A-ha Cheker Flag and Racing Numbers

The Checker Flag in A-ha Video

The most famous flag of racing makes an appearance in the music video Take on Me by A-ha. NASCAR, Go-cart, Indy Car, Motor Cross, Formula 1, Monster Trucking, and video game racing may all attract different types of people...but they are all united by the chase of a checker flag. It is a black and white weave that signals the end of the race. A race of man in complete union with machine.


Back in 1985 a Norwegian pop band that broke the visual music-arts barrier. Was it the song or video that rocketed them to the top? No matter it was a conjunction of sound and video and enchanted the world. The video blurred the line between reality and art. It was a perfect if odd match of music and image.



The numbers #13 and #77 feature as racing numbers in the video. The bad guys carry the #13 and it isn't clear if the hero is #77, but it seems so. Since #77 appears behind the band several times. In the video #77 sometimes appears backwards along with the backwards 'R'. They must have reversed it in order to get the over etching art effect. Here it is corrected to show #77 facing the 'proper' way.

Who is Number 77?

A humors yet eye opening take on the video

The Kabyle and Ogoni Flags - Sahara Twins on the Fringe

Flag of the Kabyle
An unrecognized 'Berber Nation' of North Africa

Here are two flags of Africa that wish to be their own nation someday the Kabyle of Algeria and the Ogoni of Nigeria.

The world is keenly aware of Tibet and Palestine but in Africa too, there are people who wish to a nation unto themselves.

The Ogoni People have long resisted the powers that be, starting in WWI they resisted British Occupation of their lands. In the 1990s the Ogoni resisted the Shell Corporation and other petroleum based corporations.

The Kabyle People are the Berber people who did not loose their Berber language and customs from the Orient. The Kabyle like the Ogoni people have been blessed with fossil fuels. It has brought on attention and put both their peoples on the stage of resource poor technologically advanced peoples from far away.

Flag of the Ogoni
An unrecognized 'nation' is Sub-Sahara Africa

Both flags use the colours blue, green, and yellow but of slightly different tints. The order of colours is also different. Both flags also use red icons. The Ogoni flag has six red stars while Kabyle flag has red six pointed figure.

Will these people ever gain an acceptable level of autonomy? Only time will tell, in the meantime they will be regarded as 'rebel' flags in their respective recognized nations of 'Al-geria' and 'Ni-geria.'

Midway and Navassa - American Isles in the middle

Flags of Midway and Navassa

The flags of Midway and Navassa are similar in design and are fraternal flag twins. They both use similar colours of different tints - white, green and blue. Midway has a seagull on it while Navassa has light house.

Both islands are midpoints between continents. Midway is in the Pacific in between Asia and America, while Navassa is in the Atlantic midway between North and South America.


Midway was witness to the greatest aircraft carrier battle between the Empire of Japan and the United States during WWII. But Navassa, was witness to its own mini war/rebellion, but on a much smaller scale - Guano War of 1889. The Navassa Guano Rebellion of 1889 was eventually settled in the US Supreme Court in 1890.

Today Navassa and Midway are peaceful, remote and tiny isles with little to do, but allow birds to rear their young. They are American soil beyond the 50 states.

Navassa and Midway are governed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

A Series of Unfortunate Events Flag or Eye Spy Pennant

The Baudelaire Children in the boat
with the special Eye Spy Pennant

The movie A Series of Unfortunate Events 2004 was a movie based upon the stories written by Mr. Handler, Dan or rather Lemony Snicket. The theme running though the movies deals with the mysterious paradox of misfortune that can with time and distance oddly become good fortune.

The story centers on the three talented orphans of the well to do Baudelaire family - Violet, Claus, and Sunny. Violet is the oldest with a mechanical penchant like MacGyver. Claus the middle son is like a walking encyclopedia like Eddie Morra from Limitless. And Sunny is an insightful little girl with a powerful bite like Jaws from the James Bond movie the Spy Who Loved Me.

The Snicket or Eye Spy Pennant

In the ending credits a flag is featured on the animated boat. Here is a reconstruction based upon the flag. The colours are black and white. It is a swallowtail pennant with another hidden double swallowtail at the ends of the bigger swallowtail.

