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FM 101, Part Two: The Basics
Howard Massey
Check out Part two of our FM101 Series by Howard Massey.
Digital FM: two words that strike fear in the hearts of many synthesists.
Too complicated, some say. Too cold-sounding. And anyway, it's only good for things like bells and electric pianos.
Well, let's face facts. It is a little complicated — certainly more so than standard analog subtractive synthesis or additive techniques — but by no means impossible to understand. (And no, you don't need a degree in mathematics to use it, either!)
On the other two counts: Wrong, and wrong again. Sounds created with digital FM don't have to be cold or edgy — in fact, there are lots of tools that let you add warmth and movement. And FM sounds are by no means limited to bells and electric piano (though admittedly it's a technique that does both well) — you can actually craft a broad palette of tonalities such as brass, wood tones, even a decent approximation of the human voice.
In this series of articles, we'll cover all the basics and tell you what you need to know in order to program FM sounds. While we'll be referencing two specific Yamaha synthesizers that have digital FM capabilities (MONTAGE and MODX), the information will be applicable to other FM synths too — just check your instrument's owners manual for the equivalent button-pushes.
Now let's get started … right at the very beginning!
What Is A Sound?
At first glance, this may seem too basic, but the question of what makes up a sound is actually a lot deeper than it may appear. At its essence, a sound is anything we hear as a result of vibrations in the air. These vibrations in turn, cause our eardrums to vibrate in a similar fashion. The back-and-forth movements of the eardrum are converted by tiny bones in our inner ear into electrical signals that travel up nerves into our brain, where they are finally perceived by us as a sound.
Obviously, there's an enormous gamut of sounds in existence — everything from a violin to a jackhammer, the wings of a butterfly softly beating to a crack of thunder. What is it that differentiates sounds from one another?
Actually, there are three factors:
The sound's degree of loudness (in technical terms, this is known as amplitude).
Its pitch or lack of pitch (in technical terms, this is known as frequency).
Its quality (in technical terms, this is known as timbre).
Interestingly, all sounds can be described in terms of these three aspects, and these three only. What's more, all sounds exhibit all three aspects. Think about it: Can there be a sound that has no loudness? (If so, it's not a sound.) Can there be a sound that has no particular quality? Not possible. And while there can be (and are) plenty of sounds that have no pitch, they can then be described in terms of their lack of pitch.
Let's take a look at each of these factors in turn.
The amplitude (loudness) of a sound is easily measurable in a number of different ways. There are, for example, hardware devices and software apps called sound pressure level (SPL) meters that measure amplitude in real time. Or you can record a sound into your favorite DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and see the resulting waveform on your screen afterwards. Such a display might look something like this:
The height of the waveform shows its amplitude: the louder the sound, the higher the wave. (The "dB" at the top and bottom of the vertical scale are units called decibels — dB for short.) This makes perfect sense, since it's a reflection of the displacement of air (the backwards and forwards vibrations) created when the sound occurred.
Here's the same sound a little softer:
… and a little louder:
Obviously, every sound always changes amplitude during its existence (eventually dropping to and remaining at 0 dB) since there is no such thing as a perpetual sound that lasts forever. We'll be talking a lot more about amplitude in future installments, but for the purposes of this article, let's stop here and move on to …
Just as you can determine the amplitude of a sound by the height of its wave, so too can you determine its pitch by the number of waves that occur in a given period of time — in other words, how frequently those waves occur (hence the name "frequency"). The lower the pitch, the fewer the number of waves in any given time period; the higher the pitch, the more waves occur.
The unit of measurement for frequency is the Hertz, or Hz for short. (There's also a unit called the kiloHertz, or kHz, that represents a thousand Hertz.) This describes the number of waves that occur in one second of time, so a sound with a frequency of 1 Hz generates one wave (one backwards and forwards movement of air) per second; a sound with a frequency of 100 Hz generates a hundred waves per second; a sound with a frequency of 1 kHz generates a thousand waves per second, and so on.
We humans can only perceive pitches between roughly 20 Hz and 20 kHz (that is 20,000 Hz), though unfortunately the high end of this range gets reduced somewhat as we get older (and the rate of deterioration is accelerated when you're exposed to lots of loud sounds, so turn those speakers down!). This is known as the audible range. Sounds do exist both above and below this 20 Hz – 20 kHz range; those below 20 Hz are termed subsonic (they're the rumbling "feel" frequencies that make your chest pound and the dance floor vibrate), and sounds above 20 kHz are termed supersonic (they're the invisible sounds that make your dog's ears perk up!).
Frequency has a lot to do with whether or not we perceive a sound as being musical. For the most part, if you can determine a clear pitch (as, for example, in a violin note), the sound is considered musical. If you can't (as in a jackhammer), it's non-musical. But there's a big gray area in-between. Can you clearly make out the pitch of a bass drum or a snare drum? Most people can't, but drummers spend a lot of time tuning their drums, so maybe they can perceive something that the rest of us are missing. The same goes for other percussive instruments, like cymbals, shakers and tambourines. On the flip side of a coin, some individuals are able to perceive pitches in what most of us would consider non-musical sounds like a breeze blowing or the hum of an engine. The bottom line is that it's somewhat subjective, though most of us can agree that most (but not necessarily all) musical instruments have a clear pitch component.
Every time a musical sound goes up an octave, its frequency doubles. For example, here's the waveform of the A above middle C played on a piano:
And here it is played an octave higher:
… and an octave lower:
The Western musical system divides each octave into 12 equal components (more or less) called semitones, and the distance between any two notes is called an interval. The interval known as the fifth (actually seven semitones higher than the starting, or root, note) is the frequency midpoint. In other words, the fifth above the A note (the E) has 1 1/2 times its frequency, which is why it's so pleasing to our ears. In standard tuning, the frequency of A is 440 Hz, so the E above it has a frequency of roughly 660 Hz (it's "roughly" and not "exactly" because pianos use an equal temperament tuning system — a subject that's well beyond the scope of this article, but Google it if you're curious). These kinds of mathematical relationships will have a great deal of relevance when creating FM sounds, so it's important to have a good grasp of them.
Now let's move on to …
At first glance, timbre may seem to be the toughest concept to grasp. Sure, we can call a sound "soft" or "warm" or "harsh" or "bright," but those are all such indistinct, subjective terms, no?
Well, it may surprise you to learn that timbre, like every aspect of music, can actually be described in pure mathematical terms — one reason why computers are so good at synthesizing sounds. To understand this, let's return to our example of an A440 piano note. When you depress that key, what happens is that, via a series of mechanisms, a hammer strikes a string (actually two or more strings, but that's not especially relevant to this discussion just yet), which begins vibrating at a rate of — you guessed it — 440 times per second.
But that only happens for a split second, because as soon as those vibrations reach the back of the piano's sounding board, the string begins rebounding back towards the front of the instrument, again at a rate of 440 times per second. But the original vibration continues, which means that the two vibrations criss-cross … resulting in a vibration of both 440 times per second and twice that amount (880 times per second):
So now our string is vibrating at both 440 Hz and 880 Hz, although the original 440 Hz movement (known as the fundamental frequency) will be stronger and therefore louder. But it doesn't stop there, because once that 880 Hz vibration reaches the front of the instrument, it begins rebounding back again, causing a third vibration (of 1320 Hz — three times the amount of the original 440 Hz). This process continues over and over again until the string loses energy and the sound dies down to nothingness (in the case of an undamped piano note, this can take 30 seconds or longer, depending upon the length of the string and how hard the hammer strikes it).
So what we end up with is a string vibrating at many different rates, all at the same time, with each of these vibrations a mathematical multiple of the starting (fundamental) frequency. These extra vibrations are called harmonic overtones or partials. The overtone that's twice that of the fundamental is called the second harmonic; the one that's three times the fundamental is called the third harmonic, and so on.
But the story doesn't end there, because no string or musical instrument is perfectly constructed, nor is there any such thing as a perfect acoustic space (don't forget, the air surrounding the string is set into vibration too, and that in turn affects the string to a small degree). For these reasons, a number of extra vibrations always occur that are not mathematical multiples of the fundamental frequency — say, 441.2 Hz or 967.8 Hz. These "outliers" (which have only random mathematical relationships to the fundamental) are known as inharmonic overtones (or inharmonic partials).
This is not specific to piano (which we used here just for the sake of illustration), or to any particular musical instrument, for that matter; it's actually a feature of all sounds in existence. And it's the number and type of overtones, and their relative strength to one another, that determines a sound's timbre. Musical sounds (piano, flute, birdsong, etc.) will tend to have more harmonic than inharmonic overtones, while non-musical ones (cymbal, tambourine, jackhammer) will have the reverse. But all naturally occurring sounds consist of a particular blend of overtones, and that's why we can tell the difference between a piano and a flute and a cymbal and a tambourine, even if they're all played at the same loudness level, and even if we're in a room with all the lights out.
