2015 February. Encircling.
2015 March 07. ENS Chinese New Year Parade Event.
2015 March 09. A letter from EPS members RE the ENS Chinese New Year Parade Event.
This is valuable intel. The EPS cabinet expressed their concern about this Breen-food connection you mention. All food is now looked at askance. Askance. Your adhesion to the tenets of Philatelicism is admirable. But remember, the main goal of EPS members when performing double-agent duties is to gain intel. To unlock their secrets, you must pretend to really be over the moon vis-a-vis coins [FX: involuntary shudder]. Any sort of deviance from this position may raise an alarm. And hackles. Hackles are raised, right? Whatever hackles do.
2015 April 4.
2015 May 3. EPS Fifth Anniversary event photos including rousing speeches by Mailman Miek and Mailman Ted.
======================================================= Elsewhere Philatelic Society Bulletin #1.2.3 2015may13. ======================================================= Thank you to everyone who was able to make it out to celebrate our 5th anniversary. A special thank you to the people who brought extra desserts to share with everyone, and the Special Ghosts who kindly played and sang melodies during cake-eating time. It was a good event. Also thank you to the people who were able to fill out a survey. If you have not filled out a survey, please get it from the nook. If you don't know what the nook is, you need to become a member of the Elsewhere Philatelic Society first at https://stampsfromelsewhere.com. After you have filled out the survey, you can send it to the post office box printed on the survey even though it indicates to wait until June. There are prompts for questions on the survey; some questions that members have asked are answered here below the dotted line. --- "What is the deal with StarTELEWEB?" A long time ago EPS President Emeritus Timothy Q. Pepperscratcher signed up with StarTELEGRAPH to manage the communication and cake needs of the EPS. It has been easier just to use them going forward through the decades than it is to initiate a relationship with some unfeeling multi-national conglomerate. Also a friend of Jimmy is employed there, so we occasionally receive on-the-sly discounts. Officially we know nothing about this. "What are these pre-marked boxes [on the survey]?" There was a problem with the form and the pre-marked boxes were actually invalid characters in the shown typeface. It has been corrected. "Do you need many tiny paper or fabric things for any reason?" I do not think so, but thank you. "How does one go about opening a geode?" Diamond saw, cast-iron plumbing pipe cutter, or hammer and chisel. Please continue researching this before beginning to break the geode into the type of pieces you want. "How do I find out more?!" There is a lot of information available on the nook, which is an EPS repository that requires a special password to access. To get access to the nook, you need to complete your application walkabout to the EPS, which is available at the website https://stampsfromelsewhere.com. "What's it all about, I mean when you get right down to it?" That is up to you. "Why did we break up with the ENS? I know Breen is a jerk but perhaps we don't need him." It seems like a long-standing feud that really makes no sense. Breen has a firm hand on the ENS rudder so that is the way the boat goes, though as we have seen not everyone in the ENS feels the same way. Also, for those of you who are not familiar with the history of the EPS/ENS falling-out, please see the "history" section of the nook. "Where did the ghost particle come from?" This is a difficult question that no one in the EPS can answer. It may be the 21st century version of the Piltdown Man. "If we have a chop designed can we have it made or does that have to be done by the EPS?" No, your design is yours so you can do whatever you want with it. "Do fish cry?" I have not seen any. I hope they are okay. "Why won't my cat sit on my lap?" [Jimmy] every cat is up to something ... not to be trusted "Typewriter sample?" Yes please. This is how you earn one of the stamps in the back of the passport. You can read more about this and how to get other stamps in the "passport" section of the nook. "How can I help?" Continue exploring the path of Philatelicism as detailed in the "path" section of the nook. Also we may require help at events, you can always ask whomever is setting up etc. "Have you lost something?" I looked around. No. "What do the hazard boxes mean?" [Jimmy] heyyyy when i first started making boxes i was worried that people would accidentally bump into them so i started putting hazard stripes on the sides and this worked well to sort of camouflage the endeavour ... people dont pay much attention to hazard signs in general, they just know that it means to stay away ... and i thought it worked well as a theme, in that street art is looked at as being a hazard by cities unless of course you get all the required signatures/permissions/permits etc and by then you