Belgium and Germany

FLAG OF BELGIUM

The colours are in a slightly different order but make no mistake the harmony is obvious. The pairing of these flags represents a reunion of Charlemagne's sons.

These two nations are a union of North-Western Europe in the highest degree. In Belgium they speak French, Dutch, and a wee bit of German. While in Germany there is a wee tiny portion that speaks Danish and Polish.

Germany and Belgium are rather divided from within. The effects of East Germany and West Germany since the Cold War still have their cultural divisions, likewise North Dutch speaking Belgium and South French speaking Belgium are divided by tongues.

FLAG OF GERMANY

Both nations were rather late in the imperial game, Belgium was able to scramble in for one last colony in Africa, the Congo, while Germany made a distinguished effort at Namibia and Tanzania. However both nations would loose their African Colonies.

Germany was the first white imperial power to loose out on her African colonies, because of white on white disagreements. The rest of Europe would follow Germany but by different means, because of black on white disagreements. Just as the Civil Rights 'African-American' era in USA was taking off so too were the people of Africa ridding themselves of the 'yoke' of European Colonialism.

After the age of Imperialism Germany was destined to make the greatest leap in understanding the error that nations can make in the wake of the War of Endless Tears.

(World War II in the West and the Great Patriotic War in the East)

Likewise Belgians are aware and repentant of their mishandling of the native peoples in the Congo Basin.

Germany and Belgium are Europe's humbled giants who carry Titanic wisdom that all nations should appreciate.

Albania & Montenegro; Siamese Eagles

Siamese Golden Eagle of Montenegro

Albania and Montenegro are nations of the Balkan Peninsula. Or as my old history teacher called it, "Europe Minor". Europe Minor is right next to Asia Minor.

Both of their flags have the doubled headed eagle, or rather a 'Siamese Eagle.'

Black Siamese Eagle of Albania

The Siamese Eagle originally meant the dual power of Rome's two strongest cities in the Eastern and Western Empire, Rome and Constantinople.

In an American perspective you think of a Siamese Eagle representin' NYC and LA, the old established East meets the new age West (see below).



The Siamese Eagle is so appropriate for Albania and Montenegro since they are at the cross roads of East and West. Islam and Christianity were both able to root themselves in these nations, more so for Albania.

The Siamese Eagle is an accidental metaphor for these two wonderful religions. Both Islam and Christianity have the same root body; as they accept "Old Testament" (Hebrew) teachings, but on a fundamental literal role, their faiths are very difficult to reconcile. Islam believes that Jesus was simply a blessed 100% human Prophet born of a Virgin, while Christianity sees Jesus as a multilateral avatar of God and Son of God at the same time, which Islam thinks is ridiculous. Obviously these two ideas do not make a harmonious blend from a rational point of view.

"But ya gotta rememba' dat da notrious and all mighty big 'G' is the ultimate master of things irrational and rational, ya dig? You gawtz memories from da' mostly irrational Jreem World and memories from the mostly logical wakin' world, right? In the end its all just memories!
Don't worry about what dose not make sense in your puny logical human brain, da' one in charge has it all figured out, so have a little faith, shut yo mind off and get into the gap"...Snoopy Dog.

However, Islam and Christianity have found a home in the nations of both Albania and Montenegro, thus the double headed Eagle is so appropriate. Recently both nations flirted with Communism to no avail.

Also hidden within their names are the colours black and white. Albania/Albino-land & Montenegro/Mountain-negro

American Siamese Eagle
'Union of East Side and the West Side'

St. Kitts & Nexis with "West Congo"

Flag of St. Kitts and Nevis
a nation in New World

Both of these flags have the pan-African traffic light colours of red, green, and yellow. St. Kitts and Nevis's flag is reflective of night with a black inner stripe with two white stars (St. Kitts and Nevis) while "West Congo's" yellow stripe is all yellow like the daytime sun.

Flag of West Congo

a nation in the Old World

Both nations have rich populations of African heritage. West Congos' is due to a natural indigenous aspect while St. Kitts and Nevis' was due to European Slave trading. But its a darn good chance a few of the people in St. Kitts and Nevis have some 'West Congo' heritage, only genetic screening can confirm this statement.

St. Kitts & Nevis was 'battle born' during the Cold War in 1983 as a newly independent nation.

Long long before the Cold War, St. Kitts became one of England and Frances' first colonies to disrupt the Spanish monopoly in the Caribbean. France and the UK shared the island so as to compete with the Spanish.

It'd be like Wendy's and Burger King teaming up on McDonald's to compete with McDonald's in the International Market. Basically Micky D's is like Spain right now while BK and Wendy's only gets little bites of those 'international fries.'