One of the inexplicable wonders of nature is that the timbre of a sound is reflected in its waveform in an almost poetic manner. The smooth sound of a flute, for example, is displayed as a gentle, rounded waveshape that looks like this:
Yamaha Synth · Part 2 Audio Clip 1 (Flute)
… while the brighter tone of a twanged guitar string has a waveform that's more jagged:
Yamaha Synth · Part 2 Audio Clip 2 (Guitar)
In contrast, the sizzle of a cymbal is thoroughly spiky and irregular:
Yamaha Synth · Part 2 Audio Clip 3 (Cymbal)
In general, the gentler and smoother the sound (the result of fewer overtones), the more rounded and regular the waveform; the brighter and buzzier the sound (the result of more overtones), the more jagged and irregular the waveform.
If you want to learn more about the relationship between music and mathematics, check out my Yamaha blog "The Numbers Game." For now, though, let's start our exploration of digital FM — a great synthesis technique precisely because it gives us extremely fine control over all three aspects of sound: amplitude, frequency and timbre.
The Operator
The basic building block of digital FM synthesis is called an operator. It's actually quite a simple software device (the fact that it's "software" means that it doesn't exist physically, just as a series of numbers — but no need to concern yourself with that), consisting of just three components: an oscillator ("OSC" for short), an amplifier ("AMP" for short) and an envelope generator ("EG" for short). Here's the way they're interconnected:
As you can see, the signal starts with the oscillator (same as it does in analog synthesis methods); it's then sent into an amplifier, under the control of an envelope generator, which enables its amplitude to be varied over time (more about this in Part 4). The signal then leaves the operator, to be routed either to the output of your instrument so you can hear it … or, more intriguingly, to the input of another operator. (We'll unravel this particular mystery in Part 3.) For now, let's focus on an operator whose output can be heard directly, either through your synthesizer's main outputs or its headphone output.
Such an operator is called a carrier, and up until the introduction of FM-X synthesis (available today in MONTAGE and MODX), most digital FM carriers were only capable of producing one kind of waveform — the simplest one known to man. This is the humble sine wave, which contains no overtones at all.
Wait, you say! Didn't I tell you a just few paragraphs back that all sounds consist of a particular blend of overtones? Well, check the fine print, because what I actually said was that all naturally occurring sounds have overtones. (Sneaky, I know.) And sine waves do not exist in nature; in fact, they can only be generated by electrical circuits (such as the ones in analog synthesizers) and in digital emulations of electrical circuits (such as the ones in digital synthesizers.)
We've seen that the timbre of a sound is reflected in its waveform, with gentler sounds having more rounded shapes, so you might expect that the waveform of a sine wave would look something like that of a flute, only even more rounded … and you'd be absolutely right. Here's what a sine wave looks like:
Ready to listen to a sine wave on your MONTAGE or MODX? It's super-easy, since both instruments offer a simple procedure for calling up basic "initialized" sounds, including one for FM. Simply perform the following steps:
Press [CATEGORY SEARCH]
Touch Init
Select "Init Normal (FM-X)"
You're nearly there, but in order to be able to more clearly hear the various exercises we'll be giving you, you'll want to turn off the reverb. This is also a very simple process, but if you'd rather skip the button-pushes, just go to Soundmondo (our way-cool social website that allows you to discover new synth sounds, as well as organize and share your own sounds) and click here to download the Performance named "Part 2_01." (This is simply "Init Normal (FM-X)," saved without reverb.) For more information about Soundmondo, check out this blog article.
For you do-it-yourselfers, here's the step-by-step procedure:
Press [PERFORMANCE (HOME)]
Press [EDIT]
Press [COMMON]
Touch Effect
Touch ON (green box) next to Rev (circled in red in the illustration below) so that it turns OFF (gray)
Here's what it sounds like — the smooth, gentle tone of a pure sine wave, without any reverb:
Yamaha Synth · Part 2 Audio Clip 4 (Sine)
Whether you downloaded this from Soundmondo or created it with button-pushes, press the Store button to store it in your MONTAGE/MODX. (If you created it with button-pushes, rename it "Part 2_01" — the name under which it appears in Soundmondo).
Now we're ready to move on to another basic concept, called …
To begin this discussion, let's go back to the illustration of an FM operator we presented earlier:
Obviously, this graphic is a bit lacking since an operator doesn't decide on its own when to start playing, nor does it decide what pitch to play — those decisions are made by you, via control and pitch inputs. These two signals are generated by your synth's keyboard when you play a note (or notes), or by an external MIDI device (such as a MIDI sequencer or external MIDI controller), or both. So here's a more accurate picture of an operator:
The pitch that an operator plays is actually determined by three factors: the note you play, any transposition being done by your instrument (in MONTAGE or MODX, by pressing either of the front-panel TRANSPOSE buttons), and a crucial setting called Ratio. The Ratio number is used as a multiplier, so that, for example, if it is set to 1.00 and you play A above middle C (assuming no keyboard transposition), the operator multiples 440 (that note's frequency — see above) by 1.00 and the resulting output will have a frequency of 440 Hz. If, on the other hand, you set the Ratio to 2.00 and play A above middle C, the frequency of the operator's output will be 880 Hz. You can also insert fractional Ratio values; if an operator's Ratio is set to 1.5 and you play A above middle C, you'll hear a frequency of 660 Hz (440 times 1.5).
It will of course be easier to understand this concept if you can hear it, so call up the "Part 2_01" Performance you downloaded or created earlier and do the following:
Press [PART SELECT 1/1]
This calls up the Edit – Part 1 – Common screen, which looks like this:
Next, either touch the OP1 tab at the bottom of the screen or press the [MOTION SEQ SELECT 1] button (this button calls up Operator 1 when working with an FM-X part). This will bring up the Edit – Part1 – Operator1 screen, which looks like this:
Play a few notes, then touch the Coarse box, shown in the red circle
Use the INC/YES button or data dial to change the Coarse setting to 2. The value in the Ratio box (circled in red) changes to 2.00:
Play the same notes again, and notice that they are now transposed up an octave. That's because the operator is applying a Ratio of 2.00 (in other words, double) to each note being played. Entering in a Ratio of 3.00 multiplies each frequency played by 3 … which means you'll hear not the note you're playing on your keyboard, but that note an octave and a fifth higher. (In other words, if you play A above middle C, you'll hear a sine wave of not 440 Hz, but 1,320 Hz [1.32 kHz], which is not an A but an E.) Try entering in different Ratio values — you'll soon get the hang of how it works.
The Fine box next to the Coarse box allows you to enter in fractional Ratio values in 1/100th (.01) increments, from .01 to .99. To see how this works, return the Coarse value to 1.00, then touch the Fine box and move the data dial clockwise. Set the Fine value to 27, for example, and you'll see (and hear) a Ratio of 1.27, which will result in some in-between microtuning notes not found in the Western scale:
Sharp-eyed readers will notice that there are two different "Freq Mode" (Frequency Mode) options — Ratio and Fixed — on the bottom row. We'll be discussing the difference between these modes in the next installment.
So far, we've just been listening to a single Operator – Operator 1. But FM synthesizers always offer multiple operators; in the case of modern instruments like the MONTAGE and MODX, there are eight of them, all functionally identical, labeled OP1, OP2, OP3, etc. (Even early FM instruments like the original Yamaha DX7 offered six operators.) Let's see what happens sonically when we bring in these extra operators.
Begin by again calling up the "Part 2_01" Performance (this will remove any changes you made and restore the sound the way it was) and then do the following:
Touch the OP1 tab at the bottom of the screen or press the [MOTION SEQ SELECT 1] button to once again bring up the Edit – Part1 – Operator1 screen.
Touch the Level tab on the left-hand side of the screen to bring up the OP1 level screen, then touch the Level box on the bottom row (circled in red).
Note that the level of OP1 is currently set at 99 (maximum). Use the DEC/NO button or the data dial to lower its level, playing some notes on the keyboard and listening as you do so. Obviously we are only hearing Operator 1 at the moment.
Restore the OP1 Level to 99, then touch the OP2 tab at the bottom of the screen or press the [MOTION SEQ SELECT 2] button to switch to Operator 2. Note that its level is currently at 0 — this explains why we haven't been hearing it (until now, that is).
Use the INC/YES button or the data dial to increase the level of Operator 2, playing some notes on the keyboard and listening as you do so. Other than being a bit louder, it doesn't sound any different, does it? Touch the Form/Freq tab on the left-hand side of the screen to discover the reason why:
Aha! Operator 2's Ratio is 1.00, same as Operator 1. Touch the Coarse box and use the INC/YES button or data dial to change the Coarse setting to 2, then play a few notes and listen. You'll hear two notes an octave apart.
Experiment by changing the Ratio of Operator 2 to various Coarse values and listen. When you set its Ratio to 3.00, for example, you'll hear two notes an octave and a fifth apart, which sounds a lot like an organ. Setting it to 4.00 means that you'll hear two notes two octaves apart, etc.
Restore the Coarse value to 1 and then experiment with changing the Fine value, playing the keyboard as you do so. With each new setting, you'll hear the note you're playing plus a second note, which, most of the time, will be completely unrelated and dischordant. The exceptions occur when you set Ratio values of 1.25 (which will result in your hearing the root note plus an interval of a third, which is very pleasing to the ear) and 1.50 (which will result in the root note plus an interval of a fifth, which is even more pleasing to the ear).
