Year of the Rabbit or is that a Cat?

Yin and Yang of the Year of the Cat or Rabbit

As we say good bye to the year of the Tiger, we welcome the Year of the Rabbit or is it the Cat?

Maybe you never heard about Year of the Cat? Most people who are aware of the Chinese Calendar recognize it as the Year of the Rabbit, but in Vietnam they call it the Year of the Cat. This is one of those cosmic to-may-to vs to-maa-to moments or rather soda vs pop.

Most of East Asia is grounded to the 'Eastern Chinese Horoscope.' But there are subtle variations in each nation. In Japan they have the Year of the Boar instead of the Year of the Pig.

Another dichotomy is found with the Year of the Goat instead of Year of the Sheep. Sheep and Goats are closely related, but different species, since they can't interbreed. Depending on the manufacturer of your paper Chinese food place mat - you may see a Goat or Sheep.

Eastern Zodiac Wheel with Cat
instead of the more popular Rabbit

But by far the most dramatic rift in the Oriental Horoscope is the Year of the animal in between the Tiger.....and.....the Dragon.

Is it a Rabbit or Cat? Most East Asian nations follow China and call it the Year of the Rabbit, but Vietnam and a few 'renegades' call it the Year of the Cat!

Cats are soft and fuzzy like Rabbits, and both are charged with feminine energy. Basically a rabbit is totally infused with Yin-feminine energy - submissive, timid, shy, and cute. The Cat is too, but with a dash of Yang-male energy. Cats would rather run and hide like a bunny or 'pussy cat' but if you push a cat into a corner - he or she will stand up and fightback!

Link to Blog Post about China and Vietnam Post - they are Flag Symmetry Partners


Link to Year of the Cat post by Cat Lady BLOG

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In honor of the Year of the Rabbit
Here is a video game about Rabbits and Flags. Bunny Flags is a real time strategy video game where bunnies defend the flags. It has overly dramatic warrior music. The irony is that the submissive and docile rabbit is the patriotic defender of the flag.

Bunny Flags Video Game

Bear Flag Centennial

Celebratory Flag for California's State Flag
Officially at 100 years

100 Years ago on February 2, 1911 California officially adopted her state flag. The flag was first designed during the Mexican American War back in early June of 1846, and has been slightly altered. To learn more about this flag see the link below to the Virtual Bear Flag Museum.

California is the Yin and Yang State. She is in between the West and the East of the Old World - geographically speaking. California's Eastern side is closer to Asia, while California's Western side is closer to Europe. You can think of it like this - Los Angeles is closer to Pairs than Shanghai but San Francisco is closer to Shanghai than Paris. California sits at a meridian in between two fantastic cities of the Old World - that are packed with a lot of grace, style, and attitude.

Likewise California is a certain kind of Key Stone State for the America's by North and South - Southern California is a lot like Latin America while Northern California is more like Canada.


Link to Internet - www.bearflagmuseum.org

Ground Hog Day 2011

t's here again, the marmot that can tell the future, it all started in 1887.

The is one of the few true a made in America Holidays!

As It's a Wonderful Life is to Christmas, Bill Murray's Groundhog Day of 1993 is for today!

Right now in Pennsylvania it's freezing, two feet of snow is covered in ice, it's cold and windy!

Link to Groundhog Day Official Website in Pennsylvania















I hope your right Mr. Phil, but I don't think so...


Ground Hog Day Movie Review


Film Clip of Ground Hog Day

February is Aquarius Month

Symbol of Aquarius

Aquarius is the month of the Water Bearer. Water is key for life, it sustains, heals, purifies, and enchants. The sound of rainfall and the beauty of the snowflake are perpetual symbols of cosmic harmony, honored and beautified in countless poems. Along the beach or in an oasis, water is a reflection of love.

British Indian Ocean Territorial Flag

However the image of a water slave pouring water - does not inspire patriotism. Nationalism is usually associated with fire, thus the spirit of water runs counter to the instincts of nationalism.

But the symbol of Aquarius appears only accidentally on a few flags. Perhaps the most 'Aquarian' flag belongs to a far off remote island in the Indian Ocean - the Chagos Archipelago. This last remnant of the British East India Company has a flag that reverberates the essence of water via six wavy blue lines. These wavy lines - blue and white - represent the natural and cosmic forces at work upon seas.

Personal Flag of Annie Platoff
Vexillologist

Here is another flag that reflects the 'footprint' of Aquarius - although by accident. When the name 'Annie' is spelled using hieroglyphic symbols for the sounds of the letter, the repeating symbol for the letter "N" resembles the symbol of Aquarius. It spells out phonetically from top to bottom "Ah - N - N - ee" or Annie. Anne M. Platoff is the author of Russian Regional Flags - the Flags of the Subjects of the Russian Federation - 2009.

Wonderful Ice Cold Drink
in Japan made by the Coke Company

Finally I must mention the drink - Aquarius. Anyone who has visited Japan will know this drink. It is a refreshing sports drink made by the Coca-Cola Company. It is a mystery of corporate marketing mumbo-jumbo as to why Aquarius is not marketed in the US or Canada. Perhaps Coke has other products it wants to keep protected.

