path="www.youtube.com type="BorderContent"#!stamp time="0"# !width#400!/width# !height#300!/height# !x#0!/x# !y#0!/y# !display#true!/display#!/stamp#!stamp time="54181"# !display#false!/display#!/stamp# !/asset# !asset path="finished/A9B8B1DCC4E9E03B-5D21B4AF574857E5.flv" type="VideoContent" desc=""#!stamp time="0"# !mute#false!/mute# !height#300!/height# !display#true!/display# !position#0!/position# !width#400!/width# !volume#0.75!/volume#!/stamp#!stamp time="54181"# !display#false!/display#!/stamp# !/asset#!/express#

Keywords: pixar, 3d, animation, cars, toy, story, Bugs, Life

Prefabricated Granite Countertops - Boost Your behalf

2011-05-26T18:00:00.001-07:00

As asset prices start their ascent in the move towards the middle of the year, many owners are thinking of making extensions to their homes. There are two main reasons for this; firstly, with stamp duties and agent fees, buying a bigger home can be an costly practice and secondly renovating and extending can be good alternatives to moving. But for those who absolutely are selling, upgrading their homes first can be the best way of improving the profit they will make on it.

Having a Purpose

Stamp Story

If house owners are making changes to suit their lifestyles, then ending up with a home to suit their needs should be number one on their agenda. making changes in order to sell for profit requires more strategic planning. Even if they are talented at interior construct and full of ideas, it is vital that they know what beyond doubt adds value to a house and what does not.

Changes That Do Add Value

Kitchen upgrades: Cupboard doors, wall tiles and floor covers. Nowadays, you can buy ready-to-use prefabricated granite countertops to add value to your kitchen.

Bathroom upgrades: Wall and floor tiles, bath resurfacing, new vanity.

Paintwork: A fresh coat invariably adds a lot more than it costs to do.

Floor coverings: Steam clean carpets, polish timber flooring. Timber is great in living areas, but stick with carpets in the bedroom.

Gardening: Tidy gardens and floor beds, mow lawns and prune shrubs; most landscaping should give a good return on the cost.

Climate Control: Heating in cold climates and air-conditioning in hot climates originate a comfortable and welcoming feeling.

Extra rooms: Be right to keep the room in proportion. Do not add two extra bedrooms unless creating more living space as well.

Garaging: Providing car parking commonly adds lots of value. Go for direct passage from the parking area into the home, if possible.

A suitable clean: Home should be detailed before it is sold - - first impressions are critical.

What May Not Add Value

Swimming pool and spa: These are lifestyle features for enjoyment and are notorious for not returning the money spent on them.

Expensive fittings: Curtains and light fixtures can date quickly.

Strong fashion themes: Brightly colored walls and wallpaper are a personal taste, so an expert's advice should be sought first.

Extra storage: While it is an important feature, most citizen would not pay extra because of its presence.

Security alarms: It may be important but one may not recoup the cost at sale time.

Checking the Area

The facts given forms the basic guide. House owners should start by checking the neighborhood, as the location of the asset is a significant determinant as to what adds value to a house and what does not.

Family homes in prestigious areas are a separate story from a small unit in the city. It should be view thought about as where they are and what are they trying to do.

Creating an ultra-chic, modern apartment in a former area favored by young families will probably not reap the financial rewards you had hoped for. Talking to local estate agents would be helpful in knowing what may be beloved with buyers in the unavoidable area.

Prefabricated Granite Countertops - Boost Your behalf

BEAN WITH THE NEXT PAGE OF "IF I HAD ONE WISH" ALBUM

2011-05-24T20:57:00.001-07:00

BEAN WITH THE NEXT PAGE OF "IF I HAD ONE WISH" ALBUM Video Clips. Duration : 10.30 Mins.

Hellllooooo ladies all the ladies! Just sharing a story and a page out of my album.

Keywords: yoliebean, bean, wish, disneyland, goofy, pictures, kids, scrapbook, ink, paper, distress, stamp, rubberstamp, clear stamps, daydream

Food Stamps - 4 Tips To Feed Your house on A allocation

2011-05-22T09:00:00.001-07:00

If you had to feed your house using food stamps, what would you feed them? A up-to-date story online talked about a chef who proper this challenge to eat using food stamps. The end supervene was he went over budget. For many people they do not have the luxury of naturally going over budget on one week worth of food. over budget on a week is the same as spending a month that you do not have.

Shopping, production and feeding a house while on food stamps requires some serious skills. Packaged food is one of the most high-priced foods you can purchase from a grocery store. Packaged food can also be very high in fat, sugar and sodium, production wholesome meals with these foods is roughly impossible with such a restricted budget.

Stamp Story

Here are some tips to shop and feed your house if you are on or about to go on food stamps.

Plan to go to the grocery store twice a week if possible. Twice a week will allow you to do two things. The first is to plan to spend only 60% of your money. This will sacrifice the chance of purchasing stuff you do not need. The second part is you can replenish what you need to end the week with your leftover money.
Quick oats from a bulk bin can go a long way. Quick oats can be used for morning meal and flavored with brown sugar which is low in sodium, add some fruit such as bananas or apples when on sale and you have a healthy, hearty and tasty breakfast.
Chicken is an reasonable meat which can be used many ways. Every body likes chicken cooked on the Bbq but if you do not have one, a roaster will work. Buy extra chicken and use the meat to stuff a sandwich. The bones and skins can be used to make broth for soup. Celery, carrots and onion are great vegetables for a chicken flavored soup. The meat can also be used in salad to give it some staying power.
Flour is a very versatile food. You can make bread, biscuits, pancakes, waffles and pasta from one bag of flour. The kids will think you are awesome if you contain production pizza dough with your bag of flour. To make pizza dough will wish yeast, a tomato, and cheese. You can use some of your extra chicken meat also for a pizza topping.

Be creative when feeding your family, there are many distinct ways to use food for feeding a family. Rather than throwing away food pizza is one way you can use leftovers and have the kids enjoy it.

Food Stamps - 4 Tips To Feed Your house on A allocation

Scrapbooking and Card Making: Die Cuts and Rubber Stamps Now Coordinate in most recent Trend

2011-05-21T08:57:00.001-07:00

Die cuts and rubber stamps have been around since the birth of scrapbooking and card production and both have had a huge impact on this singular industry. It has often been debated too which came first, the diecut or the stamp. Well that is like request which came first the chicken or the egg. Now this does not seem to matter anymore. What matters most is that ultimately they are working together to provide unlimited found capabilities.

For the first time ever die-cutting companies are now coordinating their dies with rubber stamps from the stamping companies. And all a crafter can say is hallelujah! It has been a long time coming, but a new shop has opened up, or should we say a newly merged shop has been created providing card makers and scrapbookers around the world with endless found possibilities. In this narrative we will take a deeper look at who's starting the trend and who's benefiting.

Stamp Story

In the starting it seemed that die cutting companies would try to release their own lines of rubber stamps and never could profit. The dies would sell and the stamps would sit there. The same was happening to stamping businesses too. They would attempt to release a die-cut with their stamp and it would fail. Well this has now changed. Both industries realizing to stick with what they do best, that is die-cut manufacturers production Only diecuts and stamping manufacturers production Only rubber stamps proved to be most profitable. Any way Spellbinders Paper Arts along with some others decided to ultimately work together with stampers and have coordinating rubber stamps to match their own dies. Although risky it has proven to be a successful venture. With rubber art & clear stamps coordinating with die-cuts.

As both markets started showing signs of withering away, with this miraculous winning composition to now a merged shop is firing off the latest trend that is not fading whatsoever. With businesses such as JustRite Stampers, heartfelt Creations, Sparkle N' Sprinkle and many other stamping companies are reaping the benefits of producing exclusive stamp lines. These products coordinate with Spellbinders nestabilities dies and other foremost brand dies such as Lifestyle Crafts (formerly known as Quickutz) and Sizzix Ellison.

It has now gone as far as some rubber stamp businesses are sending their stamp designs to die-cutting companies to found exclusive dies for only them. Sort of a co-branding going on if you will. And crafters are not complaining. The phenomenon that is occurring is now scrapbook lovers or those that make cards and not only buying one rubber stamp but a coordinating die cut. Or visa versa. This is creating a 50% growth in earnings for this newly merged cross market.

In windup cross marketing is not new to the world, Any way as shown in this narrative that it continues to be effective. Especially for the scrapbooking world. As stated in the starting of this post that die cuts and rubber stamps have been around for a long time, but the connection of marketing them together was yet to be done until now. It's the latest and most trend among those who scrapbook pages and do card making. This new merged shop is not going away and has only given designers more possibilities to create wonderful memories,invitations,etc. And I would not be surprised if paper soon follows and joins in on the trend.

Scrapbooking and Card Making: Die Cuts and Rubber Stamps Now Coordinate in most recent Trend

Life - Reptiles y Anfibios

2011-05-20T06:19:00.001-07:00

Life - Reptiles y Anfibios Video Clips. Duration : 58.88 Mins.

En la lucha por la supervivencia, los animales son capaces de hacer las cosas más increíbles. "Life" es una espectacular serie documental de naturaleza producida por la BBC. Diez capítulos rodados en alta definición que persiguen un ambicioso objetivo: ser la exploración definitiva de la diversidad del mundo animal. A lo largo de la serie se podrán observar todo tipo de comportamientos asombrosos que desafían el concepto que tenemos del resto de seres que pueblan el planeta. Durante cuatro años, la multipremiada Natural History Unit de la BBC ha visitado todos los continentes y clases de entornos en busca de las más sorprendentes historias sobre la incesante lucha por la supervivencia animal. Comportamientos emotivos, como una hembra de pulpo gigante que da su vida por su progenie de cientos de bebés. Habilidades sorprendentes, como la de grandes chimpancés capaces de utilizar herramientas de una forma completamente novedosa. O incluso la historia de un tipo de pez costero que, cuando llega el momento de procrear, parte en busca de charcas de agua fresca... en la parte alta de un una cascada a veinte metros de altura. Todo ello con un sentido cinematográfico que ya se puso de relevancia en la anterior superproducción de la BBC "Planeta Tierra". Cada episodio está dedicado a un grupo de animales (mamíferos, primates, aves, insectos, anfibios...), y en todos se han utilizado técnicas de última generación: lentes especiales para tomas aéreas, imágenes en alta definición ...

Tags: Naturaleza, planeta Tierra, biodiversidad, vida, animales, medio ambiente, documental, anfibios, reptiles, selva

Story Of Hunting Bird Stamp - True Facts Revealed

2011-05-19T06:00:00.001-07:00

In United States it has been former to make an artistic postal stamp depicting a hunting bird like the Duck every year. This bird stamp story is quite an arresting one. These stamps are becoming more and more celebrated since their inception. Right from the starting till the annual art contest, this stamp history has been very fascinating.

In 1934 Jay Darling designed the first duck stamp. public appreciated the idea of a painter creating resemblance to a duck and have that arty media set on a stamp, but that was not the end of the history of hunting bird stamp. Favorite wildlife painters were requested to manufacture the logo of the stamp. As these imaginative stamps became more and more celebrated they caught the public attention too. Within no time this annual hunting bird stamp was the most celebrated stamp United States Postal aid could ever present.

Stamp Story

In 1949, there came a sea turn in the history of hunting bird stamp. The duck stamp had gained so much popularity that postal group belief of declaring a competition. Painters and designers spread all over the United States were called to share in the contest of designing the duck stamp. Eminent Persons were invited to judge the contest. They comprised of professors of art who could remark on the skill of the contestants. Experts on duck and wildlife were also invited to be on the panel of judges to ascertain that the art work put up for the contest was excellent as to how a duck should look and the placement of the duck in context with its environment. Other reason to invite these experts to judge the contest was that they would value the subject matter of the stamp. All straight through the history of hunting bird stamp, this has been the most exclusive contest government of United States ever sponsored. This made the stamp as well as the event very extraordinary.

The repaymen the winners get is the kudos and fame that comes with designing the stamp and winning the contest, there is no monetary gain. However, the winners are given a sheet of stamp as memento.They are also allowed to sell the prints of the winning manufacture freely to whomsoever they like. This is principal because lot of artists are disillusioned of such competitions if participation means losing the possession of their work.The history of hunting bird stamp is so arresting and excellent that people from all over the United States want to buy every year?s new duck stamps.

Story Of Hunting Bird Stamp - True Facts Revealed

Interview with Anthony Buemi, WWII veteran. CCSU Veterans History Project.

2011-05-18T05:57:00.001-07:00

Interview with Anthony Buemi, WWII veteran. CCSU Veterans History Project. Video Clips. Duration : 63.28 Mins.

Interview conducted by Lynette Yeomans. Anthony Buemi was drafted into the US Army in September of 1944. He completed his basic training at Fort McClellan, AL, which lasted for 15 weeks, two weeks shorter than previously required. The shorter period was due to the Army's need for more replacement infantry men in the South Pacific. Buemi was then sent to California, where the soldiers thought they were to receive more training; however, they were put directly on a ship bound for Leyte, where the newly trained soldiers stayed for a month rounding up stray Japanese soldiers on the island. From there Buemi was shipped to Luzon, where he joined the 6th division of Company C. The 6th division encountered heavy combat resulting in many casualties. His division was also sent to Manila, which had been recently liberated, to work as Military Police for a time. Buemi was sent back to Luzon after his time in Manila. On August 5, 1945, just 15 days before the fighting in the Pacific ended, he was wounded by stray mortar fire. He spent the rest of his service, five and a half months, in the hospital. The shrapnel had severed arteries in his neck, and it took multiple surgeries to repair them properly. When Buemi was discharged in January of 1946, he returned to Connecticut and immediately began the spring semester studying at UCONN. He was able to obtain his undergraduate degree in three and a half years, and then went on to podiatry school in New York with the help of the GI bill.

Keywords: CCSU, VHP, WWII, WW2, veteran, interview, oral history, Interactive transcript

Max Keiser Dot Com - The Food Stamp Story

2011-05-17T05:38:00.001-07:00

Max Keiser Dot Com - The Food Stamp Story Tube. Duration : 4.65 Mins.

maxkeiser.com

Tags: max keiser, stacy herbert, the truth about markets, resonance fm, london, 104.4 fm

Collecting Old Postage Stamps

2011-04-27T09:02:00.001-07:00

When my grandfather passed away three years ago, he left me his stamp collection. Although I knew a little bit about his hobby, it absolutely was never something that I was thinking about myself, so I was a little bit shocked at his wish to set everything in my hands. I went through the entire collection, and though it was interesting to appear in any way individuals aged postage stamps, I did not really know what to try and do from there.

At first, I figured I would just sell the collection to get some money to pay off a few pressing debts. Towards that finish, I contacted a specialist who could appraise aged postage stamps and tell me how very much they're worth in the recent current market. My grandfather didn't have plenty of distinctive pieces, but I did manage to acquire a pretty good sum for four of the most useful ones.

Once I got my monetary affairs in order, nonetheless, I started to feel a bit guilty about offering those aged postage stamps. They didn't suggest anything at all to me, but I can only imagine how long my gramps had to conserve to be able to attain them. He failed to make a lot money in his lifetime, so even one reasonably rare stamp would have needed numerous scrimping and saving. Granddad probably didn't leave me his outdated postage stamps just so I could market them all, so I decided to carry on the series.

