New Substack post is up. open.substack.com/pub/tedtalks...

France, 250th anniversary of the birth of Mozart. 3 of 6 souvenir sheets issued, each depicting an opera, inside a cover showing different opera houses. The Magic Flute /National Theater, Prague Marriage of Figaro/Opera Garnier, Paris Cosi fan Tutte/Die Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin

#Phiately #StampCollecting In 1984, #Netherlands issued these "Children's Postage Stamps." The set has 4 stamps, but only one mini-sheet with 2 of the stamps was produced. Also shown: images of the 2 panels, one original and one with translation superimposed. Netherlands, Scott Nr B610a (1984)

Don’t let society convince you that’s what it means for a person who has been through it and has had a bad day or a terrible week or a lot more to deal with and it’s just not the way it is in my life right here in my head.

@dlettinga.bsky.social good to see you hear. Check out the pinned post of @africastamps.bsky.social for a starter pack of philatelic accounts you can follow.

#Philately #StampCollecting Another in series of #DesignErrorsOnStamps Can you spot the error the stamp artist made in the design of one of these stamps? United States, Scott Nr 1912-1919 (1981) The answer will be left within a comment by me, later.

#27 of some favorite #music #TedTalksMusic A fun one by the #McGuireSisters doing a vocal version of the opening theme to the film Man With the Golden Arm. I got a kick out of it as a young kid, as I was living in Biloxi. Scroll down the comments a bit for the lyrics www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgDt...

#26 of some favorite #music #TedTalksMusic Formed in 1962, like the Rolling Stones, Omega, from #Hungary, equals their record as the longest continually active rock group, albeit with some turnover in the members. Albums were re-recorded in English for wider appeal. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSjq...

#Philately #StampCollecting #DesignErrorsOnStamps Can you spot the error the stamp artist made in the design of this stamp? (The answer is given in the Alt Text of the image.) The Whalers of Foveaux Strait New Zealand, Scott Nr 313 (1956)

#25 of some favorite #music #TedTalksMusic These musicians met while attending Cologne Music Academy and formed a band in 2009. This song is from their 2015 album Strange Delight. Note: the Intro, such as it is, is 3 minutes long, then the tempo picks up quite a bit. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu0r...

#24 of some favorite #music #TedTalksMusic #LittleFeat Little Feat: Representing the Mambo youtu.be/CbD9tP5glQY?...

#Philately #StampCollecting After #WWI #Latvia declared its independence. A shortage of paper led to using old German #military #maps (blank on the backside) on which to print their postage stamps. This is a block of 16 stamps of Scott Catalogue Nr 1.

#Philately #StampCollecting I've posted a new episode of Ted Talks Stamps. I hope you will Like and Subscribe; leave a comment; join my stamp forum. www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0xC...

#Philately #StampCollecting #Engravers Some #EngravedStamps by today's preeminent stamp engraver #MartinMörck (sharing space for 3 stamps, on the booklet pane, with Peter #Naszarkowski. See Alt Text for stamp descriptions.

#23 - some favorite #music #TedTalksMusic With the drummer the only original (1970) member, #ProgRock group #PFM continues to play today. Photos of Ghosts and The World Became the World were my intro to PFM in 1974. Il Banchetto, from PoG, is sung in Italian. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hmB...

#Philately #StampCollecting #MusicOnStamps #ClassicalMusicOnStamps Playing off my music post, again, here is a stamp issued for the birth centenary of composer #CarlOrff. The stamp includes the opening notes of O Fortuna. Carl Orff (1895-1982). Germany, Scott Catalogue #1901 (1995)

#22 - some favorite #music #TedTalksMusic For my money, this is the most exciting, bombastic, and theatrical recording of this piece (not just O Fortuna, but the complete Carmina Burana). Carl Orff: O Fortuna. Cleveland Orch/Michael Tilson-Thomas, cond. youtu.be/PIcgUSJiEQQ?...

