Western Sahara & Palestine, a totally tough grey call

Flag of Western Sahara

The flag of these respective entities represent controversial nation state issues. They are a national standards by some standards or rather doomed mis-begotten fabrics by others.

Western Sahara is considered a part of Morocco by many, just as Palestine is a part of Israel. All during the modern era war and terrorism have been an unwelcome social phenomena.

Flag of Palestine

Much of the world is divided over the recognition of these potential 'states.'

For regular American folk it's like those tense instant replays in football where the refs can't tell if the receiver caught the ball before being thrown out of bounds. No matter how many times you look at the replay it's a tough call.

Palestine had the PLO fighting for independence while Western Sahara had the Polasario Front.

Will the world welcome two more nations under the name of Palestine and Western Sahara?

For sports folk, will MLB ever expand in to Mexico or Latin America? Some would love it while others would rather rip their eyeballs out of their heads than see a MLB franchise in the Yucatan. However a few Canadian Hockey fans may feel justice served, because of left over angst when the US Sun Belt bought up several historic Canadian NHL teams.

If Western Sahara and Palestine became fully recognized states, many in Israel and Morocco would certainly be saddened by this event.

But if given a little bit of time, patience, and care it will all be fine. Everyone will eventually be happy with the outcome. After all isnt' it better to be optimistic than pessimistic, like Optimus Prime? He was an optimistic robot-truck everyone could love.

Palestine is a critical issue for the United States, but Western Sahara is an issue barely known to the US Public. If Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio made a movie about Western Sahara or baseball in Panama some positive energy could come out of these tense situations.

India and Niger, 24 x 24

Flag of India
Central Blue Wheel
with 24 spokes

Their flags match in colours. Within their central bands these distant families have chosen a circle to represent their nation.

Niger has the brightest spinning sphere of the heavens as its centerpiece, the sun, that was made by the Gods. While India has the spinning earthly loom wheel, that was made by mankind. Coincidentally the blue wheel of India's flag has 24 spokes in it, while the earth's rotation around the sun is exactly 24 hours.

Ancient India had divided life into 24 cycles until rebirth, likewise the solar cycle with the earth was divided in 24 sections called hours. Time has been divided into 24 hours before the birth of a new day on the Eastern Horizon.


Flag of Niger
Central Orange Sun
Earth has a 24 Hour Day
This uncanny 24 by 24 coincidence as seen from the eye of the East is a tale tale sign of the cosmic and perpetual connection that each person and nation are all intertwined with the mystical threads of destiny and history. However from the modern cynical, 'ego-ic' mind of the West this means absolutely nothing. The sentiment would go something like this, 'So freaking what, buddy? Show me how this is going to bring home the gold. And I'll get back to you, nice idea but you can suck on it with the rest of you airy-fairy tards.'

India is at the East-West cross roads of the Middle East in Western Asia, while Niger is at the North-South cross roads of the Middle East in North Africa.

Both nations have a strong connection to the Islamic World. In Niger faith in the 'Praised One' (which is the literal meaning of 'Mohammad') is the dominant faith, while in India a minority faith.

Both of their nations take their name after the great rivers that skate along the edges of the Middle East, the Indus and Niger River. These great rivers connect many nations together of differing cultures and languages.

During the age of European Colonial Empires, India was under the thumb of the British Empire while Niger was under the pinky of the French Empire.

Barbados & Madeira

Flag of Barbados
Barbados is an island in the Western Atlantic
a part of the New World
The background tri-colours matches; blue, yellow, and blue. The major difference is the icon within the central yellow stripe. Barbados has the ancient symbol of Poseidon or Neptune, while Madeira employs the cross of the Order of Christ.

Flag of Madiera
Maidera is an island in the Eastern Atlantic
a part of the Old World

These symbols balance each other on numerous dimensions. Madeira has an inner white cross while Barbados has a black trident. The trident is reflective of Europe's polytheistic past when the various tribes of Europe were in tune with the timeless echoes of the ocean, while the cross is reflective of Europe's monotheistic present and fundamental role in enriching the 'poly-scholastic' branches of Christianity.

The geographic symmetry is rather uncanny. Both islands are at opposite ends of the Atlantic Ocean, just beyond the boundaries of the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas. Madeira is closer to the Old World and Barbados closer to the New World. They were proverbial welcoming stations and launching points in the romantic and perilous age of wind and sail.

They are also islands 'in between' continents. Madeira is just beyond the coast of Africa and Europe, at the same latitude of Africa yet considered a part of Europe. Barbados is an island of similar size 'in between' North and South America. Although Barbados is considered a part of North America, Barbados is closer to South America.

Madeira is not a 'full time' independent nation, as she belongs to the group of ambiguous semi-nations states with Puerto Rico, Guam, New Caledonia, Bermuda, and St. Helena. All of the 'part-time' states have their own flags and unique identities. But they are still connected to a full time nation. Portugal as of 2010 is the nation that has sovereignty over Madeira. While Barbados stands on her own two feet as a 'full time nation' since 1966.

