St. Patty's Day 2011 - Ireland & Ivory Coast

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2011!

Irish or not you can still enjoy it! Wear green, soak up the lucky vibes, or just be plain grateful for the good things in life!


The great thing about the Irish flag is when you turn it upside down you get the flag of an African country - the Ivory Coast.

But I believe in destiny & coincidence, thus it is no accident a nation in Europe would match with a nation in Africa, as a proverbial union of Ebony & Ivory! It is one of the surreal amazing matches of the passionate Irish with the soulful African.

The Humble and Common Clover -
a lucky symbol of the Irish for everyone

The Shamrock is an icon of Ireland and symbol of good fortune. The 'Gratitude Rock' would make a harmonious complement to the Ivory Coast. The concept of a Gratitude Rock gained enormous popularity with the release of The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. In this movie we learn that 'Gratitude Rocks' worked miracles in Africa. Thus waving the Irish or Ivory flag is a kin to being grateful for all the good fortune that came your way!

The common and humble rock
rub it with an Attitude of African Gratitude

FACT: The more Gratitude you feel the more it will Rock your world and make you lucky!

Bristol, Pennsylvania

The original county seat of Bucks County is now a sleepy industrial suburban town.

Bristol Pennsylvania has a warm small town All American Pennsylvania vibe spiked with a New Jersey mojo and an gritty Philadelphia sparkle. Bristol is a patch work community that is an exotic mix of history and the modern world.

Seal of Bristol Township

The Township Seal is an interesting blend of American Heraldry. It features a wide semi-heart shaped shield. It is cross quartered with a small white star in the center. The upper left and bottom right quarters is a stretched checker design of blue and yellow. The upper right quarter has a large sailing ship. Finally the bottom left has a simple bowl.

The supporters are both lions in a natural, prowling ambush stance. Interestingly the lions support the shield on their back. An American bald eagle sits at the helm on top of a ribbon that reads in all capital letters, "BRISTOL TOWNSHIP." Within the frame of the shield is the date 1692. In the compartment is another ribbon with the motto, "Independence, Pride, Prosperity."

G.I. Joe American Hero & Rambo Patch

The Joe Team standing in front of the American Flag

GI Joe and Rambo were more than just feeling in the 80s. If you were an American boy born in the mid 70s and allowed to watch TV cartoons, these shows had a role in the foundation of your sense of American Patriotism.

GI Joe was created in 1964, launched with worry as a doll for boys. But this was one risk well worth its gamble. Boys didn't mind playing with dolls so long as they came with guns, weapons, and gadgets.


Insignia of COBRA
GI Joe dolls did well and in 1982 the popular small action figure set and comic book was created with Marvel Comics. Also introduced in 1982 was GI Joe's enemy - Cobra - an international terrorist organization bent of destroying freedom (see the video below). Cobra's insignia was of course the outline of a Cobra in red.

Rambo Patch

Another patriotic go USA icon of the 80s was Rambo. Rambo was originally a book - First Blood 1972 - by David Morell. Ten years later the Hollywood movie adaptation was made - First Blood - and starred Silvester Stallone as Rambo in 1982. Rambo would spawn two sequels, but in 1986 an animated version of Rambo for kids was created - Rambo and the Forces of Freedom.

Kid friendly Rambo featured a patch. It had an American Bald Eagle in flight - with talons extended to the lower left. The Eagle was superimposed on disc that featured nine red and white stripes - like the original Son's of Liberty. On the lower side of the disc is written the motto ' THE FORCE OF FREEDOM.'

Rambo's Friends with Rambo Patch

Rambo and the Forces of Freedom is a Yin and Yang compliment to GI Joe: An American Hero. GI Joe worked as team against a power hungry army that used terrorism to destroy human freedom. But animated Rambo fought solo - with some technical help - against General War Hawk in order to protect the, "Peace Loving People of the World." (see video below)


Animated Intro of GI Joe & Rambo Animated Series

Insignia of the Transformers - Autobot & Decepticon

Insignia of the Autobot

who do not steal energy & cared about people

If you grew up in the 1980s then your introduction the word insignia may have come from a toy - the Transformers. Transformers were the it boy toy in the early 80s. They were basically vehicles that transformed into robots. So enchanting as these toys were that in the 2000s they would have a revival in Hollywood.

