National Day for Truth & Reconciliation (Canada 2023)

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Updated September 27th

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Canada Post issues new stamps to commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Survivors Circle guided stamps that encourage Canadians to reflect on the truth of residential schools

BRANTFORD, ON, Sept. 27, 2023 /CNW/ – Today, Canada Post unveiled four new stamps that shed some light on the truth and legacy of residential schools, whose impacts are still felt by Indigenous Peoples today. The stamps – being released on September 28 in connection with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30 – are the second issue in the annual series for the future of truth and reconciliation.

Featuring stark archival images of residential schools in different parts of Canada, the stamps serve as a reminder of the fear, loneliness, pain and shame experienced by generations of Indigenous children in these federally and church-created institutions. The stamp issue serves as a vehicle for truth about Canada’s residential school system to help support the process of reconciliation and, ultimately, healing.

The stamps were unveiled earlier today at the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, Ontario. The centre was established in 1972 after the closing of the Mohawk Institute Residential School; a photograph of the Mohawk Institute is featured on the Official First Day Cover.Truth before reconciliation
Canada Post worked closely with the Survivors Circle of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation this year on its annual Truth and Reconciliation stamp issue. The Survivors Circle stressed the necessity to address the truth before Canadians can collectively work toward reconciliation. Canada Post thanks the Survivors Circle for their guidance and collaboration.

The residential schools and school residence featured on the stamps are Kamloops Residential School, Kamloops, British Columbia; Île-à-la-Crosse Residential School, Île-à-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan; Sept-Îles Residential School, Sept-Îles, Quebec; and Grollier Hall, Inuvik, Northwest Territories.

About the stamps
The stamp issue includes an Official First Day Cover (OFDC) and a booklet of eight Permanent™ domestic rate stamps. The front of the OFDC features the Mohawk Institute, in Brantford, Ontario – the first school in Canada’s residential school system. The cancel location is Ottawa, Ontario, the seat of the federal government, where policies of assimilation were created that forcibly separated Indigenous children from their families and communities.

The stamp products will be available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada beginning on September 28, to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.

The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line provides 24-hour support to former residential school students and their families. If you require support, please call 1 866 925 4419.

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Postes Canada émet de nouveaux timbres pour souligner la Journée nationale de la vérité et de la reconciliation
Fruits d’une collaboration avec le Cercle des survivants, les timbres incitent le public à réfléchir à la vérité au sujet des pensionnats.

BRANTFORD, ON, le 27 sept. 2023 /CNW/ – Postes Canada a dévoilé aujourd’hui quatre nouveaux timbres qui apportent un éclairage sur la vérité et les séquelles des pensionnats, dont les effets sont toujours ressentis par les peuples autochtones. Les vignettes, qui seront lancées le 28 septembre en vue de la Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation le 30 septembre, constituent le deuxième volet d’une série annuelle consacrée à l’avenir de la vérité et de la réconciliation.

Présentant de sombres photos d’archives de pensionnats de différentes régions du Canada, les timbres rappellent la peur, la solitude, la douleur et la honte vécues par des générations d’enfants autochtones dans ces institutions créées par le gouvernement fédéral et l’Église. L’émission sert à raconter la vérité sur le système des pensionnats du Canada et permet ainsi d’appuyer le processus de réconciliation et, ultimement, la guérison.

Les vignettes ont été dévoilées plus tôt aujourd’hui au centre culturel Woodland de Brantford, en Ontario, qui a été inauguré en 1972 à la suite de la fermeture du Mohawk Institute; une photo de l’institution figure sur le pli Premier Jour officiel.

La vérité avant la reconciliation
Postes Canada a travaillé en étroite collaboration avec le Cercle des survivants du Centre national pour la vérité et la réconciliation, qui l’a guidée dans l’élaboration de l’émission de cette année et a souligné qu’il est nécessaire d’aborder la vérité avant de pouvoir travailler ensemble à la réconciliation. Postes Canada remercie le Cercle des survivants pour ses conseils.

Voici les résidences scolaires et les pensionnats présentés sur les timbres : le pensionnat de Kamloops, à Kamloops (Colombie Britannique); le pensionnat de l’Île à la Crosse, à l’Île à la Crosse (Saskatchewan); le pensionnat de Sept Îles, à Sept Îles (Québec); et le pensionnat Grollier Hall, à Inuvik (Territoires du Nord Ouest).