Each day a new stamp goes up for This Day in Stamps, or as a friend calls them, my daily SOD. I find a stamp for an historical event or celebration each day. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Nearly a year's worth of entries to enjoy. bittergrounds.com/this-day-in-... #Stamps #philately #writing

#Philately #StampCollecting #MusicOnStamps From 2007, one of an ongoing series of stamps from Great Britain depicting #ClassicRock album covers, this one reproduces 6 #Beatles album covers. Meet the Beatles, Sgt Pepper: Scott Cat. #2421-22 Help, Abbey Road #2423-24 Revolver, Let It Be #2425-26

#21 - some favorite #music #TedTalksMusic Another #ChicagoTheBand number played by #LeonidAndFriends. That vocal entrance is incredible. Chicago: Free (Leonid & Friends) youtu.be/njZHiCdVQN8?...

#20 - some favorite #music #TedTalksMusic #Evita #Che #Argentina As mentioned in my stamp post, #EvaPeron and #CheGuevara never met in real life, unlike the depiction in the musical. #MandyPatinkin does a bang-up job in this number. And the Money Kept Rolling In (and Out) youtu.be/iIPDLC8QNGo?...

#Philately #StampCollecting Unlike as depicted in the musical, apart from #Che Guevara being born in Argentina, there is nothing that ties him to #Evita. The two had differing political views and they never met each other. Eva Peron, #Argentina, Scott #609 (1952) Che Guevara, Cuba #4165 (2001)

Woke up NFC North Champs

2025 January 5 #Funchal #Madeira Caught some holiday lights, this evening, before they disappear.

#Philately #StampCollecting A new episode of Ted Talks Stamps has just been posted: youtu.be/ThdKVr1sFPw

#music #MusicOnStamps #ClassicalMusic #GustavMahler #ClassicalMusicOnStamps #Philately #StampCollecting To complement today's music post, here are a few stamp issues for Gustav #Mahler: China, Scott #4479 (2017) Austria, #654 (1960) Israel, #1275 (1996)

#19 - some favorite #music #TedTalksMusic These aren't the names that come to mind when most people think of great Mahler discs. But that says more about those listeners than it does about #RicardoMuti and the #PhiladelphiaOrchestra in this #Mahler Symphony #1 "Titan." youtu.be/FI_3BX_tXA4?...

#Philately #StampCollecting #China #Bats In #Chinese culture, the character 福 or “fú” is symbolic of good luck and joy, and the word for bat is 蝠 and is also pronounced “fú” – thus bats are symbolic of good luck and joy. Enjoy these good luck bats.

#18 - some favorite #music #TedTalksMusic Here's a fun one, from the Walt #Disney film The #JungleBook. King Louie, is voiced by band leader Louis Prima, nicknamed The King of Swing, echoed in the first line of the song. Louis Prima: King Louie – I Wanna Be Like You youtu.be/ud5J7Ye332I?...

2025, January 4 (a rain-dampened, cool morning) #Funchal #Madeira

2025, January 3 #Funchal #Madeira

A good friend sent this to me this morning and there is so much truth to what this says.

NEW YEAR GIVEWAY! Win an early signed hardback of my legal/political thriller NOTES ON A DROWNING plus a *£20 Book Voucher*. Just follow me and share this post. ‘Pacy, absorbing and smart, with great characters and brilliant dialogue on every page.’ - TM Logan www.waterstones.com/book/notes-o...

#17 - some favorite #music #TedTalksMusic Picked this up at the merch table at a #MannheimSteamroller concert in 1987. #RonSatterfield and #JohnArcher are the 2 musicians involved. Never heard much about them but got 3 of their CDs. #Checkfield: Distant Thunder youtu.be/wXwHTlBGopY?...

#Philately #StampCollection A pair of US #stamps for #JanisJoplin. Scott #4916 (2014) A full pane of #JimiHendrix #PostageStamps. The pane is designed to resemble a 45rpm record sleeve. Scott #4880 (2014)

2025, January 02 #Funchal #Madeira Morning walk to Santa Catarina Park and the marina.

