(AFP/Saul Loeb)

Fly a Tibet flag to show your support for the country.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., March 28
/PRNewswire/

– March and April can be turbulent months as far as weather goes. From hard rains to high winds, the early spring conditions can really make Old Glory dance. But in all the flag’s glory, the weather-chaotic months can yield extra expenses to flag owners. Flag and Banner, a Little Rock-based purveyor of custom flags and banners offers some tips on how to prolong the life of your flag in spite of the March weather. See http://www.flagandbanner.com/fab/flag.asp?cpage=flagcare1.

American Flag: How to care for your flag in bad weather

“The best thing to do when a storm is coming is to bring your flag indoors,” offers Flag and Banner CEO, Kerry McCoy, “But that’s not always convenient; weather arrives abruptly and disappears just as rapidly. So, if your perfectly good flag gets caught in a sudden windstorm and the fly end becomes tattered, do not despair — all is not lost. Just cut the tattered end off and re-hem it. Your flag will be a bit shorter, but no less proud.”

U.S. Flag: How to repair your flag

If a flag owner is not the best seamstress, Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com. can repair quality US or state flags. Flag and Banner repairs (http://www.flagandbanner.com/fab/flag.asp?cpage=flagrepair) even the largest flags for a fraction of the full replacement cost, adding years to the flag’s life. Using Flag and Banner’s repair service is especially cost-effective for businesses that fly very large flags that cost thousands of dollars to replace.

“Be careful when trying to bring down one of those large flags,” warns McCoy, “It can be dangerous even when the smallest gusts are blowing. I saw one well-meaning man take flight when he refused to let go of the flag in an updraft. It sent him soaring over 20 feet in the air before he finally decided to let go. ”

For more information on flags or to purchase patriotic items, go to http://www.flagandbanner.com.

Source: Flag and Banner
CONTACT: Kerry McCoy of Flag and Banner, +1-501-375-7633,
kmccoy@flagandbanner.com
Web site: http://www.flagandbanner.com

Kerry McCoy started Arkansas Flag and Banner in 1975 with $400.00 and a good pair of walking shoes. She sold her flags door-to-door to businesses, schools, and churches. Today FlagandBanner.com is a multi-million dollar company that sells both custom and stock flags and banners to a worldwide customer base.

When asked how she was able to do this Kerry says, “Because we embraced change and specifically technology”. Kerry identified the value of technology early on and has leveraged it to grow her business.

She put a computer on every employee’s desk when most small businesses used a computer for accounting, if at all. Her sales people utilized the Internet for researching potential customers, growing her business outside its previous boundaries. Her buyers found new suppliers lowering cost or at least keeping current ones honest.

She registered her domain name, flagandbanner.com, in September 1995 and immediately established an online presence. She recognized the power of the Internet to grow her business in ways that simply were not possible through traditional sales channels. In 1998 Internet sales accounted for less than 1% of total sales, today over 25% of revenues come from her website’s shopping cart and a significant amount of her off-line sales found her online.

Although Kerry is heavily invested in technology she will tell you that she is not in the technology business… she’s in the flag business and that is where iProv comes in.

“iProv understands that technology is a tool for business, it should play a supporting role not center stage” says Kerry. “I use iProv for everything from web design and Internet marketing to computer support but more importantly I can count on them to give me good advice, they have sound business judgment which is rare in left brain thinkers. I need to be sure they will tell me no…, “No you don’t need that.” I can depend on them to look at every technology decision from a business perspective; how will it affect my bottom line. More than anything that’s why I rely on iProv.”

Each day brings new opportunity in the form of technology. Making the decisions about what to embrace and what to avoid can be a challenge. If asked, Kerry will tell you that one of the most important decisions you will make is choosing a technology partner. Someone you can work with to make those decisions. We are proud that Arkansas Flag and Banner chose us to be their partner for the future.