À propos des timbres
L’émission de timbres comprend un pli Premier Jour officiel (PPJO) et un carnet de huit timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur. Une photo du Mohawk Institute de Brantford, en Ontario, la première école du système de pensionnats du Canada, figure au recto du PPJO. Le lieu d’oblitération est Ottawa, en Ontario, là où le gouvernement fédéral a créé des politiques d’assimilation pour séparer de force les enfants autochtones de leurs familles et de leurs communautés.

Les produits philatéliques seront offerts sur postescanada.ca et dans les bureaux de poste partout au pays à partir du 28 septembre en vue de la Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation le 30 septembre.

Les survivants et survivantes des pensionnats et leurs familles peuvent accéder en tout temps à la ligne d’écoute téléphonique nationale de Résolution des questions des pensionnats indiens. Pour obtenir du soutien, veuillez composer le 1 866 925-4419.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Canada Post to unveil four new stamps to commemorate National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

Canada Post invites you to attend the unveiling of four new stamps in connection with the

The 2022 T&R stamps

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Wednesday, September 27 in Brantford. This stamp issue is the second in the annual series in the Truth and Reconciliation stamp series.

The stamp products will be available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada beginning on September 28, to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.

WHO: Dale LeClair, Director of Northern and Indigenous Affairs, Canada Post
Heather George, Executive Director, Woodland Cultural Centre

WHERE: Woodland Cultural Centre
184 Mohawk Street
Brantford, Ont.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 27 at 2 pm

Scam Alert: Email from France to U.S. Societies

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From Ken Martin of the American Philatelic Society:

“The American Philatelic Society has received reports of an email-based info-gathering scam targeting stamp clubs and other philatelic societies. In the emails, an individual going by the name Pierre Champion claims that he was referred to the society by the APS because he is relocating to the United States from France. He requests that an application and an introduction to the club via the mail, and shares anecdotes about his collection and history with philately.”

From: Pierre Champion <champpierre76@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 12:01 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Membership application

Dear Sir/Madam,

I was referred to your philatelic society by the American Philatelic Society. I am writing to introduce myself as I will be relocating to the USA, in your State, near your philatelic club in March 2024 due to a work transfer.

I have been a passionate collector of American philately for many years, especially as my grandmother was born in Vermont, which has reinforced my love for your country since childhood. I collect stamps, varieties, nice cancellations, and First Day Covers in beautiful albums. I have also started teaching my two children about the passion of philately and would be delighted for them to meet other enthusiasts as well.

It would be an honor to join your philatelic society. I would greatly appreciate receiving a paper membership application and a brief introduction to your association by postal mail. I will promptly return the completed application form to you by post with the required membership fee.

By joining prior to my arrival, I feel it will allow me to better familiarize myself with the local culture and feel fully engaged within the society.

In addition to American philately, I also collect stamps from France and Europe (around 25/30 albums with 64 pages each!) My albums contain many duplicates that I would be delighted to share with members.

I look forward to improving my knowledge of American philately thanks to you, the society members.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks in advance,

Mr. Pierre CHAMPION
20C Boulevard André SIEGFRIED
76130 MONT-SAINT-AIGNAN
FRANCE

“The emails seem genuine because the address is real, the scammer references the APS, and message is well-written and full of emotional anecdotes that appeal to philatelists, but this is a calculated strategy to increase the chance of receiving a response. The purpose of the info-gathering scam is to get access to materials and information like the letterhead of your club, the signatures of club leaders, and potentially even bank account numbers. This is the reason that the scammer requests the information by mail.

“Note also that the email’s To: field reads “undisclosed-recipients:” which shows the email was sent to a hidden distribution list — this means that the scammer is sending their email to multiple clubs at once, which would not make sense if the request were genuine. Another giveaway is that the email is not specific to the club or society that receives it. Phrases like “I will be relocating to the USA, in your State, near your philatelic club” seem relatively normal at first glance, especially if the reader assumes English is not the sender’s first language. However, the phrase is a smokescreen that allows the scammer to send the email to many targets at once without having to change the text of the message.

“If you receive an email from this individual or an email that follows this same template, we encourage you to delete it immediately without responding. The individual has also perpetrated the same scam in Europe using the name Pierre Bernard and the same mailing address.”

The Artist In All Of Us (Hotchner)

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The Artist In All Of Us
By John M. Hotchner

Many of us would not use that label to describe ourselves. But consider the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1976) second definition of “art:” The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty; specifically, the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium.

