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Flags can be used for any occasions - whether you have a business or you just want a flag for personal use. The standard flag with grommet eyelets is the most commonly displayed flag and is typically flown horizontally on a vertical freestanding outdoor flagpole. The hoist edge is reinforced canvas with eyelets (usually brass grommets) designed to attach the flag to the pole.

What is an average flag size?
There are about 8 standard common flag sizes which can be used for different reasons. Sizes are quoted as height by width.

For in-ground flagpoles, the length of the flag should be one quarter to one third the height of the pole. An example would be if you had a 20ft flagpole you should be looking at a 3ft x 5ft flag.

Size: 4 inches x 6 inches
This is the smallest standard flag size, is commonly made from polyester. They are ideally used at parades and come with small hand poles enabling the person to wave them during an event. This flag size has also been used on the back of motorbike helmets and is a common table flag size.

Size: 11 inches x 15 inches
This size is most commonly used for car flags. A car flag can have different size poles ranging from 43cm to 50cm. They are made from a material called polypropylene and attached to the car window. The flag stays in place when the window is wound up and flies when there is wind or when the car is moving. They are great for promotions and are also used for sporting events such as the World Cup.

Size: 12 inches x 18 inches
While this flag is usually classified as a hand flag, it can also be used as a car flag and is generally supplied with a wooden or plastic pole. The size of the pole would be 0.08mm x 60cm again allowing it to be easily used for waving. These flags would be seen at sporting events, promotions etc.

Size: 2ft x 3ft
This flag is sized between the hand flags and hoisted flags. They are commonly used with high flag poles but can be used as garden flags. As a hand flag they are ideal for use at sporting events and as promotional give outs.

Size: 3ft x 5ft
This is the most common flag size, big enough to be seen and cheap enough to make the flag cost effective. This size is used on business and company flag poles, flown outside private homes, used in schools, clubs and by fans. They are also prominent at promos and often used as giveaways. A flag pole of at least 20ft high is required for this size flag.

Size: 4ft x 6ft
This flag is considered a larger size and not as common as the 3ft x 5ft. Depending on the material used, it is much heavier and takes more wind to fly it. This flag proves more popular at sporting events as supporters can hang the flag around the stadiums. If this flag is to be used on a flag pole, the pole needs to be securely placed in-ground and needs to be at least 25fthigh.

Size: 5ft x 8ft
Considered a large flag it can be used as a flag or banner and needs an in-ground flagpole of at least 30-35ft in length. This size flag is commonly used by cheerleaders who perform up and down a football field.

Size: 6ft x 10ft
This size flag is great for use at sporting events and as back drops for stages and requires an in-ground flagpole of at least 40-45ft in length. It is very large and can be expensive, depending on the material used and colors used in the printing process.

While a flag can be any size, custom flags can be made to a specific size. It is important to consider the use of the flag together with its location. If the flag is to be used on a standard flagpole and flown outside a business or home, ensure the flagpole chosen is the correct size.

The Flag Makers specialize in custom flags world wide and are partners to the Custom Flag Makers Network

The word paranormal comes from the words “para” meaning beyond, and normal. So the term paranormal really means something that is beyond the normal scope of science or being beyond a scientific explanation. According to the Journal of Parapsychology, the term paranormal describes “any phenomenon that in one or more respects exceeds the limits of what is deemed physically possible according to current scientific assumptions.”

Ghosts generate strong electro-magnetic fields. These fields cause disruptions in the magnetic field of a location which makes it detectable by both specialized equipment and psychics. Ghost hunters use many different types of equipment to detect an paranormal phenomena. A 35mm or digital camera is probably the easiest and least expensive way to begin. Pictures, whether digital or recorded on film have the ability to capture paranormal activity that is usually invisible to the naked eye. In addition to a camera, it’s important to have a flashlight since most paranormal investigations will be in dark places like cemeteries, basements, attics, or old buildings. Also, most investigations occur between 9pm and 6am when it’s dark. This is believed to be the best time to record paranormal activity. Along with the flashlight you’ll need extra batteries, since batteries will sometimes mysteriously lost all their charge during paranormal investigations, literally leaving you in the dark.

