US Yacht and United States Power Squadron Flags

United States Power Squadron Flag

This is the flag of the US Power Squadron that was founded in 1914. It is a non-profit civilian educational organization dedicated to teaching basic knowledge and safety for boating. There are over 400 active squadrons. This group publishes a bimonthly magazine called The Ensign.

The flag of US Power Squadron bears a striking counter charge similarity to the flag of the US Yacht Ensign. Both flags use the colours red, white and blue. The canton features the exact same pattern - a white anchor surrounded by thirteen white stars. But differ in canton background colour.

US Yacht Ensigns use blue while the US Power Squadron uses red. Both flags have a field with thirteen stripes but in different directions and counter charged colours. The stripes of the US Yacht Ensign are horizontal - red and white, while the stripes of the US Power Squadrons are vertical - blue and white. They have an equal number of white stripes - six. Another difference is that US Power Squadrons have six short and seven long blue and white stripes, while the US Yacht Ensign has seven short and six long red and white stripes.

US Yacht Ensign

The US Yacht Ensign was officially created in 1848 and to be used by officially US licenced yachts. Due to the boom of upper class income families in the 1980s, several laws were subsequently passed to allow the flying of the US Yacht Ensign instead of the National flag in certain parts of the USA.


The US Power Squadron Flag and the US Yacht Ensign are certainly aligned together in design like Yin and Yang. They are both flown by civilians and not for government or military use. They are citizen flags for Americans at sea. The Yacht Ensign is a hallmark flag for the individual while the US Power Squadron is for a group.

US Yacht and US Power Ensigns
a flag for one and a flag for many




Youtube Videos from US Power Squadron

Flags from Happy Days

Notice Flag Streamers on Arnold's

The Happy Day's Gang: Potsie, Ralph,Fonzie, and Richie

Happy Days was a core situational comedy show in American Television before the rise of the internet. It was a trans-generational about the 50s that aired in the 70s and 80s. Subsequently it had wide market appeal.

It starred Henry Winkler as a macho counter culture cooler than ice cool biker - "Fonzie" and Ron Howard who was the counter balance, as the iconic 50s all American boyscout "Richie Cunningham." Although they were from different modes of culture they were like brothers. Much of the show took place at Arnold's Diner. Arnold's Diner was decorated with flag streamers on the outside and pennants on the inside.

The Happy Day's Gang in Arnold's
notice the school pennants

The inside of Arnold's was covered in school pennants varying from college to high school. Pennants were a popular decorations in the 50s.

The Happy Day's gang consisted for four guys with different personalities. Fonzie was the cool greaser, Richie the boyscout, Potsie the good humored airhead, and Ralph Malph the odd ball master of puns and one liners.

The 'M' Milwaukee Pennant in Fonzie's Apartment

Fonzie has a big ego, but under his macho facade was an insightful and sensitive guy who loved his landlord like family. They looked out for him and Fonzie would look out for them.

The mix of the traditional and conservative 50s Cunningham family renting out a room to counter culture greaser created ample room for a smashing and long lived sit-com that lasted for ten years.


Happy Day's Intro

Pom Poms - the vexilloid ruled by women, in Gilligan's Island

The Gilligan Island Cheerleader Squad
with pom poms

The pom pom qualifies as a vexilloid in the most basic manner. Much like a banner and flags they are waved at sporting events all across the United States. In a certain way pom poms can be considered to be a cluster of 200-500 elongated mini flags attached to a hand held pole.

Cheer leaders can be men or women, but in middle school, high school and at the professional level, most cheerleaders are usually women.

On May 15, 1981 America received an encore presentation of Gilligan's Island with a made for TV Movie. The original Gilligan's Island television series lasted from 1964 unto 1967. In this TV-Movie special of Gilligan's Island the Harlem Globe Trotters end up on the island in a do or die basketball match against a team of Corporate Raider Robots. The cheer leading squad features the castaway girls who shake their pom poms, encouraging Gilligan to play hard.

The Globe Trotters helping Gilligan score

Notice the Harlem Globe Trotters use design elements from the American Flag in their uniform. Namely white stars on blue and red and white striped shorts.

