Tatty Canadian flags

[Catsumi]

I see tatty, worn, shredded and badly faded Canadian flags almost everywhere.

Back in Pearson's day (1964) when our new flag was in the offing, there had had been warnings that the red dye chosen tends to fade very quickly. This is so evident as witness the pink flags flapping.

If you want to hoist our flag maybe put up a new one occasionally.

[gman313]

I noticed that too!

Specfically, the Kelowna Yacht Club! Shame on them

[Even Steven]

Yes, and burn the old ones once you're done with them.

[Ken7]

I think it is pathetic to fly a flag of any country which is not in great condition.
It should be a serious fine for doing so.

I am a very proud Canadian and stand proudly when the Canadian Anthem is sung or played.

[the truth]

agree 100%

[Queen K]

I noticed that too!

Specfically, the Kelowna Yacht Club! Shame on them

Hey, last year they announced they have financial difficulties and prolly can't afford a new one.

[Ken7]

This man is a very proud CANADIAN, he posted this and I must agree.

When I first saw this I thought what a shame that a flag is in this condition.

But after seeing the flag in this condition I started to think about how symbolic it is to what is happening in our country.

There are holes in our government’s policies and direction. There are so many divisions in our country from one coast to the other, provinces are divided and bickering and the very fabric that made our country so wonderful is being ripped away.

Well that is my rant of the day.

[Catsumi]

Ken7, you are on the right track in thinking the tattered flags represent the sad divisive state of our Canada. It is almost unrecognizable from 20 years ago. Our values, ethics, pride and labour have been seriously eroded. Our dreams and hopes for the future are so uncertain and not in the direction our forefathers intended.

We seem to be on the skids heading to the bottom. Having just spent the last two weeks in Japan I have been awe struck and wowed at the pride they take in their cleanliness of homes, businesses and streets, their polite service staff, at their preciseness and their pleasure and care of nature. Entering Canada one sees graffitti, garbage and litter in the streets and just plain sloppiness everywhere. Disrespect for each other and our natural world.

Our tattered flags truly represent the state of our "union" IMO

[Ken7]

Ken7, you are on the right track in thinking the tattered flags represent the sad divisive state of our Canada. It is almost unrecognizable from 20 years ago. Our values, ethics, pride and labour have been seriously eroded. Our dreams and hopes for the future are so uncertain and not in the direction our forefathers intended.

We seem to be on the skids heading to the bottom. Having just spent the last two weeks in Japan I have been awe struck and wowed at the pride they take in their cleanliness of homes, businesses and streets, their polite service staff, at their preciseness and their pleasure and care of nature. Entering Canada one sees graffitti, garbage and litter in the streets and just plain sloppiness everywhere. Disrespect for each other and our natural world.

Our tattered flags truly represent the state of our "union" IMO

I wonder what the effect the internet has had, is it contributing to hatred, division, and greed. When I think back to being a young man, was it there? I'm only 57 this year but I don't recall the need to keep up with the SMITHS. I don't recall the hatred between culture and nationality. With the look at me, we have I feel a greater level of greed, screw em over, friend or not it is business. Again competing with the SMITHS.

Along with all of the above we have a lack of responsibility, lack of accountability. Where will we be in say 20 years? Some of our youth have not been raised to respect, to be accountable and responsible for their actions. It seems many are controlled by the internet. Where would we be is we destroyed the NET.

Likely in time return to CANADA. The kind, helpful, thoughtful, mixed nation we once were!

[alanjh595]

AND as a proud Canadian, I would offer a free flag to those that need one.

Maybe, we start a national "Go fund me page" to support this worthwhile cause?

[Y-Wine]

Ken7, you are on the right track in thinking the tattered flags represent the sad divisive state of our Canada. It is almost unrecognizable from 20 years ago. Our values, ethics, pride and labour have been seriously eroded. Our dreams and hopes for the future are so uncertain and not in the direction our forefathers intended.

