There was a flag with 49 stars for one year. I don't know how many places bothered to use it. Presumably most wait for the 50th star which they knew was coming.
Unofficial design used in Puerto Rico
Quote: pacomartinI was mouthing off to the Wizard that I had heard that they were going to fix the design of the flag at 50 stars even if DC or Puerto Rico become states. I stand corrected.
Told you so!
Quote: pacomartinI was mouthing off to the Wizard that I had heard that they were going to fix the design of the flag at 50 stars even if DC or Puerto Rico become states. I stand corrected. They US Army has already designed flags with up to 56 stars (although the designs are not released). Unofficial designs exist.
There was a flag with 49 stars for one year. I don't know how many places bothered to use it. Presumably most wait for the 50th star which they knew was coming.
Unofficial design used in Puerto Rico
I had heard there was never a 49 star flag officially. The year between the two states coming in (1959) was when President Eisenhower proclaimed the new flag, with 50 stars. Though there were unofficial 49 star flags, they never flew over gov't buildings.
There are talks about DC becoming a state? News to me.Quote: pacomartin...even if DC or Puerto Rico become states...
I've heard that NYC was considering it. I also heard recently that Long Island was thinking about it.
Puerto Rico is obvious. But what about other territories?
Ugly? It's harly different at all.Quote: ahiromuThat's ugly as shit.
Quote: DJTeddyBearThere are talks about DC becoming a state? News to me.
I've heard that NYC was considering it. I also heard recently that Long Island was thinking about it.
Puerto Rico is obvious. But what about other territories?
Talk of that comes up from time to time. They say it would take a constitutional amendment for it to happen.
That would likely go right down party lines, as a result would be two more Democrats in the Senate. If I'm not mistaken, it takes a 2/3 supermajority in both houses, and 3/4 of the states' governors to amend the constitution.
Puerto Rico is a possibility too, but I think they voted on the measure sometime in the 90's, and they turned it down by a significant margin.
Quote: cclub79I had heard there was never a 49 star flag officially. The year between the two states coming in (1959) was when President Eisenhower proclaimed the new flag, with 50 stars. Though there were unofficial 49 star flags, they never flew over gov't buildings.
Not true. I have at home a flag my father received from the US Capitol which is clearly marked with 49 stars. Back in those days they used to send a flag that had flown over the Capitol to anyone who wrote and asked for one.
Quote: pacomartinThey US Army has already designed flags with up to 56 stars (although the designs are not released). Unofficial designs exist.
Here is a link to some unofficial designs.
Quote: WizardTalk of [DC becoming a state] comes up from time to time. They say it would take a constitutional amendment for it to happen.
I have to admit thinking of 2 senators from the district gives me the heebie-jeebies. The more likely eventuality is to get a representative in Congress, but that is also seemingly unlikely. Don't know if it requires a constitutional admendment too. Eleanor Holmes Norton is a "delegate" without a vote from DC in Congress now.
Sometimes you hear that Maryland ought to absorb most of the residential area same as Virginia did way back when.
They still do: http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/howto/htflag.htmQuote: thegov2k2Back in those days they used to send a flag that had flown over the Capitol to anyone who wrote and asked for one.
However, there's a cost involved. But in my opinion, it's a reasonable price.
However, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Capitol#Flags:
Quote: WikiPediaSeveral auxiliary flagpoles, to the west of the dome and not visible from the ground, are used to meet congressional requests for flags flown over the Capitol.
Quote: thegov2k2Not true. I have at home a flag my father received from the US Capitol which is clearly marked with 49 stars. Back in those days they used to send a flag that had flown over the Capitol to anyone who wrote and asked for one.
Weird, it must have been by choice then, because some places apparently flew the 50 star flag BEFORE Hawaii was officially a state. They were probably thinking what the Wizard's father's people thought, and went right from 48 to 50, but didn't wait. I imagine the 49 star flag, as an official Capitol one, would have significant value, as there are flag collectors similar to license plate collectors.
Quote: WizardTrivia time. Most flags have dimensions of 3x2 or 5x3. However, the US flag has an uncommon ratio of horizontal to vertical length. What is it? No searching!
I am going to guess twice as horizontal as verticle
Quote: odiousgambitI am going to guess twice as horizontal as verticle
No, but close.
I don't think anybody will know, so I'll just tell you. The answer is 19x10.
(1) Is the field of blue more than, less than, or exactly equal to half as tall as the full flag?
(2) What is the pattern of the array of 50 stars?
These tended to be particularly frustrating questions, not because they were so hard, but because everyone feels they really should know the answers and at the same time many folks have very low confidence that their answers are actually correct.
ha ha
Quote: odiousgambitOK to look it up ?
ha ha
Sure. There's no prize anyway.
I just remembered the third, similar question I used to ask:
(3) What is the color (red/white) of the stripe immediately below the blue field?
It always seemed to bug people more when they weren't sure about answers that they felt they just had to know from having seen the flag so many times.
Quote: SmithTowerMore trivia: On each military post the truck (ball on top) of the flagpole symbolically contain three things. What and why?
I confess, I looked it up. I won't reveal the answer, but are you sure this isn't an urban legend (spoiler warning!)
Quote: SmithTowerMore trivia: On each military post the truck (ball on top) of the flagpole symbolically contain three things. What and why?
This is only symbolic and a question on almost every Army promotion board.
What: razor blade, matches and a .45 bullet
Why: When the post is being taken over and you are the last one standing, you are supposed to knock down the flag pole to the north (so the enemy cannot raise their own flag)(where the ball (truck) lands is an unassembled 45 cal pistol),use the razor blade to cut the stars out of the flag (so it's not a flag anymore), use the matches to burn what was the flag, and reassemble the pistol/lock and load the bullet to kill yourself. This is a symbolic and has never happened in any takeover of a U.S. military post in history. The truck or trk is symbolic of the shot heard round the world fired in Lexington, Massachusetts in 1775. The story will differ from person to person and is a favorite of any old school soldiers in the army.
Happy Memorial Day to all.
Quote:In addition, U.S. flagpoles are filled with explosives that can be triggered by a hidden switch at the pole's base. These explosives will destroy the flag to prevent its capture and kill or seriously wound anyone within 100 meters, hopefully taking out a big batch of attackers in a final blaze of glory. These explosives exist in all U.S. government-owned flagpoles, including those in public schools.
Quote: teddys
All parents know that kids can find anything especially hidden things that will cause catastrophe. With hundreds of kids passing by thousands of flagpoles every school day I’m thinking that some of those flagpoles filled with explosives would have gone off by now.
-----------------
:)
Back up a sec.Quote: SmithTowerAll parents know that kids can find anything especially hidden things that will cause catastrophe. With hundreds of kids passing by thousands of flagpoles every school day I’m thinking that some of those flagpoles filled with explosives would have gone off by now.
He's not talking about ALL flagpoles, just those on military posts:
Quote: SmithTowerOn each military post the truck (ball on top) of the flagpole symbolically contain three things.
Quote: DJTeddyBearBack up a sec.
He's not talking about ALL flagpoles, just those on military posts:
SmithTower seems to have been responding to a post by teddys about supposed explosives in government flagpoles, not the truck on top of military flagpoles.