Pom Poms can be made out of a variety of materials from cotton, wool, plastic, and paper. They are usually match the school colours like livery from heraldry.

Video from Gilligan's Island featuring the girls waving pom poms

Nauscaa of the Valley of Wind Flag - part 2 vexilloid and origins of Pikachu

An embroidered tapestry of the messiah
with vexilloid, blue head band, and vexilloid

In 1984 the imagination of Japan was captured under the influence of Hayao Miyazaki with Nauscaa and the Valley of Wind. It was an epic tale in a post apocalyptic future with a theme of love and forgiveness attached to a strong environmentalist message.

Ten years later in 1994 it captured my imagination and help pull me into Japan for four years. In a wielding and mysterious way this odd piece of art from fantasia help bring about my career as a vexillologist and all its discoveries, and you to this blog post.

Close up image of the prophesied one

The movie is set in the distant future after some global catastrophe where man has built these super biological-wonder solders that curses the earth. Subsequently the fauna of earth namely the fungi and insect kingdoms formed a symbiotic relationship to reassert a biological balance with a toxic temperament towards humans and their like.

Animated Version of the Enlightened One

There is a prophecy held by some in the Valley of Wind that a person dressed in blue with an animal on his right shoulder will come to bring peace and enlightenment the earth. He will make peace between the insects, toxic fungi, and nations. In the movie he wears blue with a blue cap and has a brown bird on his right shoulder. In his left hand he holds a vexilloid an unsophisticated plain wooden stick with a bend.

Nauscaa giving love to Pikachu like pet squirrel

It is also interesting to note the origins of the famous Pikachu from Pokemon can trace part of its origins to this movie. Pokemon was created 12 years after this movie was released by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Mr. Tajiri would have been a young boy when he saw this movie and in the beginning of it the heroine of the story - Nauscaa from the Valley of Wind - befriends a wild and orphaned squirrel with understanding and love. For the rest of the movie the little squirrel becomes attached to her and can regularly be seen crawling all over her shoulders.

Injured Nauscaa receiving love by 'Pikachu' like animal

Kingman Reef Flag

Kingman Reef Flag

Kingman Reef was discovered and charted by an American - Captain Edmund Fanning - on June 14, 1798. It was annexed to the United States on May 20, 1922 by a Hawaiian.

Kingman Reef is sometimes there and sometimes not due to high tides. The US Navy once used it as a base. But due to the sparseness of land, life is extremely difficult. Any coconut palms land and shoot off, die out because of the tides and lack of appropriate soil.

Flag of Kingman Reef flying on the reef

The flag of Kingman Reef is based upon the GIANT CLAMS that inhabit the area. They are an endangered and magnificent species. The colours of the flag are navy blue, indigo, white, purple, and lime green. These colours are based upon the natural colours of Kingman's Reef most famous residents - the GIANT CLAMS. The white disc represents a pearl and the wavy lines represent shells of a GIANT CLAM from a forward looking position.

example of a GIANT CLAM found on Kingman Reef

GIANT CLAMS are amazing and colourful creatures of the sea. Their blue and green tints are a result of the symbiotic relationship between the Animal and Plant Kingdoms. They can weigh over 500 pounds and live for more than a 100 years. They are peaceful and hermaphrodites. Chances are that the ones over 4 feet wide have been around since the 1800s. They live in the Indian and Pacific Oceans - no GIANT CLAMS for the Atlantic.

The stories of man-eating clams are unfounded and only a part of legends, but that shouldn't stop Hollywood.

NAT GEO's video about GIANT CLAMS









Another video about GIANT CLAMS

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PHOTO CREDIT
Island Bank
Joann94024 at en.wikipedia.19 October 2003. Own Work

Deutsch: Das Kingmanriff im Pazifischen Ozean

English: Kingman Reef (Pacific Ocean) - small strip of dry land.

Flag of Jarvis Island

Flag of Jarvis Island

Here is a flag for Jarvis Island - a rare part of the USA that is below the equator in the Southern Hemisphere.

