D'oh!

When I put a stamp on an envelope, I usually choose commemorative stamps over the generic ones. I love the variety they add to my mail, and I enjoy making a new choice each time I go to the Post Office. I was excited to learn that on May 7th some commemorative stamps will issued featuring The Simpsons--Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie.

After they unveiled the artwork yesterday, the Post Office announced a promotion to allow people to vote for their favorite. Today I voted for my favorite Simpsons stamp.

Random facts:

• Out of the approximately 50,000 suggestions for stamp subjects the U.S. Postal Service receives each year, about 20 are selected to become postage.

• The Simpsons, which is the longest-running comedy in television history, is the only television show to be featured as the subject of a stamp set while it's still in prime time production.

• Bart Simpson is a philatelist (stamp collector). His stamp collection is stolen in episode 92 (Homer The Vigilante), which was first aired in 1994.

Voting for my favorite stamp was easy. I scrolled through the five stamps, and clicked the button. Voting began on April 9th and will go through May 14th, 2009. The website encouraged me to "vote early and often"; I may just do that!