Granted, putting stamps in an album may fall short of creativity, but it is adding graphic material and color to a page that results in a pleasing display – not unlike painting by numbers. And if you make your own albums or pages for new acquisitions, there is no doubt that you are an artist; one who creates works of art. In exercising this skill, you are balancing form, text, color, and even design content with the goal of conveying meaning through a pleasing sense of beauty.

I have long said of myself that I can barely draw a straight line, and circles are quite beyond me, but I can make a pleasing exhibit page, and accumulate a group of them into an award-winning exhibit or one that is non-competitive but still attractive to viewers. I’ll never be a Picasso, but this is my art.

Now, for the definition of “artist:” (2) Any person who performs his work as if it were an art. We who study our stamps – both those who focus on the physical elements of the stamp and those who focus on the design content – invest them with a meaning beyond the work they do to move mail. In fact, a great many of them never move mail because we like to be able to appreciate the beauty or content of their designs without the obstruction of cancellation marks.

It is not unusual for stamp collectors to reject certain stamps as being artistically inferior, in their view. And woe be to a postal service that ignores the sense of art of its buying public. Postal Services need to pay attention to this factor because it affects their bottom line. If collectors will not buy the product, or flock in droves to add a country’s stamps to their collections, the issuing authorities get valuable guidance about what the public likes.

And, thus, a third definition and concept, this one for “artistic:” (2) Appreciative of or sensitive to art or beauty. Clearly, we all have opinions and few of us are shy about expounding on them. We may like impressionism, or be left cold by it. We may be attracted, or not, to cartoon art, poster art, primitive art, bowls of fruit, watercolors, or whatever else is offered. But we are often very much in touch with those feelings and disposed to act on them.

The first thing that a postal service announces about a new issue is the subject. Sometimes a design will accompany that announcement. Often the design follows at a respectful distance. But for every collector who does not like a subject, I’ll bet there are ten who feel more passion about the art when it is revealed. Great art can redeem a bad subject, but poor art can kill a good one.

Of course, the definition of great and poor is in the eye of the beholder, and may be informed by training or education. Or it may simply be, in the words of the mythical Joe Sixpack, “I know what I like – and what I don’t.” In other words, we may not all be designers, but we are, every last one of us, a critic!

And here is where we miss an opportunity to market our hobby to the wider world. We are not unique as critics. Everyone, even those struggling to put food on the table, has an opinion. Put a picture by Remington in front of a man or woman in the street, and the great majority will have an opinion. A majority or those will probably say that whoever the artist is, if the painting cost $25, they would buy it.

The difference between the painting and the stamp showing it is that the stamp is smaller, and a copy, but it is eminently affordable; not so in the original unless you have a few spare millions lying about.

All stamps are miniature art works. In fact. it is one of the aspects of art that even stamp collectors likely don’t appreciate: the difficulty of presenting on a palette that is at most an inch and a half square (and often less) a comprehensible multicolor piece of art that lends itself to printing, conveys a message, and is pleasing to the eye.

One of the most popular series of articles ever run in the philatelic press was Kent Stiles’ series in the old Scott Monthly Journal (later continued by Belmont Faries) showing the several different finalists from which a stamp design was eventually chosen and issued. An example, the 3¢ Dr. Harvey Wiley (Pure Food & Drug Laws, Sc. 1080) stamp, from the September, 1956, issue is shown on the right.

If further proof were needed, some of the most fascinating displays put up by the National Postal Museum are the ones featuring final candidates for stamp issuances that were not selected (from The Postmaster General’s Collection, which has been entrusted to the NPM).

One need not be a collector to debate the merits of the contenders for a stamp design, and I bet a series in the popular press presenting this sort of question would interest a lot of people in philately, and if presented with a paragraph on what to do next to get started, would bring a new cohort to the hobby.

If we could gather into the fold 5% of the people who consider themselves to be art appreciation fanatics – who go to museums, who buy art for their homes, who purchase coffee-table books featuring the masterworks, we could reverse the trend toward fewer and fewer collectors!

How? Lectures at museums, articles for art magazines, stamp auctioneers targeting art buyers, a line of enlargements of especially attractive stamps to be sold through museum stores, art supply shops, etc. I am certain there are many other ideas that could be proposed. If you have one, send or post a comment.

Should you wish to comment on this column, or have questions or ideas you would like to have explored in a future column, please write to John Hotchner, VSC Contributor, P.O. Box 1125, Falls Church, VA 22041-0125, or email, putting “VSC” in the subject line.

