NorthStar Flags

I am fascinated with businesses that display proudly our Old Glory and it gave me the urge to interview owners about the impact of this symbol to their sales in particular. To the majority they cannot quantify the effect, but many were using the flag only to show their patriotism and support for our troops sent to hot spots around the world.

On the other hand, I tried to talk to consumers who frequent these establishments and they have nice things to say. A war veteran who came in for coffee has been enticed by the presence of the US flag as it offers warmth and a feeling of camaraderie. It seems that you are entering again into the company of comrades and mingle intimately with your buddies.

A housewife and her kid who obviously is out for her weekly grocery shopping picked this particular establishment because of the presence of the American flag. This gave her a sense of security, that nothing could go wrong especially after 911. She used to be critical of people and stare at them blankly for any clues as to their intention, but in this store she can rest her fears and do what she had to do – shopping.

For an out of town executive who roamed around town and was looking for neat a place for lunch, luckily found this place flying the American flag. Rightfully he feels this must be the best watering hole this side of town.

So, owners of this establishment may not be aware of the attraction given by the flag, but the fact remains that clients patronize, again because of the flag.

I am fascinated with businesses that display proudly our Old Glory and it gave me the urge to interview owners about the impact of this symbol to their sales in particular. To the majority they cannot quantify the effect, but many were using the flag only to show their patriotism and support for our troops sent to hot spots around the world.

On the other hand, I tried to talk to consumers who frequent these establishments and they have nice things to say. A war veteran who came in for coffee has been enticed by the presence of the US flag as it offers warmth and a feeling of camaraderie. It seems that you are entering again into the company of comrades and mingle intimately with your buddies.

A housewife and her kid who obviously is out for her weekly grocery shopping picked this particular establishment because of the presence of the American flag. This gave her a sense of security, that nothing could go wrong especially after 911. She used to be critical of people and stare at them blankly for any clues as to their intention, but in this store she can rest her fears and do what she had to do – shopping.

For an out of town executive who roamed around town and was looking for neat a place for lunch, luckily found this place flying the American flag. Rightfully he feels this must be the best watering hole this side of town.

So, owners of this establishment may not be aware of the attraction given by the flag, but the fact remains that clients patronize, again because of the flag.

If you are a Christian, you must have witnessed the pilgrimage of the Pope to the Holy Land that happened during the month of March 2000. Why did the Pope take the risk? The obvious reason is of course to reduce the tension between the Muslims, the Christians and the Israelites; and considering that this is the first trip of any Holy Father to this part of the world, this is indeed historic.

Since Jordan is the first stop for his itinerary, what preparations were made? For once the people of Jordan were united in welcoming the Pope, as hundreds of papal flags were posted and thousands of Jordanian mini flags were waved by well-wishers at the pilgrimage route. And to think that Christians only comprise 4% and Sunni Muslims the rest of the population, the event really transcends whatever divides the devotees.

Why was Jordan chosen as the first stop? Well from the Bible Mount Nebo is east of the city Madaba in Jordan, it overlooks the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley which fronts Jericho and Jerusalem.

This area is significant to the Christian faith since it was here that God showed Moses the Promised Land and with succinct instructions that he can only see it but not able to cross the Jordan river nor occupy it. Again it is in Mount Nebo that Moses the servant of the Lord spent his final days and died in the land of Moab.

So, from Moses memorial in Mount Nebo the Pope will meet with 40 local church leaders and will then proceed to the Apostolic Nunciature in Abdoun.

If you are a Christian, you must have witnessed the pilgrimage of the Pope to the Holy Land that happened during the month of March 2000. Why did the Pope take the risk? The obvious reason is of course to reduce the tension between the Muslims, the Christians and the Israelites; and considering that this is the first trip of any Holy Father to this part of the world, this is indeed historic.

Since Jordan is the first stop for his itinerary, what preparations were made? For once the people of Jordan were united in welcoming the Pope, as hundreds of papal flags were posted and thousands of Jordanian mini flags were waved by well-wishers at the pilgrimage route. And to think that Christians only comprise 4% and Sunni Muslims the rest of the population, the event really transcends whatever divides the devotees.