might as well throw up four walls and call it a gallery ... the box colors are sometimes little codes, sometimes referents to the environments in which they are placed ... there is no overarching single code scheme for all boxes ... i would like to make more but it has been hard to find the spare time ... "The golden queen bee doth find herself trapped between. Can she ever leave?" I am concerned about this bee. "Is there a way to check if I have submitted everything I need for a passport, etc.?" You can look at the "path" section of the nook, it has all the information about obtaining a passport. "Fifty?" I believe this is in reference to the mis-numbered/titled cake at the fifth anniversary event. The cake was iced by a StarTELEWEB division (StarTELECAKE) and I understand that there are issues with quality control but again, the discounts we receive allow us to look past problematic customer service issues. "Where is the pizza?" [Jimmy] pizza yeah "Who am I?" I guess it depends on the day. You can be many things. "T-shirts? Buttons? Swag?" There were t-shirts at the 5th anniversary event, and there may be shirts available in the future. Buttons & various swag is a good idea. The EPS patches are available now for five dollars from the new "shop" in the nook. "What is it that makes a donut taste so good? Seriously, it's maddening." I think it has a lot to do with the chew profile bookended by sugar. [Jimmy] donuts "Where is the best place I can get ramen in Oakland?" [Jimmy] theres ramen shop which is a california take on japanese ramen ... its not authentic per-se but it is very good ... mitama down the road has the more authentic japanese ramen style ... manpuku sells horrible ramen ... avoid ... in sf theres tanpopo which 100 percent = ramen in japan ... theres also another new ramen place in 101california which is good ... the other new one on kearny and postish is overpriced and mostly garlic ... thats my ramen take "What will come of StarTELEWEB?" I have been hearing good things about the StarTELEspace division seen here: https://clipnong.vn/v/2254 "How many times?" Seven. [Jimmy] thirteen at least "Where does one acquire Jimmy's 2014 stamp that was at the Naming Gallery?" This is the red/black stamp that was included with the EPS #99 publication. There are a very small number of copies available; information is available in the new aforementioned nook "shop." "Chicken or the egg?" It could be both. "Once we have a circled hexagon, what do we do with it?" Please take a photo and send that along with your mailing address to the EPS at mail@starteleweb.com. Thank you. "Who created the first stamp?" William Dockwra and Robert Murray who started the London Penny Post in 1680. "Is there a best candy?" [Ethel] The best candy is the one you like best. just kidding, it's candied orange peel. "Are there any schools in the U.S. that still teach Latin?" Yes. A New York Times article from 2008 indicates that Latin classes within k-12 schools is "on the rise" and that more than 134,000 students had taken the National Latin Exam that year. "How do I get more involved?" Following the path of Philatelicism is a good start. See the path section in the nook. "Where did the pineapple go?" By this you mean the large hexagon pineapple sculpture that was, at one time, sitting outside the plaza you visited during your application walkabout. It was finally mailed to Elsewhere. Stamps are powerful. "What happened to the li'l white guy from Find Jimmy?" Rabbithole Jr. (who appears at the top of the EPS Facebook page) is very close to us and helps with wayfinding. But recent events have not required the assistance of Rabbithole Jr. Unless you're talking about Arfarf, but Arfarf is not that small so probably not. --- Thank you for your questions. If you have any other questions, please send them to the a href="../contact.html">EPS email address. In old news, the Berkeley mail carrier training session remains available. All EPS members should go to the Escapist at 3090 Claremont in Berkeley, and look for the long yellow pamphlet in a plastic bag. It will cost $2.00. - k.
2015 May 14.
======================================================= Elsewhere Philatelic Society Bulletin #1.2.4 2015may18. ======================================================= Hello this is Kaidan Tansu Jr. Photos from the EPS fifth anniversary event are available at the nook. Atlas Obscura is holding another Obscura Day this year on May 30 and the EPS is participating by hosting Stamp Act I, which you most likely took part in. This is the walkabout in San Francisco that is the application for membership into the EPS. Please see the following URL for information: https://www.atlasobscura.com/events/obscura-day-2015-philatelicism-in-sf There is also a stamp window the following day, May 31, open at the event Aeolian Day at Jack London Square. Please see the following URL for information: https://www.thingamajigs.org/aeolianday/
2015 May 30. Atlas Obscura Obscura Day 2015: EPS Membership Application.
Photo by D.