Or comment right here.

Willie O’Ree (Canada 2023)

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[This issue was confirmed October 23rd with the media advisory of the unveiling. See below. The stamp design is here.]

VSC contributor Danforth Guy reports that “Hockey pioneer and philanthropist” touted by Canada Post for a stamp will be Willie O’Ree, “the first Black man to play in the NHL. The issue date is October 30” and the first-day city will be O’Ree’s birthplace, Fredericton, New Brunswick. (He is shown on the right in 2019.) The issue was later confirmed by Canada Post.

O’Ree was born October 15, 1935, so he will be 88 when the stamp issued. He played for the Boston Bruins. (He is shown below in 1961.) His grandparents were escaped slaves who came to Canada via the Underground Railroad.

O’Ree’s numerous honors include having his jersey retired by the Bruins in 2022; the Order of Canada, the highest civilian award for a Canadian citizen, in 2008; Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2020; and a U.S. Congressional Gold Medal for his contributions to “hockey, inclusion and recreational opportunity.” O’Ree was the first player in NHL history to receive the honour. You can read more about O’Ree on Wikipedia.

The NHL produced this tribute video:

Here his speech upon induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame:

And the Royal Canadian Mint’s website has an article you may find of interest, “10 Things You May Not Know About Willie O’Ree.” We will post more information as it becomes available, although that may not be until the day of issue.

Updated October 28:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
New stamp celebrates hockey pioneer Willie O’Ree
Stamp pays tribute to the first Black player of the National Hockey League®

EDMONTON – Canada Post issued a new commemorative stamp honouring the life and legacy of Willie O’Ree, the National Hockey League’s first Black player. The stamp was unveiled at an event Saturday in Edmonton as part of the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic weekend festivities.

O’Ree made history when he took the ice for the Boston Bruins® against the Montreal Canadiens® on January 18, 1958, at the Montréal Forum.

Following a trailblazing career, O’Ree has continued to inspire generations of Canadians, dedicating his life to promoting diversity and inclusion in hockey. His work encourages young people to follow their dreams despite obstacles or prejudice. In 2018, O’Ree was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame for his work on and off the ice, and the NHL has since created the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award in his honour.About the stamp issue
Featuring a recent photo of O’Ree wearing his signature fedora cap and an inset photo of him in action on the ice in 1960, the stamp was designed in black and yellow to mirror his uniform colours while playing with the Boston Bruins between 1958 and 1961. The recent photo was taken by photographer Philip Cheung in O’Ree’s San Diego home. [The cover of the stamp bookleet is shown on the left.] The stamp issue is cancelled in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where O’Ree was born and raised. Printed by Colour Innovations, the stamp issue includes a booklet of six Permanent™ domestic rate stamps and an Official First Day Cover.From left to right at the unveiling Saturday: Sarah Nurse of the PWHL Toronto team; Jeff Scott, Vice-President, Community Development and Industry Growth, NHL; Evander Kane of the Edmonton Oilers; former NHLers Grant Fuhr and Anson Carter; Doug Ettinger, President and Chief Executive Office, Canada Post; Brian Jennings, Senior Executive Vice-President, Marketing, and Chief Branding Officer, NHL; former NHLer Georges Laraque; and Nazim Kadri of the Calgary Flames.

Updated October 27:
From Canada Post on Friday evening: “Unfortunately, Willie O’Ree will not be attending the unveiling on Saturday, October 28.”

Updated October 23:

Media advisory: Canada Post celebrates hockey pioneer Willie O’Re

EDMONTON – Canada Post invites media to attend the unveiling of a special stamp to celebrate the life and legacy of Willie O’Ree, first Black player of the National Hockey League®.

The upcoming stamp will be officially issued on Monday, October 30, after it is unveiled on Saturday, October 28.

WHO: Willie O’Ree will be joined by family, friends, Anson Carter (former NHL® player), Brian Jennings (Senior Executive Vice-President, Marketing, and Chief Branding Officer, NHL), Jeff Scott (Vice-President, Community Development and Industry Growth, NHL), and Doug Ettinger (President and Chief Executive Officer, Canada Post).

WHERE: Wayne Gretzky Ballroom
J.W. Marriott Edmonton ICE District
10344–102 Street NW, Edmonton

WHEN: Saturday, October 28, 11 am, MT

RSVP: We request that media RSVP to media@canadapost.ca to confirm attendance.

