MetaFilter posts tagged with post

Dear Catherine, Hello, how are you?

creeky — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:37:05 -0800

"In April 2009, we sent a personal, handwritten letter to each of the 467 households in the small Irish village of Cushendall." Now, Michael Crowe and Lenka Clayton (previously on MeFi) intend to send a letter to everyone on the planet.

Post WWI inflation currency

wallstreet1929 — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 12:39:58 -0800

As the national debt is monetized we may revive that phrase "you needed a wheelbarrow of cash to buy a loaf of bread." Notgeld, German for "Emergency Money" or "necessity money." 896 beautiful examples.

Postage Stamps of the Yellow Fleet

Fiasco da Gama — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:14:59 -0800

When it went to war with Israel in 1967, the Egyptian Government blockaded the Suez Canal. A number of ships, with their crews, were stranded in the Great Bitter Lake for the eight years it was closed. Here are their stamps.

What's A Web Magazine Really Worth?

Stephen Elliott — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:44:12 -0800

What if The Huffington Post isn't worth $200 million, but say $2 million? There's a lot to love in this article, including key Nick Denton quotes on the Huffington Post's valuation.

Better than your average magazine article

Mike1024 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:25:45 -0800

The British government's Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology retains PhD and EngD students to produce POSTnotes, information-dense 4 page summaries of science and technology issues, aimed at informing members of parliament. Topics covered include HIV/AIDS in developing countries, large scale electricity storage, future nuclear technologies and next generation broadband access.

Direct Postage

divabat — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:29:15 -0800

What happens if you post a letter using coins instead of stamps?

The International Reply Coupon

Deathalicious — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:06:26 -0800

"When one writes to a stranger and requests a reply, it is considered polite to enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. This works well when both persons live in the same country; however, if they are from different countries, the enclosed postage stamp will not be valid." The solution, introduced in 1906, was the international reply coupon. Like nearly everything else stamps-related, they are collectible. Brought to you by the Universal Postal Union. In the US, for the low price of $2.10 [as of posting date] you can get your hands on one of these beauties, which on the back reads "This coupon is exchangeable in any country of the Universal Postal Union for for the minimum postage for an unregistered priority item or an unregistered letter sent by air to a foreign country." in a variety of languages including Arabic and Chinese (the obverse is entirely in French). Their use, at least in the United States, is relatively rare and this occasionally causes problems when they are needed. Interesting historic side note: they were the inspiration for the first Ponzi scheme.

Mailbox Art: 20 Cool and Creative Postboxes

An Infinity Of Monkeys — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:01:57 -0800

Mailbox Art: 20 Cool and Creative Postboxes

Zip code with a capital C O D E.

nthdegx — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:27:50 -0800

Return to sender: Artist puts Royal Mail to the test - "To put them to the test, Harriet Russell concealed the addresses of 130 letters to herself in a series of increasingly complex puzzles and ciphers. Among the disguises she employed were dot-to-dot drawings, anagrams and cartoons. The answer, it seems, was very far indeed. Amazingly, only 10 failed to complete their journey back to her." Be sure to click the "more pictures" link to the right for more samples. Via one.point.zero.

Grifters, Oil Men, Tabloids, The Scrappy Ingenue, The Titans and the Hardass: An American Story

felix — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:09:06 -0800

Corrupt U.S. Government officials leased the Teapot Dome oil field to one Harry F. Sinclair in 1922 in a sleazy no-bid contract.

