Hamburg & Frankfurt - aka Hamburger vs Hotdogs

Flag of Frankfurt in Germany
Hot Dogs were once called Frankfurters
until German Aggression in the 1900s

Why do we call hamburgers hamburgers? They don't have any ham in them. There is the Cliff Clavin explanation that some German guys from Hamburg killed some animal and rode on top of the meat on horseback, and when they got 'home' they called it hamburger.

Likewise how do you get 'hot dog' out of a oblong bun shaped sandwich that is not made of dog-meat and is full of miscellaneous and left over pork products?

Before the rise of aggressive German Political parties they were originally called Frankfurter's since German-American immigrants added this this to the general picture of official 'American Food.' By the early 1900s, baseball was the American Pastime and frankfurters were the it food at game time - thank you Germany.

But due to the Kaiser and other mean-holes, the Anglo-American Elite decided that we should spite German Pride by changing the name to Hot Dog. They also tried to call Sauerkraut Liberty Cabbage - but it didn't stick.

Fast forward to the 21 century, and American Leaders were motivated to change the name of 'French Fries' to 'Freedom Fries,' since the French Government didn't support the US invasion of Iraq.

Flag of Hamburg
Contrary to its name 'Hamburger' has no Ham

Hamburgers were also given new names after WWI - 'Liberty Steak' and 'Salisbury-Steak.' Perhaps Patriot-Patty or Beef-Burger would have made more sense! You can still see Salisbury Steak on some menus, but the anti-German essence is gone.

To the left is the flag of Hamburg, Germany. It was the original 'White Castle' associated with a special kind of hamburger. Like a Hamburger it has a meaty Christian Cross stuffed between a Star of David bun.

So what can we learn? American Right Wing vibes are able to change the English Language when the nation wants to spite a foreign government. Likewise American Left Wing vibes are able to change the English language to accommodate minorities... aka the 'Yin-Lesser' point of view.

Thus, one way of making American 'go metric' is to either convince the American People that the current 'enemy of mind' is responsible for our unhappy 'political' dilemma and is responsible for the irrational ounces-pounds-tons measuring system. Or that white men invented irrational yards-foot-mile measuring system to keep women and minorities in their place.


Pee Wee Herman in Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams, 1981
is the Original Hamburger Man

The Flags in Citizen Kane by Orson Wells, 1941

Notice Flags in the Background

Every connoisseur of fine film lists Citizen Kane on the best of the best. The story, the style, and ground breaking techniques put this movie from 1941 in the history books. Upon its first release in the USA this movie didn't do well, but it had a revival in the 1950s. Nowadays, it's considered the proverbial 'Shakespeare' of film. It is film law that all film students shall watch, study, and critique this film.

In the opening sequence a news flash is shown and the flags of several nations are shown. Back then and as it is today, flags convey a serious and professional tone.

Since this movie was made in the black and white era they are difficult to make out. One flag looks the that of Austria? Another flag has saltire, which is basically an X. It looks like the Russian Naval Ensign?

These flags are flashed in the beginning of Citizen Kane






















Here is a statue from "Xanadu" the fictitious private resort of media mogul Mr. Kane.The warrior is holding what looks like is a battle flag with a spear point. The specific design and colours are difficult to make out.

Tax Day 2011 & The IRS Eagle

Treasury and IRS Seals Compared

Since 1955, Federal Income Taxes have been due April 15 - but every once and a while the date shifts. This year it shifted to maximum - April 18, 2011.

The first federal income taxes were initiated during the US Civil War in 1862 on people who made over 800 dollars a year, which excluded most workers.

After the war this temporary measure was abandoned. But by 1913 income taxes for the federal government was made the law of the land, with the sweet sixteenth amendment under president Taft.

The "IRS Eagle"

The seal of the IRS is essentially the seal of the Department of Treasury - the only difference being the inscription upon the internal ring.

By 1998, the IRS had adopted its own logo - the IRS Eagle. On the left hand side is an olive branch with seven leaves. On the right side is the outline in bold strokes of an eagle with its left wing raised in the air and you can not see the right wing. In the middle bottom portion is a balance scale that is reflective of the IRS and Treasury Seals.

In 1998 the IRS was reorganized and the issue of IRS symbols came to the table. Previously the seal of the Treasury and IRS were used inconsistently and with much confusion. Thus there was a need for a distinct IRS Symbol, thus the IRS Eagle was born soon afterwards.