Like Yin and Yang there was division of powers between the 'good' robots and 'bad' robots. The good robots are the Autobots who are usually some kind of automobile, while the 'bad' robots are the Decepticons who are flying machines, except for the leader who is a gun and his lieutenant which is a magnetic recording device and master of other animal like robotic slaves.


Insignia of the Decepticons
who were Deceptive, stole energy & saw humans as worthless

The original toys came with a heat sensitive sticker. At room temperature or below the sticker would be black but once pressed, and then heated the insignia of the transformer would glow. This added another element to an already complex toy. Often times younger kids would be mystified when older kids would transform a complex robot, when it was beyond their capability. However there were many adults and too cool older children you couldn't master the transformation of some complex robots.

The Transfomers were part model toy car-airplane, part puzzle, part robot-doll, and their space in American-Japanese kid culture was cemented with well television show oriented for kids but spiced with adult topics.

This was a ground breaking toy at the right time and the right place. The joy of the toy planted a seed that bloomed nearly 20 years later. Who knows what will come in 20 more years - a live action Pokemon-CGI/5-D Movie like Avatar?

Solubury Township, Buck County PA

under construction

Township Logo of Solebury in 2011

The Hearaldry of Harry Potter

Hogwarts United Coat of Arms

When a new student arrives at Hogwarts, they are assigned to one of four houses. This is done by the Sorting Hat - that talks. The Sorting Hat seems to read the intentions and feelings of the wearer and assigns the student via a magical dynamic and sense of proper destiny.

The four teaching teams at Hogwarts are Gryffindor the Lion, Hufflepuff the Badger, Ravenclaw the Eagle, and Slytherin the Snake.

Each house has its own livery of colours. Subsequently the Harry Potter Fan Base has created heralds for these houses at Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling tapped a nerve in English Folklore that has begotten a life of its own.

The House of Hufflepuff

Their emblem is the badger and the colours are black and yellow. The badger proverbially lives in the underworld, unseen by most muggles.





House of Slytherin

Their emblem is the snake and their colours are green and white. This animal is actually very nice. Muggles have an insatiable appetite to dominate the universe but the snake refuses, instead Muggles must learn to respect the snake.





House of Ravenclaw

Ravenclaw's emblem is not synonymous with its name - it is rather the Eagle. But in the final movie - Deathly Hallows 2 - there is a raven on the flag. There is also an eagle head on the crest of the helmet.







House of Gryffindor

The is house of Harry Potter. Its totem is the most famous of all - the Lion. The Lion is beloved by the Muggles and it is also the emblem for several nations - Scotland, Denmark, and England. Muggles and persons of magic are both enchanted by the power of Lions.








Sorting Hat with Flags of the Four Houses at Hogwarts
integrative Harry Potter DVD game

Vexillology's Ultimate Game - Golf!

Caddy Shack Movie Poster
1980 - the underbelly of golf

No game more effectively uses flags than golf. The objective of the game is to aim for a flag! This game has vexillology written all over it.

Golf has gone though its own cultural revolution, but since Caddy Shack and when the Tiger was let loose - the snooty ceiling was forever shattered. Golf is a game for everyone.

Here is an idea...perhaps Disney could make a Disney World Show Case Course where course or particular hole is thematic of certain nations? It'd be kinda' like miniature golf meets regular 'gargantuan' golf.

Think about it...In 2015 Walt Disney opens an Asian Theme Golf Course - Hole Number One, aim for the Vietnam Flag on a jungle setting next to peaceful rice paddies. Hole Number two - aim for a Chinese Flag and the hazard is a Great Wall. Hole Number three - aim for a Korean flag...and so on!

Flag of the First Tee Organization
Youth Leadership via Golf!
Although many in the Golf Establishment would certainly view such an effort as tacky, think about it! There already is the First Tee Program, which teaches kids good golf values. Who knows maybe Golf is the answer to world peace? If people took something from proper Golf Etiquette, the world would certainly be a better place.

Golf can be good, it's all what you putt into it.