We seem to be on the skids heading to the bottom. Having just spent the last two weeks in Japan I have been awe struck and wowed at the pride they take in their cleanliness of homes, businesses and streets, their polite service staff, at their preciseness and their pleasure and care of nature. Entering Canada one sees graffitti, garbage and litter in the streets and just plain sloppiness everywhere. Disrespect for each other and our natural world.

Our tattered flags truly represent the state of our "union" IMO

I wonder what the effect the internet has had, is it contributing to hatred, division, and greed. When I think back to being a young man, was it there? I'm only 57 this year but I don't recall the need to keep up with the SMITHS. I don't recall the hatred between culture and nationality. With the look at me, we have I feel a greater level of greed, screw em over, friend or not it is business. Again competing with the SMITHS.

Along with all of the above we have a lack of responsibility, lack of accountability. Where will we be in say 20 years? Some of our youth have not been raised to respect, to be accountable and responsible for their actions. It seems many are controlled by the internet. Where would we be is we destroyed the NET.

Likely in time return to CANADA. The kind, helpful, thoughtful, mixed nation we once were![/quote

It all Boils down too Respect.. But in todays World it is about ME, ME, LOOK AT ME, Somebody Owes ME Something.

[Catsumi]

I just wish I could have taken all of you with me to see the incredible thoughtfulness and efficiency of the Japanese. I will relate to you here just one aspect that is in such great contrast to our system, and that is going through customs entry into Japan at Narita airport.

In Japan, there were so many kind, helpful, smiling personnel to get thousands through customs in record time with no glitches. It took maybe 20 minutes to get luggage and literally run through customs and you are on your way out the doors.

Entering Vancouver this morning was a gong show with only two rude "officials" to get us through the so called fast lineups... was a horror show of trying to get the passport reader machines to function (with no instructions visible anywhere), people being turned back to try again and again with no luck and no help, to wind up in long snake lines weaving back and forth, to finally arrive at the customs lineup where eleven stations had NO personnel at the stations and FIVE officers to check in 2000 people. Needless to say, the long delay caused me and who knows how many others to miss their connecting flights.

Normally a calm and collected person, I was so angry that I went directly to YVR management head who listened to me and assured me he would be looking into the awful situation. Fine, but too late to do any good. Funny thing is he said no one else had complained and I said it was the same mess I encountered returning from Japan two years ago. You really MUST get on these guys *bleep* if you encounter the same. There is no need for such a clusterduck at an international airport.

Air Canada, pride and joy for some is a laff and a half. Other airlines have bright young smiling things to do your bidding while on Aeroflot Canada we are greeted by grim looking staff who would suffer from facial disintegration if they ever smiled once. On the Vancouver to Kelowna flight our steward was a gray haired geriatric male. The female attendant was wearing, believe it or not, jackboots. I thought it very fitting.

Pardon me if I sound bitter but I am. A wonderful experience shattered by returning to my country, so far behind it makes my teeth ache.

[d0nb]

A civil society is one of the positives of Japan’s tribalism cultural homogeneity. On the flip side, some have argued that the lack of diversity makes Japanese society less innovative and forward thinking. So far, that lack of diversity along with a shrinking population is accepted in exchange for clean streets and low crime rates.

[Catsumi]

Japan "Less innovative"? Really?

After having spent a total of four weeks there with intentions of returning again soon, personally I was bowled over at all the innovative ideas that have been incorporated into everyday life. The few ideas below make life pleasant and efficient.

1. High quality service in all stores. No need to cast about for a clerk to aid you, they are on duty to serve you, not to chat with each other. Friendly smiles included.

2. Vehicles are well maintained, highly polished (even garbage trucks), pride in ownership. No loud mufflers. Inspection of each vehicle is mandatory every three years so no unsafe vehicles are on the roads.

3. Roads, all of them, even in small towns, are properly paved with no potholes and best of all, are clearly marked as are crosswalks.