Link to Official IRS Website dealing with the vivid detail of the IRS' Symbols

The First 1040 - from 1913 AD

Construction/Warning Mini Flags: aka Banderitos

Maybe you never noticed, but along side construction sites little mini flags have been adopted by the construction industry to warn workers where buried utilities are.

I was with one of my colleagues, from Guatemala by the name of Jesus. It was with him that we coined the term Baderitos.

Bandera is Spanish for flag. You can also see that Bandera is a Latin root for the term Bandanna or Banner.

Bandertiros are usually held up by aluminum metal wires. They come in various colours, and the there is no standard as to what each colour means. It is essential that these types of flags have words written on them so as to convey important information. Otherwise it could result in massive property damage and or personal injury.

Most vexillologists would consider these mini flags (Banderditos) as "BAD FLAGS" since they have words upon them. Vexillological Orthodoxy prefers that flags use coded symbols and or patterns. But I'm not most vexillologist: in my opinion these are "Excellent" utilitarian and logical flags that have saved time, money, and lives.

Like hidden Easter Eggs
a Rainbow collage of Banderitos (click image for clearer view)

Titanic - 99 years ago today

White Star Line Flag and Logo

The company that owned the RMS Titanic (RMS meaning Royal Mail Ship) was the White Star Line, founded in Liverpool, England in 1869. Its original name as the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company.

The White Star Line joined with the Cunard Line and since 2005 has become a part of Carnival Cruise Lines. The flag of the White Star line, used its namesake on a red fielded guidon with a five pointed white star.

Current Carnival Corporation Logo with Flag

The sinking of the Titanic was epic of the times. The 20th century began, and amazing and marvelous technologies were unleashed upon the public. It seemed science and technology were going to grant mankind a new dominion over the forces of nature. The British Empire was at its apex. Ireland, Africa, India, America, and Asia were ruled as an Empire under King and Corporation. But the trials and horror of WWI were just around the corner.

The next 99 years saw a grand reworking of the social fabric and reality. Faded now are the dreams and hopes of early 20th century, yet we seem to be in the same position 99 years since our folly. What have we learned?

Funkadelic Flag - One Nation Under a Groove

Album Cover of Funkadelic's
One Nation Under a Groove

1978 was a funky time for the United States. Disco was it, hair was fair, and cosmic funky grooves were kicking out of the African American Community.

The band Funkadelic released their album - One Nation Under a Groove. Their cover featured groovy aliens planting a funky R&B African American Flag around the earth and the One Nation Under a Groove Flag in the lower right hand corner. Before Phish and Blue Man Group, Funkadelic was there.


One Nation Under a Groove Flag - 1978

150th Anniversary of the "Offical" Opening of the US Civil War

Flag of the Union at Ft. Sumter & Confederacy
150 years ago today

150 years ago the US Civil War officially started with the shelling of a US Base that was just off the coast of South Carolina.

Shots had already been fired in Charleston Harbor on January 9, 1861. But this occurred before the formation of the Confederacy.

South Carolina fired upon The Star of the West. But this ship did not belong to the US Navy. And on that date, only one state had left the union - South Carolina. Coincidentally Mississippi was on the cusp of leaving the Union. Mississippi was in the Union on the morning of January 9th 1861, but out of the Union by nightfall.

Thus the Alpha & Beta of the Confederacy was South Carolina and Mississippi.

Rising of the Confederate Flag
Ft. Sumter - April 1861

But by April 12, 1861 - seven states formed the Confederacy under provisional president Jefferson Davis. Seven states dissolved their ties to the US Constitution under the 15th president - Buchanan. The rebel governments were essentially dissatisfied with the outcome of the 1860 Presidential Election. Even today, several nations especially in Africa are fighting wars over political elections (Ivory Coast).

Perhaps it would have been more polite to give the new president a 90 day trial run before trying to get your money back...so to speak? Instead, seven states jumped the gun and got out before any official business could take place under the democratically and fairly elected president could take one breath of presidential air.

Thus the first shot of the Confederacy occurred 150 years ago today, along the enchanted and hallowed shores of South Carolina. It started over a small thing, the possession of a tiny island in the Atlantic Ocean.

It was the straw the broke the camels back, or rather the snowflake that caused an avalanche.


Of course there were other political considerations, which unto this day still remain hotly contested by some...