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Funerals - Military Funerals

In this article we're going to discuss funerals that have more tradition associated with them than probably any other. Military funerals.

Military funerals are loaded with tradition. A final farewell to a fallen comrade is one of the most glorious events that any person can attend.

The first thing that one notices at a military funeral is the flag draped casket. The blue field of the flag is placed at the head of the casket, just over the left shoulder of the deceased. This custom actually began long ago during the Napoleonic Wars of the 18th century. A flag was used to cover the dead as they were taken off the battle field.

If you take a good look, you will notice that the horses that pull the casket during a military funeral all have saddles on them. However, the horses on the left have riders on them while the horses on the right do not. This is also taken from old times when the primary means of moving ammunition was by horse. The riderless horses carried the provisions.

There is a single riderless horse that follows the procession. This horse is called the caparisoned horse because of its ornamental coverings. By tradition, in a military funeral, this horse follows the casket only of a soldier of rank colonel or above or the casket of the President, who is the commander in chief of the armed forces.

At the graveside itself, military honors consist of the firing of three volleys, each by seven service members. This is very often confused with the 21 gun salute, which is actually for honors not associated with funerals at all. However, the number of guns fired in both are the same.

The three volleys came from an old battlefield custom. The two sides at war with each other would cease fighting in order to clear their dead from the battlefield. The firing of the three volleys meant that the dead soldiers had all been removed from the field and that battle could resume. War was relatively civilized back then.

In the case of the death of a former or current president, there are additional salutes and traditions. On the day following the death of a president unless the day falls on a Sunday or a holiday, the commanders of each army installation order that one gun be fired every half hour beginning at reveille and ending at retreat. In the case of a Sunday or a holiday this is held over until the next day.

On the actual day of the funeral, the 21 minute gun salute is fired starting at noon at all military installations across the country. These guns are fired at one minute intervals. Also, on the day of the funeral there is a 50 gun salute. This is one gun for each state. This is done at five-second intervals upon lowering of the flag for the day. "Hail To The Chief" is then played if the funeral is for a past or present president.

posted by nwwhimy @ 10:25 PM 0 comments

Christmas Gifts for Her - A Unique Approach

The holidays are quickly approaching and that means you need to come up with Christmas gifts for her. Instead of stressing out, consider the following approach.

Christmas Gifts for Her Gift Ideas

As the holidays approach, we are all subjected to a frustrating phenomenon. What the heck should I get for my wife, sister, mother, daughter and so on? We each arrive at the answer differently, but it usually comes in one of the following forms.

1. You see something while browsing a web site or moving with the herds at the mall,

2. You buy something you like, which of course means she will like it [lingerie?], or

3. You give up and buy soothing oils and such for the bath.

Entire industries have been set up around mans inability to think of good gift ideas for women. Next time you are the mall, take a look at the bubble bath stores. While you agonize of whether to go with the peach fragrances or the lavender skin restorer, you should try to keep in mind what such gifts say to her. When she opens the gift, shell think that you really didnt put much thought into and react accordingly. This, of course, means there better be a little box somewhere under the tree containing a rare precious gem or car keys!

A Better Way

The best method for coming up with Christmas gifts for her is to consider what she really likes. Importantly, this does not mean considering what you think she SHOULD really like. Put another way, tickets to the next football game are not going to cut it. Instead, really give some thought to what she does when she has some spare time.

If she likes to go antique shopping, then buy her something related to antiques. Preferably, this should be a book or something discussing antiques, not actual antiques. Men have no taste, so dont risk buying an antique she hates. Trust me on this one.

If your wife or daughter likes to get out into nature, you should consider something along those lines. If she likes to go for walks to get away from the chaos of the home, consider getting her something related to hiking. This could include things such as a book detailing the local hikes in your area or a Nomad Hiking Journal that will let her keep a diary of where she hiked and with who. Regardless, the point is you should give her something related to his passion.

The biggest key to coming up with Christmas gift ideas for her is to think about her. What does SHE like to do in her down time? Figure out the answer to that and you are well on your way to finding gifts that will go over big.

posted by nwwhimy @ 9:31 PM 0 comments

Vancouver - The best City in the World?

The beautiful city of Vancouver is located in the Southwestern corner of British Columbia, Canada; on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Being overlooked by the Coast Range Mountains and surrounded by water on three sides, the city has a landscape that truly takes your breath away.

The Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) has everything from Beaches, mountains and 192 beautiful parks to a cosmopolitan downtown area, fabulous shopping and entertainment. Due to it's location it has a mild climate, which means not too much snow in the winter and pleasant temperatures in the summer, but it does to tend to have a lot of rain. The average annual rain and snow fall is 1219mm.

As Canada's third largest city, the downtown area has a population of 514,000 (1996 census) and the GVRD has a population of almost two million. It is a city of newcomers, according to the 1996 census 45 percent of residents were immigrants. According to international surveys, Vancouver is one of the best cities in the world for quality of life. It is also ranked, along with four other Canadian cities, as one of the safest cities in North America.

The Greater Vancouver Regional District comprises 21 separate municipalities each is home to several hundred thousand people and many were once cities in their own right before being swallowed up by the urban sprawl.

The actual city of Vancouver itself is made up of 23 different Neighborhoods - each having its own distinct character.There are many wonderful places to visit, shop and eat in. This includes a vast number of galleries, sophisticated shopping and antique shops to choose from. Chinatown is one of the largest in North America and is a thriving commercial and residential district.

Gastown is the historical part of the city with cobblestone streets, heritage buildings, shops, restaurants and galleries. It's located just south of the harbor and is a vibrant place. Located just under the Granville Street Bridge is Granville Island Market which offers a mix of food, arts and crafts, shopping and theatres. Water taxis ferry shoppers to and from the market or you can stroll there.

Stanley Park, located close to downtown, has over 1000 acres of forest and is a firm favorite with both locals and tourists. The park has many kilometers of pathway, an aquarium, a pitch and putt golf course, a miniature railway, tennis, restaurants, beaches and on summer evenings live theatre. Robson Street is in the heart of downtown and offers boutiques, side walk cafes, shops and restaurants.

The city has many tree lined streets and no highway cutting through the city so walking is encouraged. It is illegal to cross the street anywhere but at a marked intersection crossing in the city.

There is an excellent public transport system which consists of buses, Seabus, Skytrain and a commuter rail service called the West Coast Express. This is an integrated system and you can use the same tickets for different modes of transport. There is also an extensive system of bikeways, so cycling is another good way to get around.

The Port of Vancouver rates number one in North America in total foreign exports and is the gateway for Asia-Pacific trade. It has a natural deep water harbor and covers 233 kilometers of coastline. In 2003 its total cargo traffic was 66.7 million tones. The Port is also home to the Vancouver - Alaska cruise, one of the worlds most popular cruises. There are many attractions in and around the city offering a wide variety of activities.

Grouse Mountain - located just 15 minutes from downtown, also known as the Peak of Vancouver. Riding the Gondola to the mountain top is an absolute must, in the winter you can experience the skiing, snowboarding, snow-shoeing, ice skating and sleigh rides and in the summer mountain bike tours, helicopter tours, tandem paragliding or maybe just enjoy the magnificent views at one of the restaurants.

Science World - located on Quebec Street offers hundreds of interactive exhibits, wrap around movies in a giant theatre and year round special events. There are always new exhibits arriving so it never gets boring.

Capilano Suspension bridge and Park - located 10 minutes from downtown is the city's most popular visitor attraction. The swaying footbridge bridge is 230 feet above the Capilano River and spans 450 feet. There is also a colorful Totem park, trails through the West Coast rain forest and much more.

Vancouver Zoo is located in Aldergrove just off the Trans Canada Highway. They are open all year round and offer either daily admission rates or season passes. There is a miniature safari train and a safari bus tour, you can also hire quadra cycles or bring your own bikes, in-line skates or any motor-less transportation to get you around.

The city Aquarium is situated 5 minutes from downtown in Stanley Park. They are a self supporting and not for profit group and are Canada's leading aquatic conservation organization. Open year round they have many different types of marine life to learn about and a daily schedule of shows. The Vancouver Canucks are one of the strongest teams in the NHL (Ice Hockey) and with the BC lions always very competitive, there is a good supply of sports choices.

Vancouver is without doubt the most impressive city I have ever stayed in and is a must to visit if you are in Canada. Undoubtedly one of the most expensive places to buy property in Canada but with the amount the city has to offer I can understand why. For more detailed information including full descriptions of each municipality, visit http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com/vancouver.html

posted by nwwhimy @ 8:02 PM 0 comments