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.  

Expansion of the Knight in a Deck of Cards

Finally the Knight of Spades has come to light.  The expansion of the Knight into a deck of cards is important since they already exist in a Tarot deck.  The Knight ranks above the Jack and below the Queen in a normal deck.  Yet ranks below a Baron and Baroness in an expanded royal deck.   Thus there is also the Knight of Hearts, Knight of Diamonds, and Knight of Clubs.

Knights are represented by the letter G.  K is already taken by the King. G can also mean Gallantry as in a Gallant Knight saved the day. 

Heraldic Expansion of Playing card for the Women's Side

As every King is destined for a Queen, it is also appropriate to expand the Royal Suits to the other half.

The Empress is represented by the letter R.  She ranks just below the Emperor yet above the Duke.  The Empress of Spades is both above the King and Queen of any suit.

Consequently we have a Empress of Hearts, Empress of Diamonds, and finally the Empress of Clubs to contend with.  

The Queen now sits below the Emperor, Empress, and King yet above the Duke and Duchess.   Like always the letter Q represents the Queen.

The Duchess is represented by the letter X.  She ranks below the King, Queen and Duke yet above the Marchioness and Marquess.

 Doesn't the Duchess of Spades just roll of the tongue so eloquently?  Maybe Duchess of Hearts, Duchess of Clubs, or Duchess of Diamonds sounds better? 

The Marchioness is other half of the Marquis.  She ranks above the Earl, and stands just below her man the Marquis.  The Marchioness is represented by the letter H.  The Marchioness outranks all Earls, Counts, Viscounts,
and Barons.

We now have a Marchioness of Hearts, Marchioness of Diamonds, and Marchioness of Clubs. 

 The female Earl is known as a Countess, since there is no 'Earless'.  Thus the female Earl is the represented by the letter C .  The Countess of Spades beats all types of Barons and Viscounts.

In addition there is now a Countess of Hearts, Countess of Diamonds, and Countess of Clubs.
















The Viscountess is represented by the letter U.  She ranks below the Earls and Countesses and would be Counts.  The Viscountess of Spades trumps all types of Barons.  New Viscountesses include the Viscountess of Hearts, Viscountess of Diamonds, and Viscountess of Clubs.













The Baroness is represented by the letter S.  The Baroness is above the Jack or Knave yet below the Viscounts.  The Baroness of Spades is the lowest ranking of peerage.

Thus we also have the Baroness of Hearts, Baroness of Diamonds, and Baroness of Clubs. 

An Expansion of Royal Suits for the Cards

The time has come to expand the playing card universe.  Imagine playing poker, gin rummy or solitaire with these new face cards.  It'll make it more exciting!

The Emperor is now the highest ranking card of the deck in the Nobility Pack, next to an Ace.  Here the Emperor of Spades is wearing the Imperial Crown.  The Emperor is represented by the letter E.  There is also an Emperor of Hearts, Emperor of Diamonds, and Emperor of Clubs. 















 The King of Spades ranks below the Emperor and above the Duke.  Here the King is wearing the Royal British Crowns.















The Duke is a new suit just below the King and above the Marquess.  The Duke is represented by the letter D.  Note there is a Duke of Hearts, Duke of Diamonds, and Duke of Clubs.















 The Marquess is a new playing card rank.  The Marquess is below a Duke but above an Earl.  The Marquess is represented by the letter M.   Here the Marquess of Spades is wearing the heraldic crown reserved for the English Marquess.   New Marquesses include the Marquess of Hearts, Marquess of Diamonds, and Marquess of Clubs.














 The Earl is ranked below a Marquess yet above a Viscount.  The Earl is represented by the letter L since E is already taken by the Emperor.  Here the Earl of Spades is wearing the crown that belongs to the Earls of England.  So there is now an Earl of Hearts, and Earl of Diamonds, and an Earl of Clubs.

Ranks of Nobility in other nations usually call this position the Count, which is above the 'Vice-Count' and below the Marquess.  Thus the matching English Equivalent to Count Dracula would be Earl Dracula.

And if you grew up in America it'd be Earl Chocula instead of Count Chocula.  Likewise the purple puppet Count would be the 'Counting Earl' on Sesame Street.  








 The Viscount is represented by the letter V.  Viscounts rank above the Barons yet below the Earls/Counts.  The Viscount of Spades is wearing the heraldic English Viscount crown. New cards include the Viscount of Hearts, Viscount of Diamonds, and Viscount of Clubs.














 

 The lowest normal rank of nobility is the Baron.  The Baron is below all the royal suits yet above the Jack.  Here the letter B represents the Baron.  We now have a Baron of Hearts, Baron of Diamonds, and Baron of Clubs. 

