Wild Postcards

The Language Police managed to let this one get all the way to production with the phrase “you know your from Texas” uncorrected. Oh well, what can you do? As Christ said, if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out — but instead I think I’ll just let this one pass.

I can’t help but notice that these qualifications aren’t unique to Texans; I’ve met a number of people here in Georgia named Bubba. Some of them even hold public office.

The Language Police managed to let this one get all the way to production with the phrase “you know your from Texas” uncorrected. Oh well, what can you do? As Christ said, if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out — but instead I think I’ll just let this one pass. I can’t help but [...]

Ham radio operator Phil Shea may have just gotten lucky to get such a cool callsign, but more than likely it’s a vanity callsign he specifically requested. And why not? He did live in Massachusetts, after all, less than an hour from Salem. Also, take note of the fact that Phil was l33t before the rest of us.

This card acknowledges transmissions from Phil picked up by our friend Bill Seaback on February 13, 1960. It looks like Phil saved some money on his QSL cards by having only one side printed. Regardless, it makes for a great Halloween post.

This will be the last of Bill’s QSL cards to be posted. I’ve been in touch will Bill’s daughter, Jennifer, who tells me that Bill was 15 years old in 1960; as I suspected, he passed away a few years ago. I’ve sent off the 30-odd remaining cards to Jennifer. I’m sure that these cards will mean as much to her as my great-grandfather’s postcards mean to me.

Ham radio operator Phil Shea may have just gotten lucky to get such a cool callsign, but more than likely it’s a vanity callsign he specifically requested. And why not? He did live in Massachusetts, after all, less than an hour from Salem. Also, take note of the fact that Phil was l33t before the [...]

“The Boilermaker Special with the familiar Purdue Union Tower in the background, has been the official Purdue University mascot since 1940. Operated by the Purdue Reamer Club, the Special appears at pep rallies, all home football games in Ross-Ade Stadium and most away games.” The Purdue Reamer Club was apparently formed in the 1920s to organize those Purdue students who were not members of fraternities, and thus had very little say or representation as far as campus activities. The Boilermaker Special as a mascot (entrusted to the Reamer Club) seems a little odd, being mechanical, but it represents the school’s engineering heritage.

Tim, who sent this in, is a fan of both Purdue and postmarks. In fact, he is a member of the Mailer’s Postmark Permit Club and possesses Mailer’s Postmark Permit No. 1 in Buck Creek, Indiana. Here’s the thing: there’s an obscure law that allows you to cancel your own mail. In the days before automation, pre-cancellation saved the Post Office some work. I’ve been thinking about getting a permit myself; I’m not a big fan of the inkjetted postmarks that have been appearing more and more frequently in the U.S. If I do, I’ll let you know; maybe I’ll have a “first day of use” event for the postmark.

“The Boilermaker Special with the familiar Purdue Union Tower in the background, has been the official Purdue University mascot since 1940. Operated by the Purdue Reamer Club, the Special appears at pep rallies, all home football games in Ross-Ade Stadium and most away games.” The Purdue Reamer Club was apparently formed in the 1920s to [...]

Nothing like being in the great outdoors. Of course, this place looks a lot better upholstered than, say, an outback dunny in Australia.

This vintage postcard was published, probably in the late 1940s, by the Asheville Post Card Company. It comes courtesy of Melissa at We Love Snail Mail, who decided on a vintage postcard after struggling with the definition of “wild” postcards. Truth to tell, I don’t even know that definition myself; I just thought the phrase “wild postcards” was catchy.

Nothing like being in the great outdoors. Of course, this place looks a lot better upholstered than, say, an outback dunny in Australia. This vintage postcard was published, probably in the late 1940s, by the Asheville Post Card Company. It comes courtesy of Melissa at We Love Snail Mail, who decided on a vintage postcard [...]