Machias Seal Island, Maine or Machias Island, New Brunswick

 

Many people have heard of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Some know about the Cyprus-Northen Cyprus conflict.  And fewer have heard about the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict.  But are you aware of the Canadian-American Machias Island territorial conflict?

Machias Seal Island is one of the last of divided lands that sits at the tipping point between two nations.  The two stars represent two peoples divided, or rather united?  The beautiful maple leaf represents the highest honors of respect.  

The dispute is longstanding, on one hand the islands are claimed by Canada by a certain interpretation of a treaty.  However on the US side, the US is closer in proximity since Machias Island.  The islands are ½ a mile closer to the mainland shores of USA.

Both nations have purposefully avoided bringing the issue to settle in the international courts of justice.  So like Palestine and the West Bank, this little slice of Earth is in limbo as of 2020, and for the foreseeable future. 

So what is at stake?  Pride, ego, and the bounty of the sea—mostly a rich lobster income.  In the big picture a loss, or win, for this 20 acre bird refuge would neither hurt nor benefit either nation, yet the impact on several families would be heartfelt.  

Perhaps leaders can try that overlooked middle path option?  Machias Island could become bi-national territory.  This had already happened with Oregon Territory before it was divided, by the 'UK-Canada' and the 'US'.  For 28 years, from 1818 until 1846, Oregon Territory and British Columbia were bi-national.  This land was both American and 'Canadian-British.'     

Reverting to a bi-national territory would give Machias Island special status as both Canadian and American.  

Of course one would have to be a resident of Machias Seal Island to have this automatic dual-Canadian American citizenship.  There are already a lot of Americans and Canadians who hold both passports (Jim Carey and Elon Musk). It would be a controlled experiment of sorts, whereby US and Canadian Coastguards could team up.  

Likewise a small portion of the Island would enter the private sector for residents to set up a tourist bird watching and lobster restaurant.  Indeed it would become a creative experiment.  No doubt the tourist dollars generated by such a political oddity could be used to protect wildlife along the shores of Maine and New Brunswick.  If such a place were to exist, popularity and interest would peak to visit, this inter-sexed land of sorts. 

No doubt a lot could be discovered by such an enterprise.  Such an endeavor may inspire other nations like Russian and Japan, which have a long standing dispute over several islands in the North Pacific.  It'd be like that special customs zone in the airport, whereby both Canada and the US will maintain unique intelligence on such a place.  Finally, the third, bi-national option would acquiesce any bruised egos, so that both nations benefit and something new is created.  

On the other hand, the easy out of this conundrum is to give way and have a winner and loser.  A few families will benefit and this island will become...just another isle.  However if the 'third' option is taken, no doubt the world will watch and learn. 

The two stars represent two nations and two peoples.  The beautiful maple leaf represents the highest honors of respect.

This flag was created to heal the rift between North and South.  In the wake of 2020 to bring clarity and balance.  It is directly inspired by Gérard Gallienne flag proposal from 1931. 

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/flags-canada-historical/posters.html

https://reg.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project-pic.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=1262&ProjectElementID=6507

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machias_Seal_Island

 Photo of Machias Island

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Machias+Seal+Island/@44.501886,-67.1018474,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipM2bPvaN3iXwghgpmQhD5qNnznE9cBvtf-Pm6Gv!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipM2bPvaN3iXwghgpmQhD5qNnznE9cBvtf-Pm6Gv%3Dw130-h86-k-no!7i2048!8i1354!4m5!3m4!1s0x4ca8e246778dae61:0x75cadc05562582ee!8m2!3d44.502302!4d-67.1012682

Gazorpazorp Flag - Rick and Morty 2014

 

It is classic theme of the re-separation of the sexes in some dystopian future.  Rick and Morty tackled this Sci-fi staple with a new level gritty honesty.  Of vexillological note is are flags on the 'male' side of the planet where, a spartan design of alien who kinda' looks like Dr. Rick with brownish orange triagle on the bottom that the wider at the hoist and comes to point at a ripped fly.  This seems to be a unique flag where by the fly end is purposefully ripped, as its design.

The planet is called Gazorpazorp.  Robots are used a breeding chambers were he burly red protein coated men pollinate their species.  The men are totally unaware that the females of this planet are hidden away. 

Here is a close up of the 'Male Gazropazorp' flag. Notice that the eyes are closed, the hair style is similar to Dr. Rick and the fly is ripped, on purpose.

 

Halloween 2020 - Flags

Black Live Matter Flag and the Similarity to the Parental Advisory Logo

 

It is no small coincidence that the Parental Advisory Explicit Content looks like the Black Lives Matter flag.  The advisory lyric logo was prompted by the gritty and often raunchy lyrics that became an anthem for a select generation.