Why was Jordan chosen as the first stop? Well from the Bible Mount Nebo is east of the city Madaba in Jordan, it overlooks the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley which fronts Jericho and Jerusalem.

This area is significant to the Christian faith since it was here that God showed Moses the Promised Land and with succinct instructions that he can only see it but not able to cross the Jordan river nor occupy it. Again it is in Mount Nebo that Moses the servant of the Lord spent his final days and died in the land of Moab.

So, from Moses memorial in Mount Nebo the Pope will meet with 40 local church leaders and will then proceed to the Apostolic Nunciature in Abdoun.

Would you believe that there exist a Tibetan prayer flag? In practically all known religions around the world, the use of flags have been universal. The Christians have devised their own flag, so do with the other denominations who had various applications for flags, and the Catholics have their set of flags as well designed after flags used by the Vatican.

However, if you travel to Tibet you will see a lot of unique and colorful flags or the bon prayer flags or sutras. This set of flags are normally strung by a rope and attached to poles of houses.

Does it have a religious significance? Yes, it was part of their religious life before the indoctrination of Tibet into Buddhism and the bon belief was the dominant religion of the people then. The sutra was part of the indigenous bon religion and today it is still used sparingly but merely as a religious decoration. Having lost its religious significance, sutras still dominates the landscape as their colors are
attractive and stands out from afar, although looking at it closely it shows pictures or text as well as prayers printed on it.

Aside from the sutras, Tibet also hung thangkas – a revered art form usually made from cotton, rectangular in shape and artistically made through the precise application of ink dyes. To complete the cultural feel of Tibet, a circular flag like ornament the mandala is added as it always had religious meaning – associated with good luck or protection, healing and care for the sick.

So, if your intention is a vacation that can provide you with an environmental mooring, then a trip to Tibet will be the answer.

Would you believe that there exist a Tibetan prayer flag? In practically all known religions around the world, the use of flags have been universal. The Christians have devised their own flag, so do with the other denominations who had various applications for flags, and the Catholics have their set of flags as well designed after flags used by the Vatican.

However, if you travel to Tibet you will see a lot of unique and colorful flags or the bon prayer flags or sutras. This set of flags are normally strung by a rope and attached to poles of houses.

Does it have a religious significance? Yes, it was part of their religious life before the indoctrination of Tibet into Buddhism and the bon belief was the dominant religion of the people then. The sutra was part of the indigenous bon religion and today it is still used sparingly but merely as a religious decoration. Having lost its religious significance, sutras still dominates the landscape as their colors are
attractive and stands out from afar, although looking at it closely it shows pictures or text as well as prayers printed on it.

Aside from the sutras, Tibet also hung thangkas – a revered art form usually made from cotton, rectangular in shape and artistically made through the precise application of ink dyes. To complete the cultural feel of Tibet, a circular flag like ornament the mandala is added as it always had religious meaning – associated with good luck or protection, healing and care for the sick.

So, if your intention is a vacation that can provide you with an environmental mooring, then a trip to Tibet will be the answer.

A business associate arriving from a trip handed me a souvenir banner – a Kentucky Derby mini flag . He was actually grinning from ear to ear having actually witnessed the horse races at the famed Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. I gather that he had a free pass to the derby and together with the other 155,000 spectators braved the spectacle held during the first Saturday of May, the culminating event of a two-week long Kentucky Derby Festival annually.

I found out later on that the Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year old thoroughbred horses and it is popular in the United States as the “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” simply stated being the actual duration of the race. It is also known as the “Run for the Roses,” again because the annual winner of the Kentucky Derby is draped with a blanket of 554 roses as part of his winning price.

Actually the Kentucky Derby run is only for a mile and a quarter race and the distinction of having the fastest time is held by Secretariat at 1 minute 59 2/5 seconds, set in 1973 after it broke the old record of Northern Dancer in 1964. This record time has now stood for 35 years and counting as nobody has come close to beating or duplicating the feat.

