Old Thailand and Old Laos Flags - a harmony between the white elephant

Retired Flag of Thailand

1855-1916

In South East Asia the stories linked to a sacred White Elephant became national emblems. From 1865 to 1916 a white elephant on a red field was the national ensign of Thailand. Likewise the flag of Laos from 1952 to 1972 used a white elephant design.

Thailand and Laos are in that familiar formula of similar yet very different. Their languages are so close that most Thai speakers can with some effort understand Laotian with a little effort.

Retired flag of Laos
1952-1975

Since they are neighbors subsequently they have cultural similarities as nations tied to the teachings of Buddhism. There jungles and rice paddies hum with a familiar tune yet, they are distant neighbors.

Their lands are stroked with wild natural beauty, their cuisine and culture are alien to West exotic and may appear exotic and strange yet these unfamiliar way of live is attractive for many.

The Last State to officially join the Confederacy - Kentucky, 150 years ago today

Seal of the Rebel pro-Confederate Government

It was 150 years ago today December 10, 1861 that Kentucky dissolved its ties with the US government and joined the Confederacy to make it a neat 13 as it was in the original Anglo-American Rebellion in 1776.

At least that is one side of the story. But according to the official narrative of the United States, the addition of Missouri and Kentucky into the Confederate fold was dismissed and not recognized. Subsequently both states were spared the much hated military occupation during reconstruction.

A rump shadow anti-Union Kentucky Government met in Russellville on mischief night eve in 1861 and voted on an ordinance of secession. After a virtual six week probationary period, the rouge pro-Southern government was officially admitted unto the Confederacy. The capital of Confederate Kentucky was officially designated to be at Bowling Green.

Site of House where anti-Union Kentucky government
passed ordinance of secession on October 29, 1861

The central star of the Confederate Battle Flag represented Kentucky. Kentucky never adopted an official state confederate flag - as did North Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida. But Confederate Kentucky adopted an official Kentucky Confederate Seal. It featured a golden right hand military arm holding a white star. In an incomplete circle around the arm were twelve other white stars on a field of blue. On the outer seal in a circle on the bottom appears 'Voce Populi' and 'Kentucky' up top. On the left and right sides are two rose stems.

Many voices have labeled the US Civil as a War Between the States or more incendiary as a War of Northern Aggression. However Kentucky was of the divided class of states where the war could be called the War Between the Counties. Maryland, Virginia, Kansas, and Missouri were states where it was a virtual Checker Board War of County vs County.

Flags of Independent Sicily and Balearic Islands

Flag of Balearic Islands
Islands of Spain in the Mediterranean

In the Western Mediterranean Sea are the two distinguished islands of Italy and Spain - Sicily and the Balearic Islands.

They are virtual mulatto worlds in between Africa and Europe. Their histories follow a similar rhythm. Their initial written histories begin as colonies from Asia - namely the Phoenicians and Greeks. Eventually they became important bases for the Roman Empire. For a while they were colonies to Islamic States and teetered between the Christian and Islamic Worlds.

Flag of Independent Sicily - modern era
Island of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea

The modern flag of the Balearic Islands uses the colours and some of the patterns of the Catalan Nationalist movements within Spain. The colours of the Balearic flag are red, yellow, purple and white.

To the right is/was a popular flag for the Sicilian Independent movement after and during WWII. This pro-independence political party was popular from up until 1951. Coincidentally the modern flag of the Balearic Islands has a similar structure and colour theme.

Both flags match with a nine striped field -4 red and 5 yellow stripes. The canton of the Independent Sicily banner is a square with the three legged head of Medusa in yellow, while the Balearic Island's Flag has rectangular purple canton with a white castle.

The flags of these Western Mediterranean Sea Isles are united by a pattern and similar story arc of history. Both differ in speech from standard mainland Italian and Spanish. They are parallel lands with crisscrossing stories. They are wing-men to each other, of the Western Mediterranean.

Flags of Sicily and Balearic Islands

US Yacht and United States Power Squadron Flags

United States Power Squadron Flag

This is the flag of the US Power Squadron that was founded in 1914. It is a non-profit civilian educational organization dedicated to teaching basic knowledge and safety for boating. There are over 400 active squadrons. This group publishes a bimonthly magazine called The Ensign.

The flag of US Power Squadron bears a striking counter charge similarity to the flag of the US Yacht Ensign. Both flags use the colours red, white and blue. The canton features the exact same pattern - a white anchor surrounded by thirteen white stars. But differ in canton background colour.

US Yacht Ensigns use blue while the US Power Squadron uses red. Both flags have a field with thirteen stripes but in different directions and counter charged colours. The stripes of the US Yacht Ensign are horizontal - red and white, while the stripes of the US Power Squadrons are vertical - blue and white. They have an equal number of white stripes - six. Another difference is that US Power Squadrons have six short and seven long blue and white stripes, while the US Yacht Ensign has seven short and six long red and white stripes.

