The Eigth Immortals 2011, Thailand.

The Eight Immortals : The Eight Chinese Deities or "Ba Sane" are the patron saints of Chinese Taoists. Their images are believed to be incredibly auspicious. Colorful stories surround the Immortals. There is a world of magic and supernatrual feats that bring benefits to those who invite them into their homes. They are frequently depicted on Chinese porcelain, such as vases, urns and plates, and are believed to bestow happiness and good fortune when their images are displayed inside the the home. The best way to invite them into your home is to hang a beautiful painting of all eight of them, each dressed to reflect individual wordly personas and holding their own symbols of magic.

The Eight Immortals : each guard one of the eight directions, so their presence in the home ensures all round good feng shui. When you have them near you, deep inside there is nothing to fear. They help you bring longevity, good fortune, good descendents, wealth, fame and recognition. They also create compassion and generosity of spirit. Indeed, they are saints, so they stand for all things positive, pure and invigorating.

李鐵拐 Li Tieguai (Iron-Crutch Li).

His direction is South and his element is fire. He is depicted as a beggar with an iron crutch and a magic staff. His symbols are the iron staff and a magical gourd (a symbol of universal medicine). Having mastered the Five Phases of Energy and successfully combining Yin and Yang energy, he can metamorphose matter and concoct medicines and potions from his gourd. He has a reputation for benevolence and is known to help those in need of money and those recovering from illness. He occassionally transforms into a dragon and flies to the Heavens, but frequently returns to Earth when called upon. He travels to Earth mounted on a Pi Yao or chimera, a mythical guardian animal symbolizing diginity and courage.

鐘離權 Zhongli Quan (further) or Han Chong Li.

His direction is East and his element is wood. He is portrayed as bearded and thinly clad. His hair is gathered in two coils on the sides of his head. His symbol is a magical palm-leaf fan, which he uses to revive and reincarnate the souls of the recently departed. Over 1,800 years of old, he is said to frequently visit the Earth realm as a messenger of the Gods of Heaven. He is mounted on a Chi Lin, a mythical animal sacred to the Taoists. If you invite him into your home, he will bring honorable sons into your family and invoke the great support of the magical Tai Sui, also known as the Grand Duke Jupiter. It is said that if you have upset the Tai Sui, having his image in the home will appease the Tai Sui, thereby saving you from misfortune. He signifies longevity.

呂洞賓 Lü Dongbin (further).  

His direction is West and his element is metal. He is always portrayed with a double-edged "demon slaying" magical sword strapped on his back. This pure Yang sword possesses supernatural powers and was given to him by a dragon. It makes him invisible to evil spirits and enables him to hide in the heavens. Popularly known as Ancestor Lu, his three-part beard symbolizes the three Channels in the body that is used to attain the highest meditative levels. He is believed to have spent 400 years on earth, and periodically reappears. He can be accessed via channeling through mediums. High meditators can communicate directly with him. When you invite him into your home, you can be certain that no one with evil intentions can enter your house.

張果老 Zhang Guo Lao (Elder Zhang Guo). 

His direction is North and his element is water. His symbol are the magical donkey and tube containing wands or "phoenix feathers" which he uses to forecast fortunes and misfortunes. When he is not riding his donkey, he can fold the donkey and put it in a small box. He is believed to assist those who have passed on to reincarnate into good realms. His image is best placed inside bedrooms, especially for those who are trying to have children. He is also said to be excellent at giving you the gift of prophetic dreams.

何仙姑 Immortal Woman He (何瓊 He Qiong) or He Shian Gu.

Her direction is Southwest and her element is earth. Taoists believe that she is still alive, but is now over 1,400 years old. She became immortal at 14 when she was given the precious Peach of Immortality. She is shown holding a magical lotus blossom, the flower of divine brilliance, which symbolizes her power and purity. She sits on a deer, a symbol of energetic longevity. She helps those whose situations are desperate and in need of divine intervention. She brings marriage and family luck.

藍采和 Lan Caihe. 