Continue your experimentation by changing various Coarse and Fine values for Operator 2, keeping Operator 1 at its root note Ratio setting of 1.00. When you're done, restore the Ratio for Operator 2 to 2.00.
Now it's time to bring in the other Operators; simply touch the OP3/OP4/OP5/OP6/OP7/OP8 tabs at the bottom of the screen or press the equivalent [MOTION SEQ SELECT] buttons to access each in turn. Set the Ratios for Operators 3 – 8 so that each has a Ratio one integer higher than the preceding one (i.e., Operator 3 should have a Ratio of 3.00, Operator 4 = 4.00, Operator 5 = 5.00, etc.).
Here comes the fun part — listening to them all together. But rather than having to laboriously go to each Edit screen in turn and use the data dial or INC/DEC buttons to alter the level of each Operator in turn, the MONTAGE/MODX offers a wonderful shortcut: the Control Sliders on the left-hand side of the instrument. Whenever you are working with an FM-X Part, these sliders are preset to control the levels of Operators 1 – 8 respectively. And because the settings you've entered in this case will result in a sound that's very organ-like, the Control Sliders will essentially act like organ drawbars. Try it! If you go to the level screens of any of the operators (accessed by touching the Level tab on the left-hand side of the screen), you'll notice that the Level value for each Operator changes as you move its associated Control Slider, and vice versa (changing the Level value in the screen alters the LEDs to the right of each slider). Note that you may have to move each Control Slider past its "zero" point to activate it — if a slider doesn't seem to be working at first, just jiggle it up and down for a moment, and it will quickly become operational.
When you're done experimenting with adjusting the relative levels of each Operator, set them all to a level of 78 and then store the Performance, renaming it "Part 2_02." (Alternatively, you can find this Performance on Soundmondo by clicking here.)
Finally, let's talk about the subtle pitch changes you can make with the Fine control. It's easy to pick out the sound of two notes played an octave apart, or two completely different notes (say, an A and an E), but whenever you play two sounds that are close in frequency to one another (such as, for example, the two or three strings for each piano key), the human ear can no longer perceive them as being separate. Instead, we hear one sound, and if the frequencies are even slightly different, the sound may have a pulsation (a "beating") occurring at a rate equivalent to the difference between the two frequencies. (This, by the way, is the technique used by piano tuners as well as many guitarists and bassists — at least in the days before electronic tuners and software tuning apps!)
To demonstrate this phenomenon, load the "Part 2_01" Performance and then do the following:
Use the Fine control to set Operator 2 to a Ratio of 1.01, then store the Performance and rename it "Part 2_03." (You can also find this Performance on Soundmondo by clicking here.)
Play a single note on the keyboard and raise Control Slider 2 so that you can hear Operator 2 along with Operator 1. Because they are so close in pitch, you'll hear a single sine wave with a gentle pulsation — and this beating is something you can even see in the waveform:
Yamaha Synth · Part 2 Audio Clip 5 (Sine Single)
Now play the octave above that same note. The movement is more rapid now — in fact, it's occurring twice as fast. The reason this is happening is because the Ratio value is used as a multiplier, so with these settings, if you play A above middle C, for example, you hear a sine wave with a frequency of 440 Hz (Operator 1), plus another sine wave at 444.4 Hz (Operator 2); the difference between the two is 4.4 Hz, which is the rate of the movement you're hearing. But if you play that same note an octave higher, you hear a sine wave at 880 Hz (Operator 1), plus another sine wave at 888.8 Hz (Operator 2), for a difference of 8.8 Hz — double the rate of movement you heard when playing the note an octave lower.
Yamaha Synth · Part 2 Audio Clip 6 (Sine Octave)
These multiple movements in the sound make for a very pleasing effect. For example, try playing a C major triad (middle C and the E and G above it), which sounds (and looks) like this:
Yamaha Synth · Part 2 Audio Clip 7 (Sine Chord)
Last but not least, let's talk about a similar function in that same screen, called Detune, shown here circled in red:
This works similarly to the Fine parameter, except that it's even finer … plus it allows you to alter the frequency of operators negatively (that is, to Ratios below the Coarse setting) as well as positively. You'll find that a Detune value of 13 (plus or minus) is roughly equivalent to a Fine value of .01.
You can, of course, add in the other operators and set each to different Fine and/or Detune values to create intricate movements within your sound … even if that sound just consists of simple sine waves. Now imagine the possibilities with complex waves (that is, waves that have overtones). Tune into Part Three ("The Magic of Modulation") to see just how that works … and a whole lot more!
If you missed the first part of the series and want to know more about the history of FM synthesis check out Part One: Discovering Digital FM...John Chowning Remembers.
Want to share your thoughts/comments? Join the conversation on the Forum here.
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Howard Massey literally wrote the book on digital FM. In fact, his first two books, published in 1986 and 1987 respectively, were "The Complete DX7" and "The Complete DX7II." He is a longtime journalist and music industry consultant who is currently the executive editor of the Yamaha Music USA blog. He has authored hundreds of online and print articles as well as more than a dozen books, including "The Great British Recording Studios" and the two-part "Behind the Glass" collections of interviews with the world's leading record producers. Howard was also privileged to co-author legendary Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick's 2006 autobiography "Here, There and Everywhere." He lives in New York.
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Behind the Synth: DX7 Retrospective
Behind the Synth: John Chowning Conversation
Behind the Synth: Manny Fernandez and the DX7II
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If you are building a dialog box or using an existing popup in O4W with a high record count, you may want to consider building each page of the dialog box locally. This will save on the time it takes the browser to build the dialog box because it will only need to build one page at a time. The way it works is, you set the default paginator on the O4W Configuration screen to one of the local paginator choices or alternatively, you set the 'overridePage' parameter in the O4WTablePagerOptions API to 'O4WI_TABLEPAGERLOCAL'. Setting this flag will send an event to your O4W program when the next/previous arrows are clicked as well as any time a column is clicked that is set for sorting.
This post originally appeared in Revelation Software's monthly newsletter dated 16/06/15. Click here for the rest of this article.


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j Mathematics. The symbol for the imaginary number , i.e., a number representing the square root of -1. See: complex number. [A lower case "i" is also used in mathematics but not in electronics since "i" is the symbol for current.]
J The symbol for joule, the SI unit of energy or work.
J Electromagnetism. Symbol for current density.
jabber To talk rapidly, unintelligibly, or idly. To utter rapidly or unintelligibly. Rapid or babbling talk. [AHD]
jack Musical Instrument. The part of a harpsichord action that carries the plectrum past the string. The word is also used for the pivoted vertical lever in a piano action that forces the hammer upward when a key is depressed. [Sadie]
jacket Wire & Cable. The insulating layer of material that surrounds a wire or cable offering protection; also called sheath.
jackfield British term for patchbay.
Jack Mullin See: John Mullin.
jacks and plugs Common name for audio connectors, where jack = female and plug = male is the standard convention for 1/4" and RCA — only — not followed for other types of connectors. If a connector is on the end of a cable — XLR and others — then either sex is a plug. [Hey, don't yell at me, I don't make the rules; I just report them.]
Jackson, Bruce (1948-2011) Australian audio engineering sound pioneer who did live sound for Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Barbara Streisand and others. He started out cofounding JANDS and went on to invent and develop many digital audio innovations.
Jacob's ladder (aka high voltage traveling arc) Electricity & Magnetism. "The spark gap is formed by two wires, approximately vertical but gradually diverging away from each other towards the top in a narrow "V" shape. It was named for the "ladder to heaven" described in the Bible." [From the Wikipedia link, found about halfway down the page on spark gaps.]
JADE (Joint Audio Decoder Encoder) Siemens trademark for their device that implements voice compression algorithms.
JAES (Journal of the Audio Engineering Society) Also see: AES.
Jaguar rock See: Human Jukebox.
ja ja Spanish laugh.
jaleika (also spelled zhaleika) Musical Instrument. Russian wind instrument made from cow horn.
jam session Music. An informal gathering of musicians to play improvised or unrehearsed music. [AHD]
jam sync 1. The process of regenerating SMPTE timecode from an original source. Used for repair as well as for new copies. 2. A recording studio in Nashville specializing in multichannel and multimedia founded by KK Proffitt and Joel Silverman.
Jamaican Patois A West African influenced creole language spoken primarily in Jamaica.
James Bullough Lansing (James Martini, 1902-1949) American entrepreneur and inventor most famous for his companies: Lansing Manufacturing, Altec-Lansing and JBL.
James T. Russell American physicist who came up with a CD concept in 1965 that he licensed to Sony in 1970. See: Klass Compaan.
jamming Wire & Cable. The wedging of cables in a conduit when three cables lie side by side in a flat plane. [IEEE Std 576]
JANDS Famous pro audio, lighting and staging company, which started out as a distributor in Australia. See: Pro Audio Names Section
janggu Muscial Instrument. A Korean two-headed hand drum.
jangle To make a harsh metallic sound: The spurs jangled noisily. [AHD]
jangle pop The first and most famous jangle pop band was The Byrds.