Iprov

LITTLE ROCK, AR (January 28, 2008) – Anyone can guess when sales of the American flag and flag-related products will spike each year – Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Veterans Day and Patriot’s Day. As a people, Americans have a history of expressing themselves through and rallying around “the red, white and blue.” It is a symbol of American independence, democracy and a remembrance of the men and women currently serving and the ones who died protecting that independence.

Educational Opportunity

According to Kerry McCoy, owner of Arkansas Flag and Banner (www.flagandbanner.com), presidential election years are also good for the flag business. “Election years are good because of the increased interest in products displaying the American flag,” explains McCoy. “I also like election years because they increase our opportunity to educate the public about flag etiquette. In the 33 years, I have been in business I have found that I not only sell flags but provide a service to my customers about flag protocol.”

Tips on Proper Display

McCoy expects 2008 to be high in email and phone calling upon Arkansas Flag and Banner’s expertise on what is the proper way to display the flag. To prepare for the expected demand, the company has included information on flag etiquette, American flag history and when to fly the American flag on its website.

“The biggest mistake I see made is when the U.S. flag is displayed on a stage or podium with another flag like a state flag,” explained McCoy. “Remember, when you are setting up the stage the US flag always goes on the right. An easy way to remember this is that if you are sitting in the audience the American flag will be on your left.”

“Retail Politics” Redefined

Arkansas Flag and Banner also offers bunting, banners, jewelry, bumper stickers, collectibles and more for America’s political animals. A recent visit to http://www.flagandbanner.com/holiday/viewholiday.asp?hid=22
revealed 3” x 9” bumper stickers for Obama, McCain, Huckabee, Giuliani and Hillary starting at $2.99 but also beanie babies, flags, earrings and garden decorations for both democrats and republicans.

For more information on the proper display of the flag, readers can visit http://flagandbanner.com/fab/flag.asp?cpage=etiquette1 or email Info@FlagAndBanner.com.

On the new Iraq flag, the text “Allah akbar” (God is great) changes from green to yellow, the Kurdish national color. It is also printed in traditional Kufi script, replacing Saddam Hussein’s handwriting.

The stars no longer stand for the three aims of Saddam Hussein’s Ba’th Party, (Arabic) unity, freedom and socialism but for the cornerstones of the new Iraq, peace, tolerance and justice. The flag’s colors now represent Islamic civilization, rather than Arabic glory.

A conference of Arabic parliaments is to be held in the Kurdish capital, Erbil, and this has led to the flag again becoming an issue. Now, the present flag will be accepted as long as a completely new one is eventually found.

by Chalaan Charif
Radio Netherlands Worldwide

A team led by psychologist Ran Hassin at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem divided volunteers into two groups: those who strongly identified with Israeli nationalism and those who identified with it only weakly. They then quizzed them about their attitude to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after showing them a brief image of an Israeli flag or a control image. The image appeared for long enough to be registered by the brain but not long enough for conscious awareness.

Those who had viewed the flag shifted their position towards the middle ground: both right-wingers and left-wingers became less extreme. The researchers also found that it influenced the way participants voted in national elections. Hassin says that the Israeli flag represents a sense of national unity, and that reminding people of it draws them towards that ideology. However, the psychology involved is unclear, especially since it remains uncertain whether subliminal advertising has an effect on consumers.

From issue 2632 of New Scientist magazine, 05 December 2007, page 20

A man grieves outside the World Trade Center site in New York September 11, 2006. Stress brought on by the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington in 2001 led to heart problems for some Americans, even if they had no personal connection to the events, a study released on Monday found.

A World Food Program worker hangs a flag on a truck carrying aid for displaced people in Nakuru and Eldoret. Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki has invited opposition leader Raila Odinga for their first face-to-face talks since the country’s disputed presidential poll, as several former African presidents arrived in Nairobi to try to break a political stalemate

The Pakistan national flag flies at half-staff on the premises the country’s high commission in Kuala Lumpur. The assassination of Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto sent shock waves around the world with global leaders condemning the act as markets reacted with fear to the new blow to international stability.