2015 May 31. Aeolian Day featured a surprise visit by a postal inspector.
======================================================= Elsewhere Philatelic Society Bulletin #1.2.5 2015jun02. ======================================================= Hello this is Kaidan Tansu Jr. The nook now has photos from the EPS fifth anniversary and rousing speeches given at that time by Mailman Miek and Mailman Ted. The Atlas Obscura Obscura Day 2015 EPS Membership Application took place this weekend and was an oasis of calm compared to the event held the next day, Aeolian Day. In short, we were visited by a postal inspector. To read the entire story and view dynamic photos, please go to the nook. In old news, the Berkeley mail carrier training session remains available. All EPS members should go to the Escapist at 3090 Claremont in Berkeley, and look for the long yellow pamphlet in a plastic bag. It will cost $2.00. - k.
2015 June 20.
In a surprising reversal of the usual, The Elsewhere Philatelic Society was sub-contracted by StarTELEWEB to provide lite philatelic entertainment at a private event at Oakland's Fairyland USA. The EPS provided mail routing services and issued a commemorative stamp and a "first day" rubber stamp cancellation thing/happening at the Fairyland Post Office. Here it is in the 1950s, when all children were legally required to wear berets:
And here it is this year:
Photo of Headmistress Cloud & 11 by Carolee / Photo of Mailman Miek by Tybeck
Carolee & Frequency / Duckstabd & Mailm@n 9
The EPS brought out all of the usual heavy-hitters for the occasion, including Billy, the long-time official EPS envelope. Billy is from El Segundo. Critical video footage of Billy entertaining the masses appears below.
Movieclip created by Rusty Blazenhoff
Billy also received a very special ribbon!
Very special thanks to Headmistress Cloud (for bringing Billy into our lives) & Frequency (for helping hosting)!
Let's all visit the US Department of Forms. For more information about the US Department of Forms, please visit the Sidehatches page.
======================================================= Elsewhere Philatelic Society Bulletin #1.2.6 2015jul13. ======================================================= Hello this is Kaidan Tansu Jr. It seems like forever ago since the last bulletin. There are many things to talk about. First, an important change of changing. The bulletin and members mailing list addresses have changed. This is something that was thrust upon us without warning. Technology people work that way, they just steamroll right through the middle of your house because that way more cars can get to the ice cream shop faster. The new addresses are at the end of this mail message. On Sunday July 26th there will be a stamp window in operation in the East Bay, from 1pm on. Until 2pm? Sure. 3pm? Perhaps. 4pm? It is uncertain. Please RSVP at this address by sending an email message with the subject line: RSVP JULY 26 2015. You may recall that at the last stamp window, for Aeolian Day, we had a visit from the postal inspector and things did not go swimmingly at all (more information is available at the nook). This event triggered a trip down a bureaucratic rabbithole and we all ended up at very important meeting held by the US Department of Forms. More information on exactly what happened and what it means for the future of the EPS is forthcoming. As you probably already know, a one-page survey is available for EPS members to fill out and one of the questions on the survey was a question about questions you had for the EPS and here are some more that you asked. "Who keeps stealing my mail? WHAT keeps stealing my mail? Does it bite?" Probably a neighbor. Neighbors bite, watch out. "Do people put teeth and eyeballs in their mailboxes to scare off raccoons?" The only enemy raccoons have are humans, so put evidence of human habitation there: letters, postcards, or small packages. "Why are there so many raccoons outside my house?" Regional raccoon distributor nearby. Your neighborhood is probably zoned light-raccoon- industrial. "No really, what IS up with the water hazards?" Jimmy avoids talking that much about his art but I think the premise behind this action was an extension of his land-based pieces wherein if you make removable street art there is a conscious choice involved with actually leaving the art at the site. With water hazards, you seemingly always have the opportunity to jump in the water after your art and retrieve it, until the art has floated away completely and then you realize it is impossible. It is turning black-white into gray. Also there is a message on the plaques, and if anyone finds a water hazard and writes in, something happens. I am not sure what. I do not think Jimmy knows either. No one has written in yet, so the two water hazards are either snuggled up on some shore, or floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Jimmy has indicated that more will be released, but we all seem to be backlogged with EPS things that