NAVA Interest Area Meeting: online, Flag Design Gauntlet▬ hosted by Joe Gorman

The first presentation for the Area Interest Meeting; Flag Design Gauntlet was by Russ Adams.  Adams gave an insightful presentation of his proposed flag for NAVA 55.  His proposed flag played a clever trick by turning the V in the NAVA flag into a Roman numeral V and adding a white L along the hoist and bottom.  Unfortunately Adam's flag was not chosen.  One observation was that it looked too much like the NAVA flag. 

To the left are several other flags that were proposed to represent NAVA's 55th meeting.  Ted Kaye also shared a simple memory trick as to know which NAVA meeting is next.  Just think of the most recent Superbowl.  NAVA meetings are providentially synced to the number of the Superbowl.  NAVA's first meeting and the first Superbowl took place in 1967.  Ergo Superbowl LIX and NAVA LIX will take place in the year 2025. 

The second presentation was by about the recently adopted (99.98% official) flag for Yorba Linda, California.  It was graciously presented by a former Mayor of Yorba Linda — Beth Haney. Haney was also on the committee that led the process for the adopted a flag for this municipality.

To Beth's surprise her submission nearly became the official flag of Yorba Linda, as a runner up.  However the official is the one with a yellow star on navy blue with an uneven, curved, white division towards the fly.  There were several submissions for the flag and much of the community was engaged.  The winning design was slightly modified,  the original designer had the yellow star towards the fly.  So in a way the flag of Yorba Linda is a  syncretic design, where more than one person is responsible for the design.

Mayor Haney also presented some the submissions by children.  This flag was been digitized to the left.  Perhaps if this submission made into a 'crisp  computer' version, it could have become the official flag of Yorba Linda, California? 

In the third presentation the winner of the Official Flag for the City of Old Town, Maine was given by our talented host, Joe Gorman.  In the center is a red canoe on horizontal tri-bar of green, white, green. 

This flag was so poplar that it inspired heraldic organizations to create coats of arms and other versions of the flag. 

Finally our host Joe Gorman gave presentation by proxy for Brian Cham.  Cham is graphic designer in New Zealand and has taken a special interest in designing a new flag for state of Massachusetts. 

 

色丹島旗

 

色丹島は、パレスチナ、スウィアン島、北キプロス、トランスニストリアなど、争われている国々の黄昏地帯にあります。国家になるか、国家にならないか-それが問題です。イギリスからの引用がマン島に響き渡り、日本の島に戻ったのは色丹島です。男と韻を踏む唯一の日本の場所。ほとんどの日本列島は、中に終了する必要が志摩。

おそらく貿易は順調ですか？取引はできますか？たぶん、太平洋の暖かい海の小さな斑点と北極圏の小さな斑点と交換されますか？日本が北極海クラブに参加する余地はあるのでしょうか？紺碧の暖かい太平洋にロシアの余地があるのではないでしょうか。また、色丹 そして、歯舞群島は、ロシアと日本の間の平和条約の最終版の場合に返還されることが約束されました。

それにもかかわらず、シトカン島の旗はマン島に基づいています。同様に、この島では権力分立が感じられます。アイルランド、スコットランド、イギリスの力の代わりに、色丹は日本、ロシア、アメリカの力の間でバランスが取れています。しかし、デザインを支配しているのは日本の中世の騎士の鎧です。サンダルのこれらの非常に長い歯は、泥の中を歩いたり戦ったりするのに最適です。

Labrador Flag

 

The flag of Labrador up top and Newfoundland and Labrador below.  This image is from Justin Barbour's video when he trekked across Labrador towards the Quebec border.  

To clarify Labrador is a part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Newfoundland is the island that looks like its pinky is sticking out, while Labrador is the eastern coastline of continental Canada.  Perhaps someday when there is population explosion in Labrador, it could become the 14th province or territory of Canada. 

