tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post4746841568883486355..comments2024-03-28T22:15:17.067-05:00Comments on Every goddamn day: 03/29/24: A liberal burns Old Glory for Flag DayNeil Steinberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11468057838260476480noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-6978724349752813712018-06-14T19:12:54.623-05:002018-06-14T19:12:54.623-05:00W.G.N. Flag and Banner (which opened during World ...W.G.N. Flag and Banner (which opened during World War I) preceded the radio station (owned by the World's Greatest Newspaper, AKA the Tribune) by about a decade. The radio station may have had some attention from the flag company, rather than the other way around, but that seems unlikely. They appear to have been able to peacefully co-exist under the same initials (one with periods, one without) for almost a century now.Grizz 65https://www.blogger.com/profile/02892702223228764894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-60800231531642750492018-06-14T18:53:16.896-05:002018-06-14T18:53:16.896-05:00Yes, the 49-star flag is worth some money, just no...Yes, the 49-star flag is worth some money, just not very much. Both 48-star and 49-star flags are relatively common, I've found them for sale online for as little as twenty bucks and for as much as a hundred. Sometimes, even a bit more.They usually sell in the $40-$60 range. <br /><br />On eBay there are large numbers of 48-star flags for sale. The 49-star flags are less common, since they were produced for only a year, but they were still manufactured in large quantities when Alaska became a state. People later bought them as oddities and hung onto them, probably hoping to sell them someday. I've kept mine mostly because it's somewhat unusual. However, the seven rows of seven stars are staggered. So it resembles a 50-star flag at first glance, unless you do some counting.Grizz 65https://www.blogger.com/profile/02892702223228764894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-6621740429764452162018-06-14T15:11:05.405-05:002018-06-14T15:11:05.405-05:00I wonder if W.G.N. ever got any kind of attention ...I wonder if W.G.N. ever got any kind of attention from WGN about possible trademark infringement. Would seem silly, but I've seen worse (in casebooks only). Burger King in Rantoul, IL, which was around before THE Burger King, tried to assert a right to use the trademark exclusively in Illinois, but lost. Whereas, a suit against Gatorade by a long defunct company prevailed. And Lexus auto, before the brand actually appeared, filed a suit asking the court to declare that Lexus auto wouldn't infringe on Lexis legal research company's trademark. <br /><br />john<br />tatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10088632798195131329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-28183273496641256662018-06-14T14:56:41.113-05:002018-06-14T14:56:41.113-05:00In Cleveland, one can bring worn-out flags to Lake...In Cleveland, one can bring worn-out flags to Lakeview Cemetery (the city's largest and most beautiful) on June 14th, where the Scouts conduct a moving flag-burning ceremony. I saw them retire a 50-by-80-foot banner (maybe bigger) that had been on the side of a downtown building. They had the difficult task of cutting it into smaller pieces before it could be burned. Even then, it made for quite a large fire.Grizz 65https://www.blogger.com/profile/02892702223228764894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-36250698814301780412018-06-14T13:42:14.970-05:002018-06-14T13:42:14.970-05:00Grizz, I just gotta believe that your 49-star flag...Grizz, I just gotta believe that your 49-star flag is worth money as an oddity. You should check it out on eBay if you ever need cash.<br /><br />This reminds me of one of my favorite jokes on the subject, by none other than our blog host. Neil has too much good taste to drag out one of his old gags, but I don't:<br /><br />If flag-burning ever does become illegal, someone could make a lot of money marketing I Can't Believe It's Not the American Flag™, made of flammable material with 12 or 14 stripes. If someone burned that and got hauled into court, how much fun could a defense attorney have with that case?Bitter Scribehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04645909858616987997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-1989346871325427262018-06-14T13:11:47.205-05:002018-06-14T13:11:47.205-05:00I am certain that every Republican congressman sto...I am certain that every Republican congressman stood before countless displays of multiple flags on his/her way to the House of Representatives. Their silence today while their president refuses to act against foreign interference in our elections speaks more truthfully about their patriotism. The more flags on a campaign stage, the phonier the politician speaking before them. JPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08613528527379198505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-38761675010787669222018-06-14T10:23:18.284-05:002018-06-14T10:23:18.284-05:00Great column Neil, thank you! Great column Neil, thank you! Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01841022739864511731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-39514885127165018792018-06-14T10:10:48.215-05:002018-06-14T10:10:48.215-05:00The latter, though I doubt a 1920s document has an...The latter, though I doubt a 1920s document has any validity at this point. The entire process is almost certainly illegal, an aspect I decided not to dwell upon. Neil Steinberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11468057838260476480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-47214441603369137092018-06-14T09:45:32.360-05:002018-06-14T09:45:32.360-05:00The company has, Porter said, the only burn permit...<i>The company has, Porter said, the only burn permit in Chicago, a 1920s document allowing them to torch flags in the alley behind their factory...</i><br /><br />You need a permit to burn a flag? Or is this just so they can burn things in the alley, flags or whatever?Bitter Scribehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04645909858616987997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-55948661148124896922018-06-14T09:30:21.138-05:002018-06-14T09:30:21.138-05:00I like the 48-star flags, too, mostly for aestheti...I like the 48-star flags, too, mostly for aesthetic reasons. Those straight rows look more pleasing to my eye than the staggered ones. My father retired ours in 1959, after it became faded and worn, just after Alaska had became a state. I don't recall whether or not he burned it himself. Hawaii was not admitted to the union until the end of that summer. Consequently, our new flag had 49 stars. Wonder if W. G. N. has one of those? It was only "official" for a single year...from July 4th of that year until the following July 4th, in 1960.<br /><br />My father eventually passed that 3 X 5 flag on to my kid sister. After he died, I traded her his diamond pinkie ring, which she'd always liked and wanted, for that still-pristine banner. It's the de-luxe woven and stitched model, from the now-defunct Dettra Flag Co. in Pennsylvania (1902-1998). It has faded a bit from exposure to sunlight, but it will probably outlast its current owner.<br /><br />As they say on the sports pages, it was a trade that benefitted both clubs. But I still believe I got the better end of the deal.<br /><br />Grizz 65https://www.blogger.com/profile/02892702223228764894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-32004373844760285042018-06-14T08:59:00.392-05:002018-06-14T08:59:00.392-05:00"...a drunk military man should put out more ..."...a drunk military man should put out more flags in order to increase his military splendor." Lin Yutang<br /><br /><br />TomTomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09641357239788323783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-38101924841322416342018-06-14T08:19:09.896-05:002018-06-14T08:19:09.896-05:00Great column. I await the story on W.G.N. being pi...Great column. I await the story on W.G.N. being picketed for burning flags.Dennis Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03936110563379328219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-77113848700153023672018-06-14T08:13:44.943-05:002018-06-14T08:13:44.943-05:00I prefer the 48 star ones. I still have a few ve...I prefer the 48 star ones. I still have a few very small ones my father got in WWII & have those in the front window.Clark St.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09634234069783123180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-34958883760619322592018-06-14T07:41:20.388-05:002018-06-14T07:41:20.388-05:00I've wondered, often, about the people who cam...I've wondered, often, about the people who campaign the strongest for the prosecution of those who burn the flag as a sign of protest.<br /><br />I did a bit of digging a while back, and apparently there are ten cross burnings for every flag ignited. Would the same people advocate nearly as strongly for the banning of that repellent practice?<br />Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06939468809703630844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-85227575698734206072018-06-14T07:26:34.585-05:002018-06-14T07:26:34.585-05:00Good column - thanks. I appreciate seeing a docume...Good column - thanks. I appreciate seeing a documented example of a pet peeve of mine: disproportionate flagpoles. The flag should be about one quarter the height of the pole. Country Club Hills’ 50' tall (hoist) flag is too large for its pole 167' pole. Not only do these over-sized flags look odd, they cannot be properly lowered to half-staff without risking the flag touching the ground.<br /><br />And for those feeling ambivalent about using the flag to demonstrate their patriotism in these trying times, let me recommend flying one of the Civil War era flags instead of the present 50-star model. They are just as legal, and WGN carries several. My preference has <a href="https://www.wgnflag.com/xcart5/35-Star-Historical-US-Flag.html" rel="nofollow">35 stars</a> - the official flag when the Union forces ultimately defeated the traitorous southern states.<br />kganderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005895232135682751noreply@blogger.com