His direction is Northwest and his element is metal. He is the youngest of the Eight Immortals. His symbol is a magical basket of flowers, which consists of 108 flowers, plants, and branches from trees associated with longevity, such as the chrysanthemum, peach blossom, pine and bamboo. He is mounted upon an elephant, a symbol of wisdom, strength and prudence, and is also a friend of the crane. Having him in your home help brings joyousness and attracts beautiful people into your life.

                                

韓湘 Han Xiang (Master Han Xiang [韓湘子 Han Xiangzi]).

His direction is Southeast and his element is wood. He is an expert on the mysteries of Heaven and a Master of the Five Phases of Energy. The sacred knots on his robe are symbols of his success in combining the two energies of Yin and Yang into the One Original Energy. He always carries a flute, with which he plays the Six Healing Sounds. His magical flute was made of purple bamaoo and it glows purple light in the dark. He is shown mounted on an Ox, a mythical beast.

曹國舅 Cao Guojiu (Royal Uncle Cao).

His direction is Northeast and his element is earth. He is one of two royal brothers whose sister was a Sung Empress. His symbol are the magical castanets (a pair of small pieces of bamboo plate that are joined at the top), which he plays in a soothing and relaxing rhythm to facilitate meditation and to help him journey through the universe. He is mounted on a Pi Yao whose spirit helps him unveil the secrets of the Tao and Immorality. He is said to be still living on earth. Having him in the home is said to invoke his protective presence. He is like a powerful protector who guards you without you even knowing it. He is an excellent friend of those who want to be successful in their studies.

The Eigth Immortals crossing the sea from Myths and Legends of China.

A set of the Eigth Immortals stamps from China.

The Thai stamps issued on 01/02/2011.

The Year of the Dragon 2012, Christmas Island, Australia.

The Year of the Dragon 2012,
01/23/2012 - 02/09/2013 (Water)

the Year of 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, which begins on January 23, 2012 and ends on February 9, 2013. The Dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal signs. The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. In ancient China, the celestial Dragon represents an emperor and power. Today, it is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness. May the celestial Dragon bring great good luck to everyone.

The dragon is described as having the head of an ox, muzzle of a donkey, eyes of a shrimp, horns of a deer, body of a serpent covered with fish scales, and feet of a phoenix. The dragon usually clutches a pearl symbolic of its super-natural powers. Invariably accompanied by thunder and rain, dragons move like lightning and whirlwinds - - all powerful yet totally unpredictable.

The Sign of the Dragon
People born in the Year of the Dragon share certain characteristics: Innovative, enterprising, self-assured, brave, passionate, conceited, and quick-tempered.
People born in the Year of the Dragon usually make it to the top. But, they must be aware of that too much enthusiasm can leave them tired and unfulfilled. They find pleasure in helping others, and you can always count on their help. Even though they are willing to assist when necessary, their pride can often impede them from accepting the same kind of help from others. Their generous personalities give them the ability to attract friends, but they can be rather solitary people at heart. Their self-sufficiency can mean that they have no need for close bonds with other people.

Dragon people are quite imaginative, always able to see new paths and will take a radical approach. They have innate explorative spirit and try to succeed at one stroke. They are very adaptable and are fit for various occupations, especially if those occupations allow them to take the limelight. They work hard, but would rather give orders than receive them. They should avoid jobs that encompass too much routine, and should move toward jobs in which their self-reliance can be an asset.
People born in the Year of the Dragon like to spend money and are charitable themselves as well as with others. Many Dragon people will take big chances with their finances. It is very rare that they remain poor for long. They will always be straightforward in financial dealings and can always be trusted.
Dragon Years: 02/19/1904 to 02/03/1905 (Wood), 02/03/1916 to 01/22/1917 (Fire), 01/23/1928 to 02/09/1929 (Earth), 02/08/1940 to 01/26/1941 (Metal), 01/27/1952 to 02/13/1953 (Water), 02/13/1964 to 02/01/1965 (Wood), 01/31/1976 to 02/17/1977 (Fire), 02/17/1988 to 02/05/1989 (Earth), 02/05/2000 to 01/23/2001 (Metal), 01/23/2012 to 02/09/2013 (Water).

