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If you want something done right, sometimes you have to just do it yourself. And sometimes you have to research it, discuss it with several other people and then pay someone to do it for you. After reading about the controversy over Russia's continued use of the hammer and sickle on the "Banner of Victory" flag used at the annual May 9 Victory Day ceremonies, I thought it would be pretty cool to find a replica of the banner to display in my home library. I figured it would be a nice addition to some of the other Soviet-themed items in the room. Because I've done a fair amount of business with some antique dealers in both the U.S. and Russia, I had a few contacts to ask about my idea. But everywhere I turned, my contacts advised that not only had they had never heard of such a replica, they didn't know how to acquire one or if that was even possible.
My replica of Victory Banner #5
The raising of the Victory Banner was commemorated in a legendary photo by Yevgeny Khaldei. The particular flag that I was seeking was "Victory Banner #5" which was one of the flags that was raised by Red Army soldiers over the Reichstag to signal the fall of Berlin during the final days of World War II (known in the former USSR as "The Great Patriotic War".) An inscription is included on Victory Banner #5 by one of the military subdivision responsible for the capture of the Reichstag. The Cyrillic writing reads, "150th Rifle, Order of Kutuzov 2nd class, 'Idritskaya' Division, 79th Rifle Corps, 3rd Shock Army, 1st Byelorussian Front." The actual Victory Banner #5 is currently in a Russian museum. The USSR commissioned the production of several replicas of the flag after World War II for use in the Victory Day parade held in Red Square every May 9th. In 2007, a number of Russian "reformers" began a movement to remove the hammer and sickle from the Victory Banner. Following a massive outcry from Russian war veterans, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill into law preserving the Soviet-era iconography as a national symbol of the victory over fascism.
I'm not sure when it was that I got the idea to try and have my own replica made, but my first efforts were less than encouraging. A local custom flag maker wanted a couple of hundred dollars to make one 3 foot by 5 foot flag...Plus, the company indicated they wanted almost one hundred dollars more to convert the artwork that I had provided to a certain type of image format. So the initial estimate made the operation appear somewhat cost-prohibitive, to say the least. I checked with a few more American companies and their quotes were slightly better, but not really affordable by my standards. I corresponded a bit with may friend Jake about my idea. Jake and I had collaborated on the design and production of some t-shirts a few years ago and I figured he might be able to tell me whether or not I was getting decent information from the companies I was contacting. One important thing he shared with me was that my artwork was already a vector image and that anyone who tried to get money from me to convert or format the image file was not necessarily on the up-and-up. he also shared a bit of information on the printing process and other important details.
I decided to try one more company who quickly provided an estimate that was a small fraction of what the other companies had quoted. I was terribly surprised and I checked and re-checked figures and procedures with their representative to make sure I was understanding the quote correctly. Not only was the quoted price a fraction of the others I had obtained, but the quote for five flags from this company was still less than the price of one from any of the others I had contacted. Somewhere along the line, I realized that the company I was dealing with was based in Australia, but by that point I had committed to buying the flags and they had thrown in global express shipping in the original quote. I probably would have been scared off had I realized I was dealing with a flag maker from another country, but in retrospect, I must say that the people I dealt with on the project were amazingly prompt and thorough. They even provided me with a color "proof" graphic of the product before I committed to buy anything.
I was thrilled the day the flags arrived in the mail. The image quality on the flags is exceptional and I can't help thinking that this is a very good replica of the banner used in the Victory Day ceremonies.
My replica flags are a close approximation of the original banner. Each flag measures 3 feet by 5 feet and it is composed of 100% woven polyester (1 ply). The design is a single-side print with 98% show-thru of the reverse image on the back. The flags are hemmed with double stitching and they have grommets for hanging.
I plan on selling a few of my extras to finance the cost of the whole project. I figure that if I was interested enough to have these made, there must be at least a few other folks out there like me that would think these are as cool as I do.
Video of the 2005 Victory Day parade. The Banner of Victory appears around 1:41 (-8:06) in the video.