Due to the popularity of the Red Baron and Baron in fiction or Red Baron Pizza.  The Baron is basically the lowest level of nobility.  In America people often confuse a Baron with a high royal rank.   Yet it's better to be a Baron than a Knight or regular peasant folk.





 



These new playing cards with added ranks of Nobility are crowned with the standard English Heraldic Crowns.  But the Spades only use English items.  The Hearts expanded family shall be crowned with French Crowns.  The Diamonds expanded family will be crowned with Spanish Crowns, while the Clubs expanded family will be crowned with Austrian Crowns.  Thus you can learn a little something about the Crowns and titles of Nobility when playing cards.  And the next time you read about some Duke or see someone mention the Count and Baron in a movie you'll know where they are in the order of Nobility.

And when playing cards you really can 'Put up your Dukes.'

A Royal Banner for King Charles III

Will the UK ever welcome a King Charles III?    With the longevity of the Royal Family as it is now, certainly by 2033.  Although it may seem like a distant future, it'll be here sooner than that funky flash forward decade of the 1970s and most recently, Old Head Harry Potter films.  More than likely by then at current trends the US President in 2033 will probably be a 1980s Reagan Baby Love Child.  


In any case here is a proposed Royal Standard for King Charles the III that, finally, includes the heraldic essence of Wales.  Usually the three golden lions go for a double play.  This flag includes the kingdoms of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. It'd be need'in a dragon on the flag.  Aye, dragons are the wee coolest thing!

Oprah Winfrey next to the Stanford University Flag - 2008

In 2008 Oprah was given the honor to address the graduates of Stanford University.  In it she relays some of her best advice and experiences.  Behind Oprah Winfrey you can see the flag of the United States and Stanford waving in the background. 

Stanford University has several official flags.  The flag behind Oprah is the University Wide triple redwood frond flag.  It is composed of three branches coloured red on a white disc surrounded by a black circle on a field of red.  The redwood frond is a common element to other Stanford Flags as found in the Stanford School of: Medicine, Law, Humanities and Sciences, Engineering, Earth and Sciences, Graduate School of Business, and Education.


Oprah is a rare voice of reason, inspiration, and education amongst a jungle of powerful obnoxious egos.  Originally from Mississippi, she is the proverbial rags to riches story.  But riches earned from a dedicated and unquenchable thirst for life and wish to serve others.  Oprah is willing to stretch her mind and push on the comfort zone, to boldly think and ask where no woman, or man for that matter, has thought before. Yet with all her success and fame, Oprah has kept her head on Earth.   Oprah paradoxically shines both as a superstar and in a humble warm friendly folksy light as Auntie O.





Photo Credits: https://commencement.stanford.edu/traditions/heraldry/university-flag

Oprah's Website: http://www.oprah.com/index.html

Eye of the Tiger - Vexilloids from the Video 1982

The Eye of the Tiger hit the airwaves in 1982 and was created by the band Survivor with a push from Silvester Stallone.  Vexilloid like items appear at the end of the video as a golden wavy background while the band plays.

Another hard to spot vexilloid is a banner advertising Tiffany's hind-quarters.  Tiffany's banner just happens to be the colour of a tiger which is yellow and black.
 
Note the song Eye of the Tiger came into existence due to selfish hoarding attitudes.  Silvester Stallone originally wanted another song to be played in Rocky III, but he was denied.  Mr. Stallone then requested a similarly themed song be made... and walla' we have Eye of the Tiger. Suffice it to say thanks to that rejection!  In the aftermath of that push back we got an even cooler more memorable song that has survived the decades.

Can you spot the Tiger in the background?

It proves the ancient adage that sometimes it's better to let go and work around a problem, and a better solution with extra benefits is just around the corner.  The path of rejection can lead to unexpected hidden treasures. 

Flags in the Film - Last of the Mohicans 1992

 July 4, 1757 the fates of the American Colonies were being dealt by the Empires that be, or so as the dominant narrative goes.  As if the colonists had no part in the destiny of North America, except for the lading at Jamestown and 'first' celebration of Thanksgiving Day.

 If the French won or at least maintained a smaller portion of North America?  Would the colonies ever have rebelled with the threat of a French Empire? 

In 1992 the best pre-Revolutionary Colonial American movie was made - Last of the Mochians starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Madelyn Stowe.  This film illustrates the lives, struggles, conflicts of the pre-Revolutionary ancestors of Canada and the US.

This war set up the historical fireworks for July 4, 1776.  During this war the colonies were allied with Prussia for world dominance.  Prussian-British victory after this nearly last of "Native American and French-Canadian Wars" put the English on a path for total world domination.