Mini Hotel Flag - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 2019

Mr. Rogers is an iconic personality from American childhood.  Somewhat of a preschool-kindergarten kind of teacher.  His sincere, Plain Cain, simple demure was something a breath of fresh air in a noisy, clownish cacophony of broadcast television.   Rather than lusting after the audiences dollars and cents, Roger's was selling free, wholesome advice for a better life.

Hollywood released a film dedicated to his spirit in 2019 entitled A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers.  Perhaps the opposite of Mr. Rogers is Mr. Herman, Pee Wee?  Pee Wee was less the education and more of the Pop-corn style.  It is too bad that Mr. Roger's wasn't a guest on Pee Wee's show, or vice versa.

In the film the mini flag of the USA, Spain, Italy (Mexico?), and Canada appear in one of the transition sequences.  A white hotel flag with corporate logo is also visible, but it impossible to discern from the video.


 

Mr. Roger's Flag patterns in the Curtains

Mr. Rodger's is an American classic from Pennsylvania.  His calm, low key delivery of infotainment made its deepest impact on Generations X, Y, and Z.  Usually media is over the top and off the wall to gain the 'consumers' attention, with witty humour and wacky special effects, like jingling keys.

However, Rodger's put the jingling keys away and spoke directly, unafraid of that oh so precious silent space.  Most people growing up in American learn to hate the quiet, and find it necessary to fill the void with talk or jokes.  

In a way, many have this backwards as the quiet is good.  Most people don't have any idea the importance of quiet in the mind.  And when you share the quiet with another person or stranger, it is good.  If you are uncomfortable with the 'awkward silence' — that is your ego, that judgemental inner voice that dislikes the silence.  In fact, the ego hates silence and will often negatively blame and judge the other person or yourself for that 'painful' silence.  'Awkward Silences' are sign that you ego is out of control, and you need to learn to control better manage its constant noise and often negative judgements.

Of vexillological note were the curtains along Mr. Roger's windows upon his set.  They changed throughout the seasons, but every so often the patterns of flag were visible.

The style of curtains was stark contrast to Mr. Roger's style.  They were often loud, brash, and zany patterns that were of young boy's room, of that 1950s Americana. One flag was similar to the American flag but had three stripes of green, blue, and white.

In 2019's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks, a near perfect match of curtains can be found.  However the hone flag looks is visible, which is difficult to make out.  It has a hoist-canton with seven stars.  The most popular US flag to have seven stars within it was the original flag of the Confederacy when it was originally made up of 7 rebel states.  On the curtains in the movie it looks like a date is written in the lower field and something in the upper blue field.  Perhaps it reads Civil War and 1861?

 To the left is guess of the curtains, that appears in 2019 homage film to Fred Rogers of Western Pennsylvania.    No doubt a Confederate flag would have been a big no no in 2019.  Thus modified version of the Confederate flag would have been okay.

There was also a green pennant with a blue vertical pattern near the hoist with writing on the flag.   Note before anger management became real therapy, Mr. Rogers tackled this problem head on.

Comix Zone—Super Hero Logo 1995

Comix Zone oozes with the spirit of the 1990s.  Typically, media and art made at the midpoint of a decade (example 1995-1996) sets the gold standard for the spirit of the decade.  1990 is too much like the 80s and 1999 is too much like the mighty Ohs.  Comix Zone is a key note from the SEGA™ Genesis lineup. The music, the outfit of our hero, and style sings of the 1990s grunge movement.

1995 was when video games were offline, not-monitored, and gamers could trade, sell, or lend their truely private property of a game to their friends without interference or observation from Big Sister™.    Power ups were simple and achievements were personal, instead of being a public document for the various Videogamer-Corps™. 


Of vexillological note, when the protagonist of the story, Sketch Turner, gets his superhero power up, a unique logo appears on his chest: it is a red semi-circle with an ×, that appears on a white shirt.   The livery of our superhero is white,
black, and red.  He has black tights with boots, a white shirt, and a red cape.  Turner also dons sunglasses and is able to blast all baddies on the screen, with a comic zap.

When Turner is in normal mode, he is a Kung Fu master of the 1990s sort.  The pants and haircut are of the Niffertastic Nineties™.

The bad guy logo also appears on the bombs in some of the abandoned ships.   It is red painted face outline of a man with hat, sunglasses, and long mustache.

Comix Zone is one of the few original masterpieces with original content, rather than being an established pop-icon or a spinoff of some other established property, like the Amazing Man Spider, Mr. Bat Ma'am, or the X-Them.