Barbados & Madeira

Flag of Barbados
Barbados is an island in the Western Atlantic
a part of the New World
The background tri-colours matches; blue, yellow, and blue. The major difference is the icon within the central yellow stripe. Barbados has the ancient symbol of Poseidon or Neptune, while Madeira employs the cross of the Order of Christ.

Flag of Madiera
Maidera is an island in the Eastern Atlantic
a part of the Old World

These symbols balance each other on numerous dimensions. Madeira has an inner white cross while Barbados has a black trident. The trident is reflective of Europe's polytheistic past when the various tribes of Europe were in tune with the timeless echoes of the ocean, while the cross is reflective of Europe's monotheistic present and fundamental role in enriching the 'poly-scholastic' branches of Christianity.

The geographic symmetry is rather uncanny. Both islands are at opposite ends of the Atlantic Ocean, just beyond the boundaries of the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas. Madeira is closer to the Old World and Barbados closer to the New World. They were proverbial welcoming stations and launching points in the romantic and perilous age of wind and sail.

They are also islands 'in between' continents. Madeira is just beyond the coast of Africa and Europe, at the same latitude of Africa yet considered a part of Europe. Barbados is an island of similar size 'in between' North and South America. Although Barbados is considered a part of North America, Barbados is closer to South America.

Madeira is not a 'full time' independent nation, as she belongs to the group of ambiguous semi-nations states with Puerto Rico, Guam, New Caledonia, Bermuda, and St. Helena. All of the 'part-time' states have their own flags and unique identities. But they are still connected to a full time nation. Portugal as of 2010 is the nation that has sovereignty over Madeira. While Barbados stands on her own two feet as a 'full time nation' since 1966.

TOP TEN RESASONS TO BE A VEXILLOLOGIST

1. Stamp collectors are dorky
2. People stand in awe and curiosity why you tell them you're a vexillologist
3. Didn't you know flags are intensely mad reprezentin' colourz.......they are the civilyzed gang bustin' colourz of the world!*
4. Flaggist and Flagger just sound wrong.
5. We have an obsessive interest in things that wave in a breeze.
6. For Victory, Value and Gosh Darn it's VOGUE!
7. After meetings we all sit around the TV and watch old reruns of 1980s sci-fi classic "V"
8. We laugh on the inside when we hear people say"What is a vavavavlexlolalolagist?"
9. We are the only ones who like double standards.


(DRUM ROLL)




10. We like to show off and play with our Vexi-bits in public!



(Applause and Band Music)










You can watch the Late Show with David Letterman Here
http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/
*WARNING if you flash the wrong pattern of colors in the wrong neighborhood or country, it may result in personal injury, dismemberment, or death

New Flag of Antarctica

A new proposal for a flag of Antarctica. This design is multi-layered. Primarily the colour scheme comes from the emperor penguin.
Secondly, the design incorporates the celestial aurora australis. Thirdly the upper coloured section represents the stylized 'bottom of the earth' from outer space. Finally, the stars are of the most southern constellation Octans.

The lower half the flag is in darkness so it can be easily distinguished during the long days of summer and on the white ice fields, while the upper half has a bright colour so it can be more easily noticed during the long winter nights.

EMPEROR PENGUIN

Emperor Penguins have lived for thousands of years on Antarctica. Although humans are clever at using tools and pushing buttons, penguins can survive in the harsh antarctic climate without the need of technological devices. Penguins often have a keener sense of parental responsibility than some humans show cased on television (Jerry Springer, Maury Povich, and "Reality TV"). Rarely is there any kind of penguin on penguin penguin-slaughter. However penguins seem to be at war with fish.

Example of an OCTANT
The stars represent a navigational device used to calculate ones position. The smaller eight pointed star represents the celestial south polar star Sigma Octans, which is just barely visible to the naked eye.

Link to other Antarctica Flag Propoals

Belize & Haiti, Seals on the Banner

FLAG OF BELIZE
The distinguishing element of these flags are their national seals upon their banners of red and blue. Belize is the Circle and Haiti is the Square.

Belize is your more typical coat of arms with a central shield supported by two men. On the other hand, Haiti has a little drum where the shield of arms usually sits. But next to the drum are two hatchets facing left and right. Belize also has two hatchets on their flag, one is carried by the bronze man on the left and the other is on the upper right side of the the shield of arms behind a saw.

FLAG OF HAITI
*national seal is expanded for viewing purposes

Belize has a mahogany tree on a patch of grass, while Haiti has cabbage palm tree on a top of hill.

Both flags have what look like red pennants blowing in the wind. Belize has three red pennants on the top of the masts of the sailing vessel in the lower section of the shield. Haiti has two red pennants on flag poles just above the cannon and anchors.

close up of Belize Shield of Arms
so you can see 'Red Pennants'
Haiti was a part of Hispaniola which was the first island permanently settled by the Old World. But French Buccaneers put an end to the Spanish domination of the island and subsequently imported cheap outsourced labor from Africa, thus giving Haiti its dominant African element.

Belize too, was a part of New Spain in Mexico, but British Pirates took advantage of Spain's over stretched empire and were able to plant one last English Colony in the heart of Hispanic Central America.

A close up of Haiti's complex coat of arms
Red Pennants are on the far left and right sides

Finally there are '25 leaves proper' on Belize's flag while there are 24 cannon balls on Haiti's flag.

Australia & New Zealand, who is the copycat?

Flag of Australia

These flag are nearly identical twins. The main difference are the stars. Kiwis have fewer red stars with a dash of white, while Aussies have more stars that are all white.