Turn back the clock. 27 years earlier, suspected grifter Gilmer Bonfils had seized control of the Denver Post; he and his family turned it from a sleepy, staid paper into a wild, brazen broadsheet. So brazen they were shot by a furious lawyer. For an editorial page, Tammen and Bonfils substituted invective, raked up so much scandal—a good deal of it true — that they kept a loaded shotgun in their office to discourage reader complaints. As the Post grew in power and prosperity, its proprietors branched into other fields; the Post became the first and last U.S. daily ever to own a circus (Sells-Floto), run a burlesque house and sell coal." It was this paper that, through the machinations of Sinclair's enemies, began excoriating the Teapot Dome deal under the editorial byline "So That The People May Know". Eventually, Frederick G. Bonfils rumoredly took a million dollar payoff from Sinclair as hush money. Fast forward. The Post hired professionals and lost its edge. But then, in 1960, into Denver's mile-high sunshine stepped the fastest-growing newspaper publisher in the U.S. In one hand he carried a battered 13-year-old briefcase bulging with the blueprints of a big deal. But Si Newhouse Sr., who was rich enough to buy Conde Nast as a surprise anniversary present for his wife the year previously, for all his business acumen and deal-making wiles, didn't expect to run into Helen Bonfils... Helen, one of the daughters entrusted with the Post, reacted to Newhouse's hostile purchases by declaring "No further sales are contemplated. Not under any circumstances." And for many rollicking years, the fight continued. Eventually, outmaneuvered legally, Newhouse gave up. But the story doesn't end there. A tall, slender, blonde with bright blue eyes and a husky voice, Helen was theatrical, energetic and a millionaire. Bejeweled and befurred, she toured the town in her Pierce Arrow with Colorado license plate No. 1. She would be accompanied by her chauffeur (more on this in a moment...), favorite poodle, and spiritual adviser, the Rev. John Anderson, who shared her interest in philanthropy. And when the Rocky Mountain News says 'theatrical', they mean it; she in her youth starred in extravagant musicals with casts of hundreds, always as the principal angel. Her hunger for the spotlight grew over the years as she acted in and produced a score of productions, and created the Helen Bonfils Theater Complex at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. She also found the time to create the Belle Bonfils Memorial Blood Bank, named after her mother -- now a fixture of the Denver healthcare system; and, having seen people faint in its stuffy basement for lack of air conditioning, to fund the completion of the Holy Ghost church -- as well as 'innumerable' other charities, including the Dumb Friends League and the Denver Zoo. But does the story end there? No it does not. Helen, at age 69, fell in love with her chauffeur -- "Tiger" Mike Davis, a strapping young college dropout of 28. Their romance died, and a nasty divorce ensued, in which he received a large settlement. Rolling that money into oil field investments, "Tiger" Davis got rich. In May 2008, none other than the Denver Post reported that he had gotten paid off for helping to move control of oil interests -- unlike Teapot Dome, this time legally -- by introducing an old friend, an ex-amateur boxer named "Rifle Right" Kirk Kerkorian to Delta Petroleum. Turns out having friends earned him a cool 263,158 shares, which if he still holds it is as of this writing. But that's not the story either, dear reader -- the story is that "Tiger" Mike Davis, in between marrying the scrappiest, most extravagant and most powerful women in Denver and helping to broker a gigantic oil investment deal for one of the titans of industry, ran his own business. And he ran it real tight. And the memos of that business -- which spawned this post -- are some of the funniest interoffice memos on the planet.

When blogging goes nowhere

Astro Zombie — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:47:11 -0800

One Post Wonder. A collection of amazing blogs that only lasted one post. (Via.)

Dan Treacy/Television Personalities documentary

Item — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:22:27 -0800

Dan Treacy and his band Television Personalities have had a long and storied history. Here's a nice little documentary (part one, two, three, four) on 'em. Formed in 1977 during the first wave of UK punk, they put out records on a fairly regular basis until the turn of the millennium, when Treacy seemed to fall off the face of the planet. He was eventually tracked down to a British prison ship, where he was serving time for a slew of petty crimes related to his mental illness and drug addiction. Upon his release in 2004, he reformed the group with long-time member Ed Ball (also of Teenage Filmstars/the Times) and returned to playing shows and putting out new material, starting with an... interesting choice for a single, the haunting 'All the Young Children on Crack'. Here's a good, concise history of the group. 'Painted Word', my personal favorite TVPs song. 'Part Time Punks', probably the group's best known song. 'I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives'. Fun trivia: the TVPs were on tour as David Gilmour's(!) supporting act in the mid 80's when Treacy took it upon himself to read the reclusive Barrett's home address to a crowd of thousands. Gilmour was not amused and the group got the sack.

"The package was not recorded or registered."

goodnewsfortheinsane — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 08:55:31 -0800

Oops: UK tax collection agency loses discs containing personal details of 25 million Britons in the mail.

