Kingman Reef Flag

Kingman Reef Flag

Kingman Reef was discovered and charted by an American - Captain Edmund Fanning - on June 14, 1798. It was annexed to the United States on May 20, 1922 by a Hawaiian.

Kingman Reef is sometimes there and sometimes not due to high tides. The US Navy once used it as a base. But due to the sparseness of land, life is extremely difficult. Any coconut palms land and shoot off, die out because of the tides and lack of appropriate soil.

Flag of Kingman Reef flying on the reef

The flag of Kingman Reef is based upon the GIANT CLAMS that inhabit the area. They are an endangered and magnificent species. The colours of the flag are navy blue, indigo, white, purple, and lime green. These colours are based upon the natural colours of Kingman's Reef most famous residents - the GIANT CLAMS. The white disc represents a pearl and the wavy lines represent shells of a GIANT CLAM from a forward looking position.

example of a GIANT CLAM found on Kingman Reef

GIANT CLAMS are amazing and colourful creatures of the sea. Their blue and green tints are a result of the symbiotic relationship between the Animal and Plant Kingdoms. They can weigh over 500 pounds and live for more than a 100 years. They are peaceful and hermaphrodites. Chances are that the ones over 4 feet wide have been around since the 1800s. They live in the Indian and Pacific Oceans - no GIANT CLAMS for the Atlantic.

The stories of man-eating clams are unfounded and only a part of legends, but that shouldn't stop Hollywood.

NAT GEO's video about GIANT CLAMS









Another video about GIANT CLAMS

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PHOTO CREDIT
Island Bank
Joann94024 at en.wikipedia.19 October 2003. Own Work

Deutsch: Das Kingmanriff im Pazifischen Ozean

English: Kingman Reef (Pacific Ocean) - small strip of dry land.

Flag of Jarvis Island

Flag of Jarvis Island

Here is a flag for Jarvis Island - a rare part of the USA that is below the equator in the Southern Hemisphere.

Jarvis Island is at a latitude of zero degrees twenty-two seconds south. This puts it on par with the Galapagos, Brazil and Mount Kenya. Yet Jarvis is still in the Western-American Hemisphere since it is due south of Selawik, Alaska. Unlike American Samoa which is also below the equator, there is little chance of Jarvis Island ever breaking away. Jarvis Island is as much a part of the United States as is the Statue of Liberty.

Residents of Millersville waving
in front of Jarvis Island flag

Jarvis Island is an unincorporated unorganized territory managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the Department of Interior. Thus all 50 states play a small role in supporting the micro-science economy of the island.


Not much has ever happened on Jarvis. But during WWII there was the Battle of Millersville. The residents of Millersville, Jarvis Island mistook an Imperial Japanese Sub for their own and were shot at, luckily no one was hurt. Soon the the population of Millersville was evacuated and a scorched earth policy destroyed the town. It is reported that the Japanese bombed the island afterwards, when no one was there.


Jarvis' No Trespassing Sing with local flag

The design of the flag is based upon the flag of the United States. In the canton are 50 white stars that represent the 50 US States. The red stripe represents the equator. The large yellow star represents Jarvis Island which is directly below or arguably on the equator - at 0 degrees.

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PHOTO CREDITS
English: "No Trespassing" sign of USFWS on Jarvis Island in the Pacific Ocean
October 2003. Joann94024 at en.wikipedia.Original Uploader was Joann94024 (talk) at 27 October 2006

Black and White - Millersville Settlement 1930s
http://www.jarvisisland.info/pictures_land.html

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Added July, 25 2012 - 9:51pm EST
Jarvis Island Flag as created by myself is now declared in the public domain. Anyone is free to copy and distribute the above flag for profit or not in the representation as a flag for Jarvis Island. Declared by the sole and original designer - Christopher Maddish.

Flag of Baker Island

Flag of Baker Island

This is the flag of Baker Island, a lonely speck in between the New Worlds - Australia and America. Although in the northern hemisphere, Baker Island is closer to Australia - making it from one geographic rule Australian Territory. Thus Baker Island is a tiny part of the Australian Sphere under US control.

The colours are red, white, blue and indigo. In the central position is a hermit crab. Along the upper fly is a triangular canton. The star pattern is based upon the 'Betsy Ross Design.' There are five stripes - three white and two red representing the five US states with a Pacific Ocean coast line - California, Oregon, Washington State, Alaska, and Hawaii.



Along the bottom hoist side is another triangular canton with five stars modeled on the star field of the current Australian flag. The canton is separated by a long version of the English flag that balances to the five American Stripes. Elements of the US American and Australian flags are included because Baker Island is mid-way between these two continents.

In the middle is a large indigo dexter blend with the drawing of a hermit crab. The charge is universal-substitutive which means that the hermit crab drawing is non-standard. Thus any image that remotely looks like a hermit crab can be substituted even Mr. Krabs from the SpongeBob Sqarepants television show.

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added May 20, 2012

After careful consideration and professional feedback from the 2012 Spring CBFA Meeting, thanks to Voron Xarya, a redesign is in order. No more skinny English Flag, rather it's replaced with a five stripe bend. The five stripes symbolize the five parts of the USA that are closest to the Australian Continent: American Samoa, Baker Island, Howland Island, Guam, and Rota of the Northern Mariana Islands. Believe it or not those five 'territories' of the USA are arguably geographically a part of Australia. There are a total of "13 divisions" so to speak - 4 red, 6 white, 1 indigo and 2 blue.

The southern cross is appropriate. America like Australia has native marsupials! I'm talking about opossums, no joke. The central crab is still "universal-substitutive" - meaning it can be anything that remotely looks like a hermit crab. I invented this term so children could make up their own Baker Island flag while learning a little bit about geography.

