Friday, July 1, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
My Personal Confederate Flag
Seal of the Confederacy
Like Luke Skywalker from Return of Jedi, he created his own personal light saber. As a vexillologist and student of American history, I implore you to create your own Confederate Flag, when you are ready.
The stories behind the maker of modern personal 'Confederate Flags' has been mostly lost to history.
Popular modern Confederate flags range from outright racism, a call to rebellion, and a declaration of heritage over hate. Some flags are meant to be threats, or in your face taunts like a middle finger. In any case knowledge about the maker of these modern flags is of value to vexillologists around the world.
This is my personal Confederate Flag. It is basically a modified version of the official Confederate Flag during it lasts days of active rebellion. The flag has a seal added - the official Seal of the Confederacy. The Seal of the Confederacy features George Washington on horseback.
Likewise my paper to be presented at the 24 International Congress of Vexillology deals with a historic relic from the American Revolution that features a similar design of the official seal.
My Confederate Flag represents history and the effort to expose it the tactfully with care and hide not the full range of emotions associated with epic portion of American History.
Fear not a flag for it is a symbol and key which can unlock emotions hidden within your own heart from our collective past.
Like Luke Skywalker from Return of Jedi, he created his own personal light saber. As a vexillologist and student of American history, I implore you to create your own Confederate Flag, when you are ready.
The stories behind the maker of modern personal 'Confederate Flags' has been mostly lost to history.
Popular modern Confederate flags range from outright racism, a call to rebellion, and a declaration of heritage over hate. Some flags are meant to be threats, or in your face taunts like a middle finger. In any case knowledge about the maker of these modern flags is of value to vexillologists around the world.
My Personal Confederate Flag
This is my personal Confederate Flag. It is basically a modified version of the official Confederate Flag during it lasts days of active rebellion. The flag has a seal added - the official Seal of the Confederacy. The Seal of the Confederacy features George Washington on horseback.
Likewise my paper to be presented at the 24 International Congress of Vexillology deals with a historic relic from the American Revolution that features a similar design of the official seal.
My Confederate Flag represents history and the effort to expose it the tactfully with care and hide not the full range of emotions associated with epic portion of American History.
Fear not a flag for it is a symbol and key which can unlock emotions hidden within your own heart from our collective past.
Friday, June 17, 2011
The music of Vexillology - Deadmau5
Deadmau5's Vexillology Album cover
If you ever look up the word vexillology, you may come across a techno music riff with a cartoon like floating mouse head. It is the first and only album to use the word vexillology. The musical artist is known as Deadmau5. Deadmau5 is a DJ artist from Canada. His genre is like a light-80s funk techno mix with a video-game twist. His real name is Joel Zimmerman. One of his delightful catches is that he wears an over sized cartoon mouse head mask, very Canadian indeed.
Deadmau5 in 'Mau5' gear
Deadmau5 wearing his iconic mouse head mask. Does he study vexi1101ogy or wa5 it some flight of fancy? On1y the Mau5 kn0w5.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The United States of America Mirror Millennial Flag for 1776 B.C.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Flag Day - June 14, 2011
Today is Flag Day 2011!
A common question we get as vexillologists is who responsible for designing the American Flag? The simple answer is Betsy Ross. No matter your view on Betsy Ross - she sewed US Flags for the government with plenty of records. She was one of many common men and women to create flags for the revolution.
Some people say it was all Francis Hopkinson's doing. Really? Can you believe that one man alone had total input for the nation's flag? Can you imagine there being no debate and all the congressional leaders listening to one man alone - congress gives a wink and nod to one man?
If this were the case Hopkinson would have written the whole process down in detail. Maybe he did, and its hidden and locked away by some super secret patriotic group? But how come nobody in his family continued the telling of Hopkinson's Bold design as a key player in our nation's flag? If you had a family member that was responsible for making something great wouldn't you want to know?
Anyhow, the design of the American Flag is certainly a continuum - and certain congresses can claim legal credit for having their hand in its design. But there are a few individuals who played essential roles as proverbial 'Heir's of Betsy Ross.'
