Thursday, December 31, 2020

Golf Flag from Space Jam 1996

 

A unique golf course flag can be seen in the epitome 1990s movie, Space Jam.  When Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Bill Murray and Wayne Knight are playing golf.  Jordan mysteriously gets a hole in one and they pose for a picture. 

WB Looney Tunes Flag

In 1996 the official Looney Tune flag was presented to the public in the epic movie of the 1990s, Space Jam.  On the right side of the stage you can see a green and white flag.  We can assume it represents the flag of Warner Brother's Toon Land.  On the left side of the stage you can see the US Flag. 

From a distance you can see that there is white area near the bottom.  We never get to see the entire flag unfurled.  A proper Roman vexillum would solve this issue, but cultures are adapted to seeing flags in this draped non-discernable mode.   




 

Tune Squad Team Colors - Space Jam 1996

 In the 1996 the keystroke moment in culture and sports was a combo of Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny.  Jordan was the epitome athlete of the 1990s.  He rounded out his dynamic persona in Space Jam that bleeds the spirit of zany 1990s.  

In this cinematic wonder, Jordan is drafted into to save the Warner Brother's cartoon gang to fend off intergalactic slavery.  The toon gang is challenged in a basketball game and they recruit Jordan, for to save their race.  

The livery of the Tune Squad is blue, orange, and white.  They have the circular bullseye WB cartoon logo with the word Tune Squad written upon it.  It should read as Toon Squad, but it is a moot point.  

Another 1990s decaderal institution is Wayne Knight, who played as the lovable pudgy sidekick.  He was the 1990s King Fatman.  Previously John Candy reigned as the Fatman in the 1980s, but Knight was the 90s' F-man of extra space, due to this presence on Seinfeld and Jurassic Park. On Knight's jacket, you can see the generic Toon Logo with a capital letter T.   

Jordan in the Tune Squad uniform.  This was a unique movie that captured the zeitgeist of the 1990s.  Space Jam was a movie for children, but it was a strange hybrid of cartoons and sports that gave way to the collective memory of America. 

Jordan will always be remembered as a Bull, but he was also a Wizard, a Tar Heel, Olympian, Baron, and Buccaneer.  Perhaps his highest note of fame for any child who grew up in the 1990s, was a his number as #23, for the Tune Squad.





Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Wayne's World Flags 1992

 


It started with Bill and Ted, then there was Beavis and Butthead.  The 1990s seemed was focused on a pair of jokers, one with blonde hair as the side kick, any the other and lead brunette. Wayne's World started as a skit from SNL and became a feature movie.  It was one of the few times that a movie made from a short segment became reality. 


Along the stairways to the basement you can see the pennants of the Chicago sports teams.  Missing is the ultimate 1990s team of the Bulls.  

In the professional studio you can see the six flags of Texas, they always forget about the Republic of the Rio Grande, this is due to a myopic Western bias.  This republic was short lived, and was a rebellion led by Mexican-Texans.   Thus, it should be the 7 flags of Texas.



Saturday, December 19, 2020

UK Iceberg Submarine Cap

 


The flag of the UK appears in the ultimate 1980s James Bond film, A View to a Kill.  The British ensign appears atop a clandestine iceberg sub.  

 

 

 

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Rick and Morty - Flying Ship Flags

 

Science fiction is something recycled every generation.  From the twilight zone to today, ideas find their way into our imagination.  With Rick and Morty, they were able to take that charm and make their own in this adult oriented animated series for Sci-fi fans, yet dipped in that modern cartoonish glow. 

In the homemade sailing UFO of sorts a flag can be seen aloft on the rear mast.  It is small pennant with a green field and nearer the hoist is light green/whitish stripe.  A political kind of side-bumper sticker can be seen on the side with a partially visible American flag for an election in 86'.  

Also in this episode, you can can see another green pennant in Morty's room.  It has the words SCIENCE written in all caps in white on a field of green.  Again a thick white horizontal header near the hoist is visible.   This indicates that Morty really has fondness for 'SCIENCE.'  The posters youth post on the wall indicates their interest and lofty goals.  In this case.  Missing from Morty's room are athletic posters of any kind of major league broadcast sports.  A person who decorates their room with a science pennant is unlikely to have any kind of ball game posters in his room.  But the two are not mutually exclusive. 