This past Friday, Thomai and K. had some plans for a special night out, so Baby Z. and I had the evening to ourselves. As we headed out and about, I fired up the CD changer in my car and I cranked the "Hell Bent for Leather" CD by Judas Priest. The first track I put on was "Rock Forever" and at one point I was surprised to look in my rear view mirror to see Baby Z. playing a perfect air guitar and nodding her head back and forth like a true rocker. "Evening Star" was next and she complained that the song was too slow, so I skipped to "Take On The World". Although that was a slow song as well, she liked the thunderous drums from the track so we rocked out some more. By the time we got to "The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)," I had decided that it was time to teach Z. the "Horns Up" salute. After a few attempts she nailed it perfectly and then I yelled, "Now shake it back and forth and yell, "Woooooo!'" She's a fast learner! We were probably quite a sight as we drove down the street yelling and totally rocking out! When we reached "Running Wild" on the CD, I noticed that things had become very, very quiet in the back seat. I looked back again and I saw Z. fast asleep while Priest blared all around her. Headbanging is hard work when you're only three years old!
Since writing my recent piece on Helloween, I have purchased the expanded versions of the Kiske-era albums "Pink Bubbles Go Ape" and "Chameleon." These were, to my knowledge, the only Kiske-era Helloween albums that I hadn't heard in their respective entireties. I was familiar with a handful of tracks and what I had heard was pretty good but the negative reviews had piqued my curiosity even further.
So here's my concise assessment: They're Helloween albums. That's it. I mean, I think they're generally pretty good. With the exception of the "I Want Out" CD, I have never really heard a Helloween album that doesn't include a stinker or two. "Pink Bubbles Go Ape" and "Chameleon" fit the pattern for sure. But if someone took the best tracks from both albums and released them as an single album, then you would probably have one of the best power metal records ever.
I think "Pink Bubbles Go Ape" is really the weaker of the two albums. But I really, really like the intro/title track, especially because I look at it as a lead-in of sorts to "Kids of the Century." "Kids" is one of my favorite Helloween songs and I regard it as something of a quintessential Helloween song. I like "Number One" despite its occasionally "churchy" lyrics. It reminds me of the old Quiet Riot "rock anthems" from the mid-1980's. "Shit and Lobster" is a great "social commentary" tune and "Les Hambourgeois Walkways" is a terrific instrumental. I had really overlooked "Walkways" the first couple time's through the CD, but I finally picked up on it and really appreciated it and it's now one of my favorite tracks on the expanded edition.
"Chameleon" is really okay, despite all of the bad, bad reviews from years past. "First Time" is a solid Helloween track and it's a great way to kick off the album. I had seen the video to "When the Sinner" on YouTube and I thought the song had a really unique and catchy sound. People are quick to say that it's a jazz-influenced track and that's probably because of the use of a brass section in the track. I can understand why people who listen exclusively to metal might not appreciate it, but I don't see much point in putting a label on the sound per se. I listen to a lot of different kinds of music and I think that "Sinner" is just a good song and that's pretty much it. "I Don't Wanna Cry No More" is a fantastic power ballad and it is a great showcase of Kiske's talent. "Giants" has a monster guitar solo which sounds like vintage Helloween stuff. "Revolution Now" is a powerful song about what has become of the "Flower Children" of the late 1960's. During this very heavy track, Kiske lapses briefly into Scott McKenzie's "If You're Going to San Francisco." Even though it's just a tease of sorts, the brief snippet of the tune leave me wondering how awesome it would be to hear Kiske sing the whole song. "Music" is another powerful track from the album. It's not quite a ballad, but it's slow and pensive and definitely worth a listen. It's something of a departure for Helloween, but not a bad turn by any means. The bonus tracks on the expanded edition of "Chameleon" include some entertaining selections. "I Don't Care You Don't Care" is one of my favorites – straight up metal music with basic heavy metal lyrics for a bad day : "I don't care / You don't care / We don't care / Shit happens." It ain't Mozart, but it'll do. The "Introduction" track is a great bit of fun that the band (mostly Weikath) pokes at themselves. It's kind of reminiscent of the spoken parts of Iron Maiden's "Black Bart Blues." "Introduction" is a lead in to "Get Me Out of Here" which is still fun and silly sounding, but metal, nevertheless.
