Stamp Collecting: A General Overview

Stamp Collecting - Photo: Maxpixel

Stamp collecting is a hobby that is enjoyed by many.  If you are interested in enjoying this popular hobby, you may be looking for more information.  After all, some of the most successful stamp collectors in the world are ones who first took the time to research and examine stamp collecting as a hobby in general.

The history of stamp collecting is a topic that many professional stamp collectors and hobbyists enjoy researching and discussing.  It has been noted that stamp collecting was first made popular by children, namely teenagers.  With that in mind, around the 1900s, stamp collecting evolved into a hobby that was enjoyed by individuals of all ages.  This increase in popularity was mostly due in part to the examination and determination of stamp values.  Many later realized that stamp collecting not only had the possibility to be a fun hobby but a profitable one at that.

As previously stated, there are many stamp collectors who collect stamps for their own personal use.  On the other hand, there are those who buy, sell, and collect stamps for profit.  The many purposes of having a stamp collection are just one of the many reasons why this hobby skyrocketed in popularity.  There are many stamp collectors who do so for the sole purpose of having a hobby that keeps them occupied, those who collect stamps to pass down to their future family generations, and those who do so solely for the purpose of making money.

In keeping with the rise in popularity of stamp collecting, especially in the early to late 1900s, stamp collecting increased in popularity as it is easy to do.  This hobby is one that individuals of all ages, gender, and race can participate in and enjoy with ease.  Although many stamp collectors today, especially those with hopes of seeing profits, purchase stamps from dealers, there are no requirements to do so.  Many stamp collectors simply just collect stamps from their mailings, the post office, or from those that they know.

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Stamp collecting is also enjoyed by many because it is a fun and safe activity.  In fact, this is why stamp collecting is considered a great activity by parents.  Many parents, especially in today’s society, take comfort in knowing that our activities, aside from video games and violent movies, that their children take an interest in. 

The supplies needed are another one of the many reasons why stamp collecting was and still is a popular hobby for collectors.  No supplies are needed to start a stamp collection, although you and other stamp collectors can benefit from using them.  Magnifying glasses enable you to examine your stamp collection and possibly determine its value.  Stamps albums and stamp stocks allow you to properly store, maintain and care for your stamp collection.  This safe and proper storing is important if you would like to pass on your stamp collection to future generations or if you would like to sell it for a profit later on.

As it was previously stated, stamp collectors can get stamps from mailings, but many choose to purchase stamps to add to their collection.  Stamps that are sought after for purchase often include older, rare, or limited edition stamps.  Stamp collectors looking to purchase stamps for their collection can visit stamp collecting dealers or examine online auction websites.  Online auction websites, like eBay, are a great option for beginners.  Once you are more confident in your stamp collecting quest, you may want to approach professional stamp dealers.

The above-mentioned points are a general overview of stamp collecting.  Although you and other first-time stamp collectors are likely looking to get started right away, there are a number of steps to doing the proper amount of research first.  By familiarizing yourself with the proper way to care for collected stamps, as well as by researching and examining stamp values, you are more likely to see success as a stamp collector, no matter what your reasons for getting started are.

Making a Radio Controlled Boat

RC Boat - Photo: Pixabay

For some reason, being able to control a miniature boat as it skims over the water of a local lake is something that many people find very appealing. It doesn’t matter whether you are a kid or an adult; remote controlled boats are universally fun. On top of that, nothing is more fun than undergoing a huge and daunting project and eventually seeing the results come through. Therefore you should consider building a remote-controlled boat on your own, out of materials that you can buy from any local craft or hobby store. If you are here, you have likely already considered this prospect. It is more than possible and probably easier than you would think.

Since you have taken the more interesting route and decided to build your remote controlled boat rather than buy one pre-made, you will have quite a few more challenges facing you that you wouldn’t have run into otherwise. However, all of the hard work that you put into your remote controlled boat will pay off in the end, and you will feel like you have really accomplished something when you take it out to a lake for a day and it is able to successfully navigate the treacherous waters. You will probably be frustrated along the way as your boat falls apart, or even sinks into the water never to be seen again. However, if you persevere you will be glad that you did.

Unless you have experience in the construction of boats, you will probably want to use plans that someone else has created. You can find plans for remote control boats all over the place – on the internet, in magazines, or in books. You may even use the plans for a full-sized boat, and make a scaled model of it. As long as you are confident that the motor and radio components will not interfere, this is a good route to take. Regardless of where you get your plan, you will need one that is utterly clear in every aspect. Even the slightest typo or misreading could result in your boat sinking, or spin in circles struggle to stay afloat.

