Do It Go

The national flag of the United States is one of the most powerful and prideful symbols of the country. And regardless of which state or territory you might come from or live in, there is a certain patriotic and community feeling associated with our great flag. However, each state also has among its points of pride an individual flag that represents a particular aspect of that state, whether it is historically, socially or even geographically based. There are also a large number of state flags that incorporate aspects of the national flag or its colors into their overall design patterns.

Some state flags are even associated with major symbolic aspects of our collective past. This is true for Georgia and Mississippi, and as well as to an extent Alabama and others, which to a some extent have their flags based on, or have had recent versions based on, the Confederate flag of the Civil War . The Mississippi state flag is comprised of the Confederate colors and includes the actual Confederate flag in its design. The Georgia state flag no longer bares the Confederate symbol that was incorporated into its controversial 1956 design, and today features the state’s seal as its most prominent feature. Many people today associate the Confederate flag with the fundamental rebellious and freedom fighting nature that is attributed to the people of this country.

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What is the first thing you think of when you hear the words Santa Ana. Well, for a lot of people the idea of a beautiful breeze will come to mind, though that’s a removed symbolic aspect of the city. And it’s true that the Santa Ana winds are a strong force in southern California, though they are a geologic element that is distinct from the beautiful city of Santa Ana, which is the largest city in Orange County. The city is part of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area and is across the mountains from the coastal cities.

Santa Ana was founded in 1869 and retains much of its early charm and a great deal of the historic architecture remains intact and is part of the contemporary society. Some of the old buildings also serve as popular tourist attractions and major city landmarks. Information on some of the great historic buildings are available in the city’s great hotels. Santa Ana is an extremely visitor friendly city and the hotel or resort in which you are staying is a great place to begin your investigation into some of the great cultural attractions.

The Old Orange County Courthouse is a popular place to visit and was originally opened in 1901. It is located in the Historic Downtown District and sits on Broadway and Civic Center Streets. Today the building is a museum and is also a popular place for film sets and television scenes to be shot. Bowers Museum is another one of the historic places in the city and it was established in 1936. The building itself serves as a museum and testimony to the city’s history. The museum is well known and respected on the international scale and attracts people from all over the world. In addition to the great exhibits there are various classes, lectures and community events that take place there.

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Baltimore is one of the American cities that has rebuilt itself time and again.  This has not only created a visually beautiful and eclectic city, but it stands as testament to the spirit and the tenacity of the people of Baltimore.  Plumbing companies, and electrical companies, construction workers and civil servants, farmers and fisherman, Baltimore is a city that was built by the working class for the the working class.  In the years following the Civil War the city grew at a phenomenal rate.

Trade and commerce flourished, especially in the flour industry, and the construction of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the completion of the Erie Canal served to cement Baltimore as one of the major manufacturing and shipping centers in the country.  Architecture flourished, expanding on the Baltimore skyline and attaining the nickname for Baltimore, “Monument City”.  The city had been booming following the rebuilding after the war, but in 1904, catastrophe struck once again.

A fire broke out in the downtown district and took with it more than fifteen hundred buildings in thirty short hours.  But, just as the people of Chicago responded to the fire of 1871, the people of Baltimore saw it as a way to build a city that was better than before.  In just two short years, the papers were saying that one of the most disastrous events in their modern time had actually been a blessing.  The city rebuilt, but not soon after, the Great Depression led to mass exodus from the city.  This dramatic decrease in population led to years of economic strife.

True to the characteristics of those who remained however, a massive urban renewal took place beginning in the late 1970′s.  And now again, the Urban Village renewal project is underway.  This will bring more than three hundred new apartments to the area of the Inner Harbor, and will involve a massive renovation of the country’s longest running farmers market, The Lexington Market.  It is no wonder that so many people visit this city each year, and upon visiting, that so many people decide to make this wonderful city their hometown.

Tags: Baltimore plumbing, The Lexington Market, Urban Village renewal project
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Madrid is the capital and largest city in Spain. It has an incredibly interesting history and is rich in its cultural heritage. King Ferdinand’s daughter Isabella II was born in Madrid in 1830. She was the eldest daughter of the king and his fourth wife Maria Cristina. Isabel was proclaimed to be the queen regent when she was only three years old, and came to the title with a more than a little controversy. Fernando’s brother Carlos, the first pretender, fought against this title bestowment for 7 years, and tried to claim it for himself. This created social unrest and conflict, and the supporters of Carlos, known as the Carlists fought bitterly. These violent conflicts became the Carlist Wars and Isabel was only able to retain her crown though military support.

Isabella reigned until 1868, and the country as well as the palace experienced a great amount of transition and intrigue during this time. There were rumors of back ground figures influencing many of her decisions and actions, as well as the barracks conspiracies. This may be reminiscent of some of the suspicions and rumors surrounding Queen Elizabeth’s court in London, England. She also had a competitor for the throne and though her reign was grand and known to a great extent as the golden age, she had many detractors and there was great conflict between the Catholics and Protestants. She had a small chamber of confidants, and conspiracies for her assassination were always in the works. Isabella, however, was unpopular with the public. She had a wayward, sometimes unscrupulous perspective and approach to politics, which gained her many enemies. She was eventually forced to abdicate her crown to her son. The Royal Palace in Madrid was built as a residence for the royal family. It is an extremely popular tourist attraction and guests come not only to view its pomp and ornate architecture and features, but also to gain information on the royal personalities and lives. Many of the luxury hotels Madrid Spain are located near the Palace.

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For travelers looking for a beautiful holiday on the beach, in a city with a lot of character and history, five-star hotels in Goa should be on the list.  These are fabulous hotels, with a splendid combination of old-world charm and new-world amenities.  Guests will be connected to the world at large with state of the art technologies, and also pampered in the traditions of hospitality that go back many generations.  Goa has a warmth and generosity of spirit that permeates everything.  It is a real travelers paradise, offering beautiful views, a lively urban center, and a complex and complicated history that is evident in the architecture and the decor.  The sense of style is obvious in the interior of the hotels, where tradition meets innovation.

There are many famous people who have passed through Goa at one time or another.  One of its most famous residents was the great expert on India, and Buddhist scholar, Dharmananda Damodar Kosambi.  By all accounts, his was a most fascinating life.  He was born in Goa in 1876, and died in 1947 after deciding to die by fasting.  There is an interesting correspondence between Kosambi and the great M.K. Gandhi about his fasting, where Gandhi continually urged him to desist, but in the end the wishes of the Mahatma were not heeded.  It is an interesting question to ask why he would choose this end for himself, and the answer might be found somewhere in his life.

Dharmananda Kosambi was interested in study and travel from a very early age.  He traveled all over studying both Buddhism and Jainism.  His son, D.D. Kosambi, Jr., would go on to become a very prominent scholar in his own rite.  But Kosambi, Sr., was very interested in studying Buddhism in its original Pali language.  He is one of the great Pali scholars in India, but many of his efforts were fruitless, or at the very least, extremely frustrating.  He would follow ideas all over India, pursuing possible avenues for scholarship in Pali and in Sanskrit.  He taught widely, and in later years, was able to bring his wife and children with him.  There is no doubt that he was extremely devoted as a scholar, and translated many texts that were still widely unknown.  He was also deeply influenced by Marx, and many of his critical studies of Indian culture take on a Marxist perspective.  It is perhaps here that he began to really connect the different strands of scholarship, and he started to examine the colonial legacy left by the Portuguese on his native Goa.  It haunted him, and perhaps was partially what inspired him to become more committed in his religious and political life.

Tags: Dharmananda Kosambi, five star hotels, Goa, hotels
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