In the Beatles "Anthology" documentary, I remember Paul McCartney reflecting on all of the decades of criticism leveled at the legendary "White Album" . He summed it up by exclaiming, "(A)t the end of the day, it's the bloody Beatles White Album! Shut up!" That's probably the best way to look at these two Helloween albums. They are what they are: Helloween albums, plain and simple.
The other day, I checked the main page at CNN.com for a quick news update and I noticed a link to an article entitled, "Nancy Reagan: People need to know about 'Ronnie'" . The article provided a summary of Larry King's recent interview with Nancy over her decision to publish her late husband's diaries. In the interview, she said, "I just thought that there was so much in this diary that people didn't know about Ronnie, and that they really should know about Ronnie." Well, Nancy...For once, I actually agree with you. But I don't think they need to rush out and buy a copy of "The Reagan Diaries." That's just not what I have in mind.
Shortly after "Ronnie" died, I came across an essay called "How Ronald Reagan changed my life." The piece was an obituary of sorts and it was penned by a fellow named Greg Butterfield. During a time in which America's ruling elite and the big media were engrossed in an frenzied rush to beatify the fallen "Gipper", Greg had the guts to paint an honest picture of the man behind the legend. And it wasn't so much of a "warts and all" picture as it was simply all warts. So when I read Nancy's statement about the "Real Ronnie," Greg's essay was the first thing that came to mind. Yes, Nancy, I do agree with you. People should know the "real Ronnie." And with that in mind, here's an excerpt from Greg Butterfield's 2004 essay, "How Ronald Reagan changed my life."
The truth about Reagan and his legacy must be told.
Ronald Reagan was a scab. His political career began when, as a leader of the Screen Actors Guild in Hollywood, he ratted on fellow union members and others before the McCarthyite House Committee on Un-American Activities.
Ronald Reagan was a racist. As governor of California in the 1960s and 1970s, he joined the FBI in waging war against the rebelling African American community and those heroic advocates of Black liberation, the Black Panther Party. He was responsible for the deaths of many young Black freedom fighters. Only a worldwide movement saved his personal nemesis, Angela Davis, from unjust imprisonment. In the 1980s, his administration was responsible for CIA-sponsored drug running in Black communities to fund the contra war against Nicaragua.
Ronald Reagan hated the poor. He knew that capitalism creates armies of poor and unemployed workers, and that they constitute the greatest threat to the profit system. Over decades, first as governor of California and then as president for eight years, he missed no opportunity to wage war on the poor—their image in society as well as their material well-being. He was a prime mover in the post-civil-rights-era rollback of public perceptions of the poor as less than human. He was an early champion of the "Cadillac welfare mother" myth, and continued to use it throughout his career. Reagan blazed the trail for none other than Democratic President Bill Clinton, who smashed the federal welfare system in 1996.
Ronald Reagan also hated gays, lesbians, bi and trans people—and he promoted a vicious homophobia to characterize AIDS as a "gay disease" and stigmatize people with AIDS, a disproportionate number of them people of color. Reagan blocked funding for AIDS education, prevention, treatment or care, here and in other countries. The AIDS crisis exploded during the Reagan presidency. He let it. The president now being lauded as a swell fellow, a kind, good-hearted, decent guy you just couldn't help but love, was in fact a callous killer. He is directly responsible for the HIV/AIDS deaths of tens of thousands of people then—and millions around the world since.
Ronald Reagan was a union buster. He broke the PATCO air controllers' strike in 1981. This act, at the beginning of a reactionary period in world history, dealt a body blow to the labor movement from which it is still struggling to recover. Workers in the United States pay the price every single day when they face off with the boss on the job, when they collect their paychecks, when they are told they must pay for their health benefits or lose them.
Ronald Reagan was a warmonger. The idea of people being free of U.S. imperialist domination was anathema to him, especially if they were people of color. His war crimes—from the funding, arming and training of some of the very forces today called "terrorists" to wage war on the pro-socialist revolutionary government of Afghanistan, to the invasion of tiny Grenada—are too many to list. But mention should be made of the death squads his regime promoted in El Salvador, and the reactionary contra army and invasion threats that undermined the Nicaraguan Revolution.