As you build the boat, you will need quite a few supplies, first, the wood is a very important part. If you are using custom plans, wood is probably the material you will be working with. You can find quantities of light wood such as balsa at your local hobby store. You should always get extra, since a wood that light is prone to snapping when you least expect it. The wood is held together using glue, and you will start with a hull-shaped structure then plate it with sheets of wood. After it is all done, you caulk the holes and cracks with some sort of putty, then spray it all with a sealant to make it waterproof. After that, you are free to paint it however you see fit.

The motor equipment on a radio controlled boat must have more attention paid to it than other remote controlled projects like cars or planes. If even one droplet of water gets into the electrical components, your entire project will be ruined, and you will have to buy new (possibly expensive) radio equipment. Waterproofing the motor equipment is fairly difficult, and you should always test it with no electricity involved before you actually go out on your maiden voyage. It is usually accomplished by having the motor extend an arm through a waterproof sealant that will prevent any water from getting in.

There are many parts to the process of creating a radio controlled boat, and each one needs to have close attention paid to it. As long as you can invest this time, you should have a great experience. You don’t want the little sailors in your boat frantically tossing things overboard as they try to stay afloat, do you?

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The Ever-Changing Powers of Comic Book Heroes

Cover of Wonderworld Comics #3 (1939), published by Fox Feature Syndicate
Photo: Wikimedia

From time to time a change, in one or more comic book hero's powers, occurs. There can be a multitude of reasons behind this. Has the comic book hero become stagnant? Has the readership declined over the past several months? Did a metamorphosis happen while fighting? Did a depletion of their power make room for the change? And, of course, the ever-popular experimentation. 

A mad scientist creates an experiment, an ordinary individual gets in the way, and his or her DNA is altered. He or she is then morphed into a superhero or a criminal based upon their disposition. Another version of that is a comic book superhero or villain get in the way of an unsolicited experiment that went awry.

Their molecular structure is mutated, which begs some questions. Does an ordinary citizen receive powers? Do the superheroes or villain's powers stay the same? Do they exhibit the same powers, only augmented? Do their powers change until it is unrecognizable from the original? Is the change a temporary one, or is it a long-term modification? Will their powers ever go back to normal? These issues are explored and examined, sometimes in minute detail. 

The details that go into explaining the ever-changing powers of comic book heroes are appealing. In the framework of comic books, where fantasy merges with the imagination, the predicaments in which precipitates the change of the powers suggest that the storyline was born, bred and raised for some time.

Superman's powers changed him into two separated beings. One being was red and the other being blue. Each one was a separate hero who displayed different characteristics. They eventually combined and recreated the Superman we are familiar with and love. The account took one year. The semantics of the change suggested superman needed revamping. 

The mighty Thor has seen his share of transformations. He possessed the Odin power for a while. Thor has his share of problems and will continue to so because the readership can relate to his problems or vices. With Superman's changes, the reader is confronted with Superman's problems and can debate the best way to handle them.

Many more comic book heroes have had their power altered in some way. It seems to be a staple in the comic book world. Amending a superhero is necessary for that type of environment. Introducing nemesis's and other comic book heroes perpetuates the genre. Moreover, if there were no further introduction of contrasting characters, the storylines would fizzle up and new ideas could not germinate. It is therefore sometimes essential to introduce old comic book characters with a twist. They can come back from the dead, or believed to be dead, and emerge to take on a criminal. It has to make some semblance of the discerning comic book reader. If the hero returns under circumstances that would seem suspect, the public response would be swift and ruthless. People expect some sense in the comic book world.

The ever-changing power of comic book heroes advocates a winning attitude for the comic book reader and the people who create them. When the two parties are in unison both sides win and the reader is left with a palpable appetite for more. 

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Security Cameras You Don't See

Photo: Flickr

Did you know that the malls we shop in every day have security cameras hidden all over the place? And, not necessarily in the individual stores. However, some of the small stores within the malls do have security cameras too, and these in some cases you can see. 

So where are all the security cameras? You would be surprised. I know I would be. But, seriously, you don't think these security "keepers" are actually going to say where the security cameras are. Security cameras are so small now, they can be placed and mounted in many areas, some even in water.

Security cameras can also be disguised to where it is virtually impossible to know where the security cameras are. It amazes me because I had no idea just how many malls have placed so many security cameras within the malls. The bigger malls have even more security cameras. Most of the stores have security cameras; some, of course, you can see, while there are others that are not obvious to you. 