Janissary music An ensemble of Turkish percussion instruments introduced into European military music in the 18th century an later adopted by the orchestra; it also refers to the kind of music composed for such a group. [Sadie]
Janovsky, W. German engineer responsible for one of the earliest papers on non-linear distortion thresholds as published in his 1929 paper: "The Audibility of Distortion (in German language), Elek. Nachr.-Tech., vol. 6, pp. 421-439 (Nov., 1929).
jansky Abbr. Jy A unit of spectral power flux density: 10-26 times one watt per square meter per Hertz (IEEE Std 211). Also called the flux unit.
jarana jarocha Musical Instrument. Stringed guitar-like fretted instrument with eight strings.
JASA (Journal of the Acoustical Society of America) Also see: ASA
jass Jazz music, written both ways from 1913 up until around 1920, when the word "jazz" became the accepted spelling. [Decharne]
Jawaiian Music. A reggae genre combining traditional Hawaiian and Jamaican styles. Compare with reggaeton.
JavaTM The trademarked name for a powerful object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. Java allows high-speed fully interactive Web pages to be developed for the Internet or any type of platform.
jazz A style of music, native to America, characterized by a strong but flexible rhythmic understructure with solo and ensemble improvisations on basic tunes and chord patterns and, more recently, a highly sophisticated harmonic idiom. [AHD] See jass.
jazz birthplace Recognized as Armstrong Park, in the Tremé section of New Orleans.
Jazz Fest Music festival held annually in New Orleans featuring mostly jazz musicians.
Jazz Festivals Worldwide Incredible online database of over 1,200 jazz festivals held in 45+ countries worldwide.
Jecklin disk Microphones. Official name, after inventor Jürg Jecklin, the former Swiss Radio chief sound engineer, for placing a baffle between two microphones in an AB setup.
JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) Standards creating body for the microelectronics industry.
jeep Probably pronunciation of the letters "GP", the designation for this vehicle in the manufacturer's parts numbering system : G(overnment) + P, designator for 80-inch wheelbase reconnaissance car. [AHD]
JEITA (Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association) A trade organization for the electronics and IT industries.
jellyfish display Multichannel Sound. A type of metering used to display multichannel surround sound characteristics, i.e., usually the relative amplitude between channels; so-called for its roundish changing jellyfish-like pattern.
jerk Mathematics. The (first) derivative of acceleration, i.e., it is a measure of the rate of change of acceleration — just as velocity is the derivative of speed, and acceleration is the derivative of velocity. Elevator makers are among those interested in measuring it. For example Otis Elevator Company has a transducer that measures jerk by differentiating acceleration. (Thanks to Glenn White for the Otis information.)
jerking or jerkin' Hip-Hop Dance Style. Originated in Los Angeles, it is a dance movement consisting of rapidly moving your legs in and out, as well as other complicated moves.
jeté Music Terminology. In string playing, a bowstroke that bounces or ricochets off the string. [Sadie]
Jewish telegram "Start worrying. Details to follow." [Newton]
jew's harp Musical Instrument. A small musical instrument consisting of a lyre-shaped metal frame that is held between the teeth and a projecting steel tongue that is plucked to produce a soft twanging sound. [AHD] [For those controlled by political correctness, the revised name is "jaws harp." ]
JFET (junction field-effect transistor) See FET
jiaohu Musical Instrument. A Chinese bowed string instrument.
jiffy An actual unit of time, representing 1/100th of a second. [See Rowlett's "How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement" for the complete details.]
jig Music. Any of various lively dances in triple time. The music for such a dance. Also called gigue. [AHD]
jiggumbob A trinket; a knick-knack; a slight contrivance in machinery. [Lynch]
Jim Williams (1948-2011) American engineer, analog IC guru, and cofounder of Linear Technology. Wonderful tribute video here.
Jimmy Savile (1926-2011) Scandalous British radio disc jockey credited as the first person to launch a DJ dance party in 1943 in Otley, England, and later resulted in the first known simultaneous use of two turntables to keep the music going continuously.
jinghu Musical Instrument. Chinese bowed 2-stringe fiddle.
jingle Noun 1. The sound produced by or as if by bits of metal striking together. 2. A piece of light singsong verse or rhyme. 3. A catchy, often musical advertising slogan. Verb 1. To make a tinkling or ringing metallic sound. 2. To have the catchy sound of a simple, repetitious rhyme or doggerel. To cause to make a tinkling or ringing metallic sound. [AHD]
JIRA Software. Popular software development tool that eases bug tracking, issue tracking and project management. The name is not an acronym; it is a truncation of the word "Gojira," which is the Japanese name for Godzilla, that wonderful fictional Japanese monster.
jit Dance Music. Fast guitar and drum rhythm popular in Zimbabwe. Hit the link for all the details. See also: Detroit Jit.
JITC (Joint Interoperability Test Command) A military compatibility testing organization.
jitter A tendency towards lack of synchronization caused by electrical changes. Technically the unexpected (and unwanted) phase shift of digital pulses over a transmission medium. Time skew; a discrepancy between when a digital edge transition is supposed to occur and when it actually does occur — think of it as nervous digital, or maybe a digital analogy to wow and flutter.
Here is the official definition from AES-12id, AES Information Document for Digital audio measurements — Jitter performance specifications:
"Jitter is the dynamic deviation of event instants in a stream or signal from their positions in time, excluding modulation components below 10 Hz."
jitter timing error Short-term deviations of the transitions of a digital signal from their ideal positions in time.
J. J. Cale (1938-2013) American musician who was a major songwriter and influence on Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd and John Mayer, among many others. He wrote some of the '60s and '70s top songs, including "Cocaine," "After Midnight," and "Call Me The Breeze."
jnd (just noticeable difference) Physiology. The smallest difference in a sensory input detectable by a human being.
Joe, cup of Coffee. There is no clear origin but according to World Wide Words the most probable suggestion is that it is a modification of java or jamoke for coffee and that "It is significant that an early example appears in 1931 in the Reserve Officer's Manual by a man named Erdman: 'Jamoke, Java, Joe. Coffee. Derived from the words Java and Mocha, where originally the best coffee came from'."
Joel, Irving ("Irv") Louis (1931-2015) American recording engineer and a very early member of the AES joining in 1957. His participation earned him multiple awards, including the AES Distinguished Service award in 2009.
John T. "Jack" Mullin (1913–1999) American who pioneered modern tape recording based on his discovery of the first German tape recorders during WWII.
Johnston factor The ratio of fh/fl, where fh and fl are the highest and the lowest signal frequency limits, respectively. When the signal or waveform' Johnston factor is larger than the fraction 9/7 or decimal 1.3, corresponding to a fractional bandwidth of 0.25, the signal or waveform is UWB.
Johnson noise or thermal noise A form of white noise resulting from thermal agitation in electronic components. For example, a simple resistor hooked up to nothing generates noise, and the larger the resistor value the greater the noise. It is called thermal noise or Johnson noise and results from the motion of electron charge of the atoms making up the resistor (called thermal agitation, which is caused by heat - the hotter the resistor, the noisier. [After John Bertrand Johnson (1887-1970), Swedish-born American physicist who first observed thermal noise while at Bell Labs in 1927, publishing his findings as "Thermal agitation of electricity in conductors," Phys. Rev., vol. 32, pp. 97-109, 1928.]
John William Strutt See: Lord Rayleigh
joint probability Mathematics. The likelihood that two or more things will occur together.
Jones, R.G. Founded in 1926, near London by Reginald Geoffrey Jones, the RG Jones company, along with Swanson Sound Service (Oakland, CA) are considered the first sound companies, and both are still going strong.
jookin Street dance born in Memphis.
Joplin, Scott(1867-1917) American musician and composer of ragtime music.
Jordan, Vilhelm L. (1909-1982) Danish acoustics engineer, who, among many other designs, consulted on the Sydney Opera House, and authored Acoustical Design of Concert Halls and Theatres: A Personal Account.
jouhikko Finnish bowed lyre.
joule Abbr. J or j. 1. The International System unit of electrical, mechanical, and thermal energy. 2. a. A unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere is passed through a resistance of one ohm for one second. b. A unit of energy equal to the work done when a force of one newton acts through a distance of one meter. [AHD]
Joule, James Prescott (1818-1889) British physicist who established the mechanical theory of heat and discovered the first law of thermodynamics: a form of the law of conservation of energy whose discovery he shared with Hermann von Helmholtz, Julius von Mayer and Lord Kelvin. [AHD]
Joule's Law It was James Prescott Joule (see above) who came up with (and published in 1841) the basic power equations P = I2R; P = IE; & P = E2/R, NOT Georg Simon Ohm as is commonly believed. Contrast with Ohm's Law.
joystick Potentiometer/Encoders. A type of potentiometer or digital encoder with movement over two axes (sometimes three with the third being in-out, z-axis). [This is also called two or three degrees of freedom]. Usually the axis are left-right, x-axis, and up-down (or away-toward), y-axis, with each controlling a separate potentiometer or encoder. The term is borrowed from aviation technology meaning an aircraft control stick.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) A standard for lossy compression of graphic-image files.
