Stamp Dreams
Jul 12, 2010 09:07 Filed in: Life
Due to unusual & unforeseen noises coming from my
phone early this morning and new rain storms, one of
my dreams was captured with much greater detail. I
should add that I’ve been using
Sleep Cycle
to not only record my REM/deep-sleep cycles, but to
help ensure I’d wake up in a rested state.
I had joined a couple UNMC professors to work out at this large, unfamiliar building (it reminded me of a modern take on the unwieldy Palestra/Z-building at the U of Rochester). It was easy to get lost in side, but this time the placed was packed with people there for a stamp/coin show. I was amazed at how popular it was. There were people of all genders and ages (actually more women than men). As I walked around, I noticed that everyone was going from looking with wonder at the various collections/stores/trades, to being very social.
Several asked me if I’d like to play a round of “Shazbot”. (OK, I don’t actually remember the name of it, but it was one word and everyone there seemed to know what it was.) Here’s what I deduced about this game: all attendees were encouraged to make a short collection of pictures taken from stamps or coins. Each picture would be on an individual sheet that the “player” would look at and then try to provide information as to the significance of the picture. This could include just facts like who/what/where it is, to the impact it had on society, hence the reason for it being made timeless into a stamp/coin. On the back contained lots of information about the picture so the “tester” could use this to educate the player in case they had no idea. The tester would then check a box on how well they thought the player did, and the player would check a box ranking the picture. This would go back and forth for about 2-5 pictures each.
How strange. But then I realized, how wonderful! One of the reasons there was so many people there was that this was supported by the local schools and the history channel as well as national coin/stamp organizations. It got kids to get involved and to learn from these stamps/coins as well as interact and learn from the adults who may have had stories related to the stamp/coin pictures they showed in the game.
I played once and there was a picture that looked like an old editorial cartoon with someone who looked like FDR with a few others that I didn’t recognize. I was told they were some various cabinet members that were responsible for some of the New Deal. Another was a picture of what I thought was an old Ford, but was some European car from the 20s that I had never heard of (they also made trains). The point being, I was learning a bit about history from a social setting.
As I thought about this dream this morning, I was wondering how this game was really a game. Well, I guess at some point during the show that they would put all of the rankings/scores together and put together a diverse collection of the easiest/hardest/best/worst/etc to show at the end. These people could get small award stickers to put on the side of their pictures.
Anyhew, off to work, but am curious if you think this is something the schools & other orgs could get excited about? Ever been to a stamp/coin show? It’s been many years for me, but I recall it being mostly men and sometimes boys with their fathers and mostly quiet browsing.
And what is it in us (and in me) that drives us to collect? To possess? We’d have much more money to put into great causes if we didn’t have this drive, though it would discourage others from creating these imaginative items and art that we like to collect.... *sigh*
I had joined a couple UNMC professors to work out at this large, unfamiliar building (it reminded me of a modern take on the unwieldy Palestra/Z-building at the U of Rochester). It was easy to get lost in side, but this time the placed was packed with people there for a stamp/coin show. I was amazed at how popular it was. There were people of all genders and ages (actually more women than men). As I walked around, I noticed that everyone was going from looking with wonder at the various collections/stores/trades, to being very social.
Several asked me if I’d like to play a round of “Shazbot”. (OK, I don’t actually remember the name of it, but it was one word and everyone there seemed to know what it was.) Here’s what I deduced about this game: all attendees were encouraged to make a short collection of pictures taken from stamps or coins. Each picture would be on an individual sheet that the “player” would look at and then try to provide information as to the significance of the picture. This could include just facts like who/what/where it is, to the impact it had on society, hence the reason for it being made timeless into a stamp/coin. On the back contained lots of information about the picture so the “tester” could use this to educate the player in case they had no idea. The tester would then check a box on how well they thought the player did, and the player would check a box ranking the picture. This would go back and forth for about 2-5 pictures each.
How strange. But then I realized, how wonderful! One of the reasons there was so many people there was that this was supported by the local schools and the history channel as well as national coin/stamp organizations. It got kids to get involved and to learn from these stamps/coins as well as interact and learn from the adults who may have had stories related to the stamp/coin pictures they showed in the game.