I started out reading as a lot information about philately as I could get my hands on. I learned about each and every stamp in what I now came to view as my own collection, and developed a complete new level of appreciation for your set my grandfather had assembled. I also found some notebooks by which he jotted down the growing inventory of old postage stamps he owned, as well as a wish list of what he dreamed of purchasing in the long term. As soon as I saw the notes, I made the decision to make it my personal goal to fulfill individuals wishes.

Through my study, I've discovered which i can buy, sell, and trade old postage stamps on the web or at a variety of conventions and shows throughout the nation. You will find online auctions and marketplaces that manage these sorts of transactions, creating it easy for me to locate and buy essentially any stamp I want right from my individual home. Planning to a actual show has its very own merits as well. By doing that, I can meet other collectors and dealers, and forge individual relationships that can prove mutually advantageous down the road.

I'm probably getting a little bit ahead of myself right here, but I can't support it. I'm just quite excited in the thought of continuing my grandfather's series of older postage stamps. My only regret is the fact that I failed to get into this pastime although he was still alive. We could have had some great times together!

The Joy of Stamp Collecting

2011-04-01T03:07:00.000-07:00

Collecting is a hobby that is as old as time itself. Since the first human was attracted to an object the art of collecting began, and the types of collections are as varied as the population of the world itself. However, one of the most unique collections for hobbyists would be that of stamp collecting.

Stamp collecting has been a hobby that has been in existence since stamps came into existence. Part of the intrigue with stamp collecting is the idea of owning a small piece of artwork, which is in essence what stamps are. The fact is that if you look at some of the more antique stamp designs you might be surprised to discover just how many were inspired by famous artwork, not to mention, how many might have actually been designed by famous artists.

Seeing the trends of artwork in some of the first stamps can hold many surprising revelations into the world during that particular time frame. Another reason why stamp collecting has become so popular, especially in the last couple of decades tends to have more of a basis in the interest many people have when it comes to history. During the last 20 years or so, stamps have been released that feature some of the most famous icons in the last century.

The people who helped to shape the various aspects of the world in areas such as music, art, history, sports and other forms of various Medias of our society have been featured in many of the stamps issued; this was meant to commemorate their accomplishments. Many people love stamp collecting because they feel it bridges the past to the present and gives them a feel for the various points in history, while others enjoy the challenge of acquiring hard to find stamps.

If you would like more information on Stamps or would like to see what products are available please check out Buy Stamps Online.com!

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Buying Stamps? How to Save Postage by Printing Stamps Online

2011-03-31T04:10:00.001-07:00

It's time to think about buying stamps again. You are shipping out several packages a day from your online business and find there are no stamps anywhere in the house. How many people will be waiting in line ahead of you at the post office? Will they have 2-3 items or a basket filled with letters to mail? Will you be bringing a book or magazine along to help pass the time? If you are wondering how you can save postage and avoid the mind numbing wait at the post office the following ideas may help.

What most of my family does is purchase the stamps from online. By using these types of services, we simply print the stamps on our home computer in the comfort of our own home. There is no extra hardware required - all you need is a printer and a subscription to service, which you can cancel at any time. It's a great way to save postage, especially if you run an eBay or online business requiring you to mail out packages daily. You can also conveniently print out shipping labels with these services too. By doing this, we also save money on gas because we no longer need to drive to the Post Office and we save a huge amount of time for the very same reason.

This has become the best way my family has found to save postage. By buying stamps online, even if my husband or kids use the last stamp and I no longer get upset. I simply continue buying stamps from these great services and print up what I need.

In short, if you have better things to do than wasting time at the Post Office, why not give these online stamp services for a spin and learn how buying stamps online can help you save on postage and time.

For a limited time, click here [http://www.saveonpostagetoday.info/] for a RISK FREE trial and start printing postage from your computer today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristy_Trudeau

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Information On Stamped Concrete And The Way To Make It

2011-03-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

Wet concrete, also called mud, can have a pattern pressed into the mud before it dries. This is called stamped concrete. The design can be just about anything you imagine and you can even add color to it so that it looks more realistic. This paper will tell you all the steps you need to know to make your own designs on preexisting concrete surfaces.

It is necessary to have a rubber concrete stamp. It is possible to buy one with just about any design or pattern or you can create your own. To create your own, you must procure a piece of whatever pattern or design that you want. Seal the side of the sample that you want to make the pattern off of and give the sealant time to dry before beginning the next step.

In an area with proper ventilation, put your sample on a level work space and use shims to make sure that it is completely level. Use an aerosol stamp release on the surface of the sample to make sure that the rubber comes off easily. Prepare the liquid rubber in accordance with the instructions and pour it into the center of the sample. Pour many thin layers of rubber instead of one thick layer for the best results. Release the rubber from the sample when it has set and it is ready to use.

The area that you plan to stamp need to be as level as possible so try to choose wisely. Use a cleaner with a degreasing agent to thoroughly clean the entire area and rinse with plain water. The area needs to dry for two or three days before beginning the next step.

Put a little liquid bonding agent into a plastic paint pan so that it is easily available. Use a rolling paintbrush to spread the agent evenly all over the area. Give the agent enough time to dry so that it is tacky to the touch.

Have some mud prepared and spread it onto the surface that you prepared previously. The mud needs to cover the entire area to a thickness of about three eighths of an inch. Smooth the mud with a trowel. You can begin the next step when the mud is slightly drier, about thirty minutes.

Line your stamp up carefully with one corner of the area. Once it is the way you want it, lay is down steadily into the mud and apply an even pressure to the entire stamp. Remove the stamp carefully and be careful not to slide or tip of stamp when you remove it. Make sure the design is correct and if it is you can continue to stamp the entire surface. If it is not correct, smooth the mud back out and try again. The area will need to dry for several days depending on the size of the are that you stamped.

Plain concrete is a boring and unattractive surface that can be dressed up by stamping it. Nearly everyone can do it and the steps outlined above are easy to do and follow. Whatever surface you have can become a beautiful addition to your home with this simple technique.

Want the look but not the work? Elite Concrete has won back to back HomeStars awards in 2008 and 2009 for their beautiful stamped concrete work. Servicing Toronto, GTA, Markham and Woodbridge - Elite Concrete is there for all your decorative concrete contracting work.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pete_Malcolm

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Postage Stamp Rates - The Importance

2011-03-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

Despite of popularity of emails and other methods of communication, the importance of physical mail cannot be denied easily. People still prefer receiving a physical card rather than a link to see the wished of their loved ones on occasions like birthday. For sending physical mails you need to place postage stamps on the envelope. Stamps are of course not free and you need to pay to get them and place them for sending mail.

For common Postage stamp rates are obviously decided by government as it is the issuing authority. However, it may vary according to their historical importance, availability and other factors like mistakes in printing.

Let us start with postage stamp rates for their normal usage sending mails. The amounts of money you need to pay in order to dispatch your mail vary depending on the destination. As a rule of thumb farther the destination, more are the postage stamp rates. However for some destinations the rates are higher due to non-service in that particular area. For instance American postal services can give your drastically higher postage stamp rates if you are sending a parcel to Japan as compared to its neighbor country for instance China, Mongolia etc. Sometimes you may get special discount rates depending on a particular promotional scheme offered by the postal service. Generally they are same if you decide to buy them in bulk, but there may be variations in postage stamp rates, depending on country or particular postal company. Government keep on issuing stamps to pay tribute to particular personality for their services to the society or to embark a particular event, but the events and personality do not make difference in the rates.

You can consult your local post office or concerned department to know the rates for destination of your choice. The rates also vary on the weight of your packet or parcel, naturally heavier the packet, higher are the postage stamp rates. So for the same destination you need to pay different rates for a letter and different rates for a parcel containing your gift. The procedure is quite simple, once decided on the amount you need to pay, you can pay on any provided counter and stick them to your packet

Stamps are also a collector item and people collect stamps of different courtiers as hobby. For collection purpose the rates go higher if the stamp is quite old. the rates are very high if there is a printing mistake in the ticket.

SaraH AslaM

BLOG: http://ishtihari.com/

WEB: http://www.conceptcreation.com.pk/

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Stamp Collecting Spans Generations

2011-02-21T07:44:00.000-08:00

If you really want to get to know someone, ask them to tell you about their favorite hobby or collection. Those that collect their preferred collectables are usually passionate about their interest, leading some psychologists to believe that a hobby or collecting as essential for happiness and stability.

Finding an empty space is difficult for John, a longtime stamp collector who resides in Texas. Once he takes out his collection and prepares to work on it he will usually set up on his dining room table and his collection will remain there until he is finished sorting and cataloging. John collects stamps from around the world, but his favorites are the stamps issued by the United States post-office.

The very picture of the avuncular professor, John says, "Many of my stamps aren't worth much in dollars and cents." But as any collector will tell you, collections hold a personal value far greater than any dollar amount can justify.

Time Magazine wrote in 2008, "Souvenirs remind us why we collect: to preserve our most moving memories." John is a retired military man. During his active military years as a flight engineer, John traveled worldwide and enjoyed visiting post offices in the foreign countries that he visited.

In the course of his military career, John spent quite a bit of time in Taiwan and often bought full sheets of colorful Taiwanese stamps. He stores the beautifully colored sheets in albums that he purchased in Taiwan. Local shops specializing in stamp collector supplies were his source for albums and related supplies when he was there.

"Some people collect stamps for their value, but I believe there are more collectors like me, who collect for the enjoyment stamps bring," John says. He must be right, both his son and grandson have taken up the hobby, making this a three generation stamp collecting family.

John's son David picked up on stamp collecting as a young boy, still in grade school. Today, David's son has begun stamp collecting also. David and his family live 1500 miles away from his dad, but John and David still find a common bond through their stamp collections. Though the use of e mail they share news and updates in the world of stamp collecting and information on the latest computer software to aid them in their collection record keeping.

John stores his collection in several trunks that he keeps safely tucked away in a closet. He thinks of as them as memory trunks. When John takes out the older albums, they bring back recollections of his past travels. John's stamp collection represents a personal history as well a philatelic history. He began his collection as a young boy.

Some of John's stamps may have a monetary value, though he has never had his collection professionally appraised. Among the more unusual of his stamps are the hard to find one page sheets issued during America's bicentennial years. These are paintings. Complete only if the page is kept undivided and not broken into individual stamps for postage.

The United States Postal Services issued a series of stamps called "The Celebrate the Century Collection 1900 1999." From horseless carriages to computers, this group of stamps was the largest ever print of commemorative stamps from the U.S. Postal Service. Decade by decade unfold commemorating one hundred years of American history in picture stamp application.

John frequently visits his small town post office to keep up with the newest postal commemoratives. Stamp collecting is a hobby that gives John and many others pleasure. Isn't this the greatest value anyone can receive from collecting, regardless of what they collect?

Now that you know that stamp collecting can be a pleasurable and cross generational hobby, this might be the time to get a young relative started.

End

Kathy Manney is the nationally recognized author of autobiographical, lifestyle and travel articles and the travel columnist for "The Vegas Voice," a monthly regional senior lifestyle newspaper.

She travels widely and along the way enjoys taling to collectors about their collections and why they collect.

Kathy is open to freelance work in the fields of non-fiction writing and editing.

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The United States Pan American Postage Stamp Set of 1901

2011-02-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

The Pan American Exposition stamp set was issued in 1901 to commemorate the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. This was only the third set of commemorative stamps issued by the United States Post Office and the stamps were only available while the exposition was held from May 1, 1901 to October 31, 1901. Fortunately for stamp collectors, the stamps were sold throughout the country. Buffalo at the time was one of the largest cities in the US and had a booming economy supported by one of the nations top rail and water transport systems. Fittingly, the Pan American Exposition stamps featured transportation themes.

The exposition had exhibits featuring various cultures from around the world such as "Fair Japan" and "African Village" as well as more fantastic displays such as "Trip to the Moon", Darkness and Dawn" and "Dreamland". The Pan American Exposition was also infamous as being the spot that President William McKinley was shot and killed by an anarchist. A boulder with an embedded plaque marks the spot to this day.

The stamp set consisted of six stamps. The one cent stamp features a Great Lakes Steamer, the 225 foot "City of Alpena" a steamer that was built in 1880 and was used for transporting people and cargo across the Great Lakes. The two cent stamp features a steam locomotive, the primary method of transportation across the United States in those days. An early electric automobile is displayed on the four cent stamp (after 100 years, they're finally catching on!). The five cent stamp features the Bridge at Niagara Falls. Although not a method of transportation, the bridge was the largest single span steel bridge in the world at the time and was an important route between the United States and Canada. The eight cent "Canal Locks at Sault Sainte Marie" stamp featured another important route between the United States and Canada. The last stamp in the set, the ten cent American Line Steamship stamp, features the "St. Paul" an ocean going steamship that was used for transport and also by the U.S. Navy in the Spanish American War.

These six stamps are not the only stamps that make up the set; three unintentional invert stamps were also produced. The two colors of the stamps were produced by running the sheets through two different printing presses, each printing a separate color. At some point the one cent, two cent and four cent stamps were run through the second press upside down, creating an inverted picture in the center of the stamp. These stamps are quite rare, and can cost thousands of dollars in good condition.

If you're interested in more information about the 1901 Pan American Exposition set, visit US Stamps of 1901 or US Postage Stamps: 1901 for more details about this set along with pictures of the stamps!

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Important Facts About Stamped Concrete

2011-01-21T17:31:00.001-08:00

A simple process of compressing rubber mats is named as stamp and in a similar way compressing the surface of genuine brick, cemented stone, paving stone, hardwood and many other materials is called stamped concrete. Patios, ponds areas, porches, floors, driveways and internal home surfaces can be compressed with this process.

Distinctive Varieties

There are several varieties of stamped concrete available in the market. Being an inhabitant of Kelowna, it is easy to purchase them from any nearby home improvement stores. There are several decorative concrete suppliers available in Kelowna, you can visit any of them and select the designs as well as appoint there services in order to carry out the desired task.

You can even buy realistic tree bark stamps, fossil, bear, wildcat track and many other shell stamps that will provide your patio, pavers or porch a distinctive look. There is a possibility to compact the material with any thing but once compression process has done, it should be left to get hard enough to leave their impression. You can express this type of creativity to the company who is providing you the service of stamped concrete in Kelowna.

Places where stamped concrete can be used

As anything can be done with normal stone and brick, in similar way some of the popular concrete company in Kelowna can accomplish anything with the stamped concrete also. You can enhance the beauty of your home by creating an eye-catching brick surface over a long driveway. It will also add the attractiveness of your landscape.

You can stomp the driveway in a zigzag model, or compress the center with paving stone in a bright color and flatten the boundary with a zigzag red-brick pattern. If you have a large courtyard or porch surface, you can try a mixture of paved stone or flagstone surface.

Discuss with store consultant

You can buy them from any of the home improvement store or decorative concrete company in Kelowna. You can even visit internet to find various companies in your locality. Consult with a store manager before buying the any such items, as they can suggest you the exact amounts of material. However, the quantity and apparatus requirements will differ to some extent depending on the volume and category of stamps you employ.