The crime rate is so high-security cameras are on the rise so loss prevention will not affect the cost of the selling of merchandise. Every time some shoplifts and gets away with it, then not only does the store dealers suffer but in a sense consumers suffer the loss as well. Simply put, in order to compensate for theft, the prices for their merchandise would certainly go up.

For this purpose, security cameras are being placed in positions and areas where they will blend in with the surroundings as well as the buildings or lighting fixtures. These security cameras can be placed almost anywhere. Some are small and some may be somewhat bigger in size, however, they will most likely be out of sight. In one mall, at a toy store, a display stuffed teddy bear was where a security camera was actually placed. It seemed that in that one part of the store in the mall, the security cameras that were being used had somewhat of a blind spot and this made it an opportunity for those who were apparently trying to shoplift during the holiday season, get their task accomplished. However, with the security camera in a place where it was, many shoplifters were actually stopped by security at the entrance of the store. This store can't be thankful enough for the use of security cameras.

However, with the use of security cameras, the shoplifting in malls is getting increasingly harder to do. Shoplifting in the malls have gone down a lot, however, smaller stores are still feeling the effects, some just don't have enough security cameras in the right places of the store.

Some store owners with the mall believe its wise to show the security cameras, basically letting shoppers know they are under surveillance. This can be a positive conception, especially to those who feel they can get away with shoplifting.

This being the case, more shoppers will be able to enjoy savings, while the security cameras will hopefully continue to defer those who would like to shoplift and not pay for items.

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Chasing the Good Life Instead of Pirates

Sailing Yacht - Photo: MaxPixel

A little piece of trivia about yachting that is fun to bring out if you are enjoying an afternoon on a friend's yacht is that the word "yacht" is actually Dutch and it original spelling is "Jacht".  The translation of the original word is "hunt" because the yacht was created to give the Dutch naval vessels a tool to hunt down pirates in shallow water.  But these days we are far more interested in chasing the good life on board a luxury yacht than going after pirates.

It didn’t take long for yachting to become a lifestyle choice for those that could afford such luxury.  It is fascinating that yachting was enjoyed as far back as the early 1800s where there are references in history that King Charles II was a huge yachting enthusiast.  So we are in good company if we have come to love yachting too and its small wonder that it makes us feel like kings and queens when we are on board a luxury yacht cruising entirely for our pleasure.

Today when you think of the word "yacht", you almost always associate it with private boats kept for the pleasure of those who can afford a large seafaring ship dedicated to relaxation, romance, and pleasure.  That image is wonderfully displayed in the delightful movie Some like it Hot with Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis in which Tony yells the sexy "Sugar" played by Marilyn that he is waiting for a signal from his wine steward on board his yacht for the time to return from the beach for cocktails.  Who of us doesn’t get a kick out of that kind of lifestyle and we jump at the chance to enjoy it even if it's just for a few weeks each year on holiday or vacation?

When you start to think about the kind of yacht you wish to buy or charter, you have a few decisions to make.  For one thing, you can buy a sailing or motorized yacht.  Sailing seems so natural and you don’t have to carry as much fuel (although a good sailing yacht will still have some ability to get to shore using a motor so you are never in danger of being stranded).   Also what a wonderful way to pass the morning watching the crew of your yacht put up and maneuver the sails to get you surfing the winds at sea and letting them take you along.

A yacht is almost always a large boat except perhaps if it is devoted to racing.  But for luxury and relaxation, having plenty of space on the yacht is important.  If you are going to buy a new yacht, you should walk the boat over many times and picture different ways you will entertain family and friends and be sure you have plenty of accommodations not only for the largest party you might take with you to sea but also for a good sized crew you will have along to care for the yacht itself as well as for you and your guests.  Your chef should have an ample kitchen with room for plenty of provisions if you want to stock the yacht for several days or weeks at sea.  And there should be the proper facilities to store fine wines and other beverages for your wine steward to work with during your voyage.

By making sure your yacht is well designed for the lifestyle you want during your outings, you will get lots of good use from it each year.  And if you are going to charter, you can look forward to bringing your same high standards to picking just the right yacht, captain and crew each time as well so your adventure at sea is just as enjoyable and luxurious as you always wanted it to be.

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Theater Arts – Italian Opera

Lully's Opera "Armide" Performed at the Palais-Royal - Photo: Wikimedia

Italian opera is the earliest known opera form. Although the Greek and Roman Theater had inspired it, it inspired many countries around the world, including most of Europe. Some say that the word opera has been derived from the Italian words “Opera in Musica” which means work in music. The evidence of the very first opera performed in Italy was at the wedding of Marie de Medici and Henry IV of France. The Italian opera had three stages namely the baroque, the romantic and the modern. 