Christmas Island issued the Year of the Dragon on 10 January 2012.

The stamps show the development of the Chinese character for the Dragon, shown fully in the $1.80 stamp, and the way it is derived from its pictorial representation, shown in the 60c stamp.

                                     

Great goodluck to everyone!!

Why not be naked in public?

" Why not be naked in public? " " There are public beaches where people do that. America is the place that exists between New York and California, that’s the real America. New York and California are not part of that. You have the whole Bible belt with a lot of resentfulness of nudity in public places. People make references to my work as sex, which is simply not true. Sex is an activity and nudity is a condition. When I do a painting, everybody calls them pinups. When Picasso or Matisse did nude paintings, people called them nudes. That’s what I want to be part of. I want to be of the group that’s called nudes not pinups. Jesus Christ. " Mel Ramos.

Mel Ramos : Melvin John Ramos (born July 24, 1935), is a U.S. figurative painter, whose work incorporates elements of realist and abstract art. Born in Sacramento, California, he gained his greatest popularity in association with the Pop Art movement of the 1960s.
Mel Ramos received his first important recognition in the early 1960s; since 1959 he has participated in more than 120 group shows. Along with other artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg and James Rosenquist, Ramos produced art works that celebrated aspects of popular culture as represented in mass media. His paintings have been shown in major exhibitions of Pop Art in the U.S. and in Europe, and reproduced in books, catalogs, and periodicals throughout the world.
The classification of Ramos within any particular school of art is disputed. Some critical observers of the "art scene" classify Mel Ramos as a pop artist. However, others believe identification of Ramos' work within the Pop movement of the 1960s implies a satirical or parodic bent which does not reflect the broader context of his paintings, and instead defend his "parodies" as respectful, affectionate tributes, a celebration of images with personal meaning. Mel Ramos was one of four artist in the "Ashes to Life - A Portuguese American Story in Art", which was published in English and Portuguese for the exhibit of the same name with artists Nathan Oliveira Nathan Oliveira, Joao de Brito and John Matos in 2008.
Ramos has been represented by the Louis K. Meisel Gallery since 1971.

« I have my own concept of good taste. When I do my paintings I’m not trying to make any confrontational image, something that will piss someone off on purpose. I’m not into doing that. Picasso did a lot of erotic drawings, pornographic drawings some would call them. So have I, but I did them for fun and to trade with my artist friends. I’m not trying to make somebody angry by being too obvious, too blatant, and too available. »

Cinderella Pop Art of Mel Ramos.

It's time to write letter and lick stamp instead of send electronic mail!!!!!!!  ^^;

Operation Valkyrie : 20 July 1944, Germany.

July 20, 1944 : Operation Valkyrie and the July Plot to Assassinate Hitler.

Operation Valkyrie (German: Operation Walküre) was an emergency continuity of government operations plan developed in Nazi Germany for the Territorial Reserve Army of Germany to execute and implement in case of a general breakdown in civil order of the nation. Failure of the government to maintain control of civil affairs could be caused by the Allied bombing of German cities, or a rising of millions of foreign forced laborers working in German factories.

German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) officers General Friedrich Olbricht, Major General Henning von Tresckow, and Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg modified the plan with the intention of using it to take control of German cities, disarm the SS, and arrest the Nazi leadership once Hitler had been assassinated in the July 20 Plot. Hitler's death (as opposed to his arrest) was required to free German soldiers from their oath of loyalty to him (Reichswehreid). After lengthy preparation, the plot was carried out in 1944, but failed.

General Helmuth Stieff, Chief of Organization in Army High Command, volunteered to be the assassin but later backed away. Tresckow attempted several times to be assigned to Hitler's headquarters without success. At least six attempts were aborted . Finally, Stauffenberg decided to carry out both the assassination attempt and the Valkyrie operation on July 20, 1944.  

It was decided to drop plans to kill Goering and Himmler at the same time. which greatly reduced the chance of success. After two abortive attempts, Stauffenberg, who had never met Hitler before, carried the bomb in a briefcase and placed it on the floor and hurried back to Berlin to assume his pivotal role. The bomb exploded killing four men in the hut. Hitler's right arm was badly injured but he survived the bomb blast.