Texture Skins

If you wish to have a permanent, distinctive surface without the appearance of separate stones, you can stomp the material with granite or slate granule skins.

You can keep your concrete tainted with russet acid stain or acrylic spots, and tag on with a texture coat to create your long central corridor, outside patio or driveway seem like old slate of Roman period. After the material dries, you can create the surface like large squares with a diamond blade, and seal it with a decorated layer to make the tint more colorful. You can utilize texture coats on concrete prior to you apply brick or paved stamps.

Sabrina Jose is a Copywriter of Desertcrete.com. She has written many articles in various topics related to stamped concrete Kelowna. For more information on concrete driveway in Kelowna and any other queries visit concrete company Kelowna

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Cards With Thank You Rubber Stamps

2010-12-13T07:47:00.000-08:00

Everybody likes to receive thank you cards because it shows they're appreciated. Handmade cards make the recipient feel even more appreciated, so this article is all about making your own cards with thank you rubber stamps.

There are a lot of different thank you rubber stamps you can get out there. From plain text ones in a variety of fonts, right through to ones with pictures of animals holding a card with the sentiment written on it. There are even ones with a thank you phrase written in a large swirl. All you have to do is pick the one that most appeals to you.

To make a nice card, you want the words "Thank You" to be the focal point of the card, or at least a large part of it. So you'll want a fairly large stamp to accomplish this.

You'll need a blank card base and the usual basic card making supplies to make your card. For this design you're going to take some plain, dark colored paper for the background. Ink your thank you stamp with clear Versamark ink and stamp it in a repeating pattern over your dark paper. Sprinkle the whole thing with clear embossing powder and heat it to make the powder rise. This will give you a watermark looking background for your card that subtly says 'thanks'.

The next step is to choose some beautiful patterned paper to stick as the next layer on top of your background. Make sure you don't cover too much, so you can still see the subtle thank yous on the background. Select a piece of plain colored card to go with the other paper you've used and this will be the place you stamp your thank you onto.

Taking this piece of card, ink your stamp in gold or silver ink (whichever goes best with your papers) and stamp in onto the card. Sprinkle more clear embossing powder onto it and heat it to raise the ink. With a pair of decorative edged scissors, cut around the edge of your piece of card so the whole thing is smaller than your patterned paper.

Stick a small dried flower or several flowers with the stems onto the card. Then attach your "thank you" topper to your card with 3D foam mounting blocks so the flowers are coming out from behind the topper. If you don't have any dried flowers, take some craft wire and curl it tightly, then pull the ends so you have a long flatten spring. You can stick flower cut outs onto the ends of these so they bounce around when the card moves.

That's all there is to your Thank You card. Simply write your greetings inside.

If you'd like to know more about choosing and caring for your stamps, thank you rubber stamps and other items at at CardMakingSupplies.us so please come and visit. You can also discover some great thank you rubber stamps on one of my Squidoo lenses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Dimmick

The Differing Varieties Of Postage Stamp Collecting

2010-11-14T05:48:00.001-08:00

Studying the different postage stamp variety options is an interesting experience. Given that huge numbers of people around the globe experience stamp collecting, and 1000's more are planning on joining in, the topic is more timely than ever. This information is created as a guide for all are pondering the wide variety of options facing the budding philatelist. After analyzing the following paragraphs, the audience should have a better appreciation of postage stamp collection.

Variety #1: Stamps And Quarters Together

These kinds of examples come as a matched set of quarters along with stamps. They are generally a commemorative released product showcasing an individual American state using its matching quarter in addition to four stamps that are all attractively shown in a visually appealing design. Of course they also feature that specific state's bird, fish, flower, and so on.

Variety #2: Non-Stamp Items

There are numerous opportunities to collect non-stamp items that are nevertheless stamp related. A few illustrations would be little mail boxes and stamp lapels. The latter are in fact commemorative pins which have been released in remembrance of an historical person or event. Miniature mailboxes on the other hand, are a common offering at post offices throughout the nation. They're generally tiny tabletop pieces that are designed to include a small number of specific stamps.

Variety #3: Mint Stamps

Mint stamps are those that have never been run through a canceling machine. I'll have an article about this specific topic in the near future.

Variety #4: Used Stamps

When a letter is run through the canceling machine, the stamp becomes used. This is the standard starting place of the majority of beginning collectors. It isn't unusual for a youngster to become enamored with stamps when they receive an envelope with an exotic example of a used one pasted in the corner. It's safe to say these stamps are quite possibly the most frequent examples to be found, additionally it is factual that they lose considerable worth when a cancellation mark is placed upon them. These types of stamps all have a story behind them, based on their origin. Stamps from Nazi Germany, as an example will tell a different story compared to those from Victorian England. It's a fascinating exercise to study and learn about these exotic stamps.

Conclusion

The pastime of stamp collecting has developed into a popular undertaking worldwide. Enthusiasts of nearly every age, young and old, rich and poor, tall and short, and everything in between have discovered pleasure from this hobby. It is our wish that now you've studied this informative article, you have a greater appreciation of the possible postage stamp variety choices.

To get a more complete picture, please click here: Stamp Collecting Albums. Ainsley Hayes has gathered many articles, videos, etc to help you to enjoy your chosen hobby, and quite possibly to make money from it!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ainsley_Hayes

The Wonderful World Of Customer Rubber Stamps

2010-09-29T09:11:00.001-07:00

For some individuals, their first encounter with customer rubber stamps is when a clerk hands them a receipt with the word "PAID" stamped across the front. However, you may not realize that rubber stamps can open a whole new world of wonderful creative release, and you may be an artist waiting to be set free.

Consider for a moment a kit that comes with a wooden block and a sheet of rubber stamps which you get the pleasure of cutting out along the outside edge of the image contained within the stamp. Then you get to peel the protective sheet off the back and adhere it to the working side of that wonderful smelling wooden block.

Your enjoyment of stamps does not end there. From your assembly efforts you are now able to make use of the ink pad to prep the stamp for making beautiful designs on all types of materials. Paper, metals, fabrics are all on the list of potential works of art.

T-shirts, bluejeans, and hats are all possible targets for your creative ideas, and now you are planning to have custom stamps made from photos and scans you have made of other types of materials found around the house. You've got a sneaking suspicion that several stamps could provide a means of creating scenes on paper or fabric.

You know that if you had the stamps you could use one to create the background texture, then another to emboss an image of one of your children over the top of the background. Then you get excited and decide a photo of your 4X4 would look great at the other edge of your masterpiece. And, of course, there is a perfectly good reason to include the family dog, so you have another stamp made from an image of your "man's best friend" to complete the collage.

This concludes in the finished product of what you are going to give to other relatives for those special holidays where you need a gift for people who already have one of everything. They don't have an art collage made by their own favorite in-law. But, they will very soon.

Customer rubber stamps are a very good investment which require no electrical source to operate, they are easy to clean, and provide many years of repeated use. Keep in mind that they are interchangeable as rubber applicators for more, and endearing, holiday gifts. You may want to consider the artist within you who is begging to be set loose and investigate these delightful tools of self-expression.

Get inside info on how rubber stamps can open a whole new world of wonderful creative release now in our Customer Rubber Stamps overview on http://www.speedystamps.co.uk.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Andrew_Woodcock

Your Favorite Photo on Real US Postage Stamp

2010-08-28T00:23:00.001-07:00

Got a favorite picture and think it would be cool to have your picture on a postage stamp? Well, now you can. George Washington, The Liberty Bell, The White House, John Wayne, well, maybe not John Wayne, and you, yes, you can have your picture on a United States Postage Stamp. Based on a technology called PC Postage, the first Photo Stamps were launched in 2004. Since 2006 there have been over 45 million customized postage stamps sold.

The possibilities are endless for both personal and business use. Got a favorite picture that you like, or a special event coming up, like a wedding or an anniversary? How about a newborn baby in the family? It's easy to use the photo of your choice to create a real U.S. Postage Stamp. Create memories that will last a life time. Put the stamps on all your outgoing mail and you are sure to grab the recipient's attention. Maybe you just want to use the stamps as a collector's item or give them as a gift.

They're great for business use too. Got a special event coming up that you want to grab the customer's attention? Upload the photo of your choice or maybe your logo. Got a picture of your customer, send them an invitation to a special event with their picture on the postage stamp on the envelope. Maybe just send them a sheet of stamps with their logo on the stamps for their personal use. That should build some goodwill with your client.

The process is easy and the interface is easy to use. Just upload your photo or logo and following the instructions. The information on the website will tell you exactly what to do. When you get to the website just follow the instructions.

A word of caution, be careful of imitators. Always look for a USPS logo or look for the PhotoStamps® (single word) brand before you purchase any customized postage product anywhere on the Internet. When you see a logo like the one above or you see the PhotoStamps trademark, you can be assured that the U.S. Postal Service will accept your mail and process it without delay.

Choose your favorite picture now and get it on a real U.S. Postage Stamp. It's fun and it's easy. Just click on the following website and follow the instructions. http://postagestampspictures.net/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Costley

Different Kinds of Postage Stamps

2010-07-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

Postage stamps that are available are not always rectangular in size. They may also be triangular in shape and as well as with round styles and even pentagonal. You can find several types that are used to represent the fact that postage was paid for. Some are listed are below:

Airmail: The word airmail appears over the stamps and they are generally in most cases bigger than the standard postage stamp used for the envelopes. Much like the regular stamp each one does give a name of the region and the price paid.

Coil: These include stamps that anyone can get via the vending machine. A person rip off the postage stamp from the coil when you wish to use one.

Commemorative Stamps: they're postage stamps issued by nations so they can remember a unique celebration which takes place in the country. There are sometimes a number of these throughout any one year, but they are just for sale in minimal quantities.

Definitive Stamps: This is the major stamps which are used by the nation so are produced and also reprinted in bulk. They are available in most different denominations that might be necessary to make up the postage required to send out mail.

Express Mail: These are generally stamps useful for postal mail that should get there in a very small amount of time. Presently there are usually envelopes for this kind of purpose containing the postage necessary.

Military; The Military of nations around the world have its own accepted postage stamp to put on the mail that many people send.

Official: Mainly government departments and bureaus may use these stamps that will be from the actual governing bodies of all countries around the world.

Next, look at some old USA stamps or buy some cheap European stamps.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Trinder

Run a Public Background Check For the Cost of a Postage Stamp!

2010-05-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows how important it is to be able to trust somebody. Whether you are dating somebody new and have been hurt in the past, are thinking about moving into a new neighbour hood, want to hire a new nanny for the kids or are a company wishing to hire new employees, nothing is more important than trust. And this is where a public background check comes in. You can run a comprehensive background search on somebody for as little as the price of a postage stamp, really! It is that simple and cheap you will be wondering why you didn't think of it before! Take a look at this article to find out a little bit more about how background checks can help in every aspect of your life.

A background check is relatively easy to do, all you have to do is type in the name of the person you wish to run a search on and hit the enter key. You will then find out information such as previous names and addresses, marriage details, household member information, credit information and even criminal records. This will mean that you will be able to find out whether that special somebody has been telling you the truth about his or her past. If your search comes up with no results, then try a different website because it might just mean that the database isn't big enough.

You can also become an annual member for a small fee which means you will be able to run background searches on as many people as you like for no extra charge! This is a good deal if you are an employer as you can run background checks on all of your staff for hardly any cost at all. Running background checks is nothing to feel embarrassed about either, in a world like the one we live in it is so important that we are able to trust the people that we let into our lives, especially when it involves children as well.

A public background check can put your mind at rest and give you valuable information regarding employees, future partners and you can even use a search like this to check for sex offenders in your area. Don't be a victim, take the safety of your friends and family into your own hands and run a background search today. With dozens of websites to choose from, for such low costs there is no excuse! Join today!

If you need to records on someone the author has created an in-depth review site where he reviews the top public background check sites on the Internet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Hickmon

Decorative Rubber Stamps - Be Creative!

2010-05-11T09:14:00.001-07:00

Decorative rubber stamps are a great way to be creative. There is so much you can do with them and the results (or the stamps themselves) made great gifts. They come in a wide variety of sizes and styles. You can adorn everything from wedding invitations to fabrics.

Photo albums and scrapbooks look great when you add a theme with decorative rubber stamps. People use them on flyers, cards and even to decorate a child's bedroom. They look great on posters and presents. You can really make a statement when you go to a birthday party, a bridal shower or a baby shower by decorating the guest of honor's gift with their colors and a design.

The possibilities really are endless when it comes to the types of decorative rubber stamps that you could use. There are animals and insects, Disney, flowers and nature, patriotic and military, seasons, sports, love and vintage to name just a few. You can get a decorative rubber stamp with your return address on it and a symbol, and use it at special times of the year or at holidays. For example, the stamp could have your address on it and a snowflake. You can use it over the winter and get different colors of ink to use with it.

If your child loves baseball, football, fishing or cheerleading you can have a decorative rubber stamp made with the sport they enjoy and their name on it so they will not lose any of their books, or hats or book bags. They will know what is theirs by the stamp.

If you are thinking of becoming a collector of decorative rubber stamps, you will be able to create unique and elaborate projects. You will be able to add other art supplies like markers or paints to create very elaborate images. Be certain to purchase ink pads that are waterproof so none of your work will be smudged. Always work on a flat surface to ensure that the stamp will be pressed evenly.

If you enjoy scrapbooking, decorative rubber stamps will make your hobby even more fun. Using stamps will also save you a lot of time and they can look very professional and add a lot of flair to your scrapbook pages. You will be able to find many stamps that will suit your personal style and taste, as there are so many to choose from. These stamps will help your scrapbook to look like an amazing work of art.

For winter pictures that you are adding to your scrapbook, you may want to use stamps like pine trees covered with snow, polar bears, ice skaters and sleds. For summer pictures, you may want to use stamps like budding flowers, the beach and children playing outdoors. Your choices are unlimited and you will have so much fun adding decorative rubber stamps to your very special project. You can find a wide array of these stamps online where you can take your time and peruse your choices until you find the stamps that will fit all your needs.

Find Unbelievable Discounts On Decorative Rubber Stamps

Visit This Site For Discounted Deals => http://decorative-rubber-stamps.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Angeli

Learn the History of Decorative Concrete

2010-04-30T16:56:00.001-07:00

Decorating your concrete slabs can be largely categorised in two classes - the one that is used during the formation of the concrete and the other that is used to renovate the old and decayed concretes. However, both of them were discovered few decades ago and both of them are widely popular these days. Well, the trend of using the renovating decoration right after setting the concrete is a recent one and has already gained attention of the both the experts and the home owners alike.

Well, there are different options with which you can decorate your concrete. Interestingly, all of them have their way of origination. Naturally, a study of the history of the decorative concrete is bound to be an interesting one. For example, the method called the stamp concrete was invented somewhat 50 years back from now. However, back in the 1950s, the process was actually invented as a novelty product. Since then, the popularity of this option grew at a steady rate.

