Rock Português - 19 Julho

CTT celebrates Portuguese Rock this year with 7 stamps featuring 7 albums from 7 artists 30 years after the start of the radio show "Rock em Stock" (Rock in Stock) on Rádio Comercial:
- Rui Veloso - "Air of Rock" (1980)
- Heróis do Mar - "Heroes of the Sea" (1981)
- GNR - "Psicopátria" (a combination of Psycho and Motherland) (1986)
- UHF - "À Flor da Pele", or "Skin deep" (1981)
- Xutos e Pontapés - "88" (1988)
- Moonspell - "Wolfheart" (1995)
- Souvenir Sheet - Quarteto 111 de José Cid - "A Lenda de El-Rei D. Sebastião" or "The Legend of King Sebastian" (1967)
The selection was made by Luís Filipe Barros who broadcasted the show "Rock em Stock" starting in 1980, one of the shows that pushed Portuguese rock the furthest.
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Este ano os CTT celebram o Rock Português com 7 selos destacando 7 albuns de 7 artistas 30 anos depois do lançamento do programa de rádio "Rock em Stock" na Rádio Comercial:

- Rui Veloso - "Ar de Rock" (1980)

- Heróis do Mar - "Heróis do Mar" (1981)

- GNR - "Psicopátria" (1986)

- UHF - "À Flor da Pele" (1981)

- Xutos e Pontapés - "88" (1988)

- Moonspell - "Wolfheart" (1995)

- Souvenir Sheet - Quarteto 111 de José Cid - "A Lenda de El-Rei D. Sebastião" (1967)

A selecção dos albuns foi feita por Luís Filipe Barros, responsável pelo programa Rock em Stock que começou em 1980, um dos programas que mais divulgou o rock feito em Portugal.

Finland - 2010 - First Half

Below are the issues from the first half of 2010 for Finland:


25-Jan - Finnish Rock

This set celebrates Finnish Rock 'n' Roll from the 1980s, with artists Eppu Normaali, Popeda, Yö, Mamba, Dingo, and Maarit.


25-Jan - Cute Fairies

Commemorating St. Valentine's Day, a miniature sheet of delicate fairies was issued. Amongst the fairies are the Heart Fairy, Violin Fairy and Star Fairy. Finns send around 5 million Valentine's Day cards every year.


25-Jan - Cat's foot

Known as the "Pussy Toes", this First Class stamp shows 3 Pussy Toes in an art-nouveau-inspired setting, designed by well-known postcard artist Inge Löök.


8-Mar - Easter Twins and My Easter

Easter is celebrated in 2 very different ways with these 2 stamps. On the left is a modern approach by Kirsti Doukas of Kalevala Jewelry, with her unique Easter-egg-shaped rings. On the right are the Easter Twins designed by Osmo "Omppu" Omenamäki.


8-Mar - Country Romance

Celebrating Finnish rustic romance, this set includes images of huge wild strawberries, a tractor and a farmer, and someone playing the accordion at a dance.


8-Mar - Funny Vegetables

Not only is it Funny but it's Fun as well! This new set includes a do-it-yourself activity feature, where you can put a moustache on a tomato, a hat on broccoli, or give a cucumber ears, with the stickers included in the booklet.


8-Mar - Outstanding Finnish women

This series celebrates 6 renowned Finnish women on 2010's International Women's Day. The 6 women are: Professor Elina Haavio-Mannila, Professor Laila Hirvisaari, Maria-Liisa Nevala the Director of the Finnish National Theatre, Academician Leena Palotie, the designer Ritva-Liisa Pohjalainen, and the artist Aira Samulin.


24-Mar - Nordic Maritime

Part of the Nordic country combined set "Top of the World", Finland chose to depict the award-winning Maritime Center Vellamo, the Finnish Wooden Boat Center, and the Tarmo Museum Ship in the Kantasatama Harbor in Kotka.
The stamp will also be the theme of the 2010 stamp clock.


4-May - Jumping for Joy

Celebration of spring and summer are the theme here with bright colors and joyful activities.


4-May - Europa - Children's Books

The Europa theme for 2010 is shown here via fun images representing Libraries, in the year when the Finnish Library Association celebrates its 100th anniversary. The images designed by Leena Lumme describe how books are doors that open you to different worlds of imagination and facts.