But the core architect who can be legally called an authentic designer of the American American Flag is Samuel Chester Reid. Mr. Reid set the base code of the US Flag.
Good old Chuck's idea was that the flag should return to the original design of 13 stripes instead of 15 - and that a star should be added for each new state. It may seem like a simple, logical and obvious choice. But really was a revolutionary and paradoxical design.
Thus the US flag is permanently retro while at the same time being perpetually modern. Thank You very much Uncle Sam of Connecticut.
Samuel Reid lived in the Cherry Blossom Era - the period after the Revolution and before the War Between the States. Captain Reid was born just after the American Revolution ended in 1783 and died just before the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.
Battle in the Azores - War of 1812
And during the War of 1812 Reid was captain of the General Armstrong and engaged the enemy at the Azores. It was during his service that the Star Spangled Banner was created. It had 15 stripes and 15 stars. But the Union had 18 states.
In 1812 there were flags with 18 stripes and 18 stars but they were unofficial. Also, the US Flag during the War of 1812 was made official on May Day 1795. Thus May 1 should be a Flag Day for the Star Spangled Banner.
Bottom line is that a Navy Man from the Nutmegger State is the paramount designer of our American Flag. But Captain Samuel Reid can not claim total credit. Several persons from distant generations have had small and big parts to play.
Link to an earlier post about Reid
with modern adaptations of his flag designs
Reid's sketches of the US flag with other designs that were rejected
A common question we get as vexillologists is who responsible for designing the American Flag? The simple answer is Betsy Ross. No matter your view on Betsy Ross - she sewed US Flags for the government with plenty of records. She was one of many common men and women to create flags for the revolution.
Some people say it was all Francis Hopkinson's doing. Really? Can you believe that one man alone had total input for the nation's flag? Can you imagine there being no debate and all the congressional leaders listening to one man alone - congress gives a wink and nod to one man?
Francis Hopkinson
1737-1791
1737-1791
If this were the case Hopkinson would have written the whole process down in detail. Maybe he did, and its hidden and locked away by some super secret patriotic group? But how come nobody in his family continued the telling of Hopkinson's Bold design as a key player in our nation's flag? If you had a family member that was responsible for making something great wouldn't you want to know?
Anyhow, the design of the American Flag is certainly a continuum - and certain congresses can claim legal credit for having their hand in its design. But there are a few individuals who played essential roles as proverbial 'Heir's of Betsy Ross.'
Uncle Sam Reid (1783-1861)
Chief Architect of the US Flag
Chief Architect of the US Flag
But the core architect who can be legally called an authentic designer of the American American Flag is Samuel Chester Reid. Mr. Reid set the base code of the US Flag.
Good old Chuck's idea was that the flag should return to the original design of 13 stripes instead of 15 - and that a star should be added for each new state. It may seem like a simple, logical and obvious choice. But really was a revolutionary and paradoxical design.
Thus the US flag is permanently retro while at the same time being perpetually modern. Thank You very much Uncle Sam of Connecticut.
Samuel Reid lived in the Cherry Blossom Era - the period after the Revolution and before the War Between the States. Captain Reid was born just after the American Revolution ended in 1783 and died just before the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.
Battle in the Azores - War of 1812
And during the War of 1812 Reid was captain of the General Armstrong and engaged the enemy at the Azores. It was during his service that the Star Spangled Banner was created. It had 15 stripes and 15 stars. But the Union had 18 states.
In 1812 there were flags with 18 stripes and 18 stars but they were unofficial. Also, the US Flag during the War of 1812 was made official on May Day 1795. Thus May 1 should be a Flag Day for the Star Spangled Banner.
Bottom line is that a Navy Man from the Nutmegger State is the paramount designer of our American Flag. But Captain Samuel Reid can not claim total credit. Several persons from distant generations have had small and big parts to play.
Link to an earlier post about Reid
with modern adaptations of his flag designs
Reid's sketches of the US flag with other designs that were rejected
Monday, June 13, 2011
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