After that, in the middle of the 1970s, the stamped concrete received a huge spurt in the growth. This was because of the fact that the architects, designers as well as the contractors became fully aware of the benefits of this option by this time. Also, they were more affordable than the other ones and at the same time, they were more beautiful and it was possible to create delicate designs on them.

Finally, the stamped concrete was introduced in the World of Concrete during this time. And from 1978, the decorative concrete became one of the major attractions of the show. Naturally, right from the invention of the stamped concrete, there have been a number of inventions in the application and design of it. At the initial stage, there were only a handful of designs available to the users. However, with the growth of the industry more companies came in the field of manufacturing the product. As a result, more varieties became available and the designs too, become more intricate.

Apart from that, different other tools were invented as well. They made the task of installation and design even more convenient. It became faster and more precise. Several great means of colors were started being used as well. For example, there are different highly effective colouring options such as the Transparent Stains, Acid Stains, and other high quality dyes available these days to color the concrete. They are more effective and more durable than the previous options.

These days, there are different ways in which the stamped concrete is used. This is because the installation of this type of decorative is simple and faster. Now a days, you will find the stamped concrete on the patios, driveways, parking lots as well as on the commercial roads. Well, they are also equally adapted in the interior of the room. They have certainly played a very important role in changing our age old attitude to the concrete.

The author of this article deals with Decorative concrete. The author's articles on Imprinted Concrete and vertical stamping are great pieces of information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Benedict_Yosarian

Creative Postage Options to Enhance Your Direct Mail Campaigns

2010-03-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

Postage for your direct mail- there are more marketing options and excitement than you might think. Studies have shown that direct mail pieces- envelopes, postcards, anything that you send in the mail- that has a postage stamp on it or actual postage that doesn't look like bulk mail gets opened and read at a much higher rate. So what are your options when it comes to postage so you can increase your direct mail success rate? Read on for creative postage ideas.

Coordinating Stamps

You can use regular stamps from the post office. If you're looking for something cost-effective and can't afford customized postage, this is the best option for you. There are a lot of stamps in the market. If you go online to the United States Postal Service website, you can order stamps online and have them delivered directly to you. Do this in advance of a direct mail campaign so that you'll have them in time for your next direct mail piece. There are a lot of different designs. It didn't used to be this way. There used to be only a couple of different options for standardized postage. But now, there are several options. For example, if you are a wedding coordinator and need postage for invitations you're handling for a client, there are stamps that say 'love' or wedding designs. Pick stamps that match your brand at the same time you're using the most cost-effective postage for your business. Technology companies can get stamps with innovators. Creative businesses can get stamps that are more artsy or abstract.

Customized Stamp

Businesses can also have customized stamps created. There are several services in the marketplace that allow you to make customized stamps. Find several by typing in 'custom stamps' in your search engine online. Companies upload logos, taglines, and photos of mascots or team members to these popular sites. Others choose to simply print a message on their stamps. The message could relate to company values or a specific cause that the company supports. There is an additional fee for the customization in addition to the postage amount, but custom stamps are a creative and effective way to get the attention of the readers of your direct mail pieces. They are more apt to open the envelope with custom stamps.

Customized Indicia

Another type of customization is for the actual postal indicia used in a postage meter. There are different ways of creating them. Some companies will actually make their indicia look like it's in the shape of an actual stamp. Others will put a message on theirs. A lot of non-profits use a customized indicia relating to donating. Companies use them to tout their mission or use a catchy phrase to get the attention of the recipient. Another thing beautiful thing about an indicia and postage meter is that it saves you money because you're mailing in bulk and using bulk postage rates. Don't pay the full price for first class postage if you don't have to. Save the money for your marketing!

'Dummy' Stamps

An additional thing companies do is print 'dummy' stamps. You can have one or more of these created. These are stickers the size and shape of a stamp (so that they look like actual postage). They will be positioned next to your indicia. Companies design them with different messages or promotions. The 'dummy' stamps might have different images of your latest campaign and some wording. Be very careful not to use a lot of wording. Doing this still gives the look and the feel of having customized postage while keeping the postage savings of your indicia. Best of all, it still increases the response rate.

Of course you always need to make sure that you're following postal regulations for these postage ideas. Any of these ideas will make your mail stand out. Your direct mail piece is an important, invaluable tool in your marketing communications plan. Get creative with your postage to increase the open rate for even better direct mail results.

Lauren L. Darr is the President and Founder of DIY Mmarketing Communications, a brand of Lauren Originals, Inc. She has over 20 years experience in working with companies large and small on their marketing efforts. Her passion is working with small businesses and entrepreneurs to create successful marketing campaigns. You can get a FREE report by Lauren, "The Top 3 Pitfalls of Marketing and How to Avoid Them" at http://www.diymarketingcommunications.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lauren_Darr

How to Find the Best Custom Rubber Stamp For the Job

2010-01-29T20:26:00.000-08:00

Stop looking for a custom rubber stamp because you have come to the right place. If you want variety then you should be able to find it here. A custom rubber stamp comes in a variety of shapes and sizes to make sure your embellishments are spot on.

Your stamp can come in any shape like a circle rectangle, or even a square, because it is a CUSTOM rubber stamp you can pretty much design most anything you would like; within reason of course.

Special engraving from a laser will help give you more options for making a custom rubber stamp, thus the name. Most companies can truly customize your stamp to be a classy and uniquely custom stamp for your business.

If you want to make sure as to where you found the information you researched make sure to bookmark this page and visit frequently.

Some of the companies offering a custom rubber stamp will allow you to upload your own graphics at no extra charge so you don't want to forget where you found your researched information so you can always compare quality and price.

Some companies and customization options allow graphics, borders, spacing, and a variation of text sizes so the possibilities are really endless when designing a custom rubber stamp.

Make sure you find the proper company to do the work for you before you spend your money for most companies will allow you to preview before you buy but make sure you ask because you don't want to throw away your money unnecessarily.

Just like one of Lance Armstrong's fine tuned racing bikes some of the more quality brands of stamps feature shock absorbers, locking mechanisms as well as comfortable grips and durable cores.

It's a good idea to compare your stamp with others out there like Stamp-Ever, Cosco and Ideal brands as well as Trodat self inking stamps and IStamp pre-inking stamps as well.

Do your research well for your custom rubber stamp whether you need a past due stamp or a paid stamp, for there is nothing worse then getting a big blob of ink as an impression from a cheap low quality stamp.

Once you make your choice keeping your stamp clean is a very important part of protecting your small investment. Therefore, make sure to purchase some cleaning agents to clean the ink off if purchasing open end stamps.

If you can make sure to take good care of your new custom rubber stamp it will help it to last a long time and work correctly for possibly the life of your business.

RPBeards owns his own business - if you have a business and in need of some business stamps check out his latest website and select a custom business rubber stamp you never know when your business may need a custom rubber stamp or stamping supplies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_P_Beards

Print Postage Online - A Smart Decision

2010-01-11T06:51:00.001-08:00

When times change, it is time to move on. The age old method of standing in the line to get that one postage stamp is long gone and the best solution to that has come in the form of print postage online. By using the services on the web, most small businesses and home based business can save on a lot of time and money.

The US postal service has made this possible with a successful collaboration with several companies to ensure that customers can ensure seamless communication which would have otherwise been a problem because of issues pertaining to a long commute to the post offices. Thus, all that one will need is an internet connection, a printer, a computer and obviously a sheet of paper to get the print of the postage stamp. That is how convenient print postage online has become. This is probably one of the reasons why it is possible for us to receive limitless newsletters, updates, and mails, from the several companies that we need information from. For them, it is a very small investment to ensure that customers like us can be abreast of latest developments so that we may be able to contribute to their sales. Print postage online, has other advantages too, in the form of easy e-bay transactions and liaisons with PayPal accounts.

With less wastage, less effort, and attractive offers with bulk orders, print postage online is indeed a revolutionizing concept for many. The amount of money saved through this, can be better utilized for the development and expansion of the business. When you compare this option with running a postage meter, you would know that this is actually a lot less expensive than the usual method of posting letters. When technology opens avenues for consumer ease, it only makes sense to make the most of the opportunity.

Doing print postage online is a convenient and hassle-free option to go for. To find out more useful information and to obtain the right solutions visit us at WePrintPostage.com right now.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Humayun_Altaf

Life is a Postage Stamp

2010-01-01T16:50:00.001-08:00

Choose to be a forever stamp or a holiday stamp. Before you wrinkle your nose, squint your eyes or furrow your brow deciding that I've lost my mind, consider the function of a postage stamp. Unless you are a philatelist, the only function of a postage stamp is to stick to the envelope or package. This requires endurance.

This tiny piece of adhesive backed paper must remain so solidly affixed that it survives the shuffling and friction against other pieces of mail in the postman's bag or truck, close encounters in various mail rooms as it gets sorted and rerouted and back out for delivery. Consider the obstacles and near brushes with death encountered by this tiny little rectangle of paper.

Forever stamps retain their usefulness even after postage rates increase. Holiday stamps have a fixed value and are most frequently used only for Christmas cards and other holiday mail.

Relate your decisions and resolutions to the sticking power of a postage stamp. How determined are you to stick to your goals and resolutions until you reach your destination? The persistence of a holiday stamp means that you give up before the holiday ends. A holiday stamp looks festive, appealing and appropriate for a few weeks before it starts resembling stale cut out sugar cookies.

Whether your new goal was to lose weight, launch a physical fitness program or establish a new business, it absolutely requires more than a casual effort for a few weeks. What are you willing to do to achieve your goal?

Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players to grace a court, was cut from his high school team. Practice, hours of practice, transformed him from that temporary defeat to an ace of the courts.

Bart Starr, most valuable player in the first two super bowls, sat the bench until his senior year in college. Bart was drafted into the NFL in the very last round of the draft. Not only that but he was given jersey 44, not even a quarterback number because he was not expected to make the team.

Norman Vincent Peale's book, The Power of Positive Thinking, received rejections from publishers, his peers, and the public.

Andy Andrews published a book of 52 letters of now famous people who persisted through multiple failures to achieve their fame. "Storms of Perfection" became Andy's own battle of persistence. He received 600 rejections before he received the 52 letters in the first book. Publishers refused to publish it. "Storms of Perfection" is the only book I know about which sold 100,000 copies before it ever graced the shelves of a book store.

Common denominator among all of these examples and hundreds of others was persistence. Each one of them possessed a dream which was more powerful than the obstacles and rejections received.

Persistence, consistent forward motion and sticking to the goal until it became a reality. Success does not always go to the swiftest, the strongest, the richest or someone from the lucky gene pool. Success is awarded to the last man standing. Hang in there long enough with forward motion and determination; success will yield to you.

The next time you hit a speed bump on your success path just remember the postage stamp. Choose to be a holiday stamp or a forever stamp. Success is rarely if ever an accident or a lucky break. Success is a decision followed by consistent and persistent action.

For the complete article and more fun and inspirational stories, join me at http://www.Elaine4Success.com

28 years experience as a successful entrepreneur, post-graduate degrees in Communication and Alternate Dispute Resolution, and a proven track record as a teacher, coach and mentor, revealed the success formula.

Network marketing achievements for the last 4 years. Executive Committee, Ethics Committee, Certified Consultant Seminar Program, Leadership Support Team, Leadership Award Synergy Saturday, Empower Magazine, Millionaire Mastermind Group and selected as Consultant of the Month by Network Marketing Magazine in July 2007.

Elaine Love, Owner
Results For Life LLC
Certified Master M3 Consultant
303-284-0514
resultsforlife@gmail.com

http://www.Elaine4Success.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elaine_Love

Stamp Collecting Software Options For You

2009-12-29T06:24:00.001-08:00

If you're serious about stamp collecting, then you should definitely invest in stamp collecting software to help you manage, value and catalog your collection. Before you can trade, buyers will want to know what you have, so don't end up fumbling around and losing the deal! Read on for some of the top software choices.

The SCOTT catalog is like the holy grail among collectors. If you plan to sell or trade stamps, you'll need to know the corresponding catalog numbers. For instance, some traders and buyers only know "the inverted Jenny" one as a "C3a." Therefore, it's advantageous to obtain either detailed software for purchase or simple freeware to organize and properly catalog your collection and make it suitable for trade.

You can find a SCOTT-licensed software program at EZstamp for $80/CD. This huge database contains 36,700 stamps and contains a search tool to allow you to find individual stamps quickly if needed. You'll enjoy the EZstamp color guides, slide shows, watermark guide, and magnifier and thumbnail viewer.

Valuing and inventorying is made easy with this software. Yet, also be aware that the main CD only covers US and US territories. If you'd like European stamp information and databases, for example, you'd have to buy one of the other CDs at $49.99 a piece. You can however, have the entire collection, which is comprised of nine CDs, for $314.

If you're looking for free stamp collecting software options, try Freedownloadmanager or Download3000 for a list of free downloads to try. For instance, StampCAT, will help you catalog and obtain the value of your entire collection. You can enter country, catalog number, face value, watermark, perforation, design topic, purchase date and more.

Stamp Collector Professional helps new stamp collectors discover valuable items, catalog their collection and learn how to use stamp collecting software. Stamp Organizer Deluxe 2.8 (free to try, $75 to buy) has a couple of unique features such as: a dictionary of applicable terms, a place to organize information about dealers and auctions, easy printing, exporting and importing, as well as a place to save trader contact info.

Whether you're just beginning your hobby or you've already acquired an exhaustive database of these historical artifacts, stamp collecting software can be a big help! How else can you tell used stamps, from rare or new postage stamps?

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Selvon

What is Decorative Concrete and What Applications Are There For It?

2009-11-26T15:22:00.000-08:00

While decorative concrete may sound like an oxymoron to many, the reality is everyone has seen this type of product somewhere at some point. Concrete is mostly known for its strength but with some engineering can actually be made to look beautiful in its own right or can be made to mimic other materials such as stone, marble or granite. While it retains all the strength that makes it the choice for roads, overpasses and bridges, it can be used for many different purposes including many inside the average home.

In many homes across the country, concrete is poured to form the foundation of the home. Typically, this concrete is then covered up with carpet, vinyl or tile. However, the concrete itself can be transformed into a thing of beauty very easily.

There are companies that sell stains and finishing kits for concrete transforming a dull gray slab into decorative concrete. These stains penetrate the concrete and can transform it into any color or color combination imaginable. Imagine concrete being made to look like one single piece of dyed red marble floor for a dining room; matching perfectly with the wood of the dining table.

Instead of simply staining and sealing a concrete floor, another option is to apply an engineered concrete overlay to the existing floor. This is an especially good choice for a concrete structure that has surface cracks or wasn't completely smoothed when the slab was poured. These systems offer even more flexibility and options, including the look of true marble, granite or with the use of stencils, they can take on the look of a slate or tile floor.

The question that many ask at this point though is why go through the time and expense to put a layer of concrete down rather than the real surface? The answer is a simple two part answer. First of all, concrete staining or overlays are incredibly competitive in price compared to some of the other options and quite a bit cheaper than some of the other options.

On top of this, the concrete option is incredibly durable and offers huge benefits from being so strong and resilient. For example, a heavy pot dropped on a tile floor in a kitchen can easily crack the tile it lands on. Repairing that tile takes time and is almost a built in cost with owning a tile floor.

