NorthStar Flags

Before Kenny Rogers amazed the world with his songwriting prowess and his world famous roasted chicken recipe, there was another Roger who swept through the world with his sea adventures and nautical exploits. No, I’m not talking about a famous captain, or explorer that has a Roger on his or her name. I’m talking about Jolly Roger, the universal symbol for pirates and wannabe pirates for that matter. And between Kenny and Jolly, I would say the latter Roger has had more appearances in Hollywood these past few years. With movies such as The Pirates of the Caribbean, there’s no doubt the world has this special fascination for pirates and the life of one.

The Jolly Roger was created with the collaborative efforts of four famous pirates namely Edward England, John Taylor, Sam Bellamy and John Martel. Those four were notorious for their adventures in the seas of Africa and India. Their idea for a pirate symbol however, extended farther from these seas wherein their lives as pirates were mostly spent. Eventually, their design became the generic symbol for pirates and piracy, and did spread menace all over the world of sea navigation

Since its rise to popularity, a lot of different versions of this pirate symbol have emerged. Every famous pirate captain had his own version. However despite the numerous versions, the famous element of the original design was carried over. This element being the figure of the skull over crossed bones on a black background. The same design you would see on the labels of toxic substances these days, such as poisons and other industrial fluids.

Probably you can make your own Jolly Roger design if you have a yacht or a small boat, just be careful though, you might attract attention from the coastguard. Better buy some Pirate Nautical Pennants. Surely those coast guard guys own some too, and pirate fans don’t arrest pirate fans. Rawr!

Today I had my fair share of work as I helped out in our weekly backyard clean up. It wasn’t that easy, not that hard either.

I came late in the afternoon when the sun was on its way home and there was nothing much left to do. Well it was some sort of as strategy, for me to go in late, but it was a good deed nevertheless.

The tasks left for me to do: gardening and landscaping. Gardening was never that hard, I just had to move plants around. At least those plants get to see something out of the usual. Landscaping was a bit tedious as I had to move a good amount of earth with a shovel that has a not-so-user-friendly handle, and I’m without my gloves. Talk about tough luck.

And it became tougher as I encountered hostile ants living within the mound I had to relocate. I call them the Red Army, for their color mainly, and because I knew ants were natural communists, just like the real Red Army. Good thing they weren’t fire ants, otherwise I would have found greater trouble.

So it was war as the first few ants found their way to my left arm and bit me there. They must have used the shovel as a bridge. Those ants certainly practice war strategies. My counterattack included a brilliant maneuver to pound that mound and then a humble walk-away. I was helpless, I couldn’t bury those ants dead even if I had all the soil in the world. I’ll probably go back and finish my act tomorrow with a flamethrower. Or maybe, the next time the same task is given to me, I’ll hang a M.I.A flag outside my room. I’d rather avoid those ants for good otherwise a P.O.W. Flag with my face on it courtesy of those ants might be standing proud on that mound.

Whenever I sleep late in the afternoon and wake up in the evening, maybe around seven or eight, I get this irrevocable feeling of extreme irritability and hot-headedness. It’s like I’m going to blow up any moment, with a slight disturbance or any provoking situation that comes up as if waving a danger flag infront of my annoyed face.

I really don’t believe in astrology that much but whenever I read anything in connection to the zodiac world such as star signs and zodiac profiles, a description of unpredictability is almost synonymous with my personality structure. Well I admit that I can be a mood swinger sometimes. My mood changes unexpectedly fast that I sometimes wonder how I look like in another person’s eye. It could be really strange, I reckon, but the thing is, I’m the silent type and I’ve got some sort of a poker face. My expression takes more time than my mood, and that’s probably the only thing that’s keeping my friends my seeing me as weird, or sick or both.

I wonder what it is with late afternoon naps that bring the heat to my head. Some friends I know have had the same experience before. So I guess it’s not based on anything related to zodiac signs really. So if it’s not with the general personality of the person, then the behavior must be related with the afternoon sleep.

I really don’t get it but people sleep to relax their bodies, including their minds. Sleep calms the spirit and brings in energy. For this, it doesn’t sound like sleep can actually trigger stubbornness when the person comes out of it and wakes up with a newly charged battery. I’d probably look this queer happening up; maybe ask some people who might know a thing or two about the art of waking up. Meantime, I’m going to hang a danger flag outside my door whenever I’m planning a long afternoon journey to La La Land.

Whenever I sleep late in the afternoon and wake up in the evening, maybe around seven or eight, I get this irrevocable feeling of extreme irritability and hot-headedness. It’s like I’m going to blow up any moment, with a slight disturbance or any provoking situation that comes up as if waving a danger flag infront of my annoyed face.

I really don’t believe in astrology that much but whenever I read anything in connection to the zodiac world such as star signs and zodiac profiles, a description of unpredictability is almost synonymous with my personality structure. Well I admit that I can be a mood swinger sometimes. My mood changes unexpectedly fast that I sometimes wonder how I look like in another person’s eye. It could be really strange, I reckon, but the thing is, I’m the silent type and I’ve got some sort of a poker face. My expression takes more time than my mood, and that’s probably the only thing that’s keeping my friends my seeing me as weird, or sick or both.

I wonder what it is with late afternoon naps that bring the heat to my head. Some friends I know have had the same experience before. So I guess it’s not based on anything related to zodiac signs really. So if it’s not with the general personality of the person, then the behavior must be related with the afternoon sleep.

I really don’t get it but people sleep to relax their bodies, including their minds. Sleep calms the spirit and brings in energy. For this, it doesn’t sound like sleep can actually trigger stubbornness when the person comes out of it and wakes up with a newly charged battery. I’d probably look this queer happening up; maybe ask some people who might know a thing or two about the art of waking up. Meantime, I’m going to hang a danger flag outside my door whenever I’m planning a long afternoon journey to La La Land.