This annual spectacle draws a lot of enthusiasts and from the economic standpoint it pumps in considerable revenues to the Louisville economy. From hotel rooms, to dining areas and resorts, facilities are all fully booked for the two-week event.

So, if you have the resources come and join in the festivities. This is a one time event you must never miss. See you at the races.

A business associate arriving from a trip handed me a souvenir banner – a Kentucky Derby mini flag . He was actually grinning from ear to ear having actually witnessed the horse races at the famed Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. I gather that he had a free pass to the derby and together with the other 155,000 spectators braved the spectacle held during the first Saturday of May, the culminating event of a two-week long Kentucky Derby Festival annually.

I found out later on that the Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year old thoroughbred horses and it is popular in the United States as the “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” simply stated being the actual duration of the race. It is also known as the “Run for the Roses,” again because the annual winner of the Kentucky Derby is draped with a blanket of 554 roses as part of his winning price.

Actually the Kentucky Derby run is only for a mile and a quarter race and the distinction of having the fastest time is held by Secretariat at 1 minute 59 2/5 seconds, set in 1973 after it broke the old record of Northern Dancer in 1964. This record time has now stood for 35 years and counting as nobody has come close to beating or duplicating the feat.

This annual spectacle draws a lot of enthusiasts and from the economic standpoint it pumps in considerable revenues to the Louisville economy. From hotel rooms, to dining areas and resorts, facilities are all fully booked for the two-week event.

So, if you have the resources come and join in the festivities. This is a one time event you must never miss. See you at the races.

My father like most belonging to the “baby boomers generation” is resilient, honest, hardworking and the “jack of all trades” sort of individual. During weekends when he was younger, you see him attending to periodic repairs of the roof, or changing panels on the eaves, or replacing worn-out vinyl tiles on the dining area. He is also very handy with power tools, to the point that he would use a chain saw to prune a tree at the back and I even witness him trying his hand at a pneumatic jack hammer to level off a concrete wall to accommodate a new house extension.

I know that his passion lies in cars. Even if we are not that well off, he always manages to change cars once every two years and when we drive down the freeway in a new car you could sense his enthusiasm as he feels the power and the roar of the engine. He could have been a Formula I racing champion if opportunity warrants, but events overtook him and instead ended up in France as part of the Allied Forces.

In a very rare occasion my job brought me to Indianapolis during the “Indianapolis 500 racing month,” and it gave me the chance to be part of the over quarter of a million enthusiasts that flock to the city annually. Out of the revelry I remembered my father, so I brought home all sorts of memorabilia – flags, pennants, banners, pins and even the bottled drinks sold at the bleachers.

True enough when my father recognized the things I brought, he engaged me in a bear hug a rare thing since he never let his emotion betray him. Maybe because the day I gave my present was on “Fathers Day 2008.”

My father like most belonging to the “baby boomers generation” is resilient, honest, hardworking and the “jack of all trades” sort of individual. During weekends when he was younger, you see him attending to periodic repairs of the roof, or changing panels on the eaves, or replacing worn-out vinyl tiles on the dining area. He is also very handy with power tools, to the point that he would use a chain saw to prune a tree at the back and I even witness him trying his hand at a pneumatic jack hammer to level off a concrete wall to accommodate a new house extension.

I know that his passion lies in cars. Even if we are not that well off, he always manages to change cars once every two years and when we drive down the freeway in a new car you could sense his enthusiasm as he feels the power and the roar of the engine. He could have been a Formula I racing champion if opportunity warrants, but events overtook him and instead ended up in France as part of the Allied Forces.

In a very rare occasion my job brought me to Indianapolis during the “Indianapolis 500 racing month,” and it gave me the chance to be part of the over quarter of a million enthusiasts that flock to the city annually. Out of the revelry I remembered my father, so I brought home all sorts of memorabilia – flags, pennants, banners, pins and even the bottled drinks sold at the bleachers.

True enough when my father recognized the things I brought, he engaged me in a bear hug a rare thing since he never let his emotion betray him. Maybe because the day I gave my present was on “Fathers Day 2008.”