In contrast, a decorative concrete floor will simply absorb the blow dealt by that same pot. No repair needed. Even if the concrete were to chip, the repair would take minutes and be incredibly cheap, compared to the tile flooring repair.

We are your concrete repair and decorative concrete experts. Give us a call and see what we can do for you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathon_Hardcastle

The History of Rubber Stamps

2009-11-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

The first documented mention of it comes in 1736 when the French scientist Charles Marie de la Condamine sent a sample of this substance back to France.

The scientist Sir Joseph Priestley was the first to comment that this bouncy substance was efficient at removing pencil marks from paper. This was in 1770, and the name "rubber" was born because it could "rub out" marks. However, rubber was not commonly used for many years because of its tendency to become smelly and rotten when the temperature changed.

Charles Goodyear was the man that solved this problem. He was obsessed with finding a way to make rubber work, so he would spend hours in the kitchen mixing rubber with various household items, such as pepper, salt, and castor oil. One day, he accidentally dropped rubber mixed with sulfur onto a hot stove, and the rubber was "cured". There were no longer any sticky messes to deal with, and the many uses of rubber started to be realized.

No one is quite sure who invented the rubber stamp. One commonly believed inventor is a man named L.F. Witherell, who claimed that he created the rubber stamp in 1866 by cutting thick stencils out of thick rubber packaging then placing the rubber on the back of a bedpost. However, Witherell could not produce this bedpost stamp when asked, claiming that it had been stolen. Another possible candidate is a man named James Woodruff. In between the years 1864 and 1866, James Woodruff visited a manufacturer of patent bathtubs that had identifying information in thin rubber letters place on a wooden block that measured 4 inches by 6 inches. Woodruff reportedly had the idea that if these letters were created as molds, then placed on a wooden backing, a more rubber stamp could be made, and would be cheaper and more efficient than metal-printing stamps. However, when he went to produce these stamps, the only ink available at the time ruined them, making them useless. So there is still debate to this day as to who the real first inventor of rubber stamps truly was.

After the kinks were worked out, rubber stamping started becoming a common way to mark manufactured products and packages. Stamping companies gained more and more steam through the Industrial Revolution and even more so through the World Wars. However, it wasn't until the 1970's that rubber stamping industry really took off, with corporations using them for their correspondence, and when people took up stamping as an artistic hobby.

Nowadays there are companies that make custom made and self inking rubber stamps which are used for the home, office, and classroom. Though we now see them all the time, it is important to remember that stamps, just like every man-made product in our world, have a unique and wonderful history.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Verost

Tips For the Amateur Postage Stamp Collector on Soaking Stamps

2009-11-08T15:14:00.001-08:00

Here are tips for the amateur postage stamp collector on soaking the stamps:

1. Before soaking your stamp, separate stamps that are on any colored paper, stamps having colored cancellations, particularly those with purple or red ink, stamps of very dark in color, stamps that are on poor paper quality, or those with unidentified inks that could liquefy in the basin of water and can stain other stamps. Any "unusual" stamps should be separated and handled one by one.

2. Trim the paper of the envelope that surrounds stamp, being extra careful as not to scratch or slice the edges of the stamp.

3. When soaking the stamp, take a shallow container with lukewarm water and float in the stamps having the pictures side facing you. Make certain that there is enough room for the stamps to float not to stick to each other. Avoid soaking too many stamps all at one time.

4. Leave the stamps to float until such time that the adhesive dissolves so that the stamps easily slides off the piece of paper. Paper can rip easily so handle the stamp carefully and just allow the water to work on it.

5. Rinse off gently the stamps back in fresh clean water to so that all the adhesive is taken off.

6. Position the stamps in a manner that they are not touching each other on top of paper towels to dry, or old newspapers.

7. Leave the stamps to dry. When they should curl afterwards, place them in another dry piece of paper and place a heavy book on them.

Ryu is a stamp enthusiast, knowing and searching information about postage stamp is the ultimate hobby. If you need information about stamp, find at World Stamps Pictures

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Christmas Rubber Stamps Will Help Make Your Season Merry

2009-10-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

Since its introduction to the crafts, stamping for Christmas has grown into one of the well sought after hobbies today. I am sure that the persons who started this art did not think that this would be so special especially during the season. Leading up to the period you can find a variety of rubber stamps with various themes; the most common is the Santa rubber stamps.

This art of creating these rubber stamps has proven effective to many persons as the main requirements that is need is cost effective. To create fun rubber stamps designs all you need is creative flexibility and the use of inexpensive materials.

To some mastering the craft of stamping has proven to be a lot of trial and failures. But once the skill is developed you can test you talents on countless rubber stamps for Christmas designs. This art form was is used by men and women who would stamp to mark and tattoo images on their body.

In early 1970's some countries utilize rubber stamps for Christmas as a fast growing hobby and it was doing so well, that companies started to cash in on the craze. Although it is hard for individual to compete with companies many persons continue to enjoy rapid growth. However it was not until 1990's that Christmas rubber stamping expanded as a craft worldwide. This was not surprising as this craft was very intriguing and provide the designer with lots of fun. These designs are now done by thousands of companies all over the world and exceptional work is produced on a large scale every year.

The stamps for the Yule tide season phenomenon has become so popular that creative designs can be seen on almost every object that there is; gift bags, post cards, scrapbook, 3D artwork or even clothing.

The art stamps that have ready made decorations is popular used in the United States. When you creating your decorative designs for Christmas the art stamps is the preferred choice in the United States; they are quite fashionable. You will find some of the most intricate designs being used widely on various objects as decorations.

The season is a colorful time of the year and almost any objects that you are creating during this time, Christmas techniques can be added to give special touches. It is a challenge each year for persons to find good gift ideas and the Reindeer rubber stamps would be a big hit. Let your creative juices run wild and very soon you can turn art stamps into easy decorations for your desired patterns. A popular choice of these gifts for Christmas would be some elaborate toys for the children.

Colin Scott is am art lover and during the yule tide season uses Christmas rubber stamps and reindeer rubber stamps to energize his gifts. Visit any of the links in this bio to get your own stamps.

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The First Christmas Stamp - A History of Holiday Postage

2009-10-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

Today Christmas stamps are sold by many countries during the holiday season and are used to add a little color and cheer to Christmas cards and letters. But how did this tradition start?

In December 1898, Canada issued a 2-cent stamp celebrating the introduction of imperial penny postage and inscribed with the words "XMAS 1898." This stamp is usually regarded as the world's first Christmas stamp, but it wasn't actually released to celebrate the holidays. Instead, as legend goes, Postmaster William Mulock suggested to Queen Victoria that the stamp should be released in November "to honor the Prince" (meaning the Prince of Wales). But when the queen showed obvious displeasure with the idea and asked which prince he was referring to, Mulock quickly answered, "Why, the Prince of Peace, ma'am". So when the stamp was issued in December, it bore not only the image of a world map, but also the words "XMAS 1898" at the bottom of the stamp.

It wasn't until nearly 40 years later that another country issued a Christmas stamp. This time the country was Austria. In 1937, it issued two stamps billed as "Christmas Greeting Stamps," but neither had a Christmas theme. One showed a zodiac sign and the other one depicted a rose. Brazil was next in line, issuing four semi-postal stamps in 1939, and Hungary followed suit with a semi-postal stamp in 1941. Semi-postal stamps are ones that are sold above the stamp's value to raise money for a specific cause.

So it wasn't until 1943 that Hungary issued the first Christmas-themed stamp that was sold specifically as a holiday stamp. Now many nations of the world issue postage stamps with a Christmas theme that are intended for use on seasonal mail.

The first Christmas stamp issued by the United States came was a 4-cent stamp issued in 1962. The green and red stamp featured a wreath, two candles, and the words "Christmas 1962". The postal service anticipated a huge demand for the new stamp and ordered 350 million printed, the largest number ever produced up until that time for a special stamp. But it wasn't enough. When the initial supply quickly ran out the Bureau of Engraving and Printing began working around the clock to print more. By the end of the season, one billion of the first Christmas stamps were printed and distributed.

Today you can not only buy Christmas postage stamps with official designs issued by the US Postal Service, but you can also create your own personalized USPS stamps for the holidays or for everyday use.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Howard

Stamp Collecting As a Hobby

2009-10-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

As stamps started being used massively, featuring different people and different designs, the birth of stamps collectors occurred as well. Great Britain was the first country that started producing stamps during the 19th century, thus it's not surprising that there are still many people who like collecting stamps as a hobby. This hobby actually has a name; it's called philately, deriving from the Greek language.

There are billions of stamps available today, of all kinds and types. With feature and the picture of an important persona, of a city or a monument. These are produced based on different occasions; for instance, during the Olympic games every four years, there are series that hit the market, as there are many collectors who appreciate their uniqueness and would like to add them to their collection.

An individual who likes collecting stamps can start gathering normal and regular; a few years later the same ones will become rare, once they are replaced by newer designs and styles. People who like collections, whether they like collecting antique toys, they tend to develop their personal taste and build collections that reflect their preferences.

Internet is an ideal place for collecting beginners, as there already made collections or stamps that are sold individually. There are stamp books, which are considered to be a quick start collection. Some of them feature rare and can be very interesting; however, it is important to remember that they usually contain stamps that were sold in a particular country. Most stamp collectors today tend to gather from all over the world - this is anyway the most interesting part related to these collections. Stamps featuring queens and kings, historical persons or buildings can be quite expensive as well.

Sturat is article marketer, copywriter and enjoys writing on topics like Collecting Stamps and Collecting Antique Toys. For more information on these topics, please visit us.

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Innovative Rubber Stamps Save Time and Money

2009-09-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing that office work needs to cut down on time and energy, it is both rubber stamps and address stamps. These two items will be used constantly to address envelopes or internal mail, pass finished documents for onward forwarding or show that the piece of work is in its finished state. They can also be used to signify that the document is for a certain person only.

In many companies, all incoming mail must be imprinted as a proof of when the letter arrived. This may be important in say, a lawyer's office or insurance company. Of course, some imprints will be highly sensitive since they may bear signatures or something important to the company. These kinds of imprints must be kept securely to make sure that they are not used fraudulently.

Many imprints that are used in a formal setting will be mounted into a small, self-inking machine that saves on having messy ink pads around the place. Home use imprints normally come with an inkpad, inside a tin or box that can be topped up with different colored inks as and when necessary. Of course, these kinds of imprints are used in many other forms and in many other situations. Take, for example, children who love to play with coloring books. These imprints can be bought with emblems and caricatures that children will love to imprint onto objects or into their play books for coloring in and will liven up any playroom, toy or text book.

Indeed, some imprints can be made to order through the internet or from specialist shops. Imagine having a 'have a nice day' or 'season's greetings' imprint to cover all personal mail. It adds that something extra to any letter or missive and the people receiving it will appreciate the effort that has been put into their personal mail.

These kinds of imprints have been around in one form or another for literally centuries. It possibly could have started with shapes being cut from something as simple as a potato or carved into wood. As long as the outlines are standing proud of the medium, they can be dipped in ink and used to embellish just about anything. This process can be somewhat messy so it may be a good idea to purchase purpose made stamps to cut down on the little accidents that can happen with home-made stuff.

Art imprints take many forms and have become a bit of a fad especially in the United States. Although they were originally made for whimsical decorative use, they have become a bit of an art phenomenon with people using them in very innovative ways. Imagine a dollar sign imprint used to decorate the entire wall of a stock broker's reception area. Or maybe a baby motif on an imprint used as a border all around a nursery wall? As long as there are imprints of this nature, there will always be someone who can make it into a statement somewhere or other.

Connor Sullivan recently bought several rubber stamps for his daughters arts and crafts time. His wife ordered address stamps for her new start up business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Connor_R_Sullivan

Beautify Your Concrete Pool Deck With Decorative Stamped Concrete

2009-09-26T17:27:00.001-07:00

There's no reason to be satisfied with a bland, gray concrete pool deck anymore. Why settle for the boring style of twenty years ago, when you can have a deck that is stylish and attractive? The answer lies in being able to stain and stamp your pool deck - it's much less expensive than having a new deck installed, and the results are amazing!

If you took a walk around your neighborhood and checked out each pool that has a concrete pool deck, chances are most of them would be the standard poured concrete without any decoration or style added. You might find a coat of paint on a few, but that would probably be the extent of it. The reason for this is that most people just are not aware that there are options available to make the concrete more beautiful.

Concrete definitely has several advantages, which is why there are so many concrete pool decks:

· Safe - The texture of a concrete pool deck provides good traction to bare feet. Clearly, safety is a priority issue around pools.

· Easy to clean - If something gets spilled on concrete, no problem - a quick spray of the hose and you're done.

· Durable - A concrete pool deck doesn't rot like a wood deck will over time.

But even with all these advantage, concrete can still be improved. Imagine your pool deck still having the benefits of concrete as mentioned above, but looking exactly like antique stone. Or your deck could appear as the dark orange bricks or pavers. You could even make your concrete pool deck have the appearance of a hardwood floor. Yet with any of these looks you still have the safety and durability of concrete.

You can achieve this by staining and stamping your deck. Manufacturers such as Renew-Crete Systems and Cool Deck make tools and materials available for this type of work.

Staining is what gives the pool deck an amazing color. Instead of gray concrete, you can be enjoying any one of a host of colors. Earth tones are common, but in reality it is your pool deck so the final decision is yours. There are two components to staining:

1. Before the new overlay of concrete is poured, you will mix in an integral color based on your preference. So the concrete that is being applied already has the basic color in it.

2. Then, after the concrete has been poured but before it dries, an additional coloring agent is applied in powder form. This adds more color to the new layer of concrete.

Stamping is what brings about the amazing appearance of all those different textures mentioned above. There are different concrete stamps to use for each situation, depending on what you want your concrete deck to look like. With the concrete still wet, and right after applying the powder coloring agent, the stamp of choice is applied many times all over the surface.

Once the new application of concrete has dried (usually the next day), you should pressure wash the surface. This gets rid of any excess coloring agent. Add a couple of coats of high-quality sealant to protect your new deck, and your work is done. Now is the time to plan your next pool party - and be prepared for the compliments from your guests!

David Gipson works with concrete professionally, and is the owner of Concrete Contractors in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit http://concretecontractorsatlanta.net for lots of helpful information about concrete pool decks.

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Your Guide To Stamp Collecting Supplies

2009-09-20T16:49:00.001-07:00

All you need are a few supplies to turn a few postage stamps into a full-fledged hobby. Musicians, athletes and hikers need the proper equipment and so do you as a stamp collector. This article will look at some of the supplies you will need as a collector of stamps.

You will need to get some essential items like archival stockbooks, albums, and some software to help you organize your collection. Your collection can be worth a lot of money so anything that helps protect it is a wise investment.

An archival stockbook is good for the person who likes to move the stamps to different places with its pockets where stamps can be kept without the need for any sort of glue. As you get more serious you may want to take a look at an album. This can be either the printed type or one that is blank. Some people like the printed type because they often have information about certain stamps. The next thing you may want is some good software to help keep track of your stamp collection.