I live in a beautiful city. Not too much cars, not too much population, not too much pollution. Wherever you look, there’s always a hint of a healthy environment. The people are warm and hospitable, and they surely know how to enjoy.

If you’ve got festive people around you, chances are you’re living in a very lively city. That is exactly the case for my hometown. All year round, fests are all over the place. There seems to be a special event every once in a while that the neighborhoods have to celebrate, as every now and then, community-wide parties take place in an audaciously jubilant mood.

But the main event of the city comes in two-fold. There are two city-wide festivals known all over the country; one in March and one in August. The earlier festival is for the town’s inauguration while the other is a thanksgiving festival which is thanking the gods for a bountiful harvest while at the same time asking them to be just as generous when the time for the next harvest comes.

While both festivals have different backgrounds, they are celebrated in almost the same way. The preparations usually take place months before the actual day of the festival. The whole city is decorated with street pole banners and pennant streamers, and citywide exhibits and promotions happen. On the day of the festival itself, the city looks so beautiful that you might end up pretending as a mini Barbie doll walking around in a mini kingdom play set. Everything looks nothing short of fantastical.

When it’s all done though, a calm and quiet week usually follows. It is the time when the city seems to be at sleep. Beauty sleep that is, as the street pole banners usually remain for about a week or so, as if to entice people of the idea that it wouldn’t take so long before the next festival takes place.

I live in a beautiful city. Not too much cars, not too much population, not too much pollution. Wherever you look, there’s always a hint of a healthy environment. The people are warm and hospitable, and they surely know how to enjoy.

If you’ve got festive people around you, chances are you’re living in a very lively city. That is exactly the case for my hometown. All year round, fests are all over the place. There seems to be a special event every once in a while that the neighborhoods have to celebrate, as every now and then, community-wide parties take place in an audaciously jubilant mood.

But the main event of the city comes in two-fold. There are two city-wide festivals known all over the country; one in March and one in August. The earlier festival is for the town’s inauguration while the other is a thanksgiving festival which is thanking the gods for a bountiful harvest while at the same time asking them to be just as generous when the time for the next harvest comes.

While both festivals have different backgrounds, they are celebrated in almost the same way. The preparations usually take place months before the actual day of the festival. The whole city is decorated with street pole banners and pennant streamers, and citywide exhibits and promotions happen. On the day of the festival itself, the city looks so beautiful that you might end up pretending as a mini Barbie doll walking around in a mini kingdom play set. Everything looks nothing short of fantastical.

When it’s all done though, a calm and quiet week usually follows. It is the time when the city seems to be at sleep. Beauty sleep that is, as the street pole banners usually remain for about a week or so, as if to entice people of the idea that it wouldn’t take so long before the next festival takes place.

The world stopped when top rank promotions came up with, “the battle of east and west” and sure enough, the boxing world knew what would happen. After Pacman demolished the Golden Boy, Oscar Dela Hoya, a familiar voice in the crowd said that he would be next and the voice came from the Hitman, Ricky Hatton. The United Kingdom flag and its nation’s pride were carried by Ricky Hatton and I believe that he would defend it with his life. With a new trainer in Floyd Mayweather Sr., the Hitman has changed his strategies and is bearing him fruits of glory. Basing on the fight with Malinaggi, he has taken his technique from being a brawler to being a fast thinking boxer.

On the other side of the world particularly in the east lives a legend named Manny Pacquiao. The fast and explosive boxer that’s making some noise in the boxing world and is considered as the best pound for pound boxer carries the Philippine pride. Known to many as the Pacman they will battle for national pride and glory.

On the May 2, 2009 I witnessed the clash of these two boxers and I expected a brawl that would send someone packing. On the telecast the United Kingdom flag flashed here and there. Everyone was expecting the Hitman to win and take down the person considered as the greatest boxer in the world, Pacman. The fight started and yes it was a brawl not until Manny landed a right hook that sent Hatton down on all fours and after which a barrage of punches took over. Hatton slammed to the canvass and never stood up to fight. The East has conquered the west in the battle of warriors who carry national pride. The battle of the century happened and the greatest was exhibited, a battle that would go down to the annals of history.

The “headquarters” of the Roman Catholic religion, as many would call it, Vatican City remains to be one of the most atypical countries in the world. One reason is that Vatican City is the only sovereign state landlocked within a country. For this, Vatican City is inevitably limited in terms of space, which makes its 44 hectares land area the smallest in the world. In fact Rome, the City which land-locks this small country, is bigger by no less than 25 times.

For a small space, you wouldn’t expect Vatican to have a very large population. Having close to only 900 people who are already accustomed to a prayerful way of life, this city could be considered the quietest city in the world.

The political system of the Vatican is also one of a kind. The sovereign of the state is the Pope, who is assisted by a legislative body made up of cardinals. Having consummate power in all aspects including the executive, legislative and judicial branches, the Pope is currently the only absolute monarch in all of Europe. In this city, the concept of separating the church and the state will never cross anybody’s mind as it is completely impossible to do just that.

The inseparability of these two is more concrete in the very little difference the Papal Flag and Vatican’s Sovereign Flag has. In fact what separate these two flags are the coats of arms found on them. Even at that, the difference between the two coats of arms is very minimal, meaning only the observant ones can tell which is which. So don’t be surprised if you see two identical flags the Pope has with him on parades. It’s not a case of duplication; it’s just a testament to how special Vatican City’s case is, especially to the world of political administration.