The Iron Maiden Mascot Eddie
often holding a British Flag

Rockin from the 80s, the roots of metal charge out of England with a class in their own - IRON MAIDEN. Besides the heavy rocking riffs, the art associated with this band was an essential aspect of this group.

Iron Maiden is a British Rock Group. Like the Who, Beatles, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin they were cutting edge sounds of their times.

The mascot of their band is Eddie the undead cybernetic time traveling solider from the future or is the past? It seems with all this technology the time is ripe for an Iron Maiden movie?









LINK to Iron Maiden's Website http://www.ironmaiden.com/

Happy Canada Day 2011

Happy Canada Day, 2011!

One version of the Retired

Canadian Red Ensign

If you haven't noticed, the flag of Canada looks a lot like the flag of Peru. This uncanny match of red and white is what I have termed, 'Flag Symmetry.'

But most people (Americans and younger Canadians) don't realize that the Canadian Flag is a 1960s love child flag, so to speak. Since it was made official in 1965. The current design is fantastic but I hope Canadians never forget the UK Canadian Red Ensign, this flag is richly seeped in history. During the 1900s Canadians proudly fought under the red ensign during the Cold War, WWII, WWI, and Boer War.

The Retired
South African Red Ensign

Coincidentally the partner of the Canadian Red Ensign is South Africa's Red Ensign.

Both nations are spiked with a dynamic tribal rivalry between their two leading 'white tribes.' South Africa has been bitterly divided between her British and Dutch elements, while Canada is nearly in perpetual friction with her British and French states of mind. Canada is were the sons and daughters of London and Paris live in harmony, while South African is were the daughters and Edinburgh and Amsterdam live in a steady symbiosis.

Shield of arms Canada
still official

The four most powerful tribes of the Canadian Nation. Starting from the one o'clock position - Scottish (red lion), French (triple lily), Irish (harp), and English (triple yellow lion).

South African shield of arms
retired

Previously (1910-2000) it represented the four most powerful tribal states - Cape (woman by rock), Natal (two horned cows), Orange Free State (orange tree), and Transvaal (Boer Wagon that looks like baby carriage or old time race car). To get a better grip of the tension in the former arms of South Africa imagine a nation solely composed of Massachusetts, Minnesota, Texas, and South Carolina.

New Shield of Arms for South Africa
since 2000

South Africa changed her arms in 2000 since it represented a minority of white tribes. No doubt in the near future, as diverse Canadian ethnic identities that do not associate with England, Scotland, France, and Ireland grow stronger, Canada will follow in the footsteps of their South African cousins and change her arms.

But not all is negative. It is through these challenges that give Canada and South Africa their unique powers and grand view of the what it means to be human.

South Africa and Canada are cousins by Mother Britannia but have radically different 'in laws.' The relations with the first nation's peoples have been challenging but recently amended for the better.

It is a cosmic union of the Canadian Musk Ox with the Great South African Buffalo. Although worlds away their histories have similar parallels, as do their retired red ensigns. They are a combination of fire and ice. Canada has a region that is in perpetual winter, while South African has a region that is in perpetual summer.

The Paleolithic Wooly Ox Lives on in Canada
(it it were extinct it'd be more popular)

The Eocenic South African Buffalo
these curly long horns are meant for fighting

This means South Africans can be polite as a Canadian and Canadians can fight with the ferocity of a South African. Respect the Canadian and South African. Finally, hockey^ is to Canada to what rugby^ is to South Africa.

July is Cancer Month

Courland Crab Flag

This is the flag of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia in the Americas. It was perhaps the meekest of European Colonial powers to plant a colony in the Americas. Corulandians and Semigallians may sound like something from a Issac Asimov book but they were real people. They were mostly Latvian and German. But the Duchy was officially a part of the 'bi-national' Poland-Lithuanian Commonwealth during its American adventure. Thus Poland and Lithuania get a wee bit of credit as Imperial Powers in America during the 1600s.

Basically Latvians left a fleeting mark on Tabago and perhaps Trinidad. Before the 1600s ended, this far out semi-Polish/Lithuanian colony under the Duchy of Courland-Semigallia was abandoned.

The important point is that since July is the month of Cancer, a flag with a crab is a must!

My Personal Confederate Flag

Seal of the Confederacy

Like Luke Skywalker from Return of Jedi, he created his own personal light saber. As a vexillologist and student of American history, I implore you to create your own Confederate Flag, when you are ready.

The stories behind the maker of modern personal 'Confederate Flags' has been mostly lost to history.

Popular modern Confederate flags range from outright racism, a call to rebellion, and a declaration of heritage over hate. Some flags are meant to be threats, or in your face taunts like a middle finger. In any case knowledge about the maker of these modern flags is of value to vexillologists around the world.

My Personal Confederate Flag

This is my personal Confederate Flag. It is basically a modified version of the official Confederate Flag during it lasts days of active rebellion. The flag has a seal added - the official Seal of the Confederacy. The Seal of the Confederacy features George Washington on horseback.

Likewise my paper to be presented at the 24 International Congress of Vexillology deals with a historic relic from the American Revolution that features a similar design of the official seal.

My Confederate Flag represents history and the effort to expose it the tactfully with care and hide not the full range of emotions associated with epic portion of American History.

Fear not a flag for it is a symbol and key which can unlock emotions hidden within your own heart from our collective past.

The music of Vexillology - Deadmau5

Deadmau5's Vexillology Album cover

If you ever look up the word vexillology, you may come across a techno music riff with a cartoon like floating mouse head. It is the first and only album to use the word vexillology. The musical artist is known as Deadmau5. Deadmau5 is a DJ artist from Canada. His genre is like a light-80s funk techno mix with a video-game twist. His real name is Joel Zimmerman. One of his delightful catches is that he wears an over sized cartoon mouse head mask, very Canadian indeed.

Deadmau5 in 'Mau5' gear


Deadmau5 wearing his iconic mouse head mask. Does he study vexi1101ogy or wa5 it some flight of fancy? On1y the Mau5 kn0w5.