A very important part of your stamp collecting supplies is stamp hinges. Stamp hinges are small pieces of paper that have glue on them. It is wise to purchase hinges designed to prevent damage to your stamps.

In order to properly examine your stamp collection you will need to purchase some must have supplies. Number one on almost any list should be a magnifying glass. You should buy one with a lens power of at least three or four. This will help reveal unseen details that may not be noticeable to the naked eye. If you really get into collecting stamps you should consider a Perforation Gauge and a Watermark Detector to really get a feel for how valuable your stamp really is. Stamps have features that you cannot see without the proper equipment.

Do not forget information, as this is essential to the stamp collector. To become knowledgeable in any subject takes a lot of reading and stamp collecting is no different. If you want to learn the fine details of this wonderful hobby you need to spend time reading books and magazines. Do a search online and you will find a whole world of information awaiting you. The stories you will find can both entertain and educate you at the same time.

Do your homework and get the supplies that fit you. Collecting stamps is a wonderful hobby that can last you a lifetime.

For more information on stamp collecting try visiting http://stampcollector101.com/ where you will find lots of tips, advice and resources about topics such as stamp collecting software.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Douglas_Taylor

The Advantages Of Using Online Postage Stamps

2009-09-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

Was there a time that you had a sudden need for postage stamps and you weren't able to buy one anywhere? Well, with the introduction of online postage stamps, you can now purchase stamps over the Internet. The United States Post Office has come up with this innovative solution for people on the go.

Online postage services give you the freedom to buy regular stamps or even customize one for your own use. These stamps work the same way as the usual ones only the online version can be printed right from the comfort of your home or office. You don't have to go to the nearby convenience store to buy your stamps anymore.

And you can use these postage stamps both for domestic and global mails. Priority mails, express mails, and airmail parcel posts are all covered. Once you get the hang of using online postage, you surely won't go back to using the typical ones.

Authorized vendors of these stamps usually provide users with software, which they can use to generate these stamps. This is especially useful if you want to personalize them. The software will also enable you to upload your favorite photo, crop it, edit it, and transform it into a valid postage stamp.

For most of online postage stamp vendors, payments can be made using credit cards and similar online payment systems. Minimum order is commonly one sheet only, which contains 20 individual stamps. Online postage stamps come in a specified denomination that you have to choose from. It is then advisable that you buy stamps with the value that fits the mail you'll send. The denominations of online postage stamps start with $0.24 cents up to $4.05.

Online postage stamps have surely made snail mailing somehow faster and easier. It had made the whole thing convenient, especially if you have to send quite a number of letters. Some vendors even keep a transaction record for their registered customer's use. This is a good way to track mass mailing actions and it is especially helpful for large corporate accounts.

But before you use online postage stamps, there are a few guidelines that you have to remember. First off, your stamps or labels should be placed on the front surface of the mail and it should not be folded over. It is also important that it is properly glued in place.

And for this purpose, printing the stamps in a self-adhesive paper is the way to go. You can always choose to print them on ordinary paper and use glue or tape to stick them in, but using self-adhesive paper makes sticking your stamps easier. Anyway, these self-adhesive papers are available both online and at your local office supplies store.

Not only it is very convenient. It is also a way to spice up your holiday or event card giving. Imagine how nice your birthday or wedding invitations would be if the postage stamp shows a good picture of the celebrant. Online customized stamps would surely your letter a lot more special.

Craig Thornburrow is an acknowledged expert in his field. You can get more free advice on online postage stamps and postage scales at http://www.printingpostage.com

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How Many Rubber Stamps Do You Have in the Big World of Art Stamps?

2009-09-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

For me it all started with these rubber stamps. That's right this cute little butterfly art stamp and this set of alphabet stamps.

I can remember my first rubber stamps. My brother gave them to me for my birthday. It was a butterfly art stamp, and an alphabet stamp set, that was 15 years ago. I can remember thinking to myself "what am I going to do with these rubber stamps"? Boy did I find out what to do with them. I made cute little butterfly note cards and I remember coloring them with a colored pencil (since that is all that I had back then or crayons), then with the alphabet stamps I stamped my family and friends name and of course finished it with a butterfly. Holy crow, he is the one that created my obsession with art stamps, and I am so happy that he did, thanks Mike.

What can I say; I Love Rubber Art Stamps and all the rubber stamping supplies that go along with them. Take a look at just some of the art stamps that I have. I have labeled each drawer and bin so I kind of know what is inside. I also have a few scattered around my craft studio on shelves. I told you that I Love Art Stamps. Now do you believe me?

Rubber stamps have come a long way. There are a ton of manufacturers for Art Stamps, depending on what you are looking for. A long time ago the only kind of art stamp that was available was the red rubber stamp mounted on a wood block. Now, those stamps are still available but there are also clear un-mounted art stamps that you take off of a cling sheet and adhere to an acrylic block. When you are done you just clean the stamp and take off the acrylic block and out back on the plastic sheet or in a clear plastic CD case.

The great thing about these art stamps is that you can see exactly where your image will be stamped on your card stock. This gives you less room for error (even though there is never an error in art, it just makes a different masterpiece then you expected).

What I love about the acrylic block rubber stamps is when you are working with alphabet stamps. The reason is you can have the correct spacing between each letter and word. When I have used alphabet stamps that were wood mounted, I usually had crooked words and phrases on my card or scrapbook page.

Another cool thing about these clear un-mounted rubber stamps is that they do not take up so much room as the original wood block art stamps. So if you do not have a lot of space to store your rubber stamps then this is the ideal way to go. I have two ways that I store my clear un-mounted rubber stamps. One is in a 3 ring binder, and the other in my Crop in Style Stamp Store tote. The stamp store can hold hundreds in the drawers.

There are also red rubber un-mounted stamps that you can purchase. They are cheaper than mounted rubber stamps. You can then mount them any way that you want; either on a wood block or use the ez-mount foam system (I will explain that in a near future article)

The last kind of rubber stamps that I can think of is the pre-inked art stamps. I have some art stamps that are pre-inked wheels. They are great for backgrounds or borders. All you do is insert the small cartridge of ink into the handle of the rubber stamps wheel, insert the wheel and away you go.

Well, as you can see I have a lot of rubber stamps. And with all these art stamps I do not have any duplicates and I can honestly say that I use or have used each and every one.

Visit http://www.JoansCraftWorld.com now to see pictures and to learn more about Art Stamps today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joan_Koeppel

Customized Postage Stamps - A Novel Idea!

2009-08-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wished that you can see your face or pictures that you have personally taken on a postage stamp? These days, because of technology, it is possible to have customized or personalized stamps where you can choose the picture that will appear on your postage stamps. They are becoming more and more popular because of their novelty and uniqueness. It is also fun to see your own face and picture on the postage stamp pasted at the back of the letter that you will mail. The recipient will also look forward to receiving your letters because of the fun and unique stamp.

If you want to know where to find customized postage stamps, you can visit the top five websites that create customized or personalized postage stamps that are approved by the United States Postal Service or USPS. They are stamps.com, endicia.com, zazzle.com, yourstamps.com, and stampexpressions.com.

• Stamps.com. This is one of the first companies approved by the USPS for creating customized postage stamps. Compared to its counterparts, stamps.com personalized stamps are relatively cheaper. You can customize your stamps using photos uploaded from your computer and you can even print them in the comforts of your home. Just create an account when you visit their website and just follow the procedure. Once you have printed the postage stamp, the corresponding fee will be deducted from your credit card account.

• Endicia.com. PictureItPostage by Endicia also allows you to create customized postage stamps at home. Just go to the website pictureitpostage.com and you can download free software from the website that helps you create your own design for your postage stamp. You do not need to pay for the software. You will only pay once you ordered for these stamps in sheets. You can also use their online tool if you do not want to download the software. Once you have created the design, order for them online and specify how many you want. Endicia still needs to check your design, if it meets the standards given by USPS. Upon approval, they will print out the stamps and send them to you by courier service.

• Zazzle.com. This is another website which is approved by USPS. They have so many themes to choose from-weddings, sports, monogram, historical, love, cartoons, holidays, animals, birthdays, and other things and occasions or events you can think of. Just upload the picture that you want to see on your postage stamp once you log in to your zazzle account, choose borders, texts, and other designs, and place order. They will ship your order after 2 days.

• Yourstamps.com. This website also specializes in creating customized or personalized postage stamps. You can use these in special occasions and events like holidays, weddings, birthdays, thanks you notes, birthdays, graduations, business promotions, and others. Create an account on their website and choose the photo that you want to use. You have a free rein on how you would like your stamps to appear. Once you have made your design, order them online and fee will be automatically deducted from your credit card.

• Zazzle.com/postage_stamps. This website specializes in postage stamps. If you want personalized and professional-looking postage stamps, then visit their website. You can upload your company's logo and use them in your stamps. Place and order and wait for them to be shipped to your house.

Ruth Lanham is an author, t-shirt designer and entrepreneur. Ruth is the owner of the very popular t-shirt and gift websites Tshirts-Tshirts and T-shirt-junction. For more information visit her at one of her websites:
http://www.tshirts-tshirts.com
http://www.t-shirt-junction.com

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Rubber Stamps, Not Just For Mailing Anymore!

2009-08-16T16:22:00.001-07:00

There are many things you can do with rubber stamps. You can collect them, make your own, or put them to practical use by making address stamps. They can be one of the most creative ways to express yourself, no matter what your design is. All of the endless options are just waiting to be discovered.

People go all around the world traveling and collecting different ones from every country they visit. Each one has a different influence or creative twist from that country. Because traditions are different in other countries and cultures than they are in America, you will see different designs and ideas from people whose cultures influence their work. It can take a lot of time and great effort to make a good collection, but it will always be something you're proud of. You will never find one that looks exactly like another, they're all original.

There are all different types of artwork you can create; it all depends on your creativity and the influences around you. Some people enjoy painting, others are fans of drawing, and others are in love with taking pictures. Unfortunately, there are very few people who take advantage of the artistic values of creating their own piece of artwork and being able to duplicate it with just a little bit of ink. The opportunities are endless and you never know what you can do with a good design. You can make your own design and then use it whenever you are mailing something, or if you need to identify that something is yours. If you make one that is good enough, you can even sell it to make a little bit of money.

A lot of times, people can use these duplicators beyond their artistic uses and put them to a practical use. Although people rarely send letters or mail any more, it is a great way of communication for plenty of reasons. There are no calls to be dropped, you don't need electricity to send a letter and it is very reliable. If you are one of the few who still use the postal service, you are probably tired of having to constantly put your name and information about where you live on your mail. Making one of these pliable duplicators can be creative and extremely convenient and will take much less time than having to write down every single word. Using this option would be especially great if you are artistic and a fan of sending and receiving mail.

No matter what your use for one is, these duplicators are a fun and practical way to express yourself and your creativity. You can put your name or design on anything you want to claim as your own and the only thing that can run out is your ink supply. So next time you need to put your name and other information on a piece of mail or anything else, put a creative spin on it next time you need to imprint any of your personal information.

Chuck R Stewart recently bought several rubber stamps for his daughters arts and crafts time. He also bought several address stamps for his new start up business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chuck_R_Stewart

How to Decorate and Teach with an Alphabet Rubber Stamp

2009-08-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

Pediatricians and early education specialists agree that it is never too early to expose infants and toddlers to the alphabet, colors, numbers, and other basics. With these facts in mind, more parents are starting to decorate their babie's rooms with letters, numbers, and primary colors. With some various paints and a little creativity you can easily make your children's room a wonder of learning with a rubber stamp set.

Alphabet rubber stamp sets can be found at most hobby or craft stores. They usually come with letters A to Z as well as the numbers zero through nine. These stamp sets are often inexpensive.

If you cannot find a hobby or craft store that sells alphabet rubber stamp sets, or you simply want to have some added fun, you can make your own alphabet stamps. All you need is a sheet of quarter inch rubber, available from any home improvement store. Draw the letters onto the rubber and cut them out with a precision blade.

When you have your rubber stamp set, you will need to decide what base color to use for your children's room. Most parents choose white as a background for primary colors, but some parents may choose blue or pink based on the sex of the baby. You will need to purchase the paint and apply the base coat to the children's room.

After the initial painting of the room it is time to have the real fun! Get some paint in primary colors. You will probably want to get a pint of each primary color. The primary colors are blue, yellow, red, and green.

Now it is time for the creativity! You can use different alphabet rubber stamps all over the room randomly, or you can use them in a pattern. You can start with the letter A and continue around the room in a straight line to the letter Z. The possibilities are really endless, and are entirely up to you!

Another use for alphabet rubber stamp sets is the creation of banners. You can purchase the tail end of the roll of butcher paper from your local grocer fairly inexpensively, or you can buy it at a hobby or craft store. Use the rubber stamps dipped in left over colored paint to create colorful, home made banners for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, or any other occasion.

It is important that when you are finished painting that you wash out the stamps thoroughly. If you do not, the paint will begin seeping into the pores of the rubber and you will never get them completely clean. Washing them as soon as you are finished only takes a minute, and the paint is much easier to rinse off at this stage.

Rubber stamping can take your children's room or nursery from dull to amazing with just a few hours of effort. You'll also have a unique room tailored to your child. By putting your own stamp on the room, you'll have fond memories over many years to come.

Amy Wells is a rubber stamp and crafting enthusiast. You can get more rubber stamping tips at her blog: http://rubberstampcrafters.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Wells

The Many Advantages of Using Rubber Stamps

2009-07-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

So you've finally decided to get going on opening a small business endeavor. You met with your attorney at law, laid out your trades proposal, spoke with an actuary and got the thumbs up to go ahead with your organization. Once you begin collecting what you will need to strongly supervise your company you may ask yourself about the magnitude of a company seal. While company seals have always been implemented they are still sought after today. Industries all over the world exploit the company seal it is a sign of a very significant arrangement between two parties.

When official corporate seals were first developed in the early to mid 17th century they were primarily used by political families, people who held broad political power, and even the world's first banks. Somebody in those days receiving a paper or envelope with a company seal knew the information was very essential and didn't hesitate in answering or adhering the message. The early company seals weren't fabricated that differently than how They are created today. You make a company seal by smearing hot wax on to letter, document, envelope, message, or any piece of paper. Then you Squash the tip of your stamp into the hot wax making a clear impression on the document. During the 17th and 18th centuries imperial families would use their rings and press their ring into the warm wax leaving A sealion. The blemish would be rather thick and very prominent.

At the moment we use uniquely designed rubber stamps to imprint company seals. Also while many small businesses still use the warm wax Tactic, most company seals just utilize a simple ink for a dim seal. The flush deed pressed with ink is easier to line up but won't photocopy as well as a wax impression. As with everything in our extremely advanced world there have been electronic discoveries in the company seal market. Electronic devices can now churn out a company seal on any piece of paper stuck into it's hole. Horribly machines such as those can cost hundreds of dollars. Whereas a down-to-earth hand held stamp are on hand for a fraction of the price. Also many associates might pine for the nostalgic feeling of actually physically pressing a stamp onto a piece of paper.