Jarvis Island is at a latitude of zero degrees twenty-two seconds south. This puts it on par with the Galapagos, Brazil and Mount Kenya. Yet Jarvis is still in the Western-American Hemisphere since it is due south of Selawik, Alaska. Unlike American Samoa which is also below the equator, there is little chance of Jarvis Island ever breaking away. Jarvis Island is as much a part of the United States as is the Statue of Liberty.

Residents of Millersville waving
in front of Jarvis Island flag

Jarvis Island is an unincorporated unorganized territory managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the Department of Interior. Thus all 50 states play a small role in supporting the micro-science economy of the island.


Not much has ever happened on Jarvis. But during WWII there was the Battle of Millersville. The residents of Millersville, Jarvis Island mistook an Imperial Japanese Sub for their own and were shot at, luckily no one was hurt. Soon the the population of Millersville was evacuated and a scorched earth policy destroyed the town. It is reported that the Japanese bombed the island afterwards, when no one was there.


Jarvis' No Trespassing Sing with local flag

The design of the flag is based upon the flag of the United States. In the canton are 50 white stars that represent the 50 US States. The red stripe represents the equator. The large yellow star represents Jarvis Island which is directly below or arguably on the equator - at 0 degrees.

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PHOTO CREDITS
English: "No Trespassing" sign of USFWS on Jarvis Island in the Pacific Ocean
October 2003. Joann94024 at en.wikipedia.Original Uploader was Joann94024 (talk) at 27 October 2006

Black and White - Millersville Settlement 1930s
http://www.jarvisisland.info/pictures_land.html

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Added July, 25 2012 - 9:51pm EST
Jarvis Island Flag as created by myself is now declared in the public domain. Anyone is free to copy and distribute the above flag for profit or not in the representation as a flag for Jarvis Island. Declared by the sole and original designer - Christopher Maddish.

Flag of Baker Island

Flag of Baker Island

This is the flag of Baker Island, a lonely speck in between the New Worlds - Australia and America. Although in the northern hemisphere, Baker Island is closer to Australia - making it from one geographic rule Australian Territory. Thus Baker Island is a tiny part of the Australian Sphere under US control.

The colours are red, white, blue and indigo. In the central position is a hermit crab. Along the upper fly is a triangular canton. The star pattern is based upon the 'Betsy Ross Design.' There are five stripes - three white and two red representing the five US states with a Pacific Ocean coast line - California, Oregon, Washington State, Alaska, and Hawaii.



Along the bottom hoist side is another triangular canton with five stars modeled on the star field of the current Australian flag. The canton is separated by a long version of the English flag that balances to the five American Stripes. Elements of the US American and Australian flags are included because Baker Island is mid-way between these two continents.

In the middle is a large indigo dexter blend with the drawing of a hermit crab. The charge is universal-substitutive which means that the hermit crab drawing is non-standard. Thus any image that remotely looks like a hermit crab can be substituted even Mr. Krabs from the SpongeBob Sqarepants television show.

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added May 20, 2012

After careful consideration and professional feedback from the 2012 Spring CBFA Meeting, thanks to Voron Xarya, a redesign is in order. No more skinny English Flag, rather it's replaced with a five stripe bend. The five stripes symbolize the five parts of the USA that are closest to the Australian Continent: American Samoa, Baker Island, Howland Island, Guam, and Rota of the Northern Mariana Islands. Believe it or not those five 'territories' of the USA are arguably geographically a part of Australia. There are a total of "13 divisions" so to speak - 4 red, 6 white, 1 indigo and 2 blue.

The southern cross is appropriate. America like Australia has native marsupials! I'm talking about opossums, no joke. The central crab is still "universal-substitutive" - meaning it can be anything that remotely looks like a hermit crab. I invented this term so children could make up their own Baker Island flag while learning a little bit about geography.