JSA (Japanese Standards Association) The National Standards organization responsible for coordinating standards preparation in Japan.
jùjú Music. A style of Nigerian popular music featuring electric guitars and traditional drums. [AHD]
juke A roadside drinking establishment that offers inexpensive drinks, food, and music for dancing, especially to the music of a jukebox. [Derivative Note: probably from Gullah juke, joog disorderly, wicked of West African origin; Wolof dzug to live wickedly Mandingo (Bambara) dzugu wicked. Gullah, the English-based Creole language spoken by Black people off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina, retains a number of words from the West African languages brought over by slaves. One such word is juke, — bad, wicked, disorderly, -- the probable source of the English word juke.] Used chiefly in the Southeastern states, juke (also appearing in the compound juke joint) means a roadside drinking establishment that offers cheap drinks, food, and music for dancing and often doubles as a brothel. "To juke" is to dance, particularly at a juke joint or to the music of a jukebox whose name, no longer regional and having lost the connotation of sleaziness, contains the same word. [AHD] ... and you thought you were smart.
Jukebox Multimedia Portable Media Player. Developed by Archos and released in 2002, it is recognized as the first handheld MP3/MP4 media player, combining an audio player, image viewer and video player.
julian date A chronological year date system where the days are sequentially numbered beginning with January 1, 4713 BC, Greenwich noon. Here is a handy converter.
jump cut Broadcast. An edit between two video shots or audio sound bites that creates a "jump" or break in continuity.
jumper Electronics. A conductor placed across the clear space between the ends of two conductors, or to connect conductors on different layers, on a printed circuit board.
junction Semiconductors. The transition boundary between semiconductor regions of different electrical properties (e.g., n-n+, p-n, p-p+ semiconductors, or between a metal and a semiconductor). [IEEE]
junction, rectifying Semiconductors. A region between two materials, typically n-type or p-type semiconductors, or between a metal and a semiconductor, arranged to provide a very low resistance to current flow in one direction and a very high resistance to current flow in the opposite direction. [IEEE]
JUST Abbreviation for Department of Justice, also known as DOJ. [IEEE Std 1512.2™-2004, IEEE Standard for Public Safety Traffic Incident Management Message Sets for Use by Emergency Management Centers]
just intonation or just temperament Music. A musical scale employing frequency intervals represented by the ratios of the smaller integers of the harmonic series. [Olson] Compare with equal temperament.
just noticeable difference See: jnd.
justify To shift a numeral so that the most significant digit, or the least significant digit, is placed at a specific position in a row.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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"Soon By You" has received an unexpectedly warm reception.Hoffman, the only married member of the team, says he's already being recognized by people in his Washington Heights neighborhood, which is home to a sizable modern Orthodox population. In fact, as "Soon By You" got going, Gottfried reached out to "Srugim" creator Laizy Shapiro, who imparted some sage advice: Don't explain Orthodox Judaism to a broader audience. As Hoffman explains, "Srugim" uses concepts like Shabbat restrictions and a "tefillin date" — a romantic sleepover that involves laying tefillin the morning after — that would seem like insider knowledge to some.Or the one whose panic attack in the elevator at a hotel in Times Square forced her to walk him down 42 flights of stairs — while he farted the entire time.But these aren't just tales Schechter collects to share with girlfriends over cocktails, a la "Sex and the City." She and fellow actors Leah Gottfried and Danny Hoffman are busy writing, producing and acting in a web series on the subject.
In a rush, David mistakenly sits with another Sarah, who is expecting a blind date of her own — and, well, comedic consequences ensue.Cleveland is an all-American city that offers both the vibrancy of an urban center and the welcoming appeal of a smaller town.In recent years, Cleveland has undergone revival efforts that include initiatives to clean up the Cuyahoga and revitalize both the Flats and the Warehouse District.This means that we will only match you with other mature Cleveland singles that are serious about finding love.Plus, our state of the art personality test uses a psychological model to ensure that members find quality matches, which results in a remarkably high success rate for our users. Using our site will open up a vast new world of possibilities within the Cleveland dating scene by introducing you to people you may have never met otherwise.
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DENVER (May 24, 2018) – Fitness Together Franchise, LLC has announced it is now offering veterans and active-duty military 20-percent off the Initial Franchise Fee*. Fitness Together is the top private-fitness franchise brand in the country with over 140 studios nationwide. This announcement comes on the tail of the brand making headlines with new studio openings, and a new high-profile leadership team.
While group fitness has experienced heightened popularity, the private fitness space is a virtually untapped segment with Fitness Together dominating in this sector for over two decades. Fitness Together is unique in that its studios provide a private-personal training studio to every client. The brand is third in market share for personal training just behind 24-Hour Fitness and Life Time Fitness, according to the IBIS Industry Report: Personal Trainers in the U.S. released in December 2017.
Furthermore, Fitness Together has lower start-up costs under $200,000, requires a small-staff and has a functional footprint with real estate and construction support. Additionally, what's most appealing for many who enter the Fitness Together franchise is the client loyalty associated with the brand. Nine out of 10 Fitness Together clients say they would recommend Fitness Together to a friend or colleague – a referral rate virtually unheard of in the personal training space.
Fitness Together Franchise, LLC offers lower start-up costs, small functional footprint personalized marketing plans and 22-year track record, making franchise ownership an appealing opportunity for those looking to start their own business. For more information, visit FitnessTogether.com or call (720) 457-1380.
*Veteran's and Active-Duty Military Discount. We offer a 20% discount on the Initial Franchise Fee (or the Development Fee if you sign the Area Development Agreement) for veterans and active-duty members of the United States armed forces who meet the requirements of the VetFran Program offered by the International Franchise Association.
**As noted in Item 19 of March 2018 Fitness Together Franchise Disclosure document.
Fitness Together® is a one-on-one private, personal training franchise focused on changing clients' lives with improved fitness and health. Whether the aim is to lose weight, tone and tighten muscles, or simply achieve better health, Fitness Together® pairs clients with a personal trainer and a workout plan tailored for the individual's goals, and focused on results. Clients receive the accountability they need and the privacy they desire with Fitness Together®. Fitness Together Franchise, LLC began franchising in 1996 and has approximately 140 locations across the United States. To learn more about the brand and owning a Fitness Together® franchise, visit www.fitnesstogetherfranchise.com.
Fitness Together is part of WellBiz Brands, Inc., the manager of three health and wellness franchise brands which also includes Elements Massage® and FIT36®. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, WellBiz Brands has over 400 combined U.S. locations across the three brands. To learn more about franchise opportunities with all three brands, please visit www.wellbizbrands.com or call 720-457-1380.


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Saakashvili says lost Ukraine citizenship due to president's fear of opposition
Alessandra Prentice
KIEV (Reuters) - Ex-Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili said he would fight Kiev's decision to strip him of his Ukrainian citizenship, saying it was an attempt to stifle political opposition that betrayed the aims of Ukraine's 2013-14 pro-European uprising.
FILE PHOTO: Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili speaks during an interview with Reuters in Kiev, Ukraine, November 16, 2016. Picture taken November 16, 2016. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo
Saakashvili had been building a new political career in Ukraine after President Petro Poroshenko appointed him as governor of the Odessa region in 2015. But relations between the two men soured and Saakashvili resigned last November, citing opposition to reform, and set up a new political party.
Poroshenko stripped Saakashvili of his Ukrainian citizenship on Wednesday for allegedly providing false information on his citizenship registration form in 2015.
In a video posted on Facebook overnight, however, Saakashvili said the decision was politically motivated.
"As soon as those in power realised that the opposition is unifying in order to come out into the streets this fall and put an end to their oligarchic pact, their fear overcame their reason," he said.
Saakashvili is currently in the United States and the withdrawal of his Ukrainian citizenship has left him stateless. He lost his Georgian citizenship in 2015 after becoming a Ukrainian national.
"Now there is an attempt underway to force me to become a refugee. This will not happen! ... I will fight for my legal right to return to Ukraine!," he said.
Asked about the issue, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili told journalists: "I think that Ukraine as a sovereign country has all reasons for (the) decisions it is taking."
ONETIME ALLY
Saakashvili, whose country fought a war with Russia in 2008 while he was president and who is loathed by the Kremlin, was once a natural ally for Poroshenko after Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014.
But he has become one of Poroshenko's most vocal critics, casting doubts on the Western-backed Kiev government's commitment to tackling entrenched corruption.
Attacking Poroshenko's record on reforms, Saakashvili said: "Today the entire country has understood the price of your promises 'to live anew'."
Poroshenko's administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saakashvili's accusations against the president. It has previously said that Saakashvili had failed as governor of Odessa to deliver change.
Saakashvili's party, 'Movement of New Forces' (MNF), called on Ukrainians to gather in central Kiev on Thursday to protest against the abuse of authority.
FILE PHOTO: Former Georgian President and former governor of Odessa region Mikheil Saakashvili attends anti-government and in support of him rally in central Kiev, Ukraine, November 27, 2016. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo
Betting on early parliamentary elections, MNF has sought to unite opposition forces. A June survey by Ukrainian group Rating gave the party only 2 percent support, while Poroshenko's bloc was on six percent.
Political analyst Serhiy Gaidai said Poroshenko's decision showed he disliked political opposition.
"Every Ukrainian president has a moment when he thinks he can do whatever he wants with impunity and this becomes the start of his political downfall," Gaidai wrote on Facebook.