I played once and there was a picture that looked like an old editorial cartoon with someone who looked like FDR with a few others that I didn’t recognize. I was told they were some various cabinet members that were responsible for some of the New Deal. Another was a picture of what I thought was an old Ford, but was some European car from the 20s that I had never heard of (they also made trains). The point being, I was learning a bit about history from a social setting.
As I thought about this dream this morning, I was wondering how this game was really a game. Well, I guess at some point during the show that they would put all of the rankings/scores together and put together a diverse collection of the easiest/hardest/best/worst/etc to show at the end. These people could get small award stickers to put on the side of their pictures.
Anyhew, off to work, but am curious if you think this is something the schools & other orgs could get excited about? Ever been to a stamp/coin show? It’s been many years for me, but I recall it being mostly men and sometimes boys with their fathers and mostly quiet browsing.
And what is it in us (and in me) that drives us to collect? To possess? We’d have much more money to put into great causes if we didn’t have this drive, though it would discourage others from creating these imaginative items and art that we like to collect.... *sigh*
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All roads lead to Roma
Jul 02, 2010 16:29 Filed in: Life
There is some guilt associated with not posting here
regularly, especially with me posting so many
pictures. Well, this is to coincide with uploading
106 pictures from Rome where I spent a week at the
annual
EULAR
meeting. I had a wonderful time, though I was
overwhelmed and impressed with the Vatican
(especially St Peter’s Basilica) and the Pantheon.
Rome was beautiful. I walked the streets all over and
everywhere I went I was surrounded by ancient sites
and historic buildings. Fashion is clearly king as
all around the non-tourist areas I found custom
designer clothing stores, as well as gelato shops
and, of course, various Italian food restaurants
everywhere. The latter wouldn’t have been bad if
there were at least a bit of variety (give me a
little Thai or Chinese to help cleanse my palette of
mozzarella, tomato and basil 
). I know, there’s a lot more to
Italian food than that, but clearly I’m a picky
foody. (it didn’t stop me from having Italian in
Omaha 3 days after my return)
We had our normal string of heavy thunderstorms in throughout June. Most of the cats’ room in the basement had water on the floor. Absolutely amazing storms, but losing electricity multiple times does change your opinion on them. It also made me value using my cell phone for my Internet & alarm.
I’m using Google Buzz to share my links these days as well as Facebook for the regular short updates. Please look to those places for more regular links, but I’ll do my best to put up some of the best links here. I have this space for a reason, right?!
The holiday weekend is upon me, as the street is full of cars parked for an event hours away. The college world series is over. USA is out of the World Cup & Ghana just lost in the most heart-breaking game of all. I’ve weeded my yard twice already as the long winter has meant everything is growing twice as tall as normal (and twice as beautiful, flowers everywhere!). The rubber tree I made a last-ditch effort to keep alive is now thriving outside (as my dark office and the threat of the cats make my home inhospitable to any other living things - even bugs, which is a fair trade).
I hope you like the new purple style. The previous one kept on cutting off some of my links on the right. Now I’ll have to come up with something to replace it (so this may be temporary).
Thanks for your patience!
). I know, there’s a lot more to
Italian food than that, but clearly I’m a picky
foody. (it didn’t stop me from having Italian in
Omaha 3 days after my return)
We had our normal string of heavy thunderstorms in throughout June. Most of the cats’ room in the basement had water on the floor. Absolutely amazing storms, but losing electricity multiple times does change your opinion on them. It also made me value using my cell phone for my Internet & alarm.
I’m using Google Buzz to share my links these days as well as Facebook for the regular short updates. Please look to those places for more regular links, but I’ll do my best to put up some of the best links here. I have this space for a reason, right?!
The holiday weekend is upon me, as the street is full of cars parked for an event hours away. The college world series is over. USA is out of the World Cup & Ghana just lost in the most heart-breaking game of all. I’ve weeded my yard twice already as the long winter has meant everything is growing twice as tall as normal (and twice as beautiful, flowers everywhere!). The rubber tree I made a last-ditch effort to keep alive is now thriving outside (as my dark office and the threat of the cats make my home inhospitable to any other living things - even bugs, which is a fair trade).
I hope you like the new purple style. The previous one kept on cutting off some of my links on the right. Now I’ll have to come up with something to replace it (so this may be temporary).
Thanks for your patience!