TOP TEN RESASONS TO BE A VEXILLOLOGIST

1. Stamp collectors are dorky
2. People stand in awe and curiosity why you tell them you're a vexillologist
3. Didn't you know flags are intensely mad reprezentin' colourz.......they are the civilyzed gang bustin' colourz of the world!*
4. Flaggist and Flagger just sound wrong.
5. We have an obsessive interest in things that wave in a breeze.
6. For Victory, Value and Gosh Darn it's VOGUE!
7. After meetings we all sit around the TV and watch old reruns of 1980s sci-fi classic "V"
8. We laugh on the inside when we hear people say"What is a vavavavlexlolalolagist?"
9. We are the only ones who like double standards.


(DRUM ROLL)




10. We like to show off and play with our Vexi-bits in public!



(Applause and Band Music)










You can watch the Late Show with David Letterman Here
http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/
*WARNING if you flash the wrong pattern of colors in the wrong neighborhood or country, it may result in personal injury, dismemberment, or death

New Flag of Antarctica

A new proposal for a flag of Antarctica. This design is multi-layered. Primarily the colour scheme comes from the emperor penguin.
Secondly, the design incorporates the celestial aurora australis. Thirdly the upper coloured section represents the stylized 'bottom of the earth' from outer space. Finally, the stars are of the most southern constellation Octans.

The lower half the flag is in darkness so it can be easily distinguished during the long days of summer and on the white ice fields, while the upper half has a bright colour so it can be more easily noticed during the long winter nights.

EMPEROR PENGUIN

Emperor Penguins have lived for thousands of years on Antarctica. Although humans are clever at using tools and pushing buttons, penguins can survive in the harsh antarctic climate without the need of technological devices. Penguins often have a keener sense of parental responsibility than some humans show cased on television (Jerry Springer, Maury Povich, and "Reality TV"). Rarely is there any kind of penguin on penguin penguin-slaughter. However penguins seem to be at war with fish.

Example of an OCTANT
The stars represent a navigational device used to calculate ones position. The smaller eight pointed star represents the celestial south polar star Sigma Octans, which is just barely visible to the naked eye.

Link to other Antarctica Flag Propoals

Belize & Haiti, Seals on the Banner

FLAG OF BELIZE
The distinguishing element of these flags are their national seals upon their banners of red and blue. Belize is the Circle and Haiti is the Square.

Belize is your more typical coat of arms with a central shield supported by two men. On the other hand, Haiti has a little drum where the shield of arms usually sits. But next to the drum are two hatchets facing left and right. Belize also has two hatchets on their flag, one is carried by the bronze man on the left and the other is on the upper right side of the the shield of arms behind a saw.

FLAG OF HAITI
*national seal is expanded for viewing purposes

Belize has a mahogany tree on a patch of grass, while Haiti has cabbage palm tree on a top of hill.

Both flags have what look like red pennants blowing in the wind. Belize has three red pennants on the top of the masts of the sailing vessel in the lower section of the shield. Haiti has two red pennants on flag poles just above the cannon and anchors.

close up of Belize Shield of Arms
so you can see 'Red Pennants'
Haiti was a part of Hispaniola which was the first island permanently settled by the Old World. But French Buccaneers put an end to the Spanish domination of the island and subsequently imported cheap outsourced labor from Africa, thus giving Haiti its dominant African element.

Belize too, was a part of New Spain in Mexico, but British Pirates took advantage of Spain's over stretched empire and were able to plant one last English Colony in the heart of Hispanic Central America.

A close up of Haiti's complex coat of arms
Red Pennants are on the far left and right sides

Finally there are '25 leaves proper' on Belize's flag while there are 24 cannon balls on Haiti's flag.

Australia & New Zealand, who is the copycat?

Flag of Australia

These flag are nearly identical twins. The main difference are the stars. Kiwis have fewer red stars with a dash of white, while Aussies have more stars that are all white.

Like two siblings born nine months apart their sibling rivalry is intense. Aussies are the older sibling 1901, making Kiwis the younger 1907. They are very close and yet so far away.

Flag of New Zealand

Both Have:
Union Jack
Southern Cross
Blue Filed
Stars
Southern Hemisphere
Unique Animals and Plants
Aboriginal people
Strong British Heritages
Love of Rugby
Sailors


Watch the Lord of the Rings to get a feel of New Zealand, in a fanciful past that never existed.
But watch the Road Warrior series to get a feel of Australia, in a fanciful future that never existed.

AUSSIE STAR

KIWI STAR

Currently the Hollywood Stars of Aussie and Kiwi Pride are in a sweet alignment. Hugh Jackman who played Wolverine in the X-Men Movies is the current top Action Aussie Hero while Russell Crowe is the top Action Kiwi Hero, best known for his role in Gladiator.

Although Australia is the much larger landmass, little New Zealand towers over Australia by several hundred meters!

OFFICIALLY MATCHING FLAGS

AUSTRALIAN FLAGS...................................... NEW ZEALAND FLAGS

NATIONAL FLAG PROPOSALS
that look a like

As Aussies and Kiwis struggle to create a new national flag it is almost inevitable that as soon as Kiwi proposes a flag, an Aussie will by chance also propose a nearly matching flag.