1 July 19

On this date in 1847, the first US postage stamps went on sale -- 5-cent-Franklin and 10-cent-Washington -- in New York City. My tie features postage-stamp images of snowmen from all over the place -- a graffiti-covered guy in New York City, a pile of pyramids in Cairo, Egypt, a beheaded man (a "Roundhead"?) from 17th century England, a pile of pineapples in Honolulu, a leaning tower of snow in Pisa, and a puddle in Florida. With our current muggy weather with temperatures in the 90s, thoughts of snow are especially welcome . . . In other news, today is the birthday of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716).