Donald Sutherland (Canada 2023)

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[This was confirmed 19 October, the day of issue. The press release is below, along with illustrations of the stamps and products.]

According to VSC contributor Danforth Guy, the clues are “‘DS’, along with a first day city of St. John, New Brunswick,” he said. “St. John, NB, is his birthplace. The issue date is October 19 for a domestic-rate (92¢) booklet of 10 self-adhesives.” The issue has not been confirmed by Canada Post.

Sutherland was born July 17, 1935, making him 88 years old now. (The photo on the left is from 2013.) His awards include an Emmy, a Golden Globe and an

Honorary Academy Award. Among his many films are “The Dirty Dozen,” “M*A*S*H” (shown on the right), “Ordinary People,” “Kelly’s Heroes” and the “Hunger Games” series. (Wikipedia’s filmography is here.)

We will provide more details as we get them, although it may not be until the day of issue.

Updated 19 December:

“I kept saying: ‘I’m a Canadian and now I’m a Canadian stamp. God damn. This is really something,” Sutherland told Canadian Broadcasting. Its main story is here. He also gave an interview to CBC Radio’s “Q” program, a summary of which is here.

Updated 19 October:

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
New stamp honours internationally acclaimed Canadian actor Donald Sutherland
The prolific performer has appeared in nearly 200 feature films and television programs over seven decades

SAINT JOHN – Canada Post issued a new stamp today commemorating the career of one of Canada’s most respected and versatile actors, Donald Sutherland.

Born on July 17, 1935, in Saint John, New Brunswick, Sutherland studied engineering and drama at the University of Toronto before moving to England to pursue his passion for acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

He appeared in stage productions and television shows, making his feature film debut in 1963 as “Tall Man in Nightclub” in The World Ten Times Over. In 1967, Sutherland starred in his breakthrough role as killer Vernon Pinkley in the classic Second World War film, The Dirty Dozen.

On the left, Sutherland is shown with Canada Post’s President and CEO Doug Ettinger and a framed stamp enlargement. Photo by Rossif Sutherland and courtesy Canada Post.

His first lead role in a major motion picture came in 1970 when he played Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce in the bitingly dark comedy, M*A*S*H. The role transformed him into a Hollywood A-lister and one of the biggest movie stars in the world. It also earned him his first of nine Golden Globe nominations.

Sutherland’s incredible talents and eclectic tastes led him to take on a broad range of roles over the course of his seven-decade career. He is known for memorable performances in a variety of films, including Klute (1971), Ordinary People (1980), Backdraft (1991), Disclosure (1994), A Time to Kill (1996), Fallen (1998), Pride & Prejudice (2005), and The Hunger Games franchise (2012-2015).

With his international success, Sutherland has remained a proud Canadian and starred in many Canadian productions, including the TV movie Bethune (1977) and the 1990 feature film Bethune: The Making of a Hero, playing legendary Canadian Dr. Norman Bethune in both.

His work in nearly 200 films and television productions has garnered him many awards, including a Genie (1983), an Emmy (1995), two Golden Globes (1995 and 2002), the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement (2000), and an Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2017).

He has also received stars on Canada’s Walk of Fame (2000) and the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2011) and been named a Companion of the Order of Canada (2019) and a Commandeur of France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2012).

About the stamp
The movie-poster-inspired stamp, designed by Paprika and printed by Colour Innovations, features an image of the actor’s profile, with several of his movie titles in English and French. Cancelled in Sutherland’s birthplace of Saint John, the issue includes a booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps and an Official First Day Cover with an image of Sutherland as the character Sgt. Oddball in Kelly’s Heroes (1970).

The stamp and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and post offices across Canada.

Added 21 October:
Technical Details:

Booklet of 10 stamps
Product number: 414239111
Denominations: 10 x Permanent™ (domestic rate)
Designer: Paprika
Dimensions:
Flat: 136 mm (W) X 154 mm (H)
Folded: 68 mm (W) X 154 (H)
Printer: Colour Innovations
Printing process:
Stamps side: 4 COLOUR PROCESS + 2 PMS – FIRST PASS
1 PMS + TAGGING – 2ND PASS
Cover side: 4 COLOUR PROCESS + 1 PANTONE + VARNISH
Quantity: 200,000

Official First Day Cover:
Product number: 414239131
Denominations: 1 x Permanent™ (domestic rate)
Dimensions: 190 mm (W) x 112 mm (H)
Quantity: 7,000
OFDC cancellation location: Saint John, New Brunswick

John Lewis Dedication at NYC African Burial Ground

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From the National Park Service and ESPER:

On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, at 11 A.M. at the African Burial Ground National Monument, 290 Broadway, New York, New York, the U.S. National Park Service in collaboration with The Black Women’s Leadership Caucus, Inc. will host a Special Dedication and Unveiling of the Forever U.S. Postage Stamp of The Honorable Congressman John A. Lewis. The stamp celebrates the life and legacy of Congressman Lewis who spent more than 30 years in Congress and a lifetime defending our democracy – our civil rights.