Like two siblings born nine months apart their sibling rivalry is intense. Aussies are the older sibling 1901, making Kiwis the younger 1907. They are very close and yet so far away.

Flag of New Zealand

Both Have:
Union Jack
Southern Cross
Blue Filed
Stars
Southern Hemisphere
Unique Animals and Plants
Aboriginal people
Strong British Heritages
Love of Rugby
Sailors


Watch the Lord of the Rings to get a feel of New Zealand, in a fanciful past that never existed.
But watch the Road Warrior series to get a feel of Australia, in a fanciful future that never existed.

AUSSIE STAR

KIWI STAR

Currently the Hollywood Stars of Aussie and Kiwi Pride are in a sweet alignment. Hugh Jackman who played Wolverine in the X-Men Movies is the current top Action Aussie Hero while Russell Crowe is the top Action Kiwi Hero, best known for his role in Gladiator.

Although Australia is the much larger landmass, little New Zealand towers over Australia by several hundred meters!

OFFICIALLY MATCHING FLAGS

AUSTRALIAN FLAGS...................................... NEW ZEALAND FLAGS

NATIONAL FLAG PROPOSALS
that look a like

As Aussies and Kiwis struggle to create a new national flag it is almost inevitable that as soon as Kiwi proposes a flag, an Aussie will by chance also propose a nearly matching flag.

Pakistan and Tukmenistan: Stars & Stripes plus moons

Flag of Turkmenistan

As the last moon of 2009 finally disappears on January 14th. It only seems appropriate that two flags with emblems of the moon take center stage.

Pakistan and Turkmenistan both have crescent moons on their national banners. The symmetry is subtle. Islamic green forms the background. Pakistan has a plain white stripe on the left, while Turkmenistan's stripe is a vibrant complex embroidery.

Flag of Pakistan

By chance alignment the moon of Turkmenistan seems to be a waxing-growing moon, while Pakistan has a waning-decaying moon as the sliver of the moon is on the left hand side.

The position of these nations is balanced too, they are on opposite sides of Afghanistan. Turkmenistan on the north west side and Pakistan on the south east side, relative to Afghanistan.

During the age of European Empires they were adopted by the great Empires of Europe on the fringe. Russia on the eastern fringe adopted the Turkmen, while the UK off the western fringe settled into Pakistan. Because of this Russian has become a secondary language in Turkmenistan while English is nearly known to all Pakistanis.



Turkmenistan and Pakistan's flags are reflective of the Islamic month at the beginning and the end. A moon cycle begins with a crescent moon on the right side as it is with Turkmenistan's moon. While the moon cycle ends with a crescent moon on the left side as it is with Pakistan's moon.

The 15th of each Islamic Month is always a full moon or nearly so. Please note some Islamic months last 30 or 29 days. It's also interesting to note that Arabic is written in the same direction of the glowing of the moon, from right to left. Hebrew also does the same and uses a different kind of lunar calendar. Chinese when written in columns follows the pattern of moon light going from right to left. The Chinese also use the moon to calibrate their New Years which always falls on a new moon.

Yin and Yang is also reflective of their stripes. The stripe of Turkmenistan is full of colour and intensity as we begin each new month, while the stripe of Pakistan is empty of colour, distilled of its complexities.

US Flag with 46 States & 4 Common Wealths

Every once in a while a Mr. Smarty pants will ask you, 'How many states are their in the USA?' A normal response is 50. But then Mr. Smarty Pants will say, "Your Wrong!, there are 46 States and 4 Commonwealths." Form a certain point of view Mr. Smarty Pants is correct. So in honor of Mr. Smarty Pants across the world, I have created a version of an accurate USA Commonwealth-State flag.


ACCURATE USA 46 Starred State Flag
4 Stars of David represent the 4 Commonwealths: Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, & Kentucky. Three Blue Stripes for the three Original Colonial Commonwealths: VA, PA, MA.













Red stripes represent the four states completely south of the Mason-Dixon Line: Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The white stripes represent the states north of the Mason-Dixon Line: Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

There are only 46 stars for the official 46 states. Plus 4 stars of David. Stars of David were chosen because according to the official flag folding mantra, "American Eyes" see the world with one "Hebrew Eye" and one "Christian Eye."

OFFICIAL 46 Starred FLAG OF USA

The USA did indeed have an official 46 Starred Flag for six years when Oklahoma became a state in 1907. 46 Stars graced the flag until 1912 with the entry of New Mexico and Arizona.

And to stick it to Mr. or Mrs. Smarty Pants here is an Accurate Naval Jack for the 'official 46 States and 4 Commonwealths of America'
USCA (United States and Commonwealths of America)

For Vexillological Vets: the Bottom Star of David represents Virginia, since Virginia is the 'Root' and oldest colony that gave rise to the presence of Anglo-Celtic American peoples (English & Scotch, Welsh, Irish). The lower blue stripe also represents Virginia.

The top Star of David represents Massachusetts, as Mass is the most northern Commonwealth and is also represented by the top blue stripe. She is the highest star because she represents the North and wish of freedom for all mankind.

The middle right Star of David represents Pennsylvania, since she is the 'Keystone Commonwealth' in between the North and South. Pennsylvania is East and the original Commonwealth to host the first capital where congress declared their independence from the Crown of England in 1776. The middle blue stripe represents the Commonwealth as well.

Finally the Star of David on the left represents Kentucky. Kentucky was the first 'State-Commonwealth' along the original west coast, when it was the Mississippi River. Kentucky represents both states born free and in bondage.


If Mr. Smarty Pants asks 'What about Puerto Rico, it's a Commonwealth too!?' You have my permission to give the boot to Mr. Smarty Pants the pants.