Additional reporting by Natalia Zinets; Margarita Antidze in Tbilisi; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Gareth Jones and Hugh Lawson


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The Proper Standard
While there is no greater symbol of freedom world-wide than "Old Glory," the authors believe that its patriotic display is only mildly more inconvenient, but far more reverent and appropriate, if done compliant with federal law and consistent with the Rules of Flag Etiquette.
Photo: United States/Israel Flags Lapel Pin
Flag Code Authority: "No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America…." Section 7(c). "The flag of the United States of America, when it is displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on the right, the flag's own right, and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag." Section 7(d). "When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace." Section 7(g). "The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart." Section 8(j).
PLEASE NOTE that care should always be taken in displaying the flags of other nations in a manner "equal" to that of the United States: "No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof: Provided, That nothing in this section shall make unlawful the continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the flag of the United Nations in a position of superior prominence or honor, and other national flags in positions of equal prominence or honor, with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the United Nations." Section 7(c). Photo (C) 2012 by N. Simmons.
Posted by Ross and Hunter at 4:35 PM No comments:
Photo: Flag Flown Upside-Down In Protest
NOT PROPER.
Flag Code violations: "No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America…." Section 8. "The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property." Section 8(a). Note, however, that the improper use or display of the United States Flag in protest is a form of expression protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. (See The Flag and the First Amendment.) Photo (C) 2012 by P. Bober.
Photo: Indoor Display From Staff With State Flag
Flag Code Authority: "The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse." Section 6(g). "No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America...." Section 7(c). "No [flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies] may be placed above the flag of the United States or to the United States flag's right." Section 7(f). Photo by Ross G. Simmons.
Flags Prohibited on Athletic Uniforms
The tie between sports and patriotism is customary and appropriate, and the pageantry of athletic competition is integral to its experience, cherished both by athletes and audience. There is an obvious analogy between good sportsmanship and good citizenship, and we applaud their celebration. National anthems are played and national flags are displayed, both gestures, when done properly, being important reminders of patriotic themes for all participants. We encourage such reflection at every opportunity, and athletic competition provides an obvious one.
Still, athletic competition is uniquely about the athletes; the talents they possess, the sportsmanship they demonstrate, and the many hours and personal sacrifices dedicated to their development. As a result, national interests are, and always have been appropriately made subordinate to personal and team accomplishments. In ancient Greece, a truce existed between all participating city-states three months before and after ancient Olympic games suspending jingoistic matters, in part to celebrate its participants and facilitate their safety. Similarly, both our collegiate and professional sports' ranks are blessed with foreign nationals, representing the most talented and dedicated men and women in their athletic disciplines. In our view, we must take care, while celebrating their accomplishments, to remain sensitive to their right to remain dedicated to their own, home countries, rather than insist that they pay homage to ours.
We have separately concluded that flag designs are inappropriate for printing, embroidering or otherwise displaying on clothing as a general matter. (See No Flags on Clothing, Please.) We have also broadly construed Section 8(j) of the Flag Code which provides that "a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations." (See Flag Patches on Uniforms (Non-Athletic).) At issue here, however, Section 8(j) begins in the negative: "No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform."
Having begun by waning philosophically, we view this rule as appropriately and categorically prohibiting use of the image of the flag on athletic uniforms.
To be clear, in our research toward that conclusion, we have considered the position that insists on a "strict construction" of this prohibition, to the effect that it should be read merely to preclude a literal "flag" itself comprising part of the uniform. This view holds that reference to "part of the flag" would only prohibit, say, lowering an actual flag and sewing all or some of its parts into the uniform. We believe this interpretation incorrect.
First, such an interpretation would presuppose that the term "flag," as used in the Flag Code, is similarly narrow and only to be applied literally, to actual "flags," and all other representations of the flag of the United State Flag are excluded from its coverage, as a result. This is not accurate. For instance, in its prohibition of the use of flags for advertising purposes, Section 3 defines its use of the term to include "any flag, standard, colors, ensign, or any picture or representation of either, or of any part or parts of either, made of any substance or represented on any substance, or any size evidently purporting to be either of said flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America or a picture or a representation of either…by which the average person seeing the same without deliberation may believe the same to represent the flag, colors, standard, or ensign of the United States of America." The Flag Code's context clearly applies to flags regardless of their composition (See Section 6(c), speaking of "all weather" materials.) To the same effect, "[t]he flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery." Section 8(d). "It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard." Section 8(i). As to this latter authority, if a flag of the United States of America is capable of being "printed or otherwise impressed," it seems clear that the term "flag" as used in the Flag Code speaks to its likeness and representation, as well as to literal flags themselves.
Second, after its preclusion of athletic-uniform use, Section 8(j) then permits limited use of a "flag patch" (by military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations), suggesting that it interprets its own preclusion of "part of the flag" in athletic uniforms to otherwise include the use of the flag patch, for athletic uniforms are not of part of those latter, permitted uses. Very few, if any athletic teams could be or should be "patriotic organizations." None that we are aware of require an oath to our country as a prerequisite to participation (naturalized United States citizens take an oath to our country, but citizens by birth do not), nor should they, as many sports permit us to enjoy the skills and celebrate the achievements of foreign athletes, and to us it would seem invariably inappropriate to compel their allegiance to the United States solely in order to enjoy the benefits, to them and to us, of their participation in athletic pursuits within our borders.
Finally, we anticipate that our conclusion might be challenged anecdotally, in that the image of the flag has been occasionally found on athletic uniforms (for instance, occasional Major League Baseball uniforms, the United States Olympic Team, among others). We empathize with those gestures, but empathy does not make that display and use proper when, as we have concluded, it is not. We have no quarrel with this statute, premised upon our considered thoughts, and whether it is a rule deserving of reconsideration or clarity is a question for our elected, legislative representatives. To be sure, if the Flag Code is to be overridden by at the initiative of private interests (no matter how patriotic their motives may be), then it undermines the very purpose of its existence, and too, the respect for the very emblem it exists to assure.
Question: This year, I've noticed that the helmets worn by players in the National Football League (NFL) bear a sticker likeness of the United States Flag. Is this display proper?
Answer: No, it is not. We have interpreted Section 8(j) as prohibiting display or use of the United States flag, or even its image, on athletic uniforms. Moreover, apart from our interpretation of Section 8(j), we have other concerns. Certainly, in that the helmet of a football uniform is, by its nature, intended for protecting a player from the sport's invariable contact with other participants as well as the ground itself, it is clear that a flag's image in that location cannot be afforded the respect the Flag Code requires at Section 8 (i.e., "the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing," at Section 8; "the flag should never touch anything beneath it; such as the ground," at Section 8(b)). More difficult, we believe that its presence on the helmets of participants who are not citizens of this country puts them in an untenable position relative to the dedication they have to their own homeland, and hence, cheapens the display of that emblem by those who truly do so by virtue of their United States citizenship.
Photo: Flag Painted on Automobile Roof
Flag Code Violations: "The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle or of a railroad train or a boat. When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender. "Section 7(b). "No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America…." Section 8. "The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free." Section 8(c). Photo by Ross G. Simmons.
Flag Patches on Uniforms (Non-Athletic)
We have separately concluded that flag designs are inappropriate for printing, embroidering or otherwise displaying on clothing. (See No Flags on Clothing, Please.) An exception referenced there and discussed here is selective use of a patch bearing the likeness of the flag of the United States of America. Section 8(j) of the Flag Code provides that "a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations."
Anecdotally, most know flag patches to be so used. By extension and without express authority, however, usage of a flag patch on uniforms is typically extended to analogous, uniformed personnel as well, perhaps by custom, such as uniformed governmental personnel and private security guards. We are not strongly opposed to that. One could argue that any uniformed individual charged with service to or safety of United States citizens is inherently a "patriotic organization."
Placement on uniforms is not dictated by the Flag Code, but in civil use the flag patch is most often found on the right sleeve. We surmise that this is derived from the ordinary display provisions of the Code, that typically require placement of the flag to the "the speaker's right" (Section 7(k)), or elsewhere, that "no other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America…." Section 7(c).
Military placement is by regulation of the Armed Forces, and varies between the left and right sleeve among military branches and uniforms. Conventional military usage, however, dictates that "the star field faces forward," which "gives the effect of the flag flying into the breeze as the wearer moves forward." Army Regulation 670-1. When this rule is applied to the right sleeve, its use is called the "reverse field flag," since it is opposite of what one versed in flag etiquette would expect. (For instance, when a flag is displayed on a wall, "the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, to the observer's left. Flag Code Section 7(i).)
Regardless, the prerequisite to application of a flag patch, however, is a "uniform," as Section 8(j) limits its exception to specified or specifically-described organizational uniforms, rather than mere, casual ornamentation. Thus, private, individual use of a flag patch on clothing is, in our view, improper, just as we have separately concluded that use of the flag or flag designs in clothing, generally, is improper.
Question: Recently on the highway, I passed a "motorcycle gang," each member of which had a flag patch sewn on the shoulder of their leather jackets. Surely this can't be OK?