Company seals are used to connote a transaction made between a company and a second party. Upon both parties signing and stamping the file with a company seal the provisions stated on the deed must be concluded. Both parties must Keep their side of the arrangement. The company seal makes the form official and is now relevant in court if need be.

Applying company seals is very valuable. It can help you make any parchment you sign or offer a client official. With it you will have legal evidence of the pact they arranged with you. This function is very beneficial for any small or even large operation that is just starting out.

Article by Tim R. Win. He writes about the importance of Rubber Stamps. Visit http://www.idealstampshop.com they have the best prices and selection on the web.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Win

What in the World Are Rubber Stamps?

2009-07-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever made a scrapbook? How about an arts and crafts project in school when you were a kid? Have you ever seen your kids do these and other activities? If so, then you've probably used rubber stamps before. Most people don't really think much of rubber stamps, but they can be great tools to use for your arts and crafts project, either for you or your children.

Rubber stamps are very simple creations, but they can work wonders with a project. They are simply designs that have been cut out in rubber, so that you can dip them in paint and use them to impress an image onto any surface. The most common use (and the one we all grew up doing, I'm sure) is to make stamps in the shape of people or animals and use them to create a story on paper. This can be a terrific way to introduce your children to creative story-telling through visual means that are attractive yet simple to use.

You can also use rubber stamping in scrapbooking as well. We all want to make our scrapbooks look as aesthetically pleasing as possible; stamps help to make this happen. You can buy bags of cheap rubber stamps with hearts, diamonds, basic shapes, simple words, and other popular symbols to really put that accent on your work to make your scrapbook personalized. You can even buy individual letters to put someone's name in the book - a great surprise and gift for any recipient!

Some great places to find rubber stamp kits include Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Wal-Mart, and other popular arts and crafts stores. Any place with art supplies should have them, though. You can also make your own - just make sure children are properly supervised! In short, rubber stamps can be useful tools for any would-be artist out there, regardless of the age. So if you're looking to be creative with your kids then using stamps is a perfect way to start. There less messy than other crafts but when used with paper they can create a beautiful piece of art!

Rubber stamping and rubber stamps crafts are really 'in' right now. Usually stamping is left to card makers, but now scrapbookers and other paper crafts people are really getting into stamping to. Express your creativity with some great stamping techniques today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Rochester

Creative Uses of Rubber Stamps

2009-06-29T17:35:00.001-07:00

Rubber stamps - those cute and creative pieces of rubber (and sometimes wood) that we use for arts and crafts - can be great tools to use for aesthetic and pleasing works of art, no matter how young or old. They are simple and easy to use, and ensure that you or your child can use basic shapes and designs with a minimum of effort. All you really do is dip in the paint and apply, right? This is how most people use them, but there are a couple of other creative ways to use rubber stamps.

The first way to use rubber stamps is actually to make pottery. I bet you didn't think you could use them to make pottery, but you definitely can. All you do is take some polymer clay - the kind you can bake - and impress the clay with a stamp while it's still soft. Dipping them in multiple colors of paint will also impress the paint into the clay along with the design. After this, just put on a couple of layers of glaze and put the clay into an oven. When it's done, you'll have beautiful and creative pottery, made simple!

The second way to use rubber stamps creatively is to personalize coffee mugs or t-shirts, or really any surface or material that can be used or worn to make it special. Just get stamps in the shapes of individual letters and use them together to spell out a name or phrase. Your child or significant other will smile when he or she sees a t-shirt or coffee mug with their name on it - and if they're a big coffee drinker, I bet you'll see them use that special mug over and over again! Just cover the mug with a coat of sealant so its dishwasher safe and you're set.

There are many other ways to be creative with rubber stamps; they're just waiting to be discovered by you and your kids today! So if you're looking for a cheap new alternative way to doing crafts with the kids give stamping a try today!

From custom self inking stamps to Christmas rubber stamps, stamping is a great way to express your artistic talent and creativity. Almost any scrapbooking page can be enhanced with the use of a few well placed stamps and most other craft projects could use some stamping too. Try rubber stamping today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Rochester

The Rubber Stamp - A Low-Tech Tool That Does the Job

2009-06-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

There are many low-tech items in our world that just can't be improved upon. Consider the bath towel. It's just a rectangular piece of looped cotton that's been around for hundreds of years. But there's no better way to dry off after a bath. Another is the simple potato peeler. Inventors have tried to come up with electric peelers, but they don't take the peel off a potato or carrot any better than a peeler like your grandmother had in her utensil drawer. Another simple tool is the rubber stamp. Even though we have the computer on which we can process and store forms, we still need paper forms for many transactions. And often the person processing the form needs to add a quick additional message, such as "Paid" or "Received" or "Past Due." Rubber stamps can be made with any message that you need.

Although rubber stamps are a low-tech solution, they have been given one improvement. Self-inking stamps have been around for fifty or more years. These stamps eliminate the need for a separate ink pad. Just press the stamp down, and the message passes over a source of ink on its way to the paper. Address stamps allow you to quickly put your name and address wherever it is needed. They are not just for return addresses on envelopes, however. You can use them in place of bookplates in your books. Your name and address stamped in your books can help to ensure that they are returned when you lend them out. If an address stamp is tossed into the purse or briefcase, it will come in handy when you need to fill in your address on a form. For example, if you visit a trade show or conference, you won't have to write your address over and over on the various interest forms. Another example is forms to enter contests. These can be found in many places, including the mall. The address stamp is not only a faster way to fill in a form; it also ensures that your address is legible.

If you have a business or sell real estate, self-inking address stamps can be a handy and much appreciated customer gift. The stamp can have your logo, name, and phone number plus a message such as "Good luck in your new home" or "Thank you for your business" on the top and the customer's name and address on the side. The customer then has a personal address stamp.

There is also another type of self-inking stamp. This stamp fits onto the end of a pen. This type of stamp is useful for the person behind the desk who is assisting others with registration or sign-in.

Has anyone ever invented a stamp that resembles a stapler? This type of stamp would allow the user to slide the paper into the slot and slam it shut as if stapling. This configuration would eliminate the step of reaching over and picking up the stamp.

Every day we use many low-tech devices that work so well that a high-tech version is not needed. Among these items are the bath towel, the potato peeler, and the rubber stamp. Rubber stamps can be self-inking and make a good customer gift.

Chuck R Stewart recently bought several rubber stamps for his daughters arts and crafts time. Chuck R Stewart recently bought several address stamps for his new start up business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chuck_R_Stewart

Stamp Collecting - 7 Values of Being Old Postage Stamp Collectors

2009-06-12T16:49:00.001-07:00

Stamps collecting, especially the old postage stamps has great value. They are fun, affordable, history, travel, art, valuable, and important. Here is the explanation of their great value.

1. Stamps Are Fun - Stamp collecting is fun because it's personal - you collect the kinds of stamps you want, the way you want to collect them, whenever and wherever you want to. There's no right way or wrong way.

2. Stamps Are Affordable - Imagine owning a genuine U.S. postage stamp that's over 130 years old for as little as $1.25! Even very old stamps can be very affordable, especially in postally used condition. Used stamps have a real history and romance all their own.

3. Stamps Are History - Every time you open your album, stamps take you wherever you want to go in our nation's past... the plains of the Old West, the Space Race, the White House, the American Revolution, the battlefields of the Civil War, and so much more. Stamps chronicle 19th and 20th century America like nothing else. Stamps are souvenirs of our past - history you can hold in your hands.

4. Stamps Are Travel - Stamps show us traveling the globe as well as taking our first tentative steps into outer space... exploring the frigid icefields of Antarctica and the eerily beautiful landscapes of the moon; celebrating the diversity of America from exotic Hawaii north to Alaska, with the variety of 48 great states in between; discovering the Pacific Ocean and blasting off aboard the space shuttle; flying across the Atlantic to Paris with Charles Lindbergh and floating above the clouds in a lighter-than-air ship called the Graf Zeppelin.

5. Stamps Are Art - Having a stamp collection is like having a miniature art gallery right in your own home.

6. Stamps Are Valuable - Some stamps are tremendously valuable. A stamp may be worth thousands of dollars because it has a tiny printing error, or because only a few examples survive.

7. Stamps Are Important - Stamps are important because they enable us to communicate through letters. The issue of the world's first adhesive postage stamp in England revolutionized the way mail was sent.

Ryu is a stamp enthusiast, knowing and searching information about postage stamp is the ultimate hobby. If you need information about stamp, find at World Stamps Pictures

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryu_Sanaga

Postage Stamp Quilt Project Instructions

2009-05-28T18:05:00.001-07:00

A postage stamp quilt is made up of blocks that are all the same size, usually about the size of a postage stamp, hence the name "postage stamp quilt". These blocks are tiny squares that are approximately one-and-a-half to two inches large. Dozens of colours are used in the quilt, which gives it a mosaic look. There is no set pattern for a postage stamp quilt, rather the colours are chosen at random when adding them to the quilt. This is similar to the charm quilt, except that the blocks in a charm quilt are about five inches by five inches.

It is very easy to make your own postage stamp quilt. If you are already a quilter, save up your scraps of fabric for this project. To start, gather up 40 different pieces of fabric that are at least six inches by six inches. When selecting your fabric, choose a good variety of shades and prints. The prints should include strips, florals, plaid, small prints, large prints and whatever catches your interest. If you are making the quilt for someone else, choose prints that you feel reflect that person's character and spirit.

From each piece of fabric, cut out 3 squares with each square being two inches by two inches. As you cut each square, place it in a large container or bag. Once you have finished cutting all the fabric, select squares at random from the container and place them on a table. Don't worry about what colour or print you select, just place them one by one so that you have 10 squares going across and 12 squares going down. Once all the squares have been placed on the table, you can rearrange the colours if you wish, especially if too many squares that look similar are placed next to each other.

The next step is to start sewing your quilt. Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, sew the squares in the bottom row together. Continue to sew the squares in each row together, going row by row as you work your way to the top of the quilt. For each row, press the seam allowance in the opposite direction. That is, in one row, press the seam allowance to the right and for the next row, press the seam allowance to the left. If the seam allowances are all pressed in the same direction, then the quilt top will be flatter. Once all the squares have been sewn into rows, you can then join the rows together. Again, press the seam allowance up for one row and down for the next row.

To complete the quilt top, you will need to create a border. Choose two colours for the border - a light colour for the inner border and a dark colour for the outer border. The colours can be a solid or a print and should emphasize a colour in the quilt. Cut the inner border 1-1/4 inches wide and cut the outer border 3-1/2 inches wide. Attach the border to the quilt top.

You are now ready to finish the quilt by adding batting and a backing. There are many different ways to do this, so do a bit of research and find a method that you are comfortable with. Take your time, plan out the steps before you start and you will end up with a quilt to be treasured and passed down from generation to generation.

Please visit Beautiful Creations for colourful fabric prints and beautiful pre-made quilt blocks. While you are there, check out our Project Ideas page for free sewing projects, complete with pictures and full instructions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joanne_Jones

Decorative Concrete - Stained, Stamped, Scored and Polished

2009-05-26T16:55:00.001-07:00

Introduction to Decorative Concrete

Decorative concrete, also commonly referred to as architectural concrete, can most easily be described as any technique that alters what would be plain, grey concrete to be more aesthetically pleasing. Decorative concrete can encompass many different looks and techniques. It can include simple coloring techniques such as acid stains, acrylic stains, concrete dyes, and integral colors (also called integrated colors; mixed into the concrete before it is poured). It can also include special treatments including stamping, scoring, chiseling, and polishing that can change the texture of the surface. Many times, decorative concrete integrates multiple techniques to truly customize the slab.

Stained Concrete

Probably one of the most well-known techniques for transforming plain concrete to be more design-friendly is staining, especially for interior applications. This technique involves taking a cured concrete slab and literally staining it to be a different color (or colors). There are two main types of concrete stain. The most common type of concrete stain is an acid stain. It is known for producing rich color. The acid reacts to the concrete and takes on its own life. The result is a marbleized coloring, much like grainy leather. It is probably one of the most difficult stains to work with; it requires much caution while applying because you are working with acid, after all. This stain does not cover defects in the concrete. On the contrary, it will likely show defects, even those you didn’t see when the concrete was in its natural state. However, this character that the acid stain reveals is part of the allure of the finished product of an acid stain job. Water-based concrete stains and acrylic concrete stains create a much more uniform look than do acid stains. These stains have a thin, milky consistency, allowing them to seep into the concrete’s pores, which differentiates them from any concrete paint, which can flake off because paints simply coat the surface. Because there is no chemical reaction between the stain and the concrete, it applies more like a dye.

It is a better alternative than acid stain for concrete pads that have cosmetic defects because coverage is fairly consistent. However, it is still a semi-translucent stain, so it will not completely disguise soils and other defects in the concrete. Water-based stains are also commonly called concrete dyes. It is often used to accent the work of an acid stain job by giving certain areas of the concrete a different color. Acrylic stains offer a wide variety of deep and bright colors with a much broader selection than acid stain offers. Also, whereas acid stains rely on a reaction with the concrete to produce color, the acrylic stain colors are usually the same in the bottle as they are on the concrete. This makes predicting the outcome much easier. It also allows for easier mixing at the jobsite to match other colors around. After the stain job is complete, it is recommended to put some sort of protective coating on the surface. This will prevent fading and wear. For outdoor applications, a concrete sealer is recommended. A solvent sealer or xylene-based sealer will leave a durable, semi-gloss coat, whereas a water-based sealer will leave a matte finish. For indoor applications, it is generally recommended to apply a wax, much like that which is used on a gym floor. In summary, staining is usually a good option if you have a concrete slab currently that you would like to add color to. Stains do not hide defects in the concrete, nor do they change the texture of the concrete. They simply add a semi-transparent, semi-permanent color. There are many tools and techniques that expand design options when using concrete stain. For example, there are stencils on the market that allow for a color design. Also, scored lines are also commonly used to add a pattern or design into the concrete.

Stain can also be used in conjunction with stamped concrete to add accent coloring. Plus, there are many different ways to apply stain to achieve different looks. advantages of stained concrete. Of course, the greatest advantage of stained concrete is the visual appeal. Staining concrete allows you to turn a functional element into a design element. Plus, with the wide array of colors and designs, staining can be used to compliment almost any design theme. Another advantage of stained concrete is that it is a semi-permanent, durable option. Because you are simply altering the color of concrete without altering its physical strength, your stained concrete will have the life of a boring, white slab (which some concrete is engineered to last more than fifty years!). Also, because the color is actually seeped into the concrete versus a layer on top like paint, it will not flake off like paint tends to. Stain can also be described as a “green” renovation project because you can simply transform what you already have, which means less waste in our landfills caused by starting over. In addition, staining requires no extra material aside from sealer or wax to make the flooring surface ready for use. Stained concrete is just as easy to maintain as a regular concrete slab if not easier because the sealer prevents stains and rinses easily. It may require a new coat of sealer or wax occasionally to maintain the finish. A simple broom or hose will often clean the surface adequately. Finally, another advantage of stained concrete is that it is relatively inexpensive compared to other options while yielding a custom, unique product.

