Archives for May 20th, 2004

The Golden Bird by Jelka Reichman, 2003.

The Slovenian Post Office has a fantastic online gallery of Slovenian stamps from 1991 to today. It’s very nicely organized with explanations of who or what is on the stamp, and why.

Left: Olive Fruit Fly by Matjaž UÄ?akar, 2003.
Right: 300th anniversary of Valvasor’s Death by Milena GregorÄ?iÄ?, 1993.

Things start off pretty modest in 1991, but the independence-year stamps quickly give way to some inspired creations. It’s interesting to browse through the collection and see some of the things that were occupying the nation’s mind in its early years. From my browsing, I think this one (commemorating the 2002 Chess Olympiad in Bled) pleased me the most:

Chess Olympiad - Horse by Maja and Miljenko Licul, 2002.

For more, go see the gallery of Slovenian stamps.

I got a letter yesterday from Vienna. Instead of a return address there was just the name “Mig” scrawled across the back, written in either ink or lamb’s blood. Probably ink.

Either way, I know two people with that name: one of them is a blogger in Vienna and the other is a foul-mouthed onanist who appears in Silence of the Lambs. Since the latter is actually named “Miggs,” I guessed that it came from the former.

Of course, my other big clue was that Mig (the blogger) recently promised me a token of goodwill for participating in Lost in Transit, where I write short stories about William Shatner. He was vague about what this gift might be but did mention that: “You have a surprise coming to you.” I was very curious about what it might be.

When I opened the letter, this is what I saw:
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