4-May - World's fair Expo 2010 in Shanghai - Kirnu Pavilion

In the year of the World Exposition, in Shanghai, Posti shows us Finland's pavilion at the Expo, called Kirnu, or "Giant's Kettle", representing modern Finnish architecture.


4-May - Finnish Art III

In the 3rd series of Finnish Art, Posti presents sculptures by Kain Tapper, Laila Pullinen, Pekka Aarnio, Kari Huhtamo, Mauno Hartman, Miina Äkkijyrkkä and Arvo Siikamäki.


4-May - Sweep of Wings

The personalized stamp of 2010 depicts a decorative butterfly.


4-May - Post Green

In 2010 Posti introduces the 'Posti Vihreä - Grön Post' stamp as part of the Itella Green program, the first country in the world to produce a stamp 100% environmental conscious. The stamp is made of 100% recyclable OBA-free paper material; no bleach or brightening substances are used, nor was wax or shine substances added to the surface. The fresh green tone comes from a water-solvent print color which does not strain the environment.
The extra fee of 5 cents will go entirely to the fund to support the construction of the first solar power plant in Finland.

Norway - 2010 - First Half

Below are the issues from the first half of 2010 for Norway:


2-Jan - Norwegian Art IV

Fourth set of the series, this time depicting a statue of a man drinking, sculpted in bronze by Per Palle Storm, in 1958. Two copies of this statue exist in Norway, one of which in Oslo at the Kronprinsesse Märthas plass.


2-Jan - Wildlife in Norway V

Fifth set of this beautiful Wildlife series. This year Posten provides us with some furry little animals: the European Otter (15 kr), part of the weasel family; the Lemming (16 kr), part of the hamster family; and the Wolverine, the largest member of the weasel family.
This set is accompanied by Maximum Cards of each stamp.


5-Feb - P.A. Munch Bicentenary / Ole Bull Bicentenary

This set celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of 2 famous Norwegians: P.A. Munch was Norway's most prominent Historian of the 19th Century, while Ole Bull was renowned worldwide for his Violin skills, composing more than 70 works.


24-Mar - Nordic Countries - Life by the sea

Part of the Nordic country combined set "Top of the World", Norway chose to celebrate in this souvenir sheet Stockfish, a profitable export, through the image of the Cod (Bacalhau).


16-Apr - Personalised stamps

The 2010 Personalised stamps depicts the Heather, voted the National Flower of Norway in a radio poll in 1976. It grows all across Norway, but is most common in moorlands, and is known for being a good honey plant for bees and for being used in folk medicine.


16-Apr - Tourist stamps

This years beautiful Tourist stamps present to us a number of wonderful regions of Norway (starting from left): the Valdesflya route (between Garli and Besstrondsaeter in Oppland); the Gamle Strynefjellsvegen route (between Grotli in Oppland and Videsaeter in Sogn og Fjordane); the Sognefjellet route (between Lom and Gaupne, including a passage at Fantesteinen, 1,434 metres above sea level, the highest mountain pass in Northern Europe); the Trollstigen (Troll Ladder) route in the heart of Romsdalen; The Helgelandskysten nord route (which follows the north coast of Helgeland); and the Lofoten national tourist route (from Fiskebol in A).
This series also includes a beautiful set of Maximum cards.


18-May - Norwegian popularmusic II - Eurovision Song Contest

This set commemorates the Eurovision Song Festival but the most interesting part of this set is that the 4th stamp was voted by the public in collaboration with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. The highest voted artist was Jahn Teigen, who had nil points in the 1978 final, and has participated in 16 national finals and with 4 songs in international finals.
The other 3 stamps depict previous winners of the Festival from Norway: Bobbysocks (1985 with "La det swinge"), Secret Garden (1995 with "Nocturne") and Alexander Rybak (2009 with "Fairytale").


18-Jun - Norwegian National Health Association Centenary

Celebrating Norwegian health, the stamp shows us hands that symbolize care, jogging that symbolizes physical activity and a microscope that symbolizes research.


18-Jun - 50th Jazz Festival in Molde

Jazz musician Nils Petter Molvaer is pictured on this stamp that celebrates the 50th edition of the Molde Jazz Festival.


And there we go for Norwegian stamps so far in 2010. A variety of color and themes!