Answer: Section 8(j) of the Flag Code has breadth, and we believe it would be proper if, according to the internal rules of this organization, it could rightfully, objectively be thought of as "patriotic," and carried out its activities with appropriate respect and reverence for the United States, generally, and the flag, specifically. For example, the uniform of the Boy Scouts of America ("BSA"), too, bears the patch of the United States flag on its right sleeve. In that the oath required of BSA participants calls for a duty "to God and my country," it is the prototypical "patriotic organization" and such usage is permitted by Section 8(j). However, once the "patriotic organization" prerequisite is found, the terms of the Flag Code do not discriminate against any one of them, or between them on the basis of other organizational ideologies; in the United States of America, our view is that is as it should be.
Photo: Flag Displayed From Staff
Flag Code Violations: "When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the window sill, balcony, or front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff...." Section 7(h). "No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing." Section 8. "The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property. Section 8(a). "The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, floor, water, or merchandise." Section 8(b). Photo by Hunter Simmons.
No Flags on Clothing, Please
Flag Code Section 8's concept of "respect" for the flag of the United State of America can, at first glance, seem patent and trivial. There are certainly those who would imagine that any and all demonstrative uses of our national emblem are invariably "patriotic," simply in their own right. We are of the view, though, that idle exhibitions of patriotism are little more than a tribute to the exhibitor, a self-pat on one's back as it were, whereas "respect" speaks in terms of the flag itself. American Heritage (4th) defines "respect" as "to feel or show deferential regard for; esteem." This is to say, one does not automatically "respect" the flag by its use; to the contrary, we suggest that one shows the opposite by its misuse.
Except for patches on certain uniforms (which we address in a separate column), please do not wear clothing of any kind embossed with the American flag. Please. "The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. Section 8(d). "It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard." Section 8(i).
No flags or flag designs as clothing? This may, at first blush, appear Draconian. But reiterating, one mustn't confuse pretence with reverence. The first is of no moment within the body of flag etiquette, whereas the latter is at its very heart.
From prior posts, one knows that "[n]o disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America." Flag Code, Section 8. When the flag is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, it should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning. Flag Code, Section 8(k). The Flag Code's lesson: thinking the image of the flag is any less deserving of respect than the flag itself is to miss the mark entirely. To think the emblem of our country might be relegated merely to an idle "design" akin to any beer company or tourist destination, to be thoughtlessly soiled and trivialized as any other article of clothing, shoved in the hamper, unceremoniously laundered, outgrown and over-worn and eventually, summarily relegated to the landfill when its use exhausted or fashions otherwise change—that is, to say the least, distressing.
Now you know. Still, you should also know that we do not look askance at those who do not follow our example, for it is that freedom itself that provokes the esteem we afford the United States, which the flag represents. If one chooses to wear clothing bearing flag prints and reproductions, one is free to do so, proving to all who care that he or she is patriotic; congratulations. In permitting personal choice to supplant the Flag Code, however, there should be no confusion that that is not respectful whatsoever of the flag of the United States of America.
Question: Look, for years I have bought the annual "flag shirt" sold in advance of Independence Day by a national retailer, and I am proud of the fact that I have eight different versions of it. Wearing this shirt is a proper display of the flag, right?
Answer: With all due respect, absolutely not. A shirt, even if arguably imbued with intangible value akin to a "trading card," is designed for temporary use and discard, and hence it may not be printed with the image of a flag. Section 8(i). It is difficult to imagine any of us treating a shirt as the Flag Code requires we treat the flag of the United States of America, so this is as it should be. But we wish to be clear about another unfortunate issue raised by the "flag shirt" campaign. Your question amply illustrates that the effect of this sales strategy is to raise the value of the shirts (to induce their purchase) over the emblem itself which adorns them. Apart from diminishing the significance of the flag's image, we are also of the opinion that promotion and sale of this "series" of garments is a regrettable, misguided marketing ploy, and "[t]he flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever." Section 8(i).
Flag Use and Decorum in Parades
Surely there are few sights more stirring for citizens of our country than that of our national flag flown during a parade. Civic pride is appropriately provoked by the pomp and pageantry of such times, and too, these community gatherings and celebrations are fitting occasions to reflect on the many gifts of our citizenship, and the sacrifices made by those who secured them. Still, the flag of the United States must be afforded its proper and fitting place apart from and above the ancillary festivities.
In parades themselves, the flag of the United States is generally to be carried in the front. Accordingly to Section 7 of the Flag Code, if it is carried with another flag or flags, the flag of the United States "should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag's own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line." "No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America. Flag Code, Section 7(c). (Section 7(b) cautions that generally, the flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except from a staff.)
Section 9 provides that the salute to the flag should be rendered at the moment the flag passes. All persons present should face the flag and stand at attention, and except for those in uniform, should place their right hand over their heart. Those in uniform should render the military salute. When not in uniform, men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.
Question: I will soon be traveling abroad and will have occasion to be a spectator at a parade in a foreign country. Given my United States citizenship, and my commitment and oath to this country, what tribute, if any, should I pay to the flag of foreign countries should they be displayed on this occasion?
Answer: The provisions of the Flag Code apply to the display and respect shown for flag of the United States, so have no literal application. However, Section 9 of the Flag Code provides that "[a]liens should stand at attention" during any ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in review. This symbolizes that, while we do not ask foreign nationals to pledge their allegiance or otherwise afford undue reverence to our flag in deference to their own citizenship elsewhere, certainly it is expected that they show their respect for our national emblem and the country for which it stands during their time here. Applied by analogy, as a citizen in the United States, we believe that the Flag Code recognizes world custom, and you should stand at attention at any time the foreign flag is hoisted or lowered, without formal salute, and do the same at the moment the flag passes in a parade or in review.
Posted by Ross and Hunter at 12:00 AM No comments:
Displaying the Flag: Typical Outdoor Use
Section 6 of the Flag Code provide guidance as to the times and occasions for displaying the Flag of the United States of America in the ordinary course out of doors. It calls for display on stationary flagstaffs that are in the open and clearly visible. In raising the flag, it should be hoisted or posted briskly. Conversely, it is to be lowered or removed ceremoniously. There are special rules regarding how to hoist and lower at half-staff.
Aside from all other rules permitting display, it is improper to display the flag on days of inclement weather. This is to say that the flag should be lowered and stowed on rainy days. It may be displayed in this circumstance, however, if adequately protected from the elements, or otherwise constructed of specific "all weather" materials.
By universal custom, the flag should only be displayed from sunrise to sunset. For those who know this rule, there are few feelings more disheartening than the lifeless flag standing neglected in the pitch of night, and this is the most often overlooked rule of residential patriots who would prefer avoiding daily hoisting and lowering. For them, the Rules of Flag Etiquette provide an exception for the compliant-minded: "When a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness."
The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution, in or near every polling place on election days, and in or near schoolhouses during school days.
Question: The school in my neighborhood did not hoist the flag today. What up?
Answer: We reviewed the weather conditions in your neighborhood, and learned that there were scattered showers that day. Most likely the flag was not displayed in view of the inclement weather, which is not only appropriate but required. By the way, if you have questions as to the display or nondisplay of the flag in practice by a public institution, most are very receptive to your constructive input, and you should feel comfortable broaching the subject. Most public institutions have a specific reason for their approach to flag display, or will be appreciative of learning more from the public.
Displaying the Flag: Half-Staff
In raising the flag, it should be hoisted or posted briskly. Conversely, it is to be lowered or removed ceremoniously, so says Section 6(b) of the Flag Code. Section 7(m) speaks to when the flag is flown at half-staff. It should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant, and then lowered to the half-staff position, in tribute. At the time of lowering, it should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. More elaborate, though, are the rules related to when half-staff display is appropriate.
On Memorial Day, the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, and then raised to the top of the staff for the remainder. The flag is also generally flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day.
The flag is to be flown at half-staff for 30 days from the death of a President or former President; and 10 days from the date of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Lesser times are prescribed upon the death of persons holding other, specific government positions. Separately, by order of and as instructed by the President, the flag is flown at half-staff "as a mark of respect to their memory" on the death of principal figures of federal government, state governors, or other officials or foreign dignitaries. A state governor has similar authority within his or her state's borders for state government officials. Finally, on June 29, 2007, President Bush signed the "Army Specialist Joseph P. Micks Federal Flag Code Amendment Act of 2007," which permits state governors to order the flag to be flown at half-staff in tribute to a member of the Armed Forces from that state who dies while serving on active duty.
Question: I have a small, stationary flag posted at my home, not one that is hoisted and lowered on a flag pole. This is to say that I cannot fly my flag at half-staff. Is it appropriate for me to display the flag in this manner on days or on occasions where the flag should be at half-staff?
Answer: Unfortunately, there is no set law or rule that addresses your question, and you should know that when there are unanswered questions, we always turn to the underlying purpose and significance of the Flag Code, rather than its specifics. Based on that, our view is that the half-staff rules invoke protocols that are of greater symbolism than mere display, but otherwise elaborate upon the display of the flag generally. As a result, we view it appropriate for flags that are not capable of being displayed at half-staff to be displayed in any event, in whatever form that may take. A flag displayed at half-staff is a particularly reverent event, and it in no way cheapens the circumstance to display a flag in the ordinary course that is otherwise incapable of being flown at half-staff. To the contrary, in its own way, any display of the flag is symbolic. If done as a tribute to an event which otherwise requires half-staff display, it itself is a tribute to that event.