Citizen K Street

srboisvert — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 11:56:25 -0800

Citizen K Street: How Lobbying Became Washington's Biggest Business The story will begin in the newspaper and on the Web on March 4, with an overview of Cassidy's career. Then, beginning March 5 and running Monday through Friday for five weeks exclusively at washingtonpost.com/citizenkstreet, Kaiser will tell the story in a serial narrative that will chart Cassidy's path and the transformation of the lobbying industry in Washington.

Pink panther in Iran

specialk420 — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 23:01:27 -0800

Is now captured Robert A. Levinson a spy? a government agent?
Perhaps someone on non-official cover (NOC)? or just a guy doing some research for a book in Iran. The WaPo cuts through the mumbo jumbo here.

Geo Info Postcards

divabat — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:28:01 -0800

How's the weather? Is it polluted? Do you have plenty of rainforests? Send someone a Geography Information Postcard and tell them about where you live by filling out infographics. (via)

"Swedish post horn" sounds like it should mean something

Kattullus — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:35:36 -0800

Arago: People, Postage & the Post is the online database of the National Postal Museum. It has lots and lots of lovely things. Some examples are a high quality scan of an 18th Century envelope, a sampling of comic strips featuring mail carriers, a collection of stamps on the theme of map projection and a Swedish post horn.

Speaking Truth to Power: When Power Speaks Back

scalefree — Mon, 22 May 2006 06:38:18 -0800

Speaking truth to power: when power speaks back (scroll down). Graduating senior Jean Rohe & Senator John McCain spoke at the New School's graduation ceremony at Madison Square Garden this Saturday. Rohe's speech attacking McCain's actions & positions has been hailed by many on the Left as "speaking truth to power". McCain staffer Mark Salter thinks Jean isn't being fair to his boss. Scroll down to read his reaction.

ptsd

augustweed — Thu, 11 May 2006 19:21:33 -0800

Only 2,029 out of 9,145 veterans with post traumatic stress disorder resulting from combat have been referred to mental health for evaluation/treatment. I say give them the same treatment the IDF gets.

Paglia is a Neumann

vronsky — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 16:04:10 -0800

Camille Paglia How should the humanities be taught, and how should scholars in the humanities be trained? These pivotal questions confront universities today amid signs of spreading agreement that the three-decade era of poststructuralism and postmodernism is over.

Last Post

orthogonality — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 13:03:23 -0800

The Last Post, a military bugle call marking the end of the day, was originally sounded to call off-duty soldiers to barracks; later it was also incorporated into British and Commonwealth military funeral services (analogous to the playing of Taps for US military dead) and "symbolises that the duty of the dead is over and that they can rest in peace." It's perhaps as fitting as "Auld Lang Syne" at the close of year 2005.

Walking out of New Orleans

mwhybark — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 17:21:46 -0800

Michael Homan rode out Katrina in New Orleans and later "escaped" one of the freeway-based collection points. His is the first of what will surely be many firsthand accounts appearing on blogs. Why not collect your link finds here?

The growing backlash against religious conservatism

kgasmart — Thu, 05 May 2005 10:06:26 -0800

George Will's column today (WaPo; reg. req'd) sounds a theme that's becoming common among "traditional" conservatives: A growing wariness of the Christian conservative movement. Andrew Sullivan has been discussing this at length (as has MeFi here), but more and more conservative commentators are beginning to allude to it, if only indirectly. And wasn't Laura Bush's comedy routine at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner specifically designed to distance the president from the movement?

Dear Hitler...

blindsam — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 17:37:12 -0800

And you thought Elvis had problems...

Artomatic!

indiebass — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 07:48:22 -0800

Got a Secret? (Discussed briefly previouslyhere) The idea behind Frank Warren Artomatic exhibit was simple: distribute 3,000 post cards asking the public to share a secret with him anonymously by reply mail, and sit back and wait for the replies. Some of the post cards are now on display at the Anne C. Fisher gallery, but if you can't make it to the Georgetown show don't worry, Warren has created a "Postsecret" blog where you can see some of the most interesting replies. (via DCist)