And yes, Labrador dogs get their name from this region.  They were bred mostly in Newfoundland, so a better name would be Newfoundland Retriever?  Nonetheless, the beloved and loyal Canadian dog from Labrador has captured the hearts of many Americans, American than live in the suburbs.  In contrast, Americans that live in an urban atmosphere typically have a love affair with the Pitt Bull.  

Funny thing is that there are more Labrador Retrievers than there are people in Labrador.  Labrador is certainly off radar of people in the US.     

The Labrador flag is an uneven horizontal tribar of white, green, and sky blue. 

Flags in Mannequin 1987

 

In 1987 the true American version of Pinnochio was born.  Remember, the tale of Pinnochio is not a Disney Property, however Mannequin is.  Born in the heart of the 1980s, and released in 1987.  Mannequin was far from the 1970s and 1990s, that it just oozes the spirit of the 1980s.  A theme from the movie it to create art of substance and character, and indeed this gem from 1987 was totally outrageous. 

Flags appear in the introductory cartoon montage.  In it we get a short history of the world, from ancient Egypt to modern days.  Our lucky heroine is given a gift from the Gods to travel through time to see the world in its varied forms.  In one spice she is seen leading a navigator in Medieval Italian dress across an ocean.  The fore mast has a green pennant while the aft mast has a red pennant.  Finally the navigator in the stern is holding  a flag with has an American style motif. 

 Here you can see the classic Key Stone Cop-Night Security officer is played by George W. Bailey.   The badge on the his shoulder read Prince Security for the fictional Prince and Company Department Store that was located in Center City Philadelphia, next to Philadelphia's City Hall. 

 

 

The US flag and 'county-city' flag of Philadelphia can be seen in the background.  These are also known as the iconic Rocky Steps of Philadelphia.  Mannequin is fairly tale from Pennsylvania.  It was constructed with a patient heart and soul, full of character.  This is one of America's best Valentine's Day's movies, as least from the 1980s.  

AMC Flag from TURИ - Washington's Spies 2014

 

AMC produced an excellent show about the American Revolution called TURИ Washington's Spies that originally aired from 2014 to 2017.  They get a lot right and take a few creative liberties.  However, like any production that reproduces the past little errors sneak in, that only a few would recognize.  Иonetheless, if you want to get the feels of 1776 this series puts the flavor of the action on a delightful stage. 

The most unique flag to appear in the show is during the opening animated sequence, whereby an AMC flag is waved.  Иote the background is assumed to be white and the first letter from AMC is lower case, while the second letter is an upper case M, followed by a letter c.  

The neat thing is, as the computer generated aMC flag waves it turns into different kinds of flag.  It become the Betsy Ross flag, followed by the UK flag.  However the UK flag is that of the modern version.  During the US Revolution/Colonial Rebellion, the UK flag did not have St. Patrick's Cross. Иonetheless it should not take you out the wonderful story.  A 50 US starred flag would, but this small anachronistic detail can be easily overlooked, likewise most people in the US usually overlook this fact as well.   This is must watch for any student of history.  

Thin Red Line Flag

 

The thin red line flag is a flag that is dedicated to fallen firemen.  You can see it here next the US flag with the state flag of Pennsylvania. 

Lunar Twilight 2020 - the last night: Shima Uta

 

And then there was one. Tonight the last glimmer of 2020 streaks across the heavens.  Look up because the last Moon of 2020 fades to darkness.  After a day of waiting, on January 14, 2021 will the first Moon of 2021 begin. 

Since we started with a Japanese artist to contemplate Lunar Twilight, it only makes sense to close with another.  The follow song stems from men from Yamanashi Prefecture.  It is on the other side of Mt. Fuji.   However, this song stems from a folk song from Okinawa as converted into modern music in 1993.   

It is sad song of love and letting go, as we transition from one year to the next, it is more than appropriate.  This is an accumulation of the themes for Lunar Twilight 2020.