The Rev. Al Sharpton is our keynote speaker. The program includes the U.S. Postal Service Color Guard, a member of the Metropolitan Opera, an aspiring spoken word artist and gift bags to the first 50 guests. Stamps and other John Lewis memorabilia will be available for purchase.

The event is free and open to the public, and no reservation is required. However, “Security at 290 Broadway is airport-like; travel light, no large bags,” says the National Park Service.

Favorites Sports/Philately Memory

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The question was posed in the American Topical Association’s Facebook group about a favorites sports/philatelic memory. This is mine:

In 1979, I was a freelance radio sports reporter, covering the Baltimore Orioles, who won the American League Pennant and went to the baseball World Series. I discovered the Baltimore post office had a station in Memorial Stadium with a pictorial postmark, and purchased a stamp and had it serviced. (Appropriately, the stamp is the Fort McHenry Flag, and Fort McHenry is in Baltimore Harbor.)

Now, freelance reporters don’t travel with teams, except on rare occasions or at their own expense. I did not go to Pittsburgh for Games 3, 4 and 5, but when the Series came back to Baltimore, I was ready: I obtained a few more credentials envelopes from my friends in the public relations office and had topically-related stamps ready, to produce another cover.

I also obtained a few Baltimore Orioles No. 10 business envelopes.

Sidebar: UPI Audio sent its White House reporter Tom Foty, who is still working in 2023 for CBS News, Radio, on weekends, to do the reports during the American League Championship Series. UPI’s competitor, AP Radio, asked me to do its voicework during the ALCS — but UPI wouldn’t let me use my own name! “‘Lloyd de Vries’ belongs to us!”

I was doing two reports an hour for APR as “Dave Archer” (“Archer” is my middle name, “Dave” was a corruption of one of the many mispronunciations of “de Vries”), one an hour for Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Radio as “Lloyd de Vries,” and various stations and regional networks at different points, also under my own name. We secondary press were displaced from the press box and put in the stands, where I had had my own telephone installed, and I had cards in front of me to make sure I got the names, times, and everything else right.

I used to hang out at the office in Washington with the APR guys, though, so every time “Dave Archer” called in, we all started laughing. “OK, Dave or Lloyd or whatever your name is….”

Sadly, the O’s lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 7 games. And to this day, I cannot stand to hear the Bucs’ anthem, “We Are Family,” which was played ad nauseam by Pittsburgh. Still, this is my favorite memory combining sports and philately, and maybe even combining my career and philately.

Dame Shirley Bassey (UK 2023)

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Royal Mail to Honour Dame Shirley Bassey with a Set of 12 Special Stamps

  • The first solo female music artist to be honoured with a dedicated stamp issue
  • Eight stamps in the main set capture Dame Shirley Bassey performing throughout her illustrious 70-year career, while a further four stamps, presented in a Miniature Sheet, capture her during recording sessions and rehearsal sessions
  • The stamps are available to pre-order now at www.royalmail.com/shirleybassey and by telephone on 03457 641 641
  • The stamps will be issued 21 September

Royal Mail has revealed images of 12 Special Stamps being issued to celebrate the musical icon Dame Shirley Bassey, 70 years on from the start of her career in 1953.
This is the first time Royal Mail has dedicated an entire stamp issue to a solo female music artist. Solo artists previously honoured with a dedicated stamp issue are: David Bowie (2017); Sir Elton John (2019); and Sir Paul McCartney (2021).

Eight stamps in the main set capture some of her spellbinding performances from her illustrious career:

  • At the Pigalle nightclub, 1965
  • In Bournemouth, 1974
  • At the BBC Electric Proms, The Roundhouse, 2009
  • At the Safeway Picnic in the Park, 2002
  • In Brighton, 1988
  • On a TV show, 1963
  • Singing ‘World in Union’ (with Bryn Terfel) during the Opening Ceremony of the Rugby World Cup, 1999
  • Performing during the Oscars held at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, 2013

An additional sheet of four stamps features a beautiful selection of candid photographs taken of Dame Shirley during recording sessions and rehearsal sessions during her career.