Flag of the most western isle of Asia - Aspronisi

Flag of the most Western Isle of Asia
Aspronisi - the uninhabited island in the sky

This is the flag of the most Western Island of Asia - Aspronisi. Aspronisi is an island in the Mediterranean Sea in between Turkey and Greece. Officially it's a part of Greece, but closer to Turkey. And it is uninhabited.

The colours are red, yellow and white. The red disc near the fly represents the Sun and the East, while the white crescent represents the Moon and the West.

This flag has elements of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Turkey, and even Israel. But this flag reflects mostly the flags of Ottoman and Chinese Empires. They were the last of the 'Middle Age Empires' to fall under the influence of the modern Western nation state political world.




The yellow triangle, or pile, is pointing westward denoting that this is the most wholly western island completely and geographically closer to Asia.

The three six pointed stars represent the three great Asian faiths that have been adopted and made into their own by Europe, Africa and the Americas - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is a reminder that the great 'Western' Religions originate from Asia, and that the majority of the Holy Lands are in Asia.

Aspronisi formed after the Minoan Eruption (also called the Thera Eruption or Santorini Eruption) that occurred sometime in the 2nd Millennium BC. It is thought that this cataclysmic volcanic episode was responsible for the legend of Atlantis. Such an explosion would have darkened the skies over the region and possibly Egypt.

In Session UK Parliament Flag, ICV 24 at the George Washington Masonic Memorial, Alexandria VA

UK in session Parliament Flag

The following flag was presented to vexillology at the 24 International Congress of Vexillology, that was held at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia.

Ever since Parliament changed its policy of permanently flying the UK Union flag over Parliament, it has lost its communicative purpose - to signal that British Law makers were in session.

The Parliament Flag would only
fly when law makers are in session

The purpose of this flag is to reestablish the signaling purpose of a flag over Parliament.

Its design is modeled after the typical design of a British Ensign. It has a white background and a badge. The badge is a union of the two symbols - the legendary knights of the round table and the coat of arms of Simon de Montfort who is responsible for England's first directly elected Parliament in 1265.

Not only does this flag restore the communicative aspect of the flag over Parliament but it serves as a reminder of history. We often take democracy for granted and democracies all across the world can appreciate these first of baby steps to the diverse democratic systems of government that rule most nations.

Finally this flag links the legendary era with authentic history unto the modern moment.

Flag of the Lord's Resistance Army and NPR

Flag of the Lord's Resistance Army

in Central Africa - Uganda

Founded in 1987 this rebel army based from Uganda has fought against the government along a fundamentalist mix of native religion and English protestantism. The goal of this Army is to establish a government based on the 10 commandments. Currently this group is listed as terrorist organization for human rights abuses and using children in the military.

NPR as a flag

Coincidentally the colours of n.p.r. or National Public Radio in the United States use a similar colours - red, black, and blue. However NPR espouses completely opposite values versus the Lord's Resistance Army.

Rocky with the Battle of Bennington Flag

Rocky with Bennington Flag

America is made up of myths like the semi-legendary tale of King Aurthur. But a uniquely American myth is the story of Rocky Balboa - the Itallian Stallion.

In the picture to the right we see Rocky waving the flag with a young kid. The Bennington Flag like Rocky Balboa may not have been true, but their story nonetheless tells of the reality of the human spirit.

Timing is everything, and Rocky came at a perfect time for America. It seemed that the US was down for the count in the Cold War after being knocked out of Vietnam. The nation was reeling with the racial issues of the 1960s. It seemed that patriotism was running on fumes. But when times are dark, it seems that heroes can arise in the most unlikely of places. In this case an American legend was born under the guidance of Sylvester Stallone.

American Flag

The quinteseential unknown underdog versus the big show heavy weight champ. The issues of white and black America are played out in Hollywood. Both boxers are rich three dimensional characters with faults and loveable charms. Later in Rocky IV the tensions between the Soviet Union and US would play out in a similar manner.

