More Statue of Liberty Postage Stamps

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Some of the most popular posts at Ghost Town Orange have been ones about the Statue of Liberty and postage stamps. For those new to Ghost Town Orange, here are a few posts that continue to attract visitors and may be worth a second look:

• The Statue of Liberty on Postage Stamps [May 2004]
• Even More Statue of Liberty Images [June 2004]
• New 'Old Bridge' at Mostar, Bosnia [July 2004]

The new rate change postage stamps will add another page to my collection. The stamps will be available in a variety of formats: coil, panes, and booklets. The most difficult to find on mail will be the lick-'em-stick-'em gummed ones. Self-adhesive stamps are understandably more popular.

The US Postal Service will probably issue the same design denominated '39 cents.' So I will be checking my mail after January 8 to see how many different varieties I can identify.

In other Ghost Town Orange news, Sitemeter statistics report that recent visitors have come from the following countries:

• 80% United States
• 3% United Kingdom
• 3% Germany
• 3% Canada
• 2% Netherlands
• 1% Taiwan
• 1% Islamic Republic of Iran
• 1% Ireland
• 1% Hungary
• 1% Greece
• 1% France
• 1% Switzerland
• 1% Bulgaria
• 1% Australia

I have started stamp albums for many of these countries: United States, Germany, Canada, Netherlands, Greece, and France. It's only a matter of time until I add Hungary and Switzerland. My wife and sons have albums for Australia and the United Kingdom. Ghost Town Orange has not attracted many visitors from Latin America, but I collect several Latin American countries too. I'll probably never have a visitor from St. Pierre et Miquelon, but I collect stamps from there. My wife collects Israel, and one of my sons collects Arab Trucial States.

A little man in black, an officer of the Inquisition, who was sitting beside Pangloss, turned to him and politely said:

'It appears, Sir, that you do not believe in original sin; for if all is for the best, there can be no such thing as the fall of Man and eternal punishment.'

'I most humbly beg your Excellency's pardon,' replied Pangloss, still more politely, 'but I must point out that the fall of Man and eternal punishment enter, of Necessity, into the scheme of the best of all possible worlds.'

--Voltaire, Candide, or Optimism, 1759. [Translated by John Butt]