Once you have these basic items, you’re ready to start exploring the world of paranormal investigation. Some important things to remember are: never go on an investigation alone, and be respectful of the of the people, places and situations you encounter.

The first step in an investigation is selecting the place you’re going to investigate. Once you choose a location, be sure to get permission to access the property to ensure you won’t get into any trouble for trespassing. It’s also very important to do some research on the location before you go out and physically investigate it. You can go to the library and look up old newspapers, visit the local historical society to find out about the history of the place and if anything strange has happened there, and of course talk with the owner of the property.

Once you get all your data collected you have to analyze it. Every picture, video, audio recording is reviewed to look for any sign of a haunting. When doing your analysis, be sure to be skeptical. Make sure you rule out any explainable causes for anything odd that may show up. Check for mirrors, shadows, light sources or anything else that may cause something weird to be seen or heard in your collected data. Most of the time, the things you initially detected during your investigation will have real world explanations as opposed to supernatural ones. It’s important to make sure your evidence will stand up to any scrutiny by eliminating any other explanations. This will give your data more credibility.

Once you complete your analysis, you need to present your findings property owner. At this point you would recommend whether the owner needs to seek additional help, such a having the property blessed or if there is really nothing that needs to be or even can be done. Sometimes just having someone investigate the place and find nothing can help ease the mind of the person experiencing the haunting.

Denise Villani an author and the webmaster of several article directories. To find more articles and information on the paranormal, please visit http
Paranormal Investigation or HauntedStuff.net.

If someone were to ask you questions about how you were going to fund your retirement, really fund your life after your regular working pay check stops, how would you answer?

Do you have a budget that you stick too? Do you save the maximum amounts in your 401k or SEP or IRA? Do you understand your company plan payout options or do you even have an asset allocation strategy?

The more you read and the more you listen the more you realize how poorly prepared most of the Baby Boomers are. Since the average retirement age in the United States is 57 years old-then can you assume that those people have $1.5 Million in saving? Maybe. Maybe not. And do we really need that much to live on? That may depend on how long you plan on living and what kind of lifestyle you plan on having.

Chronologically, we are living longer and longer which we can assume means we need to accrue more money. According to Shripad Tuljapurkar, a Stanford University biology and demographics professor, we could easily see American’s average life expectancy in the near future to increase from just under 80 years to 100 years.

The implications of these additional years of life are staggering. Society will need to be prepared for this in ways that we may not even understand yet. Would it seem necessary to increase the retirement age from 65 to say 80 or 85 years? What does it mean for Social Security? If you are an optimist; think of all the wonderful careers you could have! If you are a pessimist this might not be such an exciting proposition.

Furthermore, Tuljapurkar predicts that with all the anti-aging technology already available our lives could increase 1 year every year beginning in 2010. By 2030, the average life expectancy in most industrial nations could be 100 years old. Professor Tuljapurkar doesn’t see this population as infirmed or sickly, but as physically, mentally and socially active as many of our 80 years olds are today.

Now, back to the frightening topic of how we are going to support ourselves so we are not a burden to our children.

It’s clear that if you are in debt, that needs to be dealt with immediately. What is your plan for that? The other piece of this is that you must save at the same time if you plan on living comfortably when you are no longer working and earnings a pay check. Sadly, in this country, our average savings are at a negative .5%. The only time this number has ever been this low is during the Great Depression. We are not saving and the payback may affect us more than we wish to acknowledge.

The bottom line is we need to continue to save at the same time as we pay off debt. It’s not as impossible as it sounds and the price you pay for not doing so could be enormous.

Another hard truth is that even if we work, hopefully at something we truly enjoy, it will feel much better if it’s because we want to and not to put food on the table.

So, could you pass a Retirement Exam?

Kim Kirmmse Toth is a certified life coach. She works with baby boomers on the many transitions faced including the non-financial side of retirement planning. She may be contacted at: kim@myretirementbydesign.com or at her website: http://www.myretirementbydesign.com