For his involvement in the movement he was shot shortly after the failed attempt. It was later reported the Stauffenberg died shouting "Long live holy Germany". 

                             

                                    

Millenary Year 954-1954 Defeat of Eric Bloodaxe.

Eric Bloodaxe Haraldsson (Second king of Norway, Last Viking King of York).
 Eric was born ca. 895, the favored son of Norwegian King Harald Fairhair. According to the colorful Icelandic sagas he began his Viking career aged 12. He started first in the east and south towards Holland,Denmark and northern Germany. He was away from home for four years during which time he raided successfully in Scotland, Ireland, Britain and Normandy as well as Finnmark in northern Norway and Bjarmeland (Today, Bjarmeland comprise a part of the Arkhangelsk Oblast of Russia.).
 Eirik developed into a strong, fearsome warrior who was cruel, moody and mostly uncontrollable. It was during this period he became known as Eirik Bloodaxe following the unmerciful use of his axe in battle.

On one expedition he met and married a witch called Gunnhild, who is generally portrayed as an evil witch, the daughter of the king of Denmark.

The sagas recount how Eric became king of Norway after the death of his father and had four of his older brothers killed in his bid to keep the crown. But he was ousted by his younger brother « Hakon » and came to Britain where he was made king of Northumbria and lived in a palace in York.

He earned his nickname « Blood axe » by murdering several of his brothers in order to secure his succession to the Norwegian throne, one of the Latin texts calls him « fratris interfector » ( brother-killer), so it seems likely that «  blood » in this context refers to family, just as today we refer to «  blood relations » as distinct from relations by marriage or adoption.

In 947 Eric became a King of Northumbrians. The English king Eadred responded by invading and ravaging Northumbria, burning down St Wilfrid’s minster at Ripon.

As the English army headed south, Eric Bloodaxe’s army caught up with its rearguard and ‘made a great slaughter’ at Castleford. Eadred threatened to destroy Northumbria in revenge, and the Northumbrians turned their back on Eric and made reparations to the English king. 

After another change of mind they accepted Olaf Sihtricsson as their ruler, only for Eric to drive him out and take over again. Finally in 954 Eric Bloodaxe was expelled for the second and final time and King Eadred of Wessex and England gained control. 

Eric's death at the battle of Stainmore in 954 brought an end to independent Viking rule in Northumbria. This is sometimes taken as the end of the first Viking Age, although Viking raids on England resumed in the 980s. However, raiding and settlement in Ireland, Scotland and Wales continued throughout the period in between, so this date is only significant in a purely English context.

Issued on 07/03/1955; Island of Lundy.

The Atomium 1958, Belgium.

The Atomium is a monument in Brussels, originally built for Expo '58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. Designed by André Waterkeyn, it stands 102 metres tall. It has nine steel spheres connected so that the whole forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.

Tubes connect the spheres along the 12 edges of the cube and all eight vertices to the centre. They enclose escalators connecting the spheres containing exhibit halls and other public spaces. The top sphere provides a panoramic view of Brussels. Each sphere is 18 metres in diameter. Three spheres are currently (2008) closed to visitors, others can be reached easily by escalators. The vertical vertex contains a lift which was very fast and advanced at the time of building (the speed is 5 m/s).One of the original ideas for Expo '58 was to build an upside-down version of the Eiffel Tower; however, Waterkeyn felt that an atomic structure would be more symbolic of the era. The monument was originally planned to stand there for six months. However, it became a symbol not only of the World's Fair but also of modern architecture and the city of Brussels and of Belgium. It received monument status and stayed on the former exhibition grounds for over 50 years. It is now one of Brussels' main attractions.

  In April 2006, the Belgium issued a commemorative coin of € 2 coin representing the Atomium.

Issued on 1958.

Dinosaurs.

Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae (meaning "Phu Wiang lizard") is the name given to a genus of dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous. It was a titanosaur which lived in Thailand. The type species, P. sirindhornae, was described by Martin, Buffetaut, and Suteethorn in 1994, it was named to honour Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand on her interested on geology and palaeontology of Thailand. It was around 90 feet long.
This new genus is very different from the sauropods from the upper Jurassic of China. Abundant remains of juveniles, attributed to Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae, provide new data on babies sauropodes, little known until now.

Siamotyrannus Isanensis (meaning "Siamese Tyrant") is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian). It is known from a partial skeleton which includes part of the pelvis, the sacrum, and a number of vertebrae. The fossils were found in 1993 by Somchai Traimwichanon in the Sao Khua Formation of northeastern Thailand. As evidenced by its name, it was originally thought to be a tyrannosauroid, though due to lacking some of the primary tyrannosauroid synapomorphies that define the clade, its position here is not certain. Some analyses have categorized Siamotyrannus as a primitive carnosaur rather than a basal tyrannosauroid, and it has several features that may determine it to be an allosaurid or a sinraptorid. Little is known of the appearance of the animal, though the known elements suggest it was approximately 6.5 meters long.

Siamosaurus Suteethorni (meaning "Siamese lizard") is a genus of theropod dinosaur from Early Cretaceous Thailand. The size of the animal is unknown, but it may have reached a length of about 9.1 meters (30 ft). The type species, Siamosaurus suteethorni, was formally described by Buffetaut and Ingavat in 1986. There is very little information on this Cretaceous meat-eater, but it is known from teeth that closely resemble those of Spinosaurus; it may have eaten fish.

 Psittacosaurus Sattayaraki (from the Greek for "parrot lizard") is a genus of psittacosaurid ceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of what is now Asia, about 130 to 100 million years ago. It is notable for being the most species-rich dinosaur genus. Nine to eleven species are recognized from fossils found in different regions of modern-day China, Mongolia and Russia, with a possible additional species from Thailand.

                                                            Issued on 28/08/1997.                                

Wild Animals.

 

 

The Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. In 2008, the IUCN classified the fishing cat as endangered since they are concentrated primarily in wetland habitats, which are increasingly being settled, degraded and converted. Over the last decade, the fishing cat population throughout much of its Asian range declined severely. Fishing cat are endangered due to their dependence on wetlands, which are increasingly being settled and converted for agricultural use, and also due to human over-exploitation of local fish stocks. It is believed to be extirpated in Afghanistan, it may already be gone from Malaysia and China, and it has become rare throughout its remaining distribution range.

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest cat species. Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts.
In zoos, tigers have lived for 20 to 26 years, which also seems to be their longevity in the wild.[5] They are territorial and generally solitary but social animals, often requiring large contiguous areas of habitat that support their prey requirements. This, coupled with the fact that they are indigenous to some of the more densely populated places on earth, has caused significant conflicts with humans. Tigers once ranged widely across Asia, from Turkey in the west to the eastern coast of Russia. Over the past 100 years, they have lost 93% of their historic range, and have been extirpated from southwest and central Asia, from the islands of Java and Bali, and from large areas of Southeast and Eastern Asia. Today, they range from the Siberian taiga to open grasslands and tropical mangrove swamps. The remaining six tiger subspecies have been classified as endangered by IUCN.

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its range of distribution has decreased radically because of hunting and loss of habitat. It is now chiefly found in sub-Saharan Africa; there are also fragmented populations in the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China. Because of its declining range and population, it is listed as a "Near Threatened" species on the IUCN Red List.

Compared to other members of the Felidae family, the leopard has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull. It is similar in appearance to the jaguar, but is smaller and more slightly built. Its fur is marked with rosettes similar to those of the jaguar, but the leopard's rosettes are smaller and more densely packed, and do not usually have central spots as the jaguars do. 

Leopards live mainly in grasslands, woodlands, and riverine forests. They are usually associated with savanna and rainforest, but leopards are exceptionally adaptable: in the Russian Far East, they inhabit temperate forests where winter temperatures reach a low of −25 °C (−13 °F). Leopards are known for their ability in climbing, and have been observed resting on tree branches during the day, dragging their kills up trees and hanging them there, and descending from trees headfirst. They are powerful swimmers, very agile, and can run at over 58 kilometres per hour . and jump up to 3 metres. Leopards are versatile, opportunistic hunters, and have a very broad diet, consists mostly of ungulates and monkeys, but they also eat rodents, reptiles, amphibians, insects, birds (like the Vulturine Guineafowl), fish and sometimes smaller predators (such as bat-eared foxes, martens, and jackals).