Ronald Reagan was a bitter enemy of all poor and working people. What is it that the media and political establishment are celebrating as Reagan's "legacy"?
It is his role in helping to destroy the Soviet Union, the great achievement of the workers' and peasants' revolution of 1917, and setting back the world movement for socialism. The unrelenting nuclear arms buildup and aggressive threats that were the hallmark of his presidency laid the groundwork for the USSR's demise.
The USSR's existence for over 70 years had the effect of challenging imperialist aggression in many areas of the world. The existence of a major alternative economic and political system helped countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America to achieve a measure of independence from the former colonial powers. In the Western imperialist countries, it helped the labor and civil-rights movements win and hold onto hard-fought gains, because workers knew there was another system that guaranteed jobs, food, housing and health care for all people.
There are many other crimes that bear Reagan's stamp: the continuing rollback of women's right to choose, the war on immigrants, the speech at a Bitburg, Germany, cemetery honoring Nazi SS troops, and so many more.
The history of the last decade-plus is Reagan's real legacy: more war, more occupations, a return to openly colonialist methods and ideology, more racism, more vicious attacks on women and the lesbian/gay/bi/trans communities, fewer rights and falling living standards for workers, more people hungry and homeless with no safety net.
That, friends, is the real "Ronnie." It's probably not what Nancy had in mind, but it is an unflinching and accurate picture of the man and his legacy, nevertheless.
When I first read Greg's article, I sent him a personal note to congratulate him on a job well done. Shortly thereafter, I was pleased to receive a note back from Greg in which he indicated he had received similar kudos from many others. Almost three years later, the piece still rings true. And "Ronnie"—the Great Communicator himself—couldn't have possibly said it better.
Kalliope finished her first year of Greek School tonight and we are absolutely amazed with the results of her final exam! She got 113 out of 116 possible points plus 8 extra credit points! That's 121/116! It's an A++!
Way back in 1989, I went to see Anthrax perform at Dayton's Hara Arena, which was the main area venue for concerts at the time. Anthrax was headlining the MTV Headbanger's Ball Live Tour and, although I didn't have MTV at the time and I had never seen Headbanger's Ball, I was a big fan of Anthrax. I had been introduced to Anthrax by my friend Sharon who was both a fellow Kiss fan and a coworker at my first part-time job (and still one of the coolest people I've ever known, by the way!) We worked together at the local Rax restaurant which is now long gone...I'll have to write a bit about that place another day. Anyway, when the big day came, Sharon's sister Hillary drove me to the show and we met up with Sharon and some other friends and coworkers. Everybody else stayed on the floor for the show, but since I had never really been to a metal show before and because I had been thumped on and burned with a cigarette while on the floor at the Jimmy Page show the previous year, I decided to play it safe and grab a seat somewhere away from the mosh pit.
Of course, Anthrax was great that night. This was their "State of Euphoria" tour and I am pretty sure I had all of their albums by the time I got to see them live. They had a lot of material to work with and as I recall, they played a lot off of "Euphoria," but there was a fair amount from "Among the Living" and "Spreading the Disease." It was a great night. I still remember getting told to climb down from my seat by the security staff. Years later, I got to see Anthrax play at the Newport in Columbus and we ended up in the front row. I climbed up on the railing/gate that fenced in the lower floor area at that show. Nobody told me to get down at that show, but I did get pushed around a bit later on that night. Long story. The night of the Headbanger's Ball show, Exodus came out first and played a powerful show. I had never seen or heard them before, but when the lights came down and their intro started (which was a spooky voice reciting a passage from Jessica Mitford's book Kind and Usual Punishment), I figured that it was going to be a great show. After the intro, they blasted into "The Last Act of Defiance," which chronicled the New Mexico State Prison Riot of February 1980, and they continued with a great set featuring songs from their current release at the time, "Fabulous Disaster" as well as their previous two albums. I picked up all three of their albums in the months following the show and Exodus became one of my favorite bands during my high school years.