4. Street lights are longer so there is no racing to get through before a change to red light. Pedestrians have plenty of time to cross streets. The blind are accommodated by raised beads on sidewalks, 12" wide that can be quickly found by cane. This idea is carried thru even at the Shinkansen (bullet train) station.

5. With all the vehicles on the roads I was shocked to see no license plate with more than FOUR easy to read numbers, easily discernable at a distance, not like our six character mix of letters and numbers. I questioned how they could do this: should you want to know I will relate explanation.

6. Before you can purchase a vehicle you must bring proof that you have a place to park it, and only then can a car be sold to you. This prevents problems with cars parked or abandoned where they don't belong, causing neighbours or strangers difficulties.

7. When stopping at a red light drivers approach the car ahead no closer than five feet, they do not dogpile or tailgate. Highway driving, they observe the speed to car length ratios. Results: no (or rare) MVA's. No horn honking.

8. Streets, both sides are lined with gorgeous trees, cherry, ginko etc. all well maintained as are the hedges of azaleas in pink, white or hot pinkred in large cities and small. Walking and driving these streets are so much more pleasant than ours (not to mention again my favorite topic, how clean the streets and sidewalks are).

9. If they have junkies, beggars, panhandlers, drug dealers and street living peeps, I have no idea where they put them as none were in evidence, anywhere. We were taken down backstreets, main streets in small and large cities and not one of our group of 40 spotted this social blight. Nor did we see graffitti anywhere.

10. No garbage cans evident. If you have a wrapper from a treat, you take it home and dispose of it there, you do not drop it on the sidewalk like an immature kid. At public parks where the best street food is found you will see a garbage that is divided up to burnable, glass, plastic, organic waste. They separate garbage at home too.

Just these few examples of travel by car or walking should change your mind about Japan.

The Shinkansen is a marvel of engineering and high speed efficient transport of people between cities, cuts down on clumsy, time wasting air travel. The station for the Bullet is hand in glove with subway, bus and taxi service. Oh, how I wish we had taxies that look like these sensibly priced method of travel; drivers wear chauffer-like uniforms complete with cap and white gloves, the ride is clean and quiet.

The subway/trains within the cities is also noteworthy. After 5 pm there are traincars dedicated to female travel only should you feel uncomfortable travelling with male who may have had a couple of tasty Kirin beer after work. The bus system is also clean and efficient.

Pride is evident everywhere from homes, cooking, jobs, mode of travel, dress, history, etc.

Ideas seem to be well thought out BEFORE implementation so they don't have to be dismantled, reworked or abandoned as they were poorly designed or had brainless political backing. Saves taxpayers money too. No FastCat ferry messes, no surprise shutdowns of rail as we see in Vancouver.

I will soon return for my third visit as this country deserves my tourist dollar.

Thanks donb, I love talking about Japan.

Added: BTW, strange as it may seem I did not spot one Japanese flag anywhere. Totally unnecessary according to one Japanese I talked with.

[oneh2obabe]

9. If they have junkies, beggars, panhandlers, drug dealers and street living peeps, I have no idea where they put them as none were in evidence, anywhere. We were taken down backstreets, main streets in small and large cities and not one of our group of 40 spotted this social blight. Nor did we see graffitti anywhere.

A nationwide survey by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry found 5,534 people living on the streets or riverbanks as of January 2017, with many of them in urban areas such as central Tokyo’s 23 wards and the city of Osaka.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/ ... t0dzUxFzDc

Homeless in Japan appear to try to stay out of the way. Building makeshift shelters in remote locations. When they slept in high traffic locations they often relocate during peak hours.

For example, Shinjuku Central Park is filled with the homeless at night. In the morning they carefully pack up their belongings and put them off to the side. During the day, the park is filled with office workers. This seems to be a common arrangement throughout Japan.

https://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/homelessness-in-japan