Usually the war depicted in the film is called the 'last' French and Indian War, but it was not.  For the French would fight the United Kingdom one last time on the continent from 1778 until peace was resolved and the 13 colonies made independent.  Although France was expelled from the mainland of North America she retained a few tiny isles in coastal areas of North America notably - St. Pierre and Miquelon.


Thus France gained a modicum of justice when the British lost their first born in 1776.  The American Revolution was also the proverbial final act or grand finale of the "French and Indian Wars" as the battles of the American Revolution involved "France" and "Indians."


 British and regimental flags with markings can be seen in the film.  The film maker, Michael Mann, did his homework and it paid off. 




This film also showed in brilliant color and depth the role that aboriginal-Americans played.  Previously before the 1960s Native Americas were portrayed in tacky one dimensional cartoonish like fashion who needed to be taught good western values with great insult to their religion and way of life.

In this film the negative and positive ways of aboriginal Native and Old World Newcomer Americans are dealt with, in an more honest light.

Flags in Eternal Sunshine, of the spotless mind 2004

Imagine if you could erase unwanted memories?   Would you undergo the procedure?  Certainly such a kind of technology is on the horizon.  Many already pop happy pills to alter their mood and can not function normally without the aid of intoxicants due to social anxiety.

In 2004 Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet starred in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and erasing unwanted memories is the premise of the movie.  Carrey and Winslet star as star crossed lovers whose painful relationship, causes them to undergo the procedure.



Of key importance to this blog are several vexilloids that appear in the movie.  The most unique flag appears in the drawing of Clementine that Joel had did.  In it Clementine is a skeleton except for her head and she is holding a tattered sun flag of yellow and pink that has come to symbolize the radically intense love of Joel and Clementine.

More conventional flags also appear in the movie.  During the flea market scene a person is wearing a hat with a US flag on it and colourful sales pennants can be seen fluttering in the background.  Also notice that this is a shot of memory being erased so the people in the background are loosing their faces. Another vexilloid antenna can be seen on the remote control airplane controller - it has a long blue streamer along the end.

 This movie is more than just a love story.  It has the capacity to stir the mind and stimulate discussion of dreams, mind, body, love, anguish and purpose in the most subtle of ways.  It is a subdued science fiction movie, without the sci-fi feeling.  Persons who never experienced a broken romantic heart may have difficulty understanding this work of art as will people who do not examine their dreams or refuse to trespass against the norms of modern society.





PS,
And a Sappy Summer Solstice to all my Northern Hemispherians, enjoy all the free sunshine while it's still free.

Flags in the Film 12 Monkeys - 1995

 The US flag makes a brief cameo in the seminal 1990s time travel movie 12 Monkeys. The film is a layered upon layered time drama that gets better with each viewing since it is designed with details that can only be noticed after secondary views.

 Red flags also appear at the 'airport-convention' center.  A group of tourists from East Asia are passing by when our hero and heroine meet each other.  Unlike most time travel movies, this one is where the traveler comes from the future to the present moment of 1995, Philadelphia.




 A story of love, fate, science and control it makes new connections that time travel has its hazards on the mind and shows the nature of man to seize freedom when given a chance to break free rather than return to doldrums of tyrannical corporate control. 

US Flag for all 74 American Sub-Federal Districts: 50 States, 16 non-states, 8 undecided entities

Officially speaking there are 50 States.  But there are additional sub-federal districts that are not represented on the official flag.  The most popular sub-federal non-state of the USA is the District of Columbia, Washington.  However there are more, 15 more to be exact.  Thus this flag gives total representation to all official 66 sub-federal districts.  

The badge is a shield of arms that has sixteen stars, to represent the sixteen sub-federal non-state districts.  The stars only have four points since they do not represent fully fledged states.  The official sixteen sub-federal districts are:

51 - Washington, DC
52 - Puerto Rico
53 - Guam
54 - American Samoa
55 - US Virgin Islands
56 - N. Mariana Is.
57 - Wake Island
58 - Palmyra Atoll
59 - Midway Atoll
60 - Navassa
61 - Johnston Island
62 - Baker Island
63 - Howland Island
64 - Swains Island
65 - Jarvis Island
66 - Kingman Reef



Additionally there is a white diagonal that has eight smaller red four pointed stars that represent the undecided parts of the world with an unresolved US Claim or are in a Compact of Free Association with the United States.  The C.F.A is up for congressional renewal, if it is not renewed then this flag will have to be altered minus a few red stars on the bend.


67 - Serranilla Bank 
68 - Bajo Nuevo Bank
69 - Ducie Island
70 - Antarctica
71 - Alto Velo Island 

C.F.A. - Regions

72 - Palau
73 - Micronesia
74 - Marshall Islands


Thus this US flag has noted symbolism that represents all 74 sub-federal areas of the USA: the 13 original colonies, via the 13 red and white stripes; 50 official states, via the 50 five pointed stars in the canton; 16 sub-federal non-states, via the four pointed white stars; and finally 8 four pointed red stars in the white bend of the badge that represent the five undecided land claims and three nations that are under the C.F.A.