Helloween was also on the Headbanger's Ball tour and that night was also the first time I had ever heard them. I remember that despite the noise in the place, I could hear a guy sitting next to me as he told his friend that Helloween's lead singer Michael Kiske sounded really funny when he talked. Sure enough, after their opening number, Kiske greeted the crowd and the guys next to me cracked up. In addition to his German accent, Kiske had a strange inflection inflection which was indeed kind of funny. But there was nothing funny about Helloween's terrific performance. Around the middle of the set, I had pretty much decided that I was a fan of the group. I think that their performance of "Future World" had really struck a chord with me but it was "I Want Out" (which, unbeknownst to me had enjoyed some decent airplay on MTV leading up to the tour) that really won me over. A week or so after the show, I picked up the cassette version of the Helloween live EP "I Want Out". I absolutely loved the album and I listened to it over and over again. It was one of my favorite albums for the better part of high school. Although many years have passed, I am still really taken with this album and I listen to the CD version regularly. I read a piece about the album on the Internet recently in which on fan hails the album as one of the best live metal albums ever. I must agree. The EP features what was basically the entire set from the Headbanger's Ball show, including most of the best tracks from the "Keeper of the Seven Keys" albums. The album starts off with the "Happy Helloween" intro and then they launch into "A Little Time," which is a tremendous way to get things moving. After Kiske enjoys a brief chat with the audience, the monster movie-themed "Dr. Stein" follows and then "Future World" follows, complete with a lengthy audience participation segment. From there, the anti-war power ballad "We Got the Right" follows and after that is the signature song/title track "Future World." The EP closes with a scorching version of "How Many Tears." The track listing is really solid. Although it's a short album, there's not a bad tune in the batch, which is kind of rare.
I've heard quite a few other Helloween albums over the years, but none of them compare to the "I Want Out" EP. "Keeper of the Seven Keys" Part I and Part 2 have some great tracks, but there are quite a few stinkers and near misses on the albums. And the pre-Kiske stuff like "Walls of Jericho" never really appealed to me. I kind of stopped looking for new stuff by Helloween while I was in college and after the Headbanger's Ball tour (their only US tour from what I understand), it seemed to be a bit more difficult to find their subsequent releases (at least this seemed to be the case in the US, anyway). I had never even heard material from the later Kiske albums until after he had left the band. It was a pretty hot rumor for a while that Kiske would replace Bruce Dickinson when he had parted ways with Iron Maiden. They might have sounded a little better than they did with Blaze Bayley had that ever come true. In 1996 or so, I happened upon the double-live album "High Live" (which is really a great album in its own right) and up until that point, I didn't even know Kiske had left the band. I am still kind of lukewarm to the Andi Deris interpretation of the older Kiske tunes and from what I have heard, there are plenty of diehard Helloween fans who feel the same way. A lot of the post-Kiske material is pretty good, but to this day it doesn't seem the band has captured the same magic that the had back in the late 1980s.
One thing that has always confused me about Helloween is their occasional use of religious messages and imagery in some of their lyrics (such as "Save Us" and "Why?"). One more than one occasion, I have picked up something in one of their songs that's made me mutter a quiet "Eww." In fact, I actually did some research a while back to make sure I wasn't listening to some kind of thinly veiled Christian rock. I was kind of relieved when I came across some Christian rock Internet pages that rather clearly denounced Helloween as "not Christian." Whew. I mean, seriously...the term "Christian rock" is pretty oxymoronic. Besides, one Stryper was bad enough, thank you very much!
So there are a few remaining Kiske era albums that I am slowly tracking down so I can hear the whole range of the vintage Helloween lineup. No doubt that some of the stuff will be hit or miss – I've read some pretty harsh reviews for "Pink Bubbles Go Ape" (although I really think the track "Kids of the Century" is pretty good) and the reviews for Kiske's final Helloween album "Chameleon" are even worse. But what the hell...As long as it rocks, I'll give it a fair shake.
This past Friday, Thomai and K. had some plans for a special night out, so Baby Z. and I had the evening to ourselves. As we headed out and about, I fired up the CD changer in my car and I cranked the "
Since writing my recent piece on Helloween, I have purchased the expanded versions of the Kiske-era albums "