Department of Airforce Patch from Source Code: CAOC-N, 2011

On April Fools Day 2011, Source Code was released to the public. It starred Jake Gyllenhall and Michelle Monaghan. In this movie a fictional arm of the US Air Force fights against crime and terrorism under the "CAOC-N." In this extreme science fiction movie, a medical experiment allows scientists and doctors to revisit past memories before they fade away.

The departmental patch of the fictional CAOC-N within the US Air Force features a shield with five stars and five stripes. In the supporter positions are wings. In the ring around the roundel are eleven stars and it is written 'Department of the Air Force.'

Movie Poster for Source Code, 2011"Make Every Second Count"

This thoughtful movie merges the line between military science fiction while addressing end and or purpose of life questions.

The mind can be easily deceived, thus it's best to use your heart as the compass to make up your mind.

Red Sea Flag

Red Sea Flag

This flag represents the Red Sea. Its colours are red, black, and yellow. The bottom red portion represents the parting of the Red Sea during the Israeli exodus out of Egypt. Centered near the top is a Hebrew Star with the sign of Cancer upon it. This is a geographical reflection since the Tropic of Cancer passes through the Red Sea.

The colours yellow and black reflect that the shore line of the sacred Red Sea divides yet unites Africa and Asia.

Note that most of the stories that take place in the Holy Land were centered mostly on Asia and secondly Africa.

Russian Space Force Flag

Flag of the Russian Space Forces
it has a noticeable element
from the Star Trek

Certainly Chekov would be proud? This is not some imaginary flag. It seems an American Television Show had a lasting effect, even upon her national rivals.

The Star Trek franchise has had wide reaching influences all over the world, even in Russia. The evidence? Look at the flag.

This is the flag of the Russian Space Forces. It uses four colours - white, red, navy blue, and sky blue. The central icon uses a Star Trek design. This Star Trek like icon is on a ellipse that is thematic of a Russian flag but with one added colour on top - navy blue. This flag was established on December 18, 2006.

Russian Space Forces are the heirs to the Soviet Space Program and operates two space ports in Asia and Europe. The European space port is Arkhangelsk and the Asian space port in the Amur.

sokol

NJ Govenor behind the US and NJ State flag, tires to get his message though a thick skull

Ohh boy? This is getting embarrassing. We gots problems with much of our news people. Governor Chris Christie tries to spell it out to mass media.

SpongeBob Square Pants and Patrick find a 'Russian' flag at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean

On a trip to visit the north pole Sponge Bob and Patrick find a flag near Santa's House. Is it a Russian or Serbian flag?

The Krusty Krab Pennant or KK Pennant

Krusty Krab Pennant

The first Sponge Bob Square Pants Movie came out in 2004. It featured an underwater chariot-car with a Krusty Krab pennant.

The colours of the Krusty Krab Corporation pennant are red and yellow, like the colours of McDonald's. It features two letter Ks (Krusty Krab) with the one Sinister K smaller than the Dexter K.

Birds Eye View of the KK Kart

Oh yes! We can build one for your local town parade, but don't tell Viacom, or else.

Mercury Flag, the Planet

Flag of Mercury
first planet next to the sun

This is the flag of planet Mercury, currently the smallest and closest planet to the sun. In many ways it qualifies as moon, from a Jovian point of view.

The colours of this flag are black, silver, red, and purple. Silver represents the element Mercury while red and purple represent the beginning and ending colours of our visible spectrum.

A view from Mercury

The black icon is a combined symbol from the West and East for Mercury. In the West Mercury is a liquid metal and planet, coincidentally in East the planet designated as Mercury used the symbol of water or liquid.

The 50 US States with a California Twist, plus a little more

Here are the 50 US states flags with a California overtone, plus Canada too.

Just as America is a nation of immigrants, California the largest state with non-Native Californian-Americans. Thus any American not born in California but becomes a resident to California is a 'N.O.F.C.A-Californian.' (Not Originally From California American) In honor of all 'NOFCA' Californians who headed to the Golden State to pursue their dreams or riches or East and South in a few cases, here are flags for naturalized born out of state Californian-Americans. Fly them with pride.