Stamped Concrete

Stamped concrete is another common technique of decorative concrete. It literally involves stamping a pattern and/or texture into freshly laid concrete. That being said, stamped concrete requires that new concrete is poured. This isn’t to say that you can’t add a stamped pattern or texture to your existing patio, it just requires a few intermediate steps. If you have an existing concrete pad that you want to add a stamped pattern or texture to, it requires adding a layer of concrete or overlay mixture. Of course, concrete is preferable, as it is one of world’s most durable materials; however, concrete will require a minimum of two inch height increase. There is another product available, often called an overlay mix, that can be applied as little as three-eighths inches thick. However, this plastic-cement polymer does have a shorter life-span than does concrete. There are limitations to capping your patio with concrete or overlaying it. If your patio is cracked or structurally unsound, it is risky to put any coating on it because that coating will likely crack and shift as well. Capping or overlaying your concrete will effectively hide any stains and minor defects in the concrete, though. The process involves pouring concrete much like you would do for ordinary flatwork. The area is framed up, reinforced with rebar, and smoothed out. In order to stamp, the concrete must be dry enough to not be mushy but wet enough to still hold an impression. The timing is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of stamping. At this point, large rubber stamps are pounded into the concrete, many times with a tool called a tamper. Some sort of release product is used to keep the stamps from sticking. Other special tools, including “flippie” stamps, grout rollers, etc are used to perfect the area. The coloring of stamped concrete can be achieved in many different ways. Some of the coloring materials available for use with stamped concrete include integral/integrated colors, antiquing release colors, color hardeners, and tinted sealers. Integral colors, also called integrated colors, is color that is mixed into the concrete before it is poured. Integral colors come in both liquid and powder form.

The advantage of integral color is that the color is all the way through the concrete, so if the concrete is ever chipped or scarred, the color will be consistent throughout the slab. Antiquing release colors are usually a powder color applied to the surface before stamping occurs. Its functional aspect is that it keeps the stamps from sticking to the concrete. Its aesthetic aspect is that when the excess powder is scrubbed off, it leave behind great accent coloring in the grooves and crevices. Some release colors also come in a liquid form. Color hardeners are applied to the surface of the concrete. They are used to add color to freshly poured concrete. Because they have a cement content and high PSI, we do not recommend their use in climates that change rapidly because color hardeners can cause what we have coined as a “popcorn” effect, where small circles actually pop out of the surface of the concrete. Color hardeners are usually a powder and come in a wide variety of colors. Tinted sealers are just as you would think; they are sealers that have a transparent color tint added in. Some manufacturers make tinted sealers, or you can simply make them yourself, which is usually a good way to go if you are wanting to mix colors or play with transparency. Before you do this though, you need to know what kind of sealer you have and what kind of color product would mix with it. Tinted sealers also come in a wide variety of color options, especially if you will be making it yourself.

Most of the time, contractors will use a variety of coloring techniques to achieve your look. Contractors may also use the technique that is most familiar to them, leaving the others behind. One thing is for sure: make sure that you quiz your contractor about the coloring techniques they use to make sure you are given the information you need to properly pick your colors. Also, make sure he/she isn’t selling you on coloring techniques that may not be suitable for your climate area. advantages of stamped concrete. For the sake of accuracy, this paragraph does not take into account any overlay products because these products do not carry all of the same advantages that concrete does. Stamped concrete, if it is true concrete, often carries with it many advantages. First, it is known for its durability and longevity; after all, it is concrete! Because it is so durable, it can also be described as an environmentally-friendly option because it won’t have to be replaced in the near future, meaning more materials won’t need to be manufactured and less materials will end up in landfills. Also, it is easy to maintain. The sealer allows cleaning to be as easy as rinsing or sweeping. Occasionally, you will need to recoat the surface with sealer, which is an easy spray or roll on process. Finally, stamped concrete is aesthetically pleasing. It is completely customizable with a wide variety of color combinations and stamp patterns. And, considering how long it will last and how easy it is to maintain, it is a low cost in the long run for a beautiful finish.

Scored Concrete

Scored concrete is a great way to give both new pours and existing pour a new look. Scoring concrete is essentially cutting a shallow cut into the concrete. These cuts can be used to create the illusion of tile or stone or to "draw" a custom pattern or logo into the concrete. Because these lines are actually cut into the concrete, they are as permanent as the slab itself unless covered. Scoring is often combined with colored or stained concrete to accentuate the surface pattern. It can also be applied to plain concrete to just add a touch of decorative design to an otherwise humdrum slab. Concrete can be scored with many different tools, but the most common tools are concrete saws and grinders. Many times a diamond blade is used. For a more rustic or rough look, chiseling the lines is a great method, although it can be more labor intensive and tedious. advantages of scored concrete. Because scoring can be a way to add decorative touches to a slab without tearing out the slab and starting over or covering the slab with other products, it is a very economical and eco-friendly approach to decorative concrete. Also, it is as permanent as the slab is, which means there will be little to no upkeep. Maintenance will involve simple cleaning, which is as easy as sweeping or rinsing. If the scored concrete is sealed, it may require resealing periodically. Finally, the biggest advantage of scored concrete is that it is completely custom.

Polished Concrete

Polished concrete is, just as it sounds, a concrete slab that is polished down until a shiny finish is achieved. These smooth, high-luster floors, if done correctly, do not require any wax or sealer, making it a great option for warehouses, retail locations, etc. But, homeowners are quickly learning that this technique can be utilized for a low maintenance interior flooring. The process is similar in theory to sanding wood. You start with a rough pad and grind into the concrete. Then you move to smoother and smoother pads, step by step, until your finished product is a shiny, smooth floor. Usually, there will be exposed aggregate, making it a neat look. Polished concrete can be stained for some extra color. Or, integral color can be used before the pour to add color throughout. Special, and expensive, tools and materials are often necessary to get a polished finish. advantages of polished concrete. Polished concrete is very durable because it is concrete, one of the most durable materials known to man. It is also very low maintenance because wax or sealer may not be necessary. Sometimes, if the floor loses its luster, it may be necessary to re-polish the floor, repeating the last steps of the polishing process. Polished concrete can also be a great design feature because it is unique and customizable. Colors can be added for a different look, and even special aggregates can be added, aggregates that are only exposed because of the polishing process.

Sealing Concrete

All architectural concrete, except polished concrete and interior stained concrete, should be sealed regularly to maintain its beauty and durability. This process can be outsourced to a concrete company, or it can be a great do-it-yourself project. The process is usually very easy, requiring a spray-on or roll-on application. Some sealers are even mop-on. The most important aspect of resealing a patio is knowing what the original coat of sealer is. If you choose the wrong sealer, you can end up with a huge mess that will be time and money demanding to repair. It is best to contact whoever sealed your patio the first time to know what kind of sealer you should use to recoat your decorative concrete. Sealing concrete makes it stain and fade resistant. It is a protective coating that usually gives a bit of a sheen to the surface, bringing out the richness of the colors used in the decorative concrete, no matter which technique. Many times, freshly sealed concrete can be described as making the concrete look wet. Many times an older patio can be resealed to make it look like new again. Plain concrete can also be sealed for a more modern look that is easy to maintain and resistant to being stained. Sealing concrete will not cover any existing flaws in the slab. Stains will likely be accentuated by the sealant, and scratches or cracks will only be covered with a clear coat. Tinted sealers, as discussed above, can be used to add some color to a slab, whether it is plain or decorative.

concrete vs. other flooring options

Tile. Tiles can come in a variety of colors and patterns, but you are limited to what options are presented to you. Concrete offers the flexibility to choose your look, much like mixing paint. Tile requires a stable pad on which to be laid, which means often times you will need concrete anyway. Plus, the concrete, tile, and grout expands and contracts at different rates, making it susceptible to cracking, especially in outdoor conditions. Also, with tile comes grout lines, which means you have to scrub grout lines. Enough said? natural stone/flagtone. Much like tile, flagstone and natural stone usually requires a concrete base and grout for a semi-permanent slab, which means it comes with the same disadvantages as tile. Plus, you are limited to what mother nature makes, versus picking your own colors with concrete. If the concrete base or grout/mortar are not used, you will end up with an uneven nightmare with weeds growing between the stones. That doesn’t sound like fun! brick. Brick carries with it the same issues as natural stone, flagstone, and tile. >linoleum/vinyl. Although cheap and easy to care for, linoleum and vinyl are not as durable as concrete, nor do they have the aesthetic and “rich” look that concrete offers. Wood. Although beautiful, wood is not the easiest to maintain. It can easily scratch or nick, and it often requires revamp after a few years, especially if not maintained properly. Plus, unless it is taken from sustainable forests, can have negative effects on the forest and wildlife therein. Carpet. Carpet’s main disadvantage is that it easily stains. Even stain resistant carpet is much more likely to stain than sealed , waxed, or polished concrete. Plus, the manufacturing process is not always best for the environment, the chemicals it emits into the home can be harmful, and it retains allergens and pollutants, causing issues for those with breathing problems and allergies.

Tasha Lucas
Monster Constructors - http://www.monsterconstructors.com
Decorative Concrete - http://www.monsterconstructors.com/dfw-decorative-concrete.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tasha_Lucas

Coin And Stamp Collecting - The 3 Point Formula!

2009-05-21T04:12:00.001-07:00

Since time immemorial, humans have been engaging in different types of diversions in order to get rid of the boredom that life provides. Many people are interested in stamps, coins and sticker collecting as a hobby while others satisfy themselves with other hobbies like gardening, crafts, cooking, etc. All these hobbies provide humans with a kind of contentment that other activities cannot provide. It is by indulging in such activities, that humans find a vent for their creative frustrations.

Today, coin and stamp collection are two extremely popular hobbies in today's world. These two activities have a value that no other hobby can compare to.

Why?

This is due to the fact that stamp and coin collecting, in addition to embodying the act of collecting different types of stamps and coins, also help in the preservation and personification of the world's history. Both coin and stamp collecting help highlight different images used to visually record significant events in history.

In terms of appeal and value, both stamp and coin collecting are indistinguishable. People who want to collect stamps, coins or both need to follow a few guidelines before starting on the hobby.

1. Conduct a research

In addition to being interested in the hobby of coin and stamp collecting, it is important to do homework before starting the activity. This will help you gather enough information and knowledge before getting into the activity.

2. Exercise caution before buying anything

Do not purchase any coin or stamp before knowing how to identify and classify them. When it comes to coins, knowing how to grade is extremely important. When it comes to stamps, it is important to know the procedure of identifying the slight disparities that creeps into the type of paper used and other distinguishable features like colour, perforations or watermarks.

3. Identify the correct product
You should never purchase coins or stamps without having full knowledge on how to identify or classify them. When it comes to coins, knowledge on grading is important. When it comes to stamps, you need to be able to distinguish between slight disparities in features such as perforations, color and watermarks.

These are few of the various pointers that need to be considered by every coin and stamp collector should know. Following these tips will help you overcome all the difficulties that come in the hobby of coin and stamp collection with confidence.

Abhishek is an avid Coin Collecting enthusiast and he has got some great Coin Collecting Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 58 Pages Ebook, "Understanding And Mastering The Art Of Coin Collecting!" from his website http://www.Fun-Galore.com/92/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

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Miniature Masterpieces - The Joy of Stamp Collecting

2009-05-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

There are many "firsts" in my life - as in anybody's! - and I have often wished that I had kept a journal so that I would know when each of these "firsts" occurred...and why. Most times, I don't remember the first time I met someone - even a special someone - I don't remember the first time I read a book, or saw a TV show, and so on.

I do remember why I first started collecting stamps, however.

My father, a retired military man, was a pilot for a cargo airline, and flew all around the world. And from each location, he would send me a letter. I saved the letters, of course, but my mom suggested I start a collection of all the cool-looking stamps from the envelopes, and so I did.

Being an unsophisticated child, what I did was to carefully cut the stamp off the envelope, leaving a bit of the envelope at the top. I then would place scotch tape over this bit, taping the stamp onto a notebook page. Oh, I was quite proud of those pages!

One day, after my dad had returned from one of his trips, he asked me to show him my stamp collection, and I did so. The next day, he took me out to a stamp shop and bought me a stamp album, hinges, and a pair of flat-edged tweezer! He also explained that I was supposed to soak the stamps in water until it was possible to remove them from the paper, let them dry, then apply the little hinges and place them in my stamp book.

Well, I loved that kind of detailed work, and so I spent several days transferring my collection into a real album.

As I was growing up, my interests were many and varied. I was, frankly, interested in practically everything of an adventurous nature - marine and space exploration, mountain climbing, aviation, and so on, and so I decided to branch out in my stamp collecting, from stamps my dad had sent me, to "topicals."

And my collecting really took off when the pesky little stamp hinge books were replaced by the delightful stockbooks which enabled me to simply slip my stamps into those little cellophane strips with ease!

So now, thirty years later, I have several albums, each one dedicated to a certain topic. Space exploration, marine exploration, aviation, Antarctica, paintings on stamp, theatrical performanes on stamps, and so on.

I even dabbled with first day covers at one time, after I met a friend who was trying to make a business out of it, but I confess I never really cared for it. They were just too big and took up too much room!

My stamp collection certainly isn't worth anything. I put a few hundred dollars into it over the years, but the joy it has given me, on a rainy Saturday one a month or so, when I'd relax in an armchair and go through those books, is priceless.

The joy actually is many-layered. First it's the joy of looking at small, beautiful things - miniature masterpieces, as I call them. Then, it's a kind of nostalgia - I can remember where and when I bought each stamp (I kept records), and that remembrance takes me back to that year ... all of a sudden, as I'm sitting there, I'm young again with the world and my goals before me!

And finally, of course, there's just the gentle of remembering my father, and the pleasures of collecting (not only stamps but also foreign currency!) to which he had introduced me.

Barbara Peterson
Visit You Fly Girl: Women in Aviation Ezine
Visit Omnivore Ink: my freelance website

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The Advancement in an Individuals Ability to Print Postage Stamps

2009-05-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

When the USPS allowed customers to print postage stamps from online sources, they opened up a whole new world. Almost everyone has a need for postage at one point or another. It is safe to say that everyone will use at least one stamp in their lifetime. Before online postage a person had to go to the post office or other approved retailer to get a postage stamp. Sometimes this could be rather inconvenient and even annoying. With the availability to print postage stamps at home people are finding postage is no longer adding another errand to their day. They can easily and quickly get the postage they need right in the comfort of their own home.

There has been a way to print postage stamps for quite some time. Postage meters allow a person to print their own postage, too. These meters, though, cost a rental fee and are usually only found in businesses where the rental cost is outweighed by the amount of postage needed. In a home setting the person probably would not need enough postage to make this option reasonable. In addition, the postage meter has to be loaded at the post office when it runs out. What this means is that the meter owner puts a certain amount of postage on the machine and once it is used more has to be bought. This can be just as big of a hassle as running to the post office to purchase postage.

Online postage allows a person to print postage stamps without needing special equipment or having to ever visit the post office. There are a variety of postage sites that sell online postage. All a person needs to do is go to the website, purchase their postage and then print it on their home computer. It really is that simple.

The ability to print postage stamps has never been so easy. People have busy lives today and having this new convenience is greatly appreciated. Many people use these online postage services and have even printed their own postage today.