Baker Island Flag 2.0
"really, any crab will do"

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Added July 23, 2012

I, Christopher Maddish, the designer of the Baker Island flag release the above design/images of Baker Island Flag into the public domain. May any user feel free to print, copy, or share the image. However note that the crab is 'universal substitutive' meaning that the image of the central crab is non-specific and can be redesigned in any manner of the would be artist. However note the Kursty the Krab nor the biotech hermit crab are my own images to release.

PHOTO CREDIT
BAKER DAY BEACON
Joann94024 at en.wikipedia. English: Day Beacon, Baker Island, Pacific Ocean. 18 August 2008. Own Work

Original Black and White drawing of the hermit crab by http://d-r-a-y-a-s-h-a.deviantart.com/
http://d-r-a-y-a-s-h-a.deviantart.com/art/Biomech-Hermit-Crab-147651478?moodonly=1

Flag of Howland Island

Howland Island Flag

Howland Island is a tiny remote piece of America far off in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Its grand footnote in history is that it was supposed to welcome Amelia Earhart on her historic flight across the Pacific in 1937.

There was also the Battle of Howland Island during WWII. It was attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy on December 8, 1941 and two Americans were killed.

Amelia Earhart Memorial of Howland Island

The colours of Howland Island flag are red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo, purple, pink and white. In the upper hoist is the number 99 to represent the organization Ninety-Nines - a flight organization for women established in 1922, just after American women were given the gift to vote. Amelia Earhart was instrumental and the first president of the 99s. Near the lower fly is the lonely beacon left on Howland Island. This beacon was named after Amelia Earhart for her forlorn voyage across the Pacific. It is indigo with a pink heart in its center.




The five coloured striped rainbow arcs from the upper fly to lower hoist is a sinister bend. The rainbow creates four apparent blue stripes with the background. The rainbow signifies the inspirational light of Amelia Earhart for all people to follow their dreams - no matter what the naysayers or whatever negative judgements others may have.

The indigo and pink colours of the Earhart Icon represents the hope of young girls as well as boys to dream with a truest and purest heart.

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PHOTO CREDITS
Earhart Beacon:
Joann94024 at en.wikipedia.

Deutsch: Signalturm "Earhart Light" auf der Howlandinsel im Pazifik

English: Day beacon "Earhart Light" on Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean. 19 August 2008. Own Work.

Emily Earhart
PUBLIC DOMAN http://www.americaslibrary.gov/assets/aa/earhart/aa_earhart_learns_2_e.jpg

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Flag Image For Howland Island, Free USE -
PUBLIC DOMAIN DECLARATION
July 24, 2012 - 12:48pm EST
- As creator and vexillologist I, Christopher Maddish, release this flag into the public domain to be copied and used for any purpose. Citations are not necessary. As the original artist I free the flag of Howland Island designed by myself.

Flag of Kepler 22b

This is the flag of Kepler 22b, the smallest earth like planet in green life zone.

Never Ending Story, part 3 - American Flag in the School Attic

American Flag is neatly folded on the
shelf behind the left shoulder of Sebastian

The American Flag makes a small appearance in the Never Ending Story 1984. Oddly, Bastian the hero of the movie, skips class to hide in the school attic so he can read a book.

Here Bastian has trouble grasping that fantasia and reality are magically intertwined by mystical threads of fate and karma. The hero in the book is reading about his higher self in a magic mirror.


The Luck Dragon Snuggled with Atreyu - Sebastian

Are we the dreamer or the dream? Welcome to my dream and I'll wish tonight that you'll have sweet dreams, so take note when you wake up tomorrow.

Find that small dream hidden in your heart. When you do a luck dragon will find and protect you. Didn't you know we are all a part of a never ending story?

Link to Part 1 of this thread
Happy Dreams await all Dreamers!!

Buckaroo Banzai, part 1- BB insignia and stuff

Although not a time machine
A truck that jumps through matter?

Before there was a flying DeLorean there was Buckaroo Banzai with a jacked up super nerd truck that allowed people to travel though the inner space of atoms in the 8th dimension, or something like that.

Buckaroo Banzai 1984 was science fiction movie with a more than overstated complicated plot. It featured a science-pimped truck that could travel though solid matter.