US Yacht Ensign

The US Yacht Ensign was officially created in 1848 and to be used by officially US licenced yachts. Due to the boom of upper class income families in the 1980s, several laws were subsequently passed to allow the flying of the US Yacht Ensign instead of the National flag in certain parts of the USA.


The US Power Squadron Flag and the US Yacht Ensign are certainly aligned together in design like Yin and Yang. They are both flown by civilians and not for government or military use. They are citizen flags for Americans at sea. The Yacht Ensign is a hallmark flag for the individual while the US Power Squadron is for a group.

US Yacht and US Power Ensigns
a flag for one and a flag for many




Youtube Videos from US Power Squadron

Flags from Happy Days

Notice Flag Streamers on Arnold's

The Happy Day's Gang: Potsie, Ralph,Fonzie, and Richie

Happy Days was a core situational comedy show in American Television before the rise of the internet. It was a trans-generational about the 50s that aired in the 70s and 80s. Subsequently it had wide market appeal.

It starred Henry Winkler as a macho counter culture cooler than ice cool biker - "Fonzie" and Ron Howard who was the counter balance, as the iconic 50s all American boyscout "Richie Cunningham." Although they were from different modes of culture they were like brothers. Much of the show took place at Arnold's Diner. Arnold's Diner was decorated with flag streamers on the outside and pennants on the inside.

The Happy Day's Gang in Arnold's
notice the school pennants

The inside of Arnold's was covered in school pennants varying from college to high school. Pennants were a popular decorations in the 50s.

The Happy Day's gang consisted for four guys with different personalities. Fonzie was the cool greaser, Richie the boyscout, Potsie the good humored airhead, and Ralph Malph the odd ball master of puns and one liners.

The 'M' Milwaukee Pennant in Fonzie's Apartment

Fonzie has a big ego, but under his macho facade was an insightful and sensitive guy who loved his landlord like family. They looked out for him and Fonzie would look out for them.

The mix of the traditional and conservative 50s Cunningham family renting out a room to counter culture greaser created ample room for a smashing and long lived sit-com that lasted for ten years.


Happy Day's Intro

Pom Poms - the vexilloid ruled by women, in Gilligan's Island

The Gilligan Island Cheerleader Squad
with pom poms

The pom pom qualifies as a vexilloid in the most basic manner. Much like a banner and flags they are waved at sporting events all across the United States. In a certain way pom poms can be considered to be a cluster of 200-500 elongated mini flags attached to a hand held pole.

Cheer leaders can be men or women, but in middle school, high school and at the professional level, most cheerleaders are usually women.

On May 15, 1981 America received an encore presentation of Gilligan's Island with a made for TV Movie. The original Gilligan's Island television series lasted from 1964 unto 1967. In this TV-Movie special of Gilligan's Island the Harlem Globe Trotters end up on the island in a do or die basketball match against a team of Corporate Raider Robots. The cheer leading squad features the castaway girls who shake their pom poms, encouraging Gilligan to play hard.

The Globe Trotters helping Gilligan score

Notice the Harlem Globe Trotters use design elements from the American Flag in their uniform. Namely white stars on blue and red and white striped shorts.

Pom Poms can be made out of a variety of materials from cotton, wool, plastic, and paper. They are usually match the school colours like livery from heraldry.

Video from Gilligan's Island featuring the girls waving pom poms

Nauscaa of the Valley of Wind Flag - part 2 vexilloid and origins of Pikachu

An embroidered tapestry of the messiah
with vexilloid, blue head band, and vexilloid

In 1984 the imagination of Japan was captured under the influence of Hayao Miyazaki with Nauscaa and the Valley of Wind. It was an epic tale in a post apocalyptic future with a theme of love and forgiveness attached to a strong environmentalist message.

Ten years later in 1994 it captured my imagination and help pull me into Japan for four years. In a wielding and mysterious way this odd piece of art from fantasia help bring about my career as a vexillologist and all its discoveries, and you to this blog post.

Close up image of the prophesied one

The movie is set in the distant future after some global catastrophe where man has built these super biological-wonder solders that curses the earth. Subsequently the fauna of earth namely the fungi and insect kingdoms formed a symbiotic relationship to reassert a biological balance with a toxic temperament towards humans and their like.

Animated Version of the Enlightened One

There is a prophecy held by some in the Valley of Wind that a person dressed in blue with an animal on his right shoulder will come to bring peace and enlightenment the earth. He will make peace between the insects, toxic fungi, and nations. In the movie he wears blue with a blue cap and has a brown bird on his right shoulder. In his left hand he holds a vexilloid an unsophisticated plain wooden stick with a bend.

Nauscaa giving love to Pikachu like pet squirrel

It is also interesting to note the origins of the famous Pikachu from Pokemon can trace part of its origins to this movie. Pokemon was created 12 years after this movie was released by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Mr. Tajiri would have been a young boy when he saw this movie and in the beginning of it the heroine of the story - Nauscaa from the Valley of Wind - befriends a wild and orphaned squirrel with understanding and love. For the rest of the movie the little squirrel becomes attached to her and can regularly be seen crawling all over her shoulders.

Injured Nauscaa receiving love by 'Pikachu' like animal