For an expanded explanation on the various animals that represent each flag, follow the link - within this blog to the California Republic Mojo Flags.

The Not Originally Native California American Pride Flag Video

Official Flags of the NFL 1995 from Jerry Magurie

Official NFL team flags back in 1995

In 1996 Tom Cruise played as Jerry Maguire in Jerry Magurie. It was a dramatic comedy about the behind the scenes of life of a fictional pro-sports agent - Jerry Maguire.

One scene takes place in the banquet room before the NFL draft, during this scene we see Mr. Maguire get into a lovers quarrel with his fiancee Avery, played by Kelly Preston.


Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire
in Jerry Maguire

During their lovers spat we see the official NFL standards for the various teams.

These flags all featured the same design with a five rays emanating from the lower hoist corner with the charge of the teams football helmet facing right - towards the fly. There are nine rays to each flag.

Flag of the Arizona Cardinals

Even today you can still purchase a standard NFL bottom ray flags. In the movie Jerry Maguire, the player he represented Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) plays for the Arizona Cardinals.

Movie Clip from Jerry Maguire
Famous "Show Me the Money Scene" and NFL Flags - in the back ground

Gavdos Flag, the most southern island of Eruope

Flag of Eruope's most Southern Island
Gavdos - a part of Greece under Crete Rule

The most southern point of the European Continent belongs to Spain at 36 degrees North. But the most southern isle of Europe limbos at 34 degrees with the island of Gavdos. Gavdos is a part of Greece governed as a part of Crete, yet a small island to itself.

The colours of this flag is red, white, blue and yellow which can be found in all Europeans flags. The blue background with yellow star in is honor of the European Union flag. The star is 'upside down' to indicate a southern direction. The apparent white cross on a blue background represents that Gavdos is a part of Greece.



Other flags of Europe are hidden within such as Monaco, Poland, Netherlands, and France. The cross is also an echo of others crosses found on other European flags.

Gavdos rests at 34 degrees 50' North. This puts it at same latitude of Los Angels.

Flag for the most northern isle by Africa - Isle of Mal Ventre

Flag for Africa's North-most Island
Mal Ventre

The Island of Mal Ventre or rather in Italian - Isola di Mal di Ventre is the proverbial Midway in between Africa and Europe. Its name means Isle of Negative Winds. It is politically a part of Italy, and locally governed with Sardinia.

The colours of this flag are black, yellow, red, and green. These pan-African colours are combined with a popular symbol with Europe: the Fluer-di-lis.

The Fluer-di-lis was employed because it symbolized the direction North on old European maps, and the isle of Mal Ventre is arguably the most northern point of Africa. Meaning, it is closer to Africa than it is Europe. Additionally, pan-African colours blended with a traditionally European symbol reflect with two natures of Isola di Mal Ventre as a land caught in between Africa and Europe.

Map of America - circa 1526
Made by Juan Vespucci, Nephew of Amerigo Vespucci
America was named after Juan Vepucci's famous uncle
NOTICE - North is indicated with a Fluer-di-lis on the compass





























Mal Ventre Isle is one of thousands of islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean Sea is a cultural nexus for the Old World since it has a shoreline with Africa, Europe, and Asia. This puts all the islands in the Mediterranean up for grabs, as to which continent it should be associated with.

The basic rule is whichever continent it's closest too, gets dibs. With this logic Cyprus is an Asian Isle, Corsica a European Isle, and Mal Ventre an African Isle. But this rule dosen't always work out so well. Examples being, the islands of Crete, Sicily, and Sardinia. These isles are geographically in between two continents. The east coast of Crete is closer to mainland Asia, while its west coast is closer to mainland Europe. With Sicily its eastern coast is closer to Europe while its western coast is closer to Africa, as with Sardinia its north shore is closer to Europe while its south shore is closer to Africa.

Isola di Mal di Ventre with flag
Geographically, an isle closest to Africa

But with Mal Ventre Isle, it is wholly closer to Africa - since all of its coastlines are closer to Africa. Thus it is the most northern isle of Africa. It stands at 40 degrees north - rounded up a few seconds. Mal Ventre Isle is much smaller than Midway, but like Midway has become a breeding ground for birds.