Buckaroo Banzai, the hero, is played by Peter Weller, a multi-talented genius who is a medical doctor, rock star, political aide to the president and most importantly... a particle physics research scientist.

Buckaroo Banzai Fan Club Member
note Buckaroo the rock star poster with group logo

The logo of this group - scientific and musical - features a letter B facing itself. Sometimes it was yellow, red, or other colours. It was the sign for Buckaroo.

This movie was ahead of the times, perhaps too far ahead? A remake could definitely work. If a sequel were made it has the serious potential of being one those rare franchises where the sequel is better than than original like Mad Max 1979 which lead to the more than awesome Road Warrior 1981. They could even go out of order and make a prequel to 1982 - it'd fit perfectly for the irrational quantum realities posed by modern nuclear physics and string theory. Somebody call Spielberg, Bob Zemeckis, and James Cameroon!

Although Buckaroo Banzai movie didn't meet box office expectations, it successfully launched Peter Weller into an epic cyborg-cop orbit and prepared Mr. Lloyd for time travel hijinks with Mr. Fox.

Mr. Banzai with mission patch
for transporting through matter

Buckaroo Banzai lives up to its odd semi-retro 50s sci-fi name. After passing though matter, Buckaroo inspects his trans-dimensional truck. Over his heart is the mission patch that reads 'Team Banzai' with a vehicle up top with an 80s style Atari flames in yellow, red, and orange.





The quirky quintessential 80 music theme

Avatar Insignia, part 2 - arm patch insignia

Marine Pandora Mission Patch - right arm
Science sortie pilot Trudy Chacon

The visually stunning movie Avatar 2009 was an epic award winning science fiction film by James Cameroon. Humans have learned to travel to their closest neighboring star system - Alpha Centauri and a clash of planets occurs over precious resources.

Of vexillological interest are the military badges that humans wear on the right arm. It is a pentagonal shape. Divided in the center - the right half is red with a blue and white sphere. The left half is blue with several indiscernible markings.

Native Na'vi arm band rank - left arm

The natives of Pandora the Na'vi also employ an armband type of marking. However each person has their own design. To the right Jake Sully in this Na'vi body wears an arm band with two colourful 'feathers.'

Dances with Wolves - part 5, the shield of arms for Ten Bears

Lakota Shield painted by Ten Bears

One shield is clearly shown in Dances with Wolves 1990. The design of a shield has always been keen custom long before the formal development and institutionalization of heraldry.

It has a center pale partition, dexter azure, sinister gules, both sides are charged with dragon flies flying upwards following a wispy trail.

Avatar Insignia, part 1 - RDA

The Venture Star with RDA Corporate Logo

Audiences around the world whipped away to an imaginative tale about our neighboring star system - Alpha Centauri - by James Cameroon in Avatar 2009.

The story is set on an imaginary planet where the native blue skinned peoples live on resource that humans desperately want for it's high value. The RDA corporation uses remote control bodies to manipulate the natives off their 'sacred' land.

In RDA logo can be seen in several shots. The first time the logo of RDA corp. can be seen on a space ship above Pandora.

RDA Mining Truck on Pandora

In another shot the an RDA minning truck passes in front of Jake Sully - the hero of the story. The colours of RDA corp. are yellow, white, and navy blue. The logo consists of four circles - linked four petal flower. The chief and base discs are yellow. On the sinister side is a navy blue disc and on the dexter side is a white disc with a blue outer ring.

Official Logo of RDA - Resources Development Adminstration

Never Ending Story, part 2 - arms of the fallen kinght

First Gate of the Southern Oracle

The Never Ending Story 1984 is an inspirational fairytale movie for children and adults. In it a builled boy who likes to read skips class to read a book that opens the door to fantasia.

In one scene our hero - Atreyu - must pass the first test of the Southern Oracle which a person must pass trough. Essentially to cross this rift one must have the purest of intentions and complete confidence from within and look death in the eye while continuing on.

