shuttle 2010

November is Scorpio Month

Fierce animals are a common theme on flags. Birds of prey, lions, snakes, dragons, bears, bees, tigers, but what about scorpions? Is there something oddly frightening about the scorpion that no nation would put this creature on their flag. The US NAVY uses a flag with a snake! Perhaps it's the formidable and alien exoskeleton. But since November is the month of Scorpio here are two military patches that feature scorpions!

On the right is the patch of the USS SCORPION SS-278. She served in WWII in the Pacific Ocean. She took down a few Japanese ships but was herself lost in the Yellow Sea, probably by a mine. The entire crew was lost.

Official Patch of the submarine
USS SCORPION SS-278

Non-Military Commercial
Patch of RUSSIAN SCORPION

On the left is a non military patch made in honor of former Soviet Sub that has become a museum in Southern California! Odd but true, a Cold War era sub built in 1971 to intimidate and the US has become a tourist attraction at Long Beach, California.

During the Cold War another USS SCORPION was commissioned as SS-589 but was lost at sea in an accident near the Azores in 1968.

The Patch has a submarine, 50s style nuclear atom, an ancient catapult and the astrological constellation of Scorpio.

1968 was tragic year, one month after Martin Luther King was assassinated the tragic loss the entire 99 man crew of the USS SCORPION SS-589 took place on May 22, 1968.




You can learn more about the USS Scorpions
and other US Subs lost at Sea Here www.oneternalpatrol.com/

You can visit the Soviet Sub in Long Beach, California
Click here for more info www.russiansublongbeach.com/

Reservation 225

Chesapeake Bay Flag Association's Flag

Flag of the Chesapeake Bay Flag Association

There are several states that are a part of the the Chesapeake Bay. The two states maine with Chesapeake Bay bay front property are Virginia and Maryland.

The District of Columbia does not have bay front access but is a part of the tidewater region.

Finally there are the outer states that simply have rivers that flow into the Chesapeake Bay. Flowing from the North is the mighty Susquehanna River. Thus Pennsylvania and New York a part of the Chesapeake Bay water shed. From the West is Delaware. Finally from heart of Appalachia, the Chesapeake is connected to West Virginia.

That is a total of six states and the District of Columbia.



You can visit the Chesapeake Bay Flag Association,
Here http://cbfa.vexillology.info/

Fort Whoop Up Flag

Flag of Fort Whoop Up?

Fort Whoop Up was an American 'speak easy' set up in Canada around 1869. Fort Whoop Up was basically an illegal fort set up in Alberta by American fungal dope dealers of alcohol. If you didn't know alcohol is a type of fungal dope, or rather fungal excrement. FYI, when yeast (a fungus) eats the sugars it can only burn it a certain way. The remainder waste product of its food (yeast poo) is excreted as alcohol. This substance has plagued and blessed mankind since the reign of Pharaohs. More potent fungal dope is known to certain shamans of Siberia, Grateful Dead fans, and Super Mario.

Yankee Traders sold a brewed Fungal Dope
to Native Canadians (1st Nations Peoples) Illegally

When Fort Whoop Up was set up in Alberta, American whisky traders set up this trading post illegally to make their fortunes. They flew a flag that had wide stripes on the bottom and thiner stripes by the canton. The canton seemed to have some shapes that were either boxes or crosses. To this day the details of this flag are unclear. However a flag of this nature did indeed fly in 1869 in Alberta.

The new Canadian government wanted to shut it down and was apprehensive. But when word got out that Mounties were coming, the rum runners gave no resistance and fled south of the border.

CLOSE UP OF WHOOP UP FLAG
(ACTUAL PHOTO)

The AVGN is a vexillographer

ames Rolfe is a Vexillographer

AVGN stands for Angry Video Game Nerd, and the AVGN
is a YouTube Star from Generation Y. Generation Y is the last generation born before the Internet that does not yet quite fit into Generation X. If you can't remember a time before the Internet you are Generation I. But also remember that Y can sometimes take the place I.

The Angry Video Game Nerd (James Rolfe) is likely to transition over from YouTube Star to famous Hollywood Movie Director in the near future. I'd put a few eggs in his basket if you seen his work.

Rolfe recently posted a video about his childhood homemade boardgames. He created a board game called Street Fighter III. In it, he designed several flags to represent characters in the game.

General Slaughter Flag

Modern Rendition

General Slaughter has five stripes with canton, assumed to be stars.



Dracula Flag

Dracula Modern Version

Dracula's Flag is simply a bat on solid background

Candy Man Flagyou can see the original name was erased with white out, or perhaps is was just a spelling error?

Nearly all children at sometime in the lives have had a desire to create a flag for some odd reason. If you see a young person drawing a flag, save it! You never know what may come of it!


You can Visit the AVGN website here: www.cinemassacre.com/

*note flag colours are assumed

No Flags in the NY Times 2011 Almanac!?

One of the most cherished introduction points that speaks to the inner vexillologist in everyone is missing in the 2011 NY Times Almanac edition!

I have always enjoyed the NY Times Almanac but they cut out one of the best parts of an almanac. Perhaps next year the maps of the world will be in black and white?

National flags change every so often, we need to know. Besides almanacs are usually the only book with flags that is always stocked in a book store! Try it go to book store and ask for a book about flags. They will either tell you" 'we can order it' or try to sell you a kiddie book with flag stickers.

A note to NY Times Almanac editor: John W. Wright. What you did was far from right.



You can visit the NY TIMES
Here www.nytimes.com/