The jungle cat (Felis chaus) is a medium-sized cat native to Asia from southern China in the east through Southeast and Central Asia to the Nile Valley in the west. It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as it is widespread and common particularly in India. Population declines and range contraction are of concern, particularly in Egypt, in the Caucasus, and in southwestern, Central and Southeast Asia.

Geographic variation in the jungle cat is quite considerable. Due to the small tuft on the ears it is also called the jungle lynx but is not related to the lynx

This species of cat is capable of being domesticated under certain conditions. Cat breeders have been able to hybridize jungle cats with certain domestic cats, producing such breeds as the "chausie" (Jungle Cat x domestic cat) and the "jungle bob" (Jungle Cat x Pixie Bob).

                                Issued on 13/04/1998.

Protecting the King of Jungle.

Tigers are mammals of the same family as cats. These large cats are unique in appearance and behavior. They are nocturnal animals who hunt at night. Tigers are recognized as the King of the jungle and hunters of exceptional skill. However, the rapid decrease in tiger population in recent years makes it imperative for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to seriously step up its tiger conservation efforts.
The WWF is an international organization that has been involved in wildlife conservation for over 40 years. Its missions are dedicated to the protection and conservation of natural resources and the environment through a combination of scientific knowledge and local wisdom. WWF has also developed close collaborations with numerous individuals, conservation groups and organizations at different levels in many countries all over the world.
- The Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) is a small wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as vulnerable by IUCN as it occurs at low densities, and its total effective population size is suspected to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, with no single population numbering more than 1,000. Marbled cats are found in tropical Indomalaya westward along the Himalayan foothills westward into Nepal and eastward into southwest China, and on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. They are primarily associated with moist and mixed deciduous-evergreen tropical forest.

- The Asiatic Golden Cat (Pardofelis temminckii) is the largest of the small cat species & can be found from Tibet, Nepal & India to Southern China through southeast Asia to Sumatra. This cat is very uncommon & threatened by deforestation, & hunting for their pelt. This sub species is classified at near threatened and they do not breed well in captivity.  Found only in the country of Borneo, the Bay Cat is still a mystery and may simply be a smaller island form of the Asian Golden Cat. Because of their reclusive nature and small habitat, they managed to elude photographers in the wild for a long time.

- The Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalsensis) is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. Leopard cats are about the size of a domestic cat, but more slender with longer legs and well-defined webs between the toes.
Their range extends from the Amur region in the Russian Far East over the Korean Peninsula, China, Indochina, the Indian Subcontinent, to the West in northern Pakistan, and to the south in the Philippines and the Sunda islands of Indonesia. They are found in agriculturally used areas but prefer forested habitats.
They are rare in Pakistan’s arid treeless areas. In Sabah’s Tabin Wildlife Reserve leopard cats had average home ranges of 3.5 km² (1.4 sq mi). In Thailand’s Phu Khieu Wildlife Reserve 20 leopard cats were radio-collared between 1999 and 2003.

- The Flat-headed Cat (Prionailurus planiceps) is a small wild cat patchily distributed in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra. Since 2008, it has been listed as Endangered by the IUCN due to destruction of wetlands in their habitat. It is suspected that the effective population size could be fewer than 2,500 mature individuals, with no subpopulation having an effective population size larger than 250 adult individuals.
The distribution of flat-headed cats is restricted to lowland tropical rainforests in extreme southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei Darussalam, Kalimantan and Sumatra. They primarily occur in freshwater habitats near coastal and lowland areas. More than 70% of records were collected less than 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from water.
Flat-headed cats occur in both primary and secondary forest.
                                                     It's the first WWF stamps of Thailand.
                                                     Issued on 26/09/2011.

                                                                                 

The Trappist Beers.

