Postcrossing 20

 Today marks 20 years of existence for the Postcrossing project, in which members exchange postcards with others all over the world.  What started as a casual experiment by a postal mail enthusiast with computer database expertise has grown into an elite worldwide community of more than 800,000 members who have sent, so far, over 82 million postcards.  As Postcrossing reaches 20 years of facilitating global connections, it continues to thrive.  Despite perpetually rising postal rates, wars, and a pandemic that curtailed air cargo transport, a postcard is delivered every 7 seconds to 209 countries on the planet.  Cards sent by Postcrossing members have travelled a cumulative 10 million laps around the world.  In celebration, I have ordered a pack of commemorative postcards that are a reproduction of PT-1, the first postcard ever sent through the system by its founder, Paulo Magalhães.  I regret that I was not aware of Postcrossing until some years after its creation.  But once I discovered it over 12 years ago in October 2012, I have been an enthusiastic member and have sent 11,346 postcards to date.  Of the many, many hobbies I have, there are few I enjoy more.  So on this day, I wish Paulo and all fellow Postcrossers a happy 20th!

Outgoing mail

 The three-day holiday weekend gave me the chance to catch up on some Postcrossing postcard writing.  Over the weekend, I wrote, stamped, and addressed over 50 cards, which are now ready to go out to the world in Monday morning's mail.  Get ready, USPS!  In addition to the hefty stack of postcards, there will also be my usual personal correspondence to family and friends.  July is a big month for friend's birthdays, as it happens.  I am currently ranked 28th among all USA Postcrossing members (more than 76,000 of them) in terms of number of cards sent.  And I still cling to my #1 ranking in Alabama.  So I hope this weekend's efforts will help to cement my position.  It's also the last flurry of activity before the USPS raises the cost of stamps once again, on July 13th.  What's become an expensive hobby will become a little more so.  Regardless, I have no intention of giving it up.  Write on!

No Kings

In General Congress, assembled-

The History of the present King is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public Good.

He has endeavoured to prevent the Population of these States; for that Purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and the Amount and Payment of their Salaries.

He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harrass our People, and eat out their Substance.

He has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our Legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws:

For cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:

          For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

          For depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:

          For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended Offences:

In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People.

June Postcrossing stats

 It was a slightly better month for me regarding postcards:  In June, I sent 84 Postcrossing cards around the world and received 68.  That brings my lifetime totals to 11,326 cards sent and 11,300 cards received.  As a matter if curiosity, I calculated just yesterday my loss rate: over the past year, 3.2% of cards I send are never registered.  That means they were either lost in the mail and were never delivered, or were delivered and not registered by the recipient.  In the past, I've noticed a significant portion of these unregistered cards go to Postcrossing members who appear to be active for a very short time after they join and then become inactive.  It's as though they lose interest quickly and don't bother to register cards they receive.  Another possibility is that the ID number written on the card is wrong (my mistake) or becomes unreadable (from damage to the card or obscuring from postmarks or other labels).  Postcrossing has an online form that I use often which assists recipients in obtaining an ID number via a search with other information (date of sending, city of origin, my name, etc.) and I am careful to write the ID number clearly in a location most protected from tears or other damage to the card.  I also ensure that date, city, and my name clearly appear on the card.  But I fear many Postcrossing members are unaware of this search feature or are too lazy to use it.  So when I am back up to my target of sending 100 cards each month, it's sad to think that three of them are wasted effort.  But that's how life is.  Write on!