Congo was 'adopted' by the French during the imperial era. Thus France has become a state language. Like Vietnam and many other French colonies, Congo developed an astounding dislike of the West in the 1960s which lead to bump in Commie power until 1991, when Communism itself underwent a meltdown in Russia.

I refer to to Congo as West Congo because there are two nations with 'CONGO' in it. Greater Congo and Little or Lesser Congo would have been nice but Greater Congo has a connotation that the Little or Lesser Congo is not as great. The Congo that was a part of France, has less territory is in fact by the tiniest degree more westward than the other Congo (that was a part of Belgium and has more territory).

So Western and Eastern Congo is the more neutral and relatively more 'PC' label. But the irony is that West Congo was the Communist while East Congo was not, unlike Germany! Although both nations speak French to some degree and live along the Congo River, it is very unlikely that they will ever unite into a super state known simply as 'Congo'. Using official names is rather confusing since we have the Peoples Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, and Democratic Republic of Congo. It's quite (1980s flashback) CONGO BONGO! ((CONGO BONGO
was created in 1983, in the game you can see the Congo River...remember in 1983 Congo's vexillological partner gained independence from the UK in 1983))

However no Congo has ever referred to itself as East or West Congo! They prefer the verbally confusing political prefixes. Maybe some day there will be a Constitutional Republic of Congo, Peoples Republican Republic of Congo, or Democratic-Whig National Peoples Common Wealth Republic of Congo?

Western Sahara & Palestine, a totally tough grey call

Flag of Western Sahara

The flag of these respective entities represent controversial nation state issues. They are a national standards by some standards or rather doomed mis-begotten fabrics by others.

Western Sahara is considered a part of Morocco by many, just as Palestine is a part of Israel. All during the modern era war and terrorism have been an unwelcome social phenomena.

Flag of Palestine

Much of the world is divided over the recognition of these potential 'states.'

For regular American folk it's like those tense instant replays in football where the refs can't tell if the receiver caught the ball before being thrown out of bounds. No matter how many times you look at the replay it's a tough call.

Palestine had the PLO fighting for independence while Western Sahara had the Polasario Front.

Will the world welcome two more nations under the name of Palestine and Western Sahara?

For sports folk, will MLB ever expand in to Mexico or Latin America? Some would love it while others would rather rip their eyeballs out of their heads than see a MLB franchise in the Yucatan. However a few Canadian Hockey fans may feel justice served, because of left over angst when the US Sun Belt bought up several historic Canadian NHL teams.

If Western Sahara and Palestine became fully recognized states, many in Israel and Morocco would certainly be saddened by this event.

But if given a little bit of time, patience, and care it will all be fine. Everyone will eventually be happy with the outcome. After all isnt' it better to be optimistic than pessimistic, like Optimus Prime? He was an optimistic robot-truck everyone could love.

Palestine is a critical issue for the United States, but Western Sahara is an issue barely known to the US Public. If Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio made a movie about Western Sahara or baseball in Panama some positive energy could come out of these tense situations.

India and Niger, 24 x 24

Flag of India
Central Blue Wheel
with 24 spokes

Their flags match in colours. Within their central bands these distant families have chosen a circle to represent their nation.

Niger has the brightest spinning sphere of the heavens as its centerpiece, the sun, that was made by the Gods. While India has the spinning earthly loom wheel, that was made by mankind. Coincidentally the blue wheel of India's flag has 24 spokes in it, while the earth's rotation around the sun is exactly 24 hours.

Ancient India had divided life into 24 cycles until rebirth, likewise the solar cycle with the earth was divided in 24 sections called hours. Time has been divided into 24 hours before the birth of a new day on the Eastern Horizon.


Flag of Niger
Central Orange Sun
Earth has a 24 Hour Day
This uncanny 24 by 24 coincidence as seen from the eye of the East is a tale tale sign of the cosmic and perpetual connection that each person and nation are all intertwined with the mystical threads of destiny and history. However from the modern cynical, 'ego-ic' mind of the West this means absolutely nothing. The sentiment would go something like this, 'So freaking what, buddy? Show me how this is going to bring home the gold. And I'll get back to you, nice idea but you can suck on it with the rest of you airy-fairy tards.'

India is at the East-West cross roads of the Middle East in Western Asia, while Niger is at the North-South cross roads of the Middle East in North Africa.

Both nations have a strong connection to the Islamic World. In Niger faith in the 'Praised One' (which is the literal meaning of 'Mohammad') is the dominant faith, while in India a minority faith.

Both of their nations take their name after the great rivers that skate along the edges of the Middle East, the Indus and Niger River. These great rivers connect many nations together of differing cultures and languages.

During the age of European Colonial Empires, India was under the thumb of the British Empire while Niger was under the pinky of the French Empire.

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