Trappist beers are beers brewed in a Trappist monastery. For a beer to qualify for Trappist certification, the brewery must be in a monastery, the monks must play a role in its production and policies and the profits from the sale must be used to support the monastery and/or social programs outside. Only seven monasteries currently meet these qualifications, six of which are in Belgium and one in the Netherlands. Trappist beer is a controlled term of origin: it tells where the beers come from, it is not the name of a beer style. Beyond saying they are mostly top-fermented, the beers produced by the Trappist have very little in common stylistically.

The current Belgian Trappist producers are:-
- Achel, sells Blonde (8% ABV), Brune (8% ABV), Extra Blonde (8% ABV), Extra Brune (8% ABV).
- Chimay sells Red Label (dark, 7% ABV), White Label (Blonde/Tripel, ABV 8%) and Blue Label (dark, 9% ABV).
- La Trappe ( Koningshöven )
- Orval sells a "unique" dry hopped 6.2% amber beer.
- Rochefort sells three dark beers, "6" (7.5% ABV). "8" (9.2% ABV) and "10" (11.3% ABV).
- Westmalle sells Dubbel (7% ABV) and Tripel (9% ABV),
- Westvleteren sells Green Cap or Blonde, (5.8% ABV), Blue Cap (dark, 8% ABV) and Yellow Cap (dark, 10.2% ABV).

The Trappist monasteries that now brew beer in Belgium were occupied in the late 18th century primarily by monks fleeing the French Revolution. However, the first Trappist brewery in Belgium (Westmalle) did not start operation until 10 December 1836, almost 50 years after the Revolution. That beer was exclusively for the monks and is described as "dark and sweet." The first recorded sale of beer (a brown beer) was on 1 June 1861.

Beers from all seven trappist.                                                      Belgian beer glasses.            
               

                   





Issued on 16.01.2012.             

Orval Abbay.

Orval Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Orval) is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1132 in the Gaume region of Belgium and is located in Villers-devant-Orval, part of Florenville in the province of Luxembourg. The abbey is well-known for its history and spiritual life but also for its local production of a Trappist beer and a specific cheese.
The site has been occupied since the Merovingian period, and there is evidence that there was already a chapel here in the 10th century. In 1070, a group of Benedictine monks from Calabria settled here, at the invitation of Arnould, Count of Chiny, and began construction of a church and a monastery, but after some forty years, possibly because of the death of Count Arnould, they moved away again. They were replaced by a community of Canons Regular, who completed the construction work: the abbey church was consecrated on 30 September 1124.
In 1132, a group of Cistercian monks from Trois-Fontaines Abbey in Champagne arrived, and the two groups formed a single community within the Cistercian Order, under the first abbot, Constantin.

Around 1252, the monastery was destroyed by a fire; the rebuilding took around 100 years.

In the 17th century, the abbey converted to the Trappist branch of the Cistercian order, but reverted back to the Rule of the main order in around 1785.
In 1793, during the French Revolution, the abbey was completely burnt down by French forces, in retaliation for the hospitality it had provided to Austrian troops, and the community dispersed.
In 1887, the land and ruins were acquired by the Harenne family. They donated the lands to the Cistercian order in 1926 so that monastic life could resume on the site. Between 1926 and 1948, under the direction of the Trappist monk Marie-Albert van der Cruyssen, the new monastery was constructed, and in 1935 Orval regained the rank of abbey. On 8 September 1948, the new church was consecrated.

The ruins of the medieval buildings remain on the site and are available to view.

There is a legend of the abbey's foundation, purporting to explain the name '"Orval" and the coat of arms. According to this, the widowed Mathilda of Tuscany was visiting the site, when she lost her wedding ring in a spring, to her great distress. When she prayed for the return of the ring, a trout appeared on the surface of the water with the ring in its mouth. She exclaimed "Truly this place is a Val d'Or (Golden Valley)", from which the name "Orval" is derived, and in gratitude made available the funds for the foundation of the monastery here. The abbey arms show the trout and ring. The spring still supplies water to the monastery and its brewery.

Issued on 8/10/1943.