Baroque period is the name of that period of Italian opera that originated in Italy in the beginning of the 17th century. The voice used was very high pitched along with the instrumental music. This style was known as monody and was developed by Giulio Caccini and Jacopo Peri. It was reflected in the opera Euridice that was based on the story of Eurydice and Orpheus. When there were no dialogues during the performance, there were songs with music. This type of opera inspired many other writes, one of them was Claudio Monteverdi who wrote La Favola D’Orfeo that had the monody style. It was his first play and it still is famous with the audience today. Monteverdi worked hard on synchronizing instrumental music with the words and showed this effort in Mantua, with large choruses with nearly forty instruments that created a really good effect.  He was named as the Maestro Da Cappella in Venice in the year 1613.

The first opera house for the public was opened in the year 1637. Monteverdi wrote many compositions for this theater and his works L’Incoronazione di Poppae and I Ritomo d’Ullise in Patria were prominent out of the many. He even brought the Bel Canto and Buffa styles into Italian opera. Bel canto had a more even tone and eased the singing stress. Buffa had more comic touch with amusing and mocking elements. All these acted as the stepping-stone for many other later composers. At the end of the century, there were three hundred and fifty opera created for the theaters of Venice alone. Many young artists were inspired to work in these theaters and bring out their talents. People came from outside Italy too.    

In the 19th century, romantic opera began to rise and Gioacchino Rossini was responsible for it. The romantic opera involved lots of emotions and imagination along with lots of music and arias. This music was so fine that it overshadowed the blunders in the stories. His composures such as La Cenerentola and Barber of Seville are famous until today. Many others such as Vincenzo Bellini, Giuseppe Verdi, and Gaetano Donizetti followed him.  

Giuseppe Verdi changed the way opera was written at that time. Nabucco was his first work and it was a very big success because of the great choruses along with enormous liveliness in the music. He even wrote Va pensiero, a chorus presentation to inspire the warriors at the time of Italian independence struggle. The works, which followed this had a more patriotic theme and were also based on older romantic works. He began to venture into different musical forms and finally his creation Otello replaced Rossini’s opera. His last work Falstaff finally changed the conventional form of theater and made music and words more free-flowing.

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How Mountain Bike Gears Work

A broken gear on the rear hub gear drive on a Mountain bike - Photo_ Wikimedia

The gears in mountain bikes just keep getting more and more intricate.  The bikes of today have as many as 27 gear ratios.  A mountain bike will use a combination of three different sized sprockets in front and nine in the back to produce gear ratios.

The idea behind all these gears is to allow the rider to crank the pedals at a constant pace no matter what kind of slope the bike is on.  You can understand this better by picturing a bike with just a single gear.  Each time you rotate the pedals one turn, the rear wheel would rotate one turn as well (1:1 gear ratio).

If the rear wheel is 26 inches in diameter, then with 1:1 gearing, one full twist on the pedals would result in the wheel covering 81.6 inches off the ground.  If you are pedalling at a speed of 50 RPM, this means that the bike can cover over 340 feet of ground per minute.  This is only 3.8 MPH, which is the equivalence of walking speed.  This is ideal for climbing a steep hill, although bad for ground or going downhill.

To go faster you'll need a different ratio.  To ride downhill at 25 MPH with a 50 RPM cadence at the pedals, you'll need a 5.6:1 gear ratio.  A bike with a lot of gears will give you a large number of increments between a 1:1 gear ratio and a 6.5:1 gear ratio so that you can always pedal at 50 RPM, no matter how fast you are actually going.

On a normal 27-speed mountain bike, six of the gear ratios are so close to each other that you can't notice any difference between them.  

With actual use, bike riders tend to choose a front sprocket suitable for the slope they are riding on and stick with it, although the front sprocket can be difficult to shift under heavy load.  It's much easier to shit between the gears on the rear.

If you are cranking up a hill, it's best to choose the smallest sprocket on the front then shift between the nine gears available on the rear.  The more speeds you have on the back sprocket, the bigger advantage you'll have.

All in all, gears are very important to mountain bikes as they dictate your overall speed. Without gears you wouldn't be able to build speed nor would you be able to pound pedals.  The gears will move the pedals and help you build up speed.  

There are all types of gears available in mountain bikes, all of which will help you build up a lot of momentum if you use them the right way.

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