 The inside of the flying ship is deeply reminiscent of Back the Future.  This was done on purpose, as the the name of our hero Morty is so very close to Marty.  However Morty is few years younger.  And the Doc of this show has perfected trans-dimensional travel, in that Buckaroo Banzai kind of way. 

 

Friday, December 4, 2020

Machias Seal Island, Maine or Machias Island, New Brunswick

 


Many people have heard of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Some know about the Cyprus-Northen Cyprus conflict.  And fewer have heard about the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict.  But are you aware of the Canadian-American Machias Island territorial conflict?


Machias Seal Island is one of the last of divided lands that sits at the tipping point between two nations.  The two stars represent two peoples divided, or rather united?  The beautiful maple leaf represents the highest honors of respect.  

The dispute is longstanding, on one hand the islands are claimed by Canada by a certain interpretation of a treaty.  However on the US side, the US is closer in proximity since Machias Island.  The islands are ½ a mile closer to the mainland shores of USA.


Both nations have purposefully avoided bringing the issue to settle in the international courts of justice.  So like Palestine and the West Bank, this little slice of Earth is in limbo as of 2020, and for the foreseeable future. 

So what is at stake?  Pride, ego, and the bounty of the sea—mostly a rich lobster income.  In the big picture a loss, or win, for this 20 acre bird refuge would neither hurt nor benefit either nation, yet the impact on several families would be heartfelt.  


Perhaps leaders can try that overlooked middle path option?  Machias Island could become bi-national territory.  This had already happened with Oregon Territory before it was divided, by the 'UK-Canada' and the 'US'.  For 28 years, from 1818 until 1846, Oregon Territory and British Columbia were bi-national.  This land was both American and 'Canadian-British.'     


Reverting to a bi-national territory would give Machias Island special status as both Canadian and American.  

Of course one would have to be a resident of Machias Seal Island to have this automatic dual-Canadian American citizenship.  There are already a lot of Americans and Canadians who hold both passports (Jim Carey and Elon Musk). It would be a controlled experiment of sorts, whereby US and Canadian Coastguards could team up.  

Likewise a small portion of the Island would enter the private sector for residents to set up a tourist bird watching and lobster restaurant.  Indeed it would become a creative experiment.  No doubt the tourist dollars generated by such a political oddity could be used to protect wildlife along the shores of Maine and New Brunswick.  If such a place were to exist, popularity and interest would peak to visit, this inter-sexed land of sorts. 

No doubt a lot could be discovered by such an enterprise.  Such an endeavor may inspire other nations like Russian and Japan, which have a long standing dispute over several islands in the North Pacific.  It'd be like that special customs zone in the airport, whereby both Canada and the US will maintain unique intelligence on such a place.  Finally, the third, bi-national option would acquiesce any bruised egos, so that both nations benefit and something new is created.  

On the other hand, the easy out of this conundrum is to give way and have a winner and loser.  A few families will benefit and this island will become...just another isle.  However if the 'third' option is taken, no doubt the world will watch and learn. 

The two stars represent two nations and two peoples.  The beautiful maple leaf represents the highest honors of respect.



This flag was created to heal the rift between North and South.  In the wake of 2020 to bring clarity and balance.  It is directly inspired by GĂ©rard Gallienne flag proposal from 1931. 




https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/flags-canada-historical/posters.html

https://reg.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project-pic.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=1262&ProjectElementID=6507

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machias_Seal_Island

 Photo of Machias Island

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Machias+Seal+Island/@44.501886,-67.1018474,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipM2bPvaN3iXwghgpmQhD5qNnznE9cBvtf-Pm6Gv!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipM2bPvaN3iXwghgpmQhD5qNnznE9cBvtf-Pm6Gv%3Dw130-h86-k-no!7i2048!8i1354!4m5!3m4!1s0x4ca8e246778dae61:0x75cadc05562582ee!8m2!3d44.502302!4d-67.1012682