Close up of the knights shield of arms

Before Atreyu attempts to pass through, a knight in shining armor tries and fails. Atreyu must then pass by looking death in the eye and continue on his journey. The knight with shining armor has a coat of arms. It is a regular bend partition dexter gules sinister azure. Each partition is charged with a lion rampant facing dexter.

link to part 3

Never Ending Story, part 1- the AURYN, a Badge for Fantasia

first appearance of the AURYN

The film the Never Ending Story 1984 is based on a story written by Michael Ende of Germany in 1979. In it a bullied little boy learns about the power of fantasia and unlimited bounty of imagination. The movie is a story within a story that even hints at the presence of the audience.

The world of Fantasia is under attack by a fear mongering entity known as the Nothing. The Nothing preys upon people without dreams so they can be controlled. When people live without dreams they become virtual zombies and give away their power to the empty soulless power hungry Nothing.

Thus if you think you have been bitten by a zombie and may be infected, find a dream - find it fast and never let it go! A Luck Dragon will find you, believe me!

Atreyu is chosen to save Fantasia

The badge of the chosen hero is the AURYN. The AURYN is similar to an ouroboros - a snake that is eating its own tail. But in The Never Ending Story the AURYN is composed of two snakes symmetrically intertwined and chasing or latched upon each others tail. The upper snake is gold and the lower snake is green in inner fantasia - the fantasy world of a fantasy.

But in Bastian's universe the AURYN is found as a monochrome decorative seal on the book he borrowed.

Link to part 2 of this thread

Yin and Yang with Heraldry - Goonies 'R' Good Enough by Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper holding a box
with a typical Modern American Heraldic Shield

An appropriate anthem and video for the economic climate of 2011 could be Goonies 'R' Good Enough 1984 by Cindy Lauper. The video is based on the movie Goonies 1984. In the video Cyndi's Mom and Pop Gas Station that gives "cookies while you wait" is visited by their cheating creditors.

In the beginning of the video Cyndi is seen carrying a box with a heraldic shield on it. The shield is typical of modern American Corporate design - azure fess argent. In the Chief is reads "PEERLESS." There is other indiscernible text in the base and argent fess.

Smiley and Frownie Face Badge

In the video creditors or bad guys all wear a frownie badge. The frownie-bad guys included Rowdy Roddy Piper, the Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkof, and Freddie Blassie.

On the good guy-home team with smiley face badge is Captain Lou Albano, Cindy Lauper, Dave, and Wendy. The smiley and frownie face badges ranged in colours from red to yellow.

The economic strain put on Cyndi and her friends is a certain reality that many Americans and people all around the world feel right now as of 2011. Thousands of families have lost their homes and hundreds of business small and large have become memories - Borders, Circuit City, etc...

Video Goonie 'R' Good Enough 1984

Confederate Flag and Cyndi Lauper

Notice Confederate and American Flags

Cyndi Lauper's She Bop topped the Billboard Charts in the spring of 1984. The song was off her She So Unsusual album. The song's controversial nature subsequently was reinforced with a wave of the Confederate Flag in her video.

As Cyndi leaves her car she meets the hunky and bad boy biker wearing a Confederate Flag. It can be seen on the upper left side of his jacket. On the other side is the American Flag.

Beef Cake Biker Gang

The icon of the fanciful Beef Cake Biker gang consists of a four pointed yellow crown with three black trapezoids.

The director of the video associates rough and tumble biker gangs with the Confederate Flag - at least controversially.




She Bop Video from 1984

Dances with Wolves - part 4: the eagle father flag

Lakota Indians from Dances with Wolves

The Lakota where the people portrayed in Dances with Wolves 1990. The background of this shot was in perfect harmony with Native Americans. Note that Every spear or lance is intricately decorated as to indicate the user. Used in a similar manner to heraldic lance pennons.


A heavily feathered Native American 'Pennon'

A close up image of the highly symbolic and decorative lance of one of the Lakota. It is safe to assume that the amount of feathers and the more elaborate, are proportional to rank and position. Note the Native American lance pennon was used in a similar manner as a flag in a cavalry unit.

Another Image of the Lakota on Horse

In this picture the Lakota have taken John Dunbar's advice and found the trail of the desperately needed herd of buffalo.