Hey Coke Stock Holders! Starbucks basically has a monopoly on the bottled ice coffee North American Market. Those marketing nit wits at Coke are costing yous millions of dollars in lost can/bottled ice coffee revenue. Some places charge 3.99 for ice coffee in a can! THINK Georgia Ice Coffee Drinks! Better Yet...Hey Pepsi Stock Holders - WHY don't you tap the can/bottle coffee market before the Coke-heads? You snooze - you loose.


The Age of Aquarius in 2011

Eagles & Falcons, Philadelphia and Atlanta, NFL part 8

Classic Philadelphia Eagles Flag

Here are two birds of prey with patriotic undertones. The Eagle is of course the national bird seen on quarters and the dollar bill. Likewise the Falcon is a popular bird in the US Air Force and is the official bird of the US Air Force Academy.

But in the NFL they are mascots. The Falcon is tied to Atlanta, Georgia while the Eagle is rooted to Philadelphia.

Large Atlanta Falcons Flag

Both birds are raptors, birds of prey, specialized in opposite ways. The Eagle is big, strong, and imposing while the Falcon is lighter relies on speed and swiftness. It's like the difference between an F-15 Eagle and F-16 Falcon. The F-15 Eagle is an all around air superiority fighter jet. The F-16 Falcon is a lighter more swift fighter jet.

USAF USES EAGLES & FALCONS

Likewise players in the NFL must be big, strong, swift and speedy. However as of 2011 neither avian inspired team has taken a Super Bowl Trophy home. But both teams have won the NFC Championships. Amazingly only once have both teams clashed in the NFC Championship Bowl back in 2005.

NFC RAPTOR BOWL I
2005
EAGLES 27/FALCONS 10

Link to Philadelphia Eagles Official Site
Link to Atlanta Falcons Official Site

Link to NFL Part 9 - This Site

Patriots & 49ers, New England and San Francisco, NLF part 7

Pat the Patriot of New England
ready to snowball unpatriotic Americans

The New England Patriots are partnered up with the San Francisco 49ers. We have two teams that created a Football Dynasty - one on the Atlantic the other on the Pacific.

Both the totems are drawn from history. The Patriots take their cue from the original tea party folk, who sought freedom from the crown and parliament. The New England Patriots are the proverbial 73ers, since the Boston Tea Party was held in 1773. The 13 Colonies declared their independence from the UK Crown & Parliament in 1776.

Sourdough Sam of San Francisco
always looking for the GOLD!

Coincidentally San Francisco was permanently settled in 1776, but under the Spanish Crown as Yerba Buena. Soon enough fate and war saw that San Francisco Bay was delivered to the United States. In 1849 gold was discovered in California and the name of a successful football franchise was crated - unbeknownst to those journalists of that era - the 49ers. Like the Patriots of 1770s, the Gold Rushers of 49' were destined to have their spirits enshrined in the NFL.

Fans holding a San Francisco Flag

These two historic 'American people totems' represent freedom via the patriot of 1773 and abundance via the miner of 1849. These are two key aspirations of the American Dream - liberty and wealth. These two ideals of the American Way go hand in hand. Likewise football is one of the many byproducts you get when you cross Freedom and Abundance. Coincidentally the flag of New Jersey echoes these two motifs. Since it has the Goddess of Liberty and Abundance upon it.

Cartoon Patriot with Flag

The New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers have never played each other in a Super Bowl. But some day these two All American teams may collide, and it will prove which American ideal is stronger - Freedom or Wealth?

SUPER ALL AMERICAN BOWL

Link to San Francisco 49ers
Link to New England Patriots

Link to NFL part 8 - Fly Hye in Da Sky

Jaguars & Panthers - Jacksonville and Carolina, NFL part 6

Carolina Panthers Emblem

Two expansion teams that coincidentally happen to be big cats, what are the chances?

Once again there is an alignment in the NFL - the Jaguars and Panthers. Both of these teams were established under Clinton in 1995.

Jacksonville Jaguars Emblem

The Jaguar is biggest and strongest cat in the Americas. The Jaguar takes the bronze out of all the big cats in the world. The Black Panther is a Leopard but with dark pigment... sometimes. Let me explain, Black Leopards from the Old World and Black Jaguars from the new world are both called Black Panthers. But they are two different species. To make things even more confusing there are supposed Black Cougars, which basically is a Black Mountain Lion or Black Puma...but none have ever been found. All in all, most of the Black Panthers you see in photos and zoos are Black Leopards either from Asia or Africa.

Waving the Flag to Rally Support

Long story short, when the Jacksonville Jags play the Carolina Panthers from a certain point of view it is the Light Jag vs the Dark Jag. Since they are in different conferences there is the potential for a Super Panther Bowl.

Jaguar

Dark Jaguar or Black Panther

Link to Jacksonville Jaguars
Link to Carolina Panthers

Link to Part 7 - Eastside wid'a Westside Glory