Translate

Friday, January 13, 2012

Edward Scissor Hands - US Flag in the School

US Flag in Edward Scissor Hands

The US Flag makes a brief cameo in Edward Scissor Hands 1990. This film is a dreamlike confessional allegory by Timothy Burton. The story centers on a man with a heart made from a cookie whose temporary scissor hands became permanent by accident.

He becomes famous in his small town and his gifts are used at the pleasure of the 'bland' community. But tragedy strikes and the origin of snow for this community is explained.

Edwards is a reverse Cinderella trapped in a castle and lives melancholy ever after with his gift.

With hands of sadness glazed with love,
snow falls gently from a castle way above.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Breakfast of Champions Flags by Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut was a luminary novelist in the 1960s from Indiana. He was witness to the controversial bombing in Dresden Germany during WWII. Vonnegut was a POW kept in slaughter house 5. In Breakfast of Champions he adds his own illustrations which include a variety of flags.

The Kilgore Trout Flag is similar to the British Ensign.  But instead of one dominant central square cross, as asterisk with a fimbration is the central icon, making eight triangles upon a square canton.  On the field is a rectangle with a strange inkblot. 


The Goodbye Blue Monday flag is simply a swallowtail streamer with its the wording written upon it.

Note, the background colours of red and blue have been added by myself, but the original drawing is of Kurt Vonnegut's hand.


Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Owl City - Fireflies, song: Vexilloid of Merlin in the Crystal Globe

Merlin with white cane vexilloid

There is one vexilloid that makes an appearance in Owl City's Fireflies song. It is the white globe staff of Merlin in a crystal. It is a white crystal and slightly bent up top.







Afghanistan and Darfur - Fraternal Twins from Asia to Africa

Afghanistan Flag 21 Century Colours
Red-Green and Black-White Flag

Ever since the fall of the British Empire in the 1950s, two regions of Asia and Africa have become perpetual war zones. Sudan has recently - 2011 - saw succession of its southern region in to the new nation of South Sudan. However the south-western region - Darfur - is still in conflict. The primary colours of the Darfur rebels follows in rhythm with the colours of Afghanistan.

Likewise in the heart of Asia, Afghanistan has been host to the uncomfortable and obnoxious guest of 'CIVIL WAR.'

Rebel Flag of Darfur, South Western Sudan
White-Black and Green-Red Flag

Both Darfur and Afghanistan have been in a state of chaos and civil war for all of the 21st century. The combatants are of a similar religion - Islam. Yet can not agree on the rule of law and lines of division.

We are the world, and these two regions of Earth have been thrust into the limelight of our intelligence agencies. In the afterglow of the Cold War they continued to simmer and boil, eventually catching the attention of the west and the wealthiest of nations. It illustrates the ancient proverb that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Fraternal Colours - Afghanistan and Darfur

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

US Navy Commission Pennant and the Flag of North Carolina


The US Navy Commission Pennant is an American flag with a distinguished look for military use only. It consists of seven white stars near the hoist and a tail of red and white, with red on top. Its design resembles the State Flag of North Carolina the most. Since both flags have the same basic pattern in order.

There is one coincidence with the number of stars - seven. The first version of the Confederacy's Naval Jack consisted of seven stars on blue, since there were originally seven states in the Confederacy before the shelling of Ft. Sumter in 1861.

7 Stars on first design of CSA Jack
7 Stars on US Navy Commission Pennant

(1) South Carolina
(2) Mississippi
(3) Florida
(4) Alabama
(5) Georgia
(6) Louisiana
(7) Texas


Texas comes in with a close second. Its basic design is arguably a nice match for the US Navy Commission pennant but the it'd be an upside down comparison. North Carolina has the red bar up top as does the US Navy.

Besides North Carolina is the original and King of the Hill for the Original 13 colonies. There is no mountain higher than King Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina in all of the lands east of the Mississippi. The great synchronicity is that this flag is flown from the highest part of the ship mirrors the flag design of the tallest state in the original 13 colonies - North Carolina.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Raiders of the Lost Ark, part 6 - the Third Reich Vexillum

Indiana Jones infiltrating the Nazis
Indie is facing us, the Nazis are facing away

The term vexillology originates from a specific type of flag that was flown during the Ancient Roman Empire - the Vexillum. A Vexillum is a specific kind of flag that is carried from a cross bar, to keep the face of the flag unfurled. Modern rectangular flags are dependent on the wind to keep the face of the flag open. When there is no wind a modern flag can be easily mistaken or misidentified.

Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 used proper vexillums to represent the antagonists. Nazi vexillums are shown when they shuttle the Lost Ark of the Hebrew Covenant to a mountain altar.The Ark of the Covenant is the key point of the holy of holiest in Hebrew Custom. It was a source of power, protection, and wrath of the divine. In its most modern and most powerful portrayal it, the Ark of the Covenant is ironically shuttled to a remote Greek Isle by a team of Nazi Archeological Researchers.

The Ark of the Covenant is under the Purple Linen


They are successful in opening the Ark and seeing its inner spiritual splendor, but there are harsh consequences for their actions. But before they are privileged to witness the supernatural phenomena reveals itself to them, all of the electronic recording devices are magically disabled. In the picture below the modern technological electronic equipment is rendered useless by some kind of supernatural means.

Notice Third Reich Flags on cross banners
the recording devices are extinguished by the Ark, before revealing its glory





Sunday, January 8, 2012

Flag of Asbestos, Quebec

Aasif Mandvi next to Asbestos Flag
Asbestos, Quebec


Did you know that Asbestos has a flag? Asbestos, Quebec that is. It used to have the world's largest Asbestos mine, but due to the association with cancer it has led to decline in economic activity.



The flag of Asbestos employs the colours red, blue, grey, white and black. The name is written in white with a white underline and white over-line.