A Guantanamo Bay Flag - The Official Seal on a White Background Flag

 

Guantanamo Bay is a twilight part of the United States.  The official seal is aquageotic since a brown map of Cuba is visible in the center.  Two palm trees can be seen sprouting out of the head. CUBA is written in gold capital letters, likewise under the island it is written GAUNTANAMO BAY with three waves underneath.  Around the map is chain link and then it is states that is indeed a US Naval Base and redundantly one more time that it is Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

 If you could imagine the shape of Cuba being a giant blue whale then in between the lead-hand flipper and head is where Guantanamo Bay is located.  The trees sprouting out also look like water sprouts coming from the whale. 

Flag for the possible Future 13 States of the USA - State #53 to #69

Currently the United States in composed of 50 States, but in the near future more states can be added.  If technological progress continues, it is possible the 'unorganized parts of the USA' could become more habitable.  Perhaps underground Sealabs-Seacities will become the wave of the future?

This flag is for the possible 'Future 13 States' of the USA; theoretical states #53 unto #69.  The flag has a blue canton with 13 stars. In totality there are 66 official sub-federal entities in the United States. 

Official 16 'Bonus USA Territories' are:

51. The District of Columbia, Washington
52. Puerto Rico
53. Guam
54. US Virgin Islands 
55. Northern Mariana Islands
56. American Samoa
57. Wake Island
58. Midway Island
59. Palmyra Atoll
60. Navassa
61. Johnston Atoll
62. Baker Island
63. Howland Island
64. Jarvis Island
65. Kingman Reef
66. Swains Island

Thirteen States Flag Map Chart

This 13 States Flag Map Chart illustrates which states have claims to each of the 13 stars and stripes edition flag.  The Original Betsy Ross Flag has a certain charm, but it only represents the original 13, so in honor of each group of additional 13 states, they get their own distinct Betsy Ross Type of Flag.

Flag for Americans born in an unknown location

A flag for Americans who don't know where they were born.  This flag will be used most likely by orphans and other Americans who are distant with their parents.  It may seem odd, but there are several thousand Americans who don't know where they were born, or at least the documents of the birth were lost.

The flag for Americans of an unknown origin has 13 stripes - seven white and six red.  The canton is white with thirteen red stars.

Famous Americans who did not know where they were born:
James Michener
Peter Francisco - The Virginia Giant
Tecumseh
Andrew Jackson
Sacagawea 
Little Orphan Annie

ENCORE ENCORE ENCORE

The flag of Oceania and Australia Continent

This flag uses the colours navy blue, sea green, and white.  The canton is sea green and has a navy blue star.  The seven pointed star represents the seven continents. 

 This flag is for Australia and land masses within its radius.  Thus this flag is for the area on New Zealand, Howland and Baker Islands, Guam since they are closest to the continent of Australia.  This included the western half of Indonesia that is also closer to Australia than to Asia.

Flag for the Continent of Asia

The flag of Asia uses the colours yellow, black, white, and yellow.  The canton is black with a yellow star. The seven points on the star are a reminder that there are seven continents.

This flag can be flown anywhere in Asia from Jerusalem, Tokyo, Calcutta, Mecca, or Kabul.  It is also to be flown on islands that are closest to Asia such as Cyprus, the Isle of Rhodes, and the western isles of Alaska. 

Flag of the European Continent

The flag for all of Europe - East, West, South, and North uses the colours white, black, and yellow.  The canton is black with a white star.

It can be flown anywhere on Europe and with the Islands that are closest to Europe including the Scotland, Ireland, and Crete. 

Flag of the Africa Continent

The continental flag of Africa uses the colour black, yellow, and white.  The canton is yellow with a black star. The star is seven pointed to echo the fact that there are seven continents. 

This flag can be flown anywhere on Africa and any island that is closest to Africa such as Malta and Socotra.

Flag for the Continent of South America

The flag of South America uses the colours red, yellow, green and blue.  The canton is blue with a green star. Seven points of the star are a reminder of the seven continents.

This flag is for the entire continent of South America and lands within its radius.  Thus Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Barbados have rights to fly this flag since they are closest to South America.

Flag for the North America Continent

The flag of North America uses the colours black, white, and red.  The canton is black with a red star. The seven pointed star represents the seven continents.  The star has seven points since there are seven continents.

This flag is for the entire of Continent of North America including Panama, Mexico and Canada and islands that are closest to North America.