need doing these days. Things are breaking down, things need documenting, things need filing. "I have been wearing your sweet EPS backpatch on my black jeans jacket & everyone in Boston/ Camberville knows I know what's up. You know?" We know. "Do you still have the cheese from the gallery show?" The tray the half-melted cheese sat on (Trayee) was mysteriously screwed to the plywood wall across the street from the gallery after the closing event. You can see this happening in an action photo on the nook page for the gallery show. The tray just sat there for many days, and the cheese on the tray baked pleasantly in the sun during this time. You would think the cheese would immediately slide off, but it hung on for quite some time. Eventually (two weeks later?) the baked cheese slid off the tray, giving local sticker artists a chance to apply their wares to Trayee. There is an image in the nook under "2014" of this very tray mounted to the plywood wall with these very stickers applied to it. "What is your favorite Kevin Costner movie, and why is it Waterworld?" It is Waterworld, because of all the water. "Where is Jimmy?" He lives in the East Bay. He flits around. "How do I further my mail career?" There is the Berkeley Training Session, which is detailed in the nook. "Why do birds suddenly appear?" Food, usually. "How is Jimmy?" He is taking a breather. Though he starting to eyeball the increasing number of available advertising-based Colorplast sources for creating his Fall '15 nest. He occasionally documents his harvesting and other things at the Twitter account @jmmy2020. "Where is the best place to stick my EPS patch, in your opinion?" I am not sure what patch avenues you have available to you. --- Thank you for your questions. If you have any other questions, please send them to the EPS email address. - k.
2015 July 15.
2015 August 13.
2015 September 2. Phuket Thailand!
2015 September 3.
2015 September 9. Angkor Cambodia!
======================================================= Elsewhere Philatelic Society Bulletin #1.2.9 2015oct14. ======================================================= Hello this is Kaidan Tansu Jr. Occasionally a bulletin will feature graphical imagery and this will be available on the nook, as in this case of this bulletin. Additionally correspondence continues to be sporadically documented on the yearly pages of the nook. All EPS members should be made aware of an upcoming stamp window. Details follow. --- It is the time of the season for haunting. Join Parcel Ghost for a stamp window in Boston's own Post Office Square. You will find the EPS stamp window located under the pergola along the center of the park. We will be stamping passports and processing visas from 3-5pm on Sunday, November 1. How to get there: Post Office Square located on Congress Street between Milk and Franklin Streets. It is a short walk from the MBTA Orange Line (Downtown Crossing/State Street), and a slightly longer walk from the MBTA Red Line (Park Street, South Station). If you can't be there in person, send your spectral form. If your spectral form is otherwise indisposed (it IS a big weekend, after all), you may send an agent to retrieve a visa in your stead. Alternatively, you may send a SASE (stamps picturing our dearly departed are preferred but not required) to the following address: Falco, ATTN: Parcel Ghost, P.O. Box 380582, Cambridge MA 02238. ---
In other news, the introductory EPS trail walkabout map guide that you filled out to apply to the EPS is available in color in a nice envelope for one dollar at The Grand Newsstand, which is on the North-West corner of Market Street and Steuart Street in San Francisco. It is very similar to the kiosk commandeered by the EPS to present the Universal Philatelic Center in 2010. Definitely look at the site if you plan to go or send a friend on a mission there ... they have varying hours for the next month or so. https://www.thegrandnewsstand.com/
Jimmy has been very fidgety lately, he thinks the ENS is up to something. "Time will tell," said Timothy between two of his determinedly-long snoozes. Old news: As you probably already know, a one-page survey is available for EPS members to fill out. You should do that, if you have not. Thank you. It is on the home page of the nook, a website you should have received the password to in your introductory packet. If you are a member of the EPS and cannot access the nook, please send mail to mail@starteleweb.com. The EPS has reached a significant milestone in our membership drive and because of this our various prerequisites to acquire a passport have changed. You can see the new path at the nook path page. The Berkeley mail carrier training session remains available. All EPS members should go to the Escapist at 3090 Claremont in Berkeley, and look for the long yellow pamphlet in a plastic bag. It will cost $2.00. Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, please send them to the EPS email address at mail@starteleweb.com. - k.
2015 November 21.