#17 - some favorite #music #TedTalksMusic A prog group born out of the ashes of the Yardbirds in 1969, #Renaissance had had a complete turnover of personnel when they released their 1973 breakout, "Ashes Are Burning," with #AnnieHaslam. Renaissance: Can You Understand youtu.be/eFbPXUzMcak?...

#Funchal, #Madeira, 2025, Jan 01.

#16 - some favorite #music I know: You kiddin me? Perry effin Como? OK, I'm 70; grew up listening to this stuff along with rock and/or roll. My folks had this record; I wore out the grooves. #PerryComo was smoothest of #crooners. #TedTalksMusic Perry Como: Round and Round youtu.be/xofvO08NWBk?...

#ClassicalMusic #TedTalksMusic I seem to be in the minority preferring the original #Dvorak #piano version over the #orchestra version requested by his publisher after its success. Despite a couple fat-finger fumbles, here's a fun performance Nr 15 - some favorite #music. youtu.be/o16Sa1Z-7Dg?...

#TerryKath #ChicagoTheBand #TedTalksMusic Nr 14 - sharing some favorite music. In my high school days, #Chicago was my favorite band. There was no #music more exciting, to me. #LeonidAndFriends rekindled that excitement. They kill it on this, my all-time fave Chicago song youtu.be/ZE9oQtSgIp4?...

#Birds #Pelicans #Philately #BirdsOnStamps #StampCollecting Pelicans never looked so beautiful than as shown on this set from #Ukraine in 2007. The #WWF logo indicates this is an endangered species. Image 4 is the non-postal label with explanatory text, along with a Google Translate version.

#music #ClassicalMusic #AndreWatts #TedTalksMusic Nr 13 - sharing some favorite music. From the rock star of his day, Franz #Liszt, comes this rollicking piece, "Totentanz" (Dance of Death), in my favorite recorded version, with Andre Watts killing it on the keyboard. youtu.be/RLTy-D75JJo?...

#Philately #StampCollecting #Portugal Portugal, Scott #431 (1927) Brites de Almeida, a legendary figure in Portuguese history. Known for baking the best bread. After the defeat of the Castillians in 1385, suspecting soldiers hiding in her oven, she baked them along with her bread.

#music #MusicOnStamps #ClassicalMusic #EdvardGrieg #Norway #ClassicalMusicOnStamps #Philately #StampCollecting

#music #AfroCeltSoundSystem #TedTalksMusic Nr 12 - sharing some favorite music. More of a concept, now, than an actual lineup of musicians, Afro-Celt Sound System is still an enjoyable fusion of electronic, traditional Gaelic, and African music. youtu.be/5Pt4rwcoaQc?...

#music #LittleJackMelody #Denton #TedTalksMusic Nr 11 in a series, sharing my favorite music. From 1994, Here's #DentonTX music scene veteran Little Jack Melody and His Young Turks: J'ai Faim Toujours youtu.be/HtBunZBe6xU?...

#Philately #StampCollecting Who doesn't like #Penguins? Here's a set of 4 endangenered penguins, on postage stamps issued by the Falkland Islands in 2002. Scott #817, Rockhopper Penguin Scott #818, Magellanic Penguin Scott #819, Gentoo Penguin Scott #820, Macaroni Penguin

#music #Beethoven #ClassicalMusic #TedTalksMusic Nr 10 in a series, sharing my favorite music. Putting aside his tyrannical nature (rivalled, perhaps, only by Toscanini), George Szell released some consistently great recordings with the Cleveland Orchestra. youtu.be/D2cQ_SG9g-w?...

#YES #music #ProgRock #CoverArt #Philately #StampCollecting #IsleOfMan stamps, 2016 Roger Dean cover art Pathways, from Yessongs. Scott #1826 Green Parrot Island, from “The Studio Albums 1969-1987” box set Tales from Topographic Oceans, from TfTO. Scott #1828 1/2