2013 USPS Issues... News? Thoughts? Opinions?

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Is the current rule-of-thumb ten years after their death before honoring someone? (Except presidents of course)

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Commemorative stamps or postal stationery items honoring individuals usually will be issued on or in conjunction with significant anniversaries of their birth, but no postal item will be issued sooner than five years after the individual's death. CSAC will not accept or consider proposals for a subject until at least three years after his/her death. The only exception to the five-year rule is the issuance of stamps honoring deceased U.S. presidents. They may be honored with a memorial stamp on the first birth anniversary following death.
Events of historical significance shall be considered for commemoration only on anniversaries in multiples of 50 years.

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There's something about lighthouses. They fascinate us; they enchant us; they draw us in. Utilitarian yet majestic, these structures achieve a beauty and romance that reach far beyond their practical natures. Recognizing our love affair with these lonely sentinels, the U.S. Postal Service has released a series of stamps celebrating our nation's lighthouses.

New England Coastal Lighthouses features the lighthouses at Portland Head, Maine; Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire; Point Judith, Rhode Island; New London Harbor, Connecticut; and Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. Each stamp shows a close-up view of one of the five lighthouses that captures not only the down-to-earth aspect of the tower but also the mysterious qualities that compel us to come closer.

The five lighthouses are among the oldest in the U.S., and each is on the National Register of Historic Places. Boston Harbor Light is also a National Historic Landmark.

Howard Koslow created original paintings for New England Coastal Lighthouses stamp art—and for the entire lighthouse series. Howard E. Paine was the art director.

The New England Coastal Lighthouses stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.

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The design is virtually identical to the previous issues in the series. Can anyone post all the previous ones if it's not too much hassle (separate post)? This series has been going on for quite some time now - 10 years already?

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Has anyone noticed that of all the 2013 Forever Stamps being announced for issue, only the Lunar New Year Stamps and the Muscle Cars of the 60s and 70s stamps are in a horizontal commemorative format?

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At once both elegant and bold, the Folk Art Eagle Stamped Envelope continues a proud tradition of depicting eagles on postage that began in the late 19th century.

This stamped envelope features a photograph of a plaque that shows an eagle carrying two American flags and a shield. Made from pinewood by an unknown carver, the plaque is finished with red, white, and blue paint and appears to have its original gilding.

Whether shown on the Great Seal of the United States, portrayed majestically in flight, or seen while perched atop a mountain ledge, the eagle has long been associated with patriotism. Since its adoption as our national symbol in 1782, countless artists and artisans have worked eagle motifs into paintings, pottery, furniture, courthouse decorations, quilt patterns, wood carvings, weather vanes, and other functional and decorative objects.

The Folk Art Eagle Stamped Envelope, designed by art director Richard Sheaff, is being issued as a Forever® stamped envelope. Its postage will always be equal to the value of the First-Class Mail one-ounce rate in effect at the time of use, even if the rate increases after purchase.