The people who gave their lives defending and fighting for a 2,200-acre island that was the site of two key battles in World War II are honored by today's #stampoftheday. A 3-cent stamp issued on September 27, 1945, it pictures Corregidor, a tadpole-shaped island at the entrance to Manila Bay about 30 miles from the …
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It's late in the evening after Yom Kippur and I'm sitting outside on an unusually pleasant night watching over the lingering flames and dying embers from the fire we made in our fire pit for a small socially distanced break-fast we had with a few neighbors to mark the end of an unusual but deeply …
As I write, the first presidential "debate" is underway and, while the bulk of the debate has, thanks to our president, degenerated into a juvenile schoolyard name-calling contest. Among the many things lost in the president's sadly infantile attacks is the fact that freedom is among the many things at stake in this consequential election. …
Here's a diverting thought experiment for the day after that horrific "debate". Who were the most influential people in the last millennium? The question is germane because Johannes Gutenberg, the subject of today's #stampoftheday, is considered to be among the most important, if not the most important, person on that list. Gutenberg, of course, was the first …
Today's #stampoftheday, which I'll describe at some point in this post, has me thinking about the rules we establish when we set a challenge for ourselves. I'm thinking about it because I've had to decide which rules apply - and in what way - for today's offering. Some background: When I started this #stampoftheday "misadventure" in …
On a strange day when it's hard to know how to react to the news, it's heartening that the #stampoftheday project makes me pause and ponder Mahatma Gandhi, who was born on October 2, 1869 and who appeared on the 10th Champions of Liberty stamp, which was issued in January 1961. Gandhi, of course, employed nonviolent …
Edgar Allan Poe, author of "The Masque the Red Death", makes a bizarrely timely appearance as today's #stampoftheday. Poe, who is known today for his chilling tales of horror and haunting poems, was featured on a 3-cent stamp issued on October 7, 1949, which was the 100th anniversary of his death. This choice presents two immediately …
These days, when the worst of America has been so prominent, I'm happy that today's #stampoftheday celebrates some of the best of America. Specifically, the 3-cent stamp, which was issued on October 4, 1948, celebrates volunteer fire fighters. The stamp, of course, is especially timely because of the many men and women who are putting …
Once upon a time, in a parallel American universe, there was an accidental president who was expected to reflect the worst of his country's politics, but instead embraced professional, non-partisan governance. The accidental president was Chester Alan Arthur, who is the subject of today's #stampoftheday because he was born on October 5, 1829. He's pictured on …