pacomartin
pacomartin
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May 25th, 2010 at 11:58:06 PM permalink
I 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
ahiromu
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May 26th, 2010 at 12:34:33 AM permalink
That's ugly as shit. It's so ugly that it should be the sole reason we shouldn't have a 51st state.
Its - Possessive; It's - "It is" / "It has"; There - Location; Their - Possessive; They're - "They are"
Wizard
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May 26th, 2010 at 1:17:16 AM permalink
Quote: pacomartin

I 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!
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
cclub79
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May 26th, 2010 at 4:24:54 AM permalink
Quote: pacomartin

I 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.
DJTeddyBear
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May 26th, 2010 at 5:22:46 AM permalink
Quote: pacomartin

...even if DC or Puerto Rico become states...

There 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?



Quote: ahiromu

That's ugly as shit.

Ugly? It's harly different at all.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
Wizard
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May 26th, 2010 at 7:04:54 AM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

There 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.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
thegov2k2
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May 26th, 2010 at 7:18:27 AM permalink
Quote: cclub79

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.



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.
Wizard
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May 26th, 2010 at 7:25:28 AM permalink
Quote: pacomartin

They 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.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
odiousgambit
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May 26th, 2010 at 7:57:39 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

Talk 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.
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!”   She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
DJTeddyBear
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May 26th, 2010 at 8:10:26 AM permalink
Quote: thegov2k2

Back in those days they used to send a flag that had flown over the Capitol to anyone who wrote and asked for one.

They still do: http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/howto/htflag.htm
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: WikiPedia

Several 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.

I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
Wizard
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May 26th, 2010 at 10:11:16 AM permalink
I asked my father, who would have been 21 when Alaska became a state, what flag people flew during the 49-state brief period of time. He wrote, "I think most people and government entities with small budgets knew that a 50th state would come along soon, and waited until there were 50 states to buy new flags."
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
cclub79
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May 26th, 2010 at 4:04:52 PM permalink
Quote: thegov2k2

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.



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.
Wizard
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May 26th, 2010 at 4:22:44 PM permalink
Trivia 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!
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
odiousgambit
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May 27th, 2010 at 1:57:51 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

Trivia 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
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!”   She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
Wizard
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May 27th, 2010 at 6:39:11 AM permalink
Quote: odiousgambit

I 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.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Doc
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May 27th, 2010 at 8:22:20 AM permalink
I had never thought about the proportions. I used to ask people two questions about the flag:

(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.
odiousgambit
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May 27th, 2010 at 11:39:37 AM permalink
OK to look it up ?

ha ha
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!”   She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
SmithTower
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May 27th, 2010 at 11:52:24 AM permalink
More trivia: On each military post the truck (ball on top) of the flagpole symbolically contain three things. What and why?
Doc
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May 27th, 2010 at 12:53:16 PM permalink
Quote: odiousgambit

OK 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.
Wizard
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May 27th, 2010 at 12:59:36 PM permalink
Quote: SmithTower

More 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!)
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
40487
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May 28th, 2010 at 12:54:54 AM permalink
one is a bullet, other might be a match. and the last ???? no clue..
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SmithTower
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May 28th, 2010 at 5:50:24 AM permalink
Quote: SmithTower

More 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.
teddys
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May 28th, 2010 at 6:41:04 AM permalink
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.

"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
SmithTower
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May 28th, 2010 at 7:38:09 AM permalink
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.
teddys
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May 28th, 2010 at 10:19:49 AM permalink
I know!! Just think of the mayhem the usual high school miscreants could cause when they get ahold of those explosives. And this information is right there on the internet for all to see. I'm going to start looking for those switches...
-----------------
:)
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
DJTeddyBear
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May 28th, 2010 at 10:23:29 AM permalink
Quote: SmithTower

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.

He's not talking about ALL flagpoles, just those on military posts:
Quote: SmithTower

On each military post the truck (ball on top) of the flagpole symbolically contain three things.

I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
EnvyBonus
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May 29th, 2010 at 11:45:40 AM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

Back 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.
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