Posted by Ross and Hunter at 5:00 AM No comments:
The Flag and the First Amendment
Question: I believe there should be a Constitutional Amendment against flag burning in protest. What is your view of that?
Answer: You refer to modern history, which has spawned a class of people who seek to provoke the public not by passive disregard of the flag, but by outright public desecration of the flag, as a display of contempt for our nation. Examples, including flag burning, are as diverse as the human imagination and not worthy of civil elaboration: they are objectively incendiary. They anger those who revere our country and who are humbled by the freedoms they cherish. They outrage those like the authors who have a father/grandfather who was wounded in battle. They inflame and callously trivialize those whose loved ones never came home, the honor and memory of who seem cheapened by this outrageous gesture.
Nevertheless, in 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated prohibitions against flag desecration based on the First Amendment, which provides: "Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech." It held that the act of flag burning is a form of expression akin to speech, and its effectiveness in provoking the sentiment of the public was precisely the reason it could not be Constitutionally prohibited. Justice Brennan observed that: "[w]e do not consecrate the flag by punishing its desecration, for in doing so we dilute the freedom that this cherished emblem represents."
Should there be a Constitutional Amendment prohibiting flag burning? Perhaps, but that is a political issue for another day. Come what may, we merely observe that one cannot enact reverence, nor can one legislate wisdom: stupidity is innate. If one desecrates the symbol of that from which their right to do so is derived, it's clear this is one who either has not given, or is incapable of giving that gesture much thought. Still, it was Voltaire in his Essay on Tolerance that said: "Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too."
We do not like this result…not at all. However, when we encounter these village idiots, we pause only to thank God (for surely they have not) that we live in a country where they are not shot where they stand for their conduct. We then shake our heads, smile, say "God Bless America" to ourselves, and move along.
Authority and References
Unbeknownst to most, the proper display of the Flag of the United State of America is something more than an idle show of patriotism. Rather, it is the subject of federal law. The "Flag Code" is a part of the United States Code, at 4 U.S.C. Section 1, but we will call those rules the Flag Code because it's a whole lot easier.
Granted, these rules are largely unenforced, no doubt because any act of patriotism, even if literally "noncompliant," should be lauded rather than punished. Nevertheless, we believe that most Americans that have the dedication and pride to manifest their support for our democracy by display of our Standard, would self-regulate, were they armed with the knowledge by which to do so.
The Flag Code requires that "the flag of the Unites States shall be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; and the union of the flag shall be forty-eight stars, white in a blue field." Modern flags, of course, have fifty stars, reflecting the admission of two additional states since the Flag Code's enactment, namely Alaska and Hawaii. This is prescribed by Section 2 of the Flag Code, which provides that "on the admission of a new State into the Union one star shall be added to the union of the flag; and such addition shall take effect on the fourth day of July then next succeeding such admission."
Question: I have a United States flag made before the admission of Hawaii and Alaska as states, and so only has 48 stars. May I display a United States Flag that doesn't comply with the federal law, but is proper at the time of its manufacture?
Answer: Yes. There is nothing wrong with display of a historic flag. This is true not only of the "stars and bars" flags compliant at the time of their manufacture, but also of any historic flags which are chronologically accurate and emblematic of the United State of America (such as the "Don't Tred on Me" flags of days gone by). That said, any flag displayed in tribute to the United State of America should be done in a way consistent with federal law, and otherwise should be done consistent with the rules of flag etiquette, in honor of "the Republic for which it stands."
In keeping with the sanctity of our national standard, it is not to be trifled with at the end of its usefulness. Take one of the observations of President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address; the greatest victories for freedom cannot be celebrated without solemn and reverent thought being given to their costs. So too, as the emblem of our freedom, the flag is not deserving of respect and admiration during its useful life, only to be cast aside and thoughtlessly discarded when that useful life is over. This is to say a flag, no matter how beaten, battered and useless, is never mere "trash."
"The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning." Flag Code, Section 8(k).
It you do not have the time or facilities to properly dispose of a flag of the United State of America (meaning its dignified destruction, not its mindless discard), please seek out those who do. Most American Legion Posts regularly conduct a dignified flag burning ceremony, often on Flag Day. You may also contact Boy Scout Troops in your area to do the same. Granted, this sign of respect may take time you don't have, but the freedom the flag of the United States of America memorializes is a tribute to those who gave their lives for you to fly your flag. While flying the flag alone may provoke pride, it is the more general responsibility to the flag as an anthem, for all that it stands, that symbolizes your respect for all that we have as citizens of the United States of America.
Question: I live in a city, and cannot burn anything (much less a flag) consistent with the laws of my municipality. What do I do?
Answer: The retirement of a flag of the United States of America is a solemn and reflective event. It's easy to buy a flag, and we would encourage you to accept responsibility for having done so, and retire it by destruction, the way it should be retired. A fireplace, a barbeque, a picnic area or nearby campsite can provide the venue for this occasion, and a terribly worthwhile and reverent event for family and friends. If you cannot or choose not to dispose of the flag properly, out of respect for those who gave you the right to make that choice, seek out someone who will. A phone call or a chat with a neighbor asking assistance…that's not too much to ask.
Respect for the Flag
Placed in perspective, much of "flag etiquette" is intuitive. The flag is a symbol not only of our country, but also a tribute to all of those who gave their lives to secure it. From the deserts of Baghdad, to the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Flag Code suggests that we appreciate what we were given by those who gave or were willing to give all to defend it. If you really think about it, respect for the flag of the United States of America, as modest and insignificant as it may seem in view of the sacrifice of so many, is probably the only meaningful tribute to these men and women of which we are capable. It makes sense in that light that the protocols of the flag should therefore be approached with some level of awe.
The admonition of Section 8 of the Flag Code is: "No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organizational or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor."
Question: It is disrespect to the flag of the United States of America to dip it to any person or thing. Why then is the flag used in covering a veteran's casket, which use is associated with the end of one's life, and hence seems to diminish its significance?
Answer: By custom, this use does not diminish a flag's significance, as much as it pays tribute to the individual who made, or was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice "to the republic for which it stands." The Flag Code defers to the custom of covering the casket of a veteran with the flag of the United States of America. As well it should. The flag is the emblem of our country, and all that it stands for, and to the extent one, notably, a veteran, chooses to value the liberty of his or her brethren over life itself, so to the country and all of its citizens ought pay tribute to that sacrifice. Section 7(n) of the Flag Code provides that "when a flag is used to cover a casket, it should be so placed that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground." It is a fitting tribute and wholly reconcilable, to honor one who was willing to sacrifice all for the freedoms we enjoy, and yet to maintain appropriate deference to that which represents the freedoms he or she fought to maintain. It is difficult to think of recognition that is more appropriately auspicious.
Today's Half-Staff Notification
What follow are our opinions of what are proper or (more commonly) improper displays and/or uses of the flag of the United States of America. Truly, most of our fellow citizens take patriotism to heart, and most issues are inadvertent, accidental or unknowing. When we encounter circumstances such as those, we approach the issue politely and practically, and ask that they be remedied. We invite you to do the same. Most people are receptive and correct the problem; admittedly and unfortunately, some are not and do not. Pursuing the appropriate respect for, and display and use of our national emblem often-times requires courage, but it pales relative to that shown by those who sacrificed everything to enable us to do so.
Remember, we're not saying the Flag Code is always "correct," politically or practically. We're saying that citizenship calls for respectful compliance. Disagree with the Flag Code if you must, but pursue a change in the law rather than ignore it. Our ability--indeed, our obligation to participate within the system, after all, is the very essence of the flag, and the republic for which it stands.
Flag-Waver Support
Have a specific question of Flag Etiquette? Want us to opine about the use of a flag in your neighborhood? Please submit your questions, photos and/or videos to submit@properstandard.com, and on our honor, we'll do our best to timely respond, either privately or on the blog. By submitting, you're giving us your word that you own the content of your submission and we have a nonexclusive, unlimited license to use it here.
Ross and Hunter
We all admire those who defend the American flag, and "the republic for which it stands." Well, Ross G. Simmons and his son, Hunter, are dedicated to preserving that sentiment, through that emblem's appropriate display in the Homeland. As life members of the National Eagle Scout Association, they regularly participate in Boy Scout-sanctioned flag retirement ceremonies, and have been researching flag etiquette and teaching it to the public for years. There are a slew of requirements about how to handle, display, and show respect for the flag (or more particularly, what should not be done with Old Glory) that you might not know about, and Ross and Hunter are eager to share them.


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Two Town of Charlestown women honored for excellence
The Town of Charlestown has two new fellows.
And they're both women.
Commissioner Renee Capano and Town Office Manager Emily Fletcher both recently were honored by the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance. The ceremony was held September 15 at University of Maryland College Park.
Over 100 public affairs officials from across the state received an Academy certificate. All of the Academy Fellows completed a substantial number of program hours of core and elective classes designed to meet their professional needs as municipal or county officials in local government. Through the program, Academy Fellows not only enhanced their understanding of local government issues and ethical standards for public service, but also developed