The Isle of Mal Ventre is a lonely midway point and peaceful sanctuary between two continents.

Flag Twins - Corsica and Sardinia

Flag of Corsica

An interesting flag comparison between Corsica and Sardinia reveals an edge of similarity. Both flags feature the profile of Africa's 'Scandinavians' - the Moors. Or rather Scandinavians are the Moors of Europe.

Corsica features one head facing towards the hoist, while Sardinia has many heads facing towards the fly.

This is a natural reflection of their shared heritage in between Africa and Europe - with a tilt towards Europe.

The flags are of the two main island in between Africa and Europe. Sardinia is under Italian rule while Corsica is attached to France. There are thousands of islands in the Mediterranean Sea, but these islands of a similar 'orbit' and weight, by queer chance have flags with matching charges.

Flag of Sardinia

The Corsican flag is modeled from the forlorn Corsican Republic, likewise Sardinia was once home to the semi-forgotten Kingdom of Sardinia.

Flag of Bikini Bottom? Bikini Atoll

Flag of the Bikini Atoll
The Marshall Islands are no longer a part USA
but the US design lives on

Yes Virginia, Bikini Bottom is a real place, however Krabby Patties and talking yellow sponges are a different story. Bikini Atoll is officially a part of the Marshall Islands Republic.

The official flag of Bikini Atoll has 23 stars that represent the 23 islands that make up Bikini Atoll. Written on the fourth line from the bottom in Marshallese is "Everything is in the Hands of God."

The stars are also arranged in a partial shape of the letter H in honor of the H-bomb - that Bikini Islanders oddly see as a blessing. The three black stars represent the terra-forming actions of the US via nuclear weapons testing. The two black stars near the bottom represent the two livable islands - Majuro and Kili Island.

Flag of the Marshall Islands
Independent from the USA in 1986

After WWII the islands became a nuclear testing wonderland, with over 20 nuclear devices being set off. Thus there is a good chance that the marine life in the area - starfish and crabs may have underwent an extreme mutant shift.

And for the record the bikini swim suit was named after these islands. From the air, the island atoll is skimpy like a bikini. And the word Bikini or Pikini is a native pacific word that means "coconut top."


Rumor has it that Sponges Great Grampi and Great Grammy
died the Bikini nuclear test of 1949

With all that radiation from nuclear testing - talking sponges and squids playing clarinets don't seem to weird. The marine life at Bikini Bottom would have had to whether the extreme radiation in the 1950s.



Rumors have it, when Bikini Atoll was occupied by the Japanese they did some weird experiments on the coral reef. After the area was irradiated with nuclear radiation, Japanese and American DNA was apparently absorbed by some of the critters living under the sea - giving rise to the unique and intelligent fauna found at Bikini Bottom.

Painting of US soldiers hanging out at
Bikini Atoll with Bob and Patrick

The Krusty Krab Flags, Sponge Bob Square Pants

The Krusty Krab is a fictional restaurant located at Bikini Bottom. Its specialty is the Crabby Patty. The Crabby Patty is a succulent sandwich that is more than just a sandwich. The formula is a closely guarded secret by it owner - Mr. Krabs.

The entrance way is decorated with maritime flags. In international maritime code it seems to spell out R-I-(A?)-(upside down U)-K or RIAUK.

The central flag was used in British maritime code. Perhaps its a coded flag for Interpol Intelligence? Its colours are similar to the letter A flag. However its design is similar to the letter O flag, but the colours are different. The central flag above the entrance to the Krusty Krab are blue and white.


This flag could be a personal flag of Mr. Krabs? Perhaps its for a sound that is only made by Bikini Bottom dwellers - like a snapping claw sound?

Another oddity of the Krusty Krab restaurant is that the letter 'U' is hung upside down or the wrong way.

A final explanation for this discrepancy is that the population of Bikini Bottom uses their own code for these maritime flags. An example being, the Russian Navy, which uses the same flags in a different code.

KRUSTY KRAB FLAGS
with international standard meanings, explained (sort of)