Vexilloids in the restaurant called Serendipity from the movie entitled Serendipity - 2001

Merry Christmas!

Christmas in July anyone?  It is July 25 after all.  Christmas in July is a bit sweeter and sweatier, minus the money merchandising madness.  For NYC in 2001 it really was Christmas in July, due to the filming of the movie Serendipity - captured in NYC at the end of July and August 2001.  A small part of New York City was decked out with the Christmas holiday spirit, whilst making this movie.  The snow you see in the movie is that special formula of soap and ice that Hollywood labs cooked up some time ago.

  Serendipity starring John Cusak and Kate Beckinsale actually had a scene in a real restaurant called Serendipity 3.


This film is categorized as a "Romantic-Comedy." But from a mystics-philosophers' point of view, this film is a "Documentary".


Serendipity is considered one of the hardest words to describe, and this movie illustrates its action with exquisite detail, style, humor and first class acting. 

Serendipity is a fortunate accident like the discovery of Penicillin or the invention of the Microwave.  More than that, serendipity dose not have to be an Earth shattering revelation.  It can be making a wrong turn down a street and bumping into an old friend at that new restaurant, you had no original intention of walking into.


Serendipity is getting into a car accident and then meeting a long lost friend who gets you that perfect dream job or hooks you up with a six figure income fiance.  Serendipity can be forgetting your books in the library and going back, later to pick them up and find a dollar on the way back, on your altered walking path.


Essentially it's something that seems negative at first, but happens to put you in a positive spin, such that you become grateful for that 'mistake' or moment of oops. Of vexillological note tassels can be seen hanging from the Christmas Lanterns.  Coincidentally an ad for the play Six Degrees of Separation can be seen on the subway passageway.

Everyone in this film is putting up an act since it is really summer instead of winter, at least in the beginning of the film.  But then again Christmas in July makes a lot of sense if you grew upon the Southern Hemisphere and now live in the Northern Hemisphere.

US Flags in Serendipity - 2001

 The US flag makes two major appearances in the film Serendipity 2001.  In the introduction sequence the US flag hangs off the front of a New York City department store. 

Unfortunately this film debuted in the month after September 11, 2001 in early October 2001.  Subsequently the magic of this movie was lost in the wake of national-global tragedy.


But this film has the potential to get a second rise to cult classic status.  It was the last major motion picture to feature New York City before that dreadful date. 

Likewise the theme of serendipity is a magical and mysterious call of destiny that requires a certain kind of faith.  A faith that trumps doubt and negativity.  Through the failures and faults in life, the Universe becomes a co-creator and allows all the magic tumblers to fall into place, and present a real kind of magic. 

Armorial Banner from the Coat of Arms in the Legend of Zelda

 

The armorial banner is a flag based upon a coat of arms.  The coat of arms for the Legend of Zelda, which may belong to Link or Princess Zelda can be found on the original game cartridge.  The arms consist of a heart in the first and fourth quadrant and a key in the second area and finally a rampant lion facing the hoist in the third quadrant.  The colours are unknown since the sticker is black and white.  

 Note in the game Link uses a cross as his arms, so it is likely the arms belong to the Zelda Dynasty. 

Two hearts gules on a background of argent, a lion or rampant facing the fly on a background of dark azure, and single key mostly or and mixed argent on a background azure.   

But when the original game cart is in the box the arms have golden bar canton, which you can see here.

Expansion of the Playing Card Chess Set - THE PAWN

The Pawn is the newest and last card of the Expanded Chess Deck, which also includes the rook, knight, and bishop.

Here we have the Pawn of Spades.  It is represented by the letter O, and its value is zero.  It ranks below the 2s, which include the two of clubs, two of hearts, two of diamonds, and two of spades.  Also note the Ace supposedly has the value of one to infinity.  But here the lowest face card has the lowest number value of zero. 

Thus there is also the Pawn of Hearts, Pawn of Diamonds, and Pawn of Clubs.  The Pawn card intentionally looks different from other face cards so not to be mistaken as such.  Likewise the suit is only shown once due to its impoverished value.

The Royal Chess Suit, an Expansion on a Deck of Cards - THE ROOK, THE KNIGHT, and BISHOP

An expansion pack on a deck of cards based upon the game of chess: The Rook, The Knight, and The Bishop.

The Rook is represented by the letter I, likewise the Rook moves in straight lines like the capital letter I.  The Rook looks like the castle tower that starts in one of four corners of a chess game.  In the expanded Chess Deck, the Rook ranks above the Jack yet below the Knight.

You can see the first ever made Rook of Spades here.  Subsequently there is also a Rook of Hearts, Rook of Diamonds, and Rook of Clubs.  Adding these cards should make game play more interesting.

Rook originally meant a chariot, so the Rook represents a Charioteer holding the harnesses of the horses of his chariot. Likewise the attack of the chariot is certainly a powerful forward punch, as in chess and as it was in real life.

The Rook always has his helmet open and never holds a weapon, only the harness for the horses.  

The Knight Card is represented by the letter G.  The Knight Ranks above the Rook yet below the Bishop. 

The knight's face guard is always closed and can hold any number of weapons.  Typically the Knight of Diamonds holds a battle axe, the Knight of Clubs holds a Ball and Chain Mace, and the Knight of Hearts holds a spear tipped flag. 

The Bishop is represented by the letter Z.  Here we have the Bishop of Spades.  The Bishop ranks above the Knight but below the Queen and King.

Thus we also have a Bishop of Hearts, Bishop of Clubs, and Bishop of Diamonds. 

Finally there is one more card to add in a Chess Deck, the lowly Pawn, which you can see here.

Flags and Banners from the "Wizard" - 1989

 Several flags and banners appear in the ultimate gamer video game movie of the 80sThe Wizard from 1989.  The video game contest is being held at Universal Studios and several banners announcing the Original Nintendo event can be seen in the background.    The banners are coloured neon yellow, green and pink.    The shirts and events read as "Video Armageddon."

The British flag can be seen behind Fred's older brother Christian Slater as they are searching for the run away contest gamers.

The flag a Utah can also barely be seen in the one of the seen shots.  It is at a roadside stop in the middle of nowhere, that the state flag of Utah makes a cameo.  Coincidentally Utah has a small role in the history of video games.   The original Home Entertainment Wizard was originally from Utah - Nolan Bushnell.     Bushnell was the founder of Atari. 

Inclusion of the Page into a Deck of Cards

Finally the Page of Spades gets to enter a normal deck of cards.  The Page exists in a Tarot deck but not a regular deck of cards, until now.  The page is the lowest level of the Royal Suit, below the Jack yet above the 10.

The letter P represents the Page of any suit whether it be a Page of Hearts, Page of Diamonds, or Page of Clubs.

This is the only normal face card below the Jack.