Born in 1937 in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, Dame Shirley toured theatres and revues until she signed a record deal with Philips and scored the number one hit, ‘As I Love You’, in 1959. By the 1960s, she was an international star with numerous hit albums spanning contemporary pop, show tunes and soundtracks. Some of her greatest work was with film composer John Barry, creating the James Bond themes ‘Goldfinger’, Diamonds Are Forever’ and ‘Moonraker’, which became her signature songs.

In the 1990s and 2000s, she attracted a whole new audience, performing the official song for the 1999 Rugby World Cup with Bryn Terfel and attending the 2007 Glastonbury Festival in diamante wellington boots. She was awarded a CBE in 1994 and a DBE in 1999.

Dame Shirley Bassey said: “I am absolutely thrilled and would never have dreamed that one day my face would be on a stamp…that one day a letter might arrive and there I am, with a postmark next to me!

“It’s an absolute honour to be the first solo female artist to receive a collection from Royal Mail. The stamps are wonderful, and I hope my fans & collectors love them as much as I do.”

The pages of the Prestige Booklet

David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy said: “For seven decades Dame Shirley Bassey has captivated fans across the world with her distinctive and powerful voice. This stamp issue is a fitting celebration of one of the UK’s most revered and longest serving musical icons.”

The stamps are available to pre-order from now at www.royalmail.com/shirleybassey and by telephone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all 12 stamps in the set is priced at £19.50. The stamps go on general sale on 21 September.

[VSC Notes: Bassey is now 86. The Royal Mint issued a commemorative coin in her honour earlier this year. See the photo. In addition to the stamps, other philatelic products include framed stamps signed in gold ink by Bassey herself (£249.99); various coin covers ranging from £19.99 to £750.00; a collector’s sheet, a fan sheet; first day covers; a press sheet; postcards; and various stamp sheet configurations of just the first-class stamps and just the £2 ones.]Videos:
Shirley Bassey singing “Goldfinger” in 1965:

Shirley Bassey singing “Goldfinger” in 2011:

The official first day cover

The gold medal FDC. The same design is used for all the medal covers.

The three first-day postmarks available for this issue.

The framed set of stamps signed by Bassey — £249.99

The Fan Sheet

The Collector Sheet

Artificial Intelligence? Real Nonsense! (LloydBlog) (non-philatelic)

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Artificial Intelligence? I think the phenomenon is not only very much overblown and it is also not new. What is new is the “Everybody Knows” fear-mongering that AI is taking over.

All computers can do is choose from among the choices a human or group of humans have provided. They may do so more quickly, sorting and choosing from a large number of options, but they don’t create, except under our direction.

Two quick examples: Does your car have an automatic transmission? It switches gears so the vehicle can speed up or slow down, climb hills or descend. You could do it yourself but possibly not as quickly or as smoothy. I think that’s an example of “artificial intelligence,” but it’s not new. Automatics began to appear in mass-produced automobiles in 1939.

How many minutes has it been since you cursed out the spellchecker on your phone or computer? These programs think they know what you meant to write or should have written and change your text, often resulting in embarrassment or gibberish.

Can AI create artwork of a pastoral day in the country? Yes, if someone programmed it that the sky should be blue, the grass and other vegetation green, and so on. Can it write text? Again, yes, if someone programmed it properly. Otherwise you might end up with a sterling endorsement, like the one that runs regularly on my Kindle: “Try to enjoy reading the poems.” Sorry, if I have to try to enjoy reading something that is for recreation, I’m going to skip it.

When “AI” beats you at chess, that isn’t artificial intelligence, it is good programming: Someone put in all the possible moves for all situations and the chances that the human opponent would do such-and-such as a result of a given move. College papers written by AI? Most professors probably would welcome the improvement! And what’s the difference between a heavily “photo-shopped” photograph and one created from scratch using an AI program? Where is the line?

One of my favorite Science Fiction authors, Glynn Stewart, writes about what he calls “artificial stupids:” Robots or holograms that make choices within severely limited parameters. I don’t think we have progressed beyond that: Humans set up the choices, even for sophisticated AI programs. I don’t see that changing any time soon.