Baker Island Flag 2.0
"really, any crab will do"

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Added July 23, 2012

I, Christopher Maddish, the designer of the Baker Island flag release the above design/images of Baker Island Flag into the public domain. May any user feel free to print, copy, or share the image. However note that the crab is 'universal substitutive' meaning that the image of the central crab is non-specific and can be redesigned in any manner of the would be artist. However note the Kursty the Krab nor the biotech hermit crab are my own images to release.

PHOTO CREDIT
BAKER DAY BEACON
Joann94024 at en.wikipedia. English: Day Beacon, Baker Island, Pacific Ocean. 18 August 2008. Own Work

Original Black and White drawing of the hermit crab by http://d-r-a-y-a-s-h-a.deviantart.com/
http://d-r-a-y-a-s-h-a.deviantart.com/art/Biomech-Hermit-Crab-147651478?moodonly=1

Flag of Howland Island

Howland Island Flag

Howland Island is a tiny remote piece of America far off in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Its grand footnote in history is that it was supposed to welcome Amelia Earhart on her historic flight across the Pacific in 1937.

There was also the Battle of Howland Island during WWII. It was attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy on December 8, 1941 and two Americans were killed.

Amelia Earhart Memorial of Howland Island

The colours of Howland Island flag are red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo, purple, pink and white. In the upper hoist is the number 99 to represent the organization Ninety-Nines - a flight organization for women established in 1922, just after American women were given the gift to vote. Amelia Earhart was instrumental and the first president of the 99s. Near the lower fly is the lonely beacon left on Howland Island. This beacon was named after Amelia Earhart for her forlorn voyage across the Pacific. It is indigo with a pink heart in its center.




The five coloured striped rainbow arcs from the upper fly to lower hoist is a sinister bend. The rainbow creates four apparent blue stripes with the background. The rainbow signifies the inspirational light of Amelia Earhart for all people to follow their dreams - no matter what the naysayers or whatever negative judgements others may have.

The indigo and pink colours of the Earhart Icon represents the hope of young girls as well as boys to dream with a truest and purest heart.

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PHOTO CREDITS
Earhart Beacon:
Joann94024 at en.wikipedia.

Deutsch: Signalturm "Earhart Light" auf der Howlandinsel im Pazifik

English: Day beacon "Earhart Light" on Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean. 19 August 2008. Own Work.

Emily Earhart
PUBLIC DOMAN http://www.americaslibrary.gov/assets/aa/earhart/aa_earhart_learns_2_e.jpg

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Flag Image For Howland Island, Free USE -
PUBLIC DOMAIN DECLARATION
July 24, 2012 - 12:48pm EST
- As creator and vexillologist I, Christopher Maddish, release this flag into the public domain to be copied and used for any purpose. Citations are not necessary. As the original artist I free the flag of Howland Island designed by myself.

Flag of Kepler 22b

This is the flag of Kepler 22b, the smallest earth like planet in green life zone.

Never Ending Story, part 3 - American Flag in the School Attic

American Flag is neatly folded on the
shelf behind the left shoulder of Sebastian

The American Flag makes a small appearance in the Never Ending Story 1984. Oddly, Bastian the hero of the movie, skips class to hide in the school attic so he can read a book.

Here Bastian has trouble grasping that fantasia and reality are magically intertwined by mystical threads of fate and karma. The hero in the book is reading about his higher self in a magic mirror.


The Luck Dragon Snuggled with Atreyu - Sebastian

Are we the dreamer or the dream? Welcome to my dream and I'll wish tonight that you'll have sweet dreams, so take note when you wake up tomorrow.

Find that small dream hidden in your heart. When you do a luck dragon will find and protect you. Didn't you know we are all a part of a never ending story?

Link to Part 1 of this thread
Happy Dreams await all Dreamers!!

Buckaroo Banzai, part 1- BB insignia and stuff

Although not a time machine
A truck that jumps through matter?

Before there was a flying DeLorean there was Buckaroo Banzai with a jacked up super nerd truck that allowed people to travel though the inner space of atoms in the 8th dimension, or something like that.

Buckaroo Banzai 1984 was science fiction movie with a more than overstated complicated plot. It featured a science-pimped truck that could travel though solid matter.

Buckaroo Banzai, the hero, is played by Peter Weller, a multi-talented genius who is a medical doctor, rock star, political aide to the president and most importantly... a particle physics research scientist.

Buckaroo Banzai Fan Club Member
note Buckaroo the rock star poster with group logo

The logo of this group - scientific and musical - features a letter B facing itself. Sometimes it was yellow, red, or other colours. It was the sign for Buckaroo.

This movie was ahead of the times, perhaps too far ahead? A remake could definitely work. If a sequel were made it has the serious potential of being one those rare franchises where the sequel is better than than original like Mad Max 1979 which lead to the more than awesome Road Warrior 1981. They could even go out of order and make a prequel to 1982 - it'd fit perfectly for the irrational quantum realities posed by modern nuclear physics and string theory. Somebody call Spielberg, Bob Zemeckis, and James Cameroon!

Although Buckaroo Banzai movie didn't meet box office expectations, it successfully launched Peter Weller into an epic cyborg-cop orbit and prepared Mr. Lloyd for time travel hijinks with Mr. Fox.

Mr. Banzai with mission patch
for transporting through matter

Buckaroo Banzai lives up to its odd semi-retro 50s sci-fi name. After passing though matter, Buckaroo inspects his trans-dimensional truck. Over his heart is the mission patch that reads 'Team Banzai' with a vehicle up top with an 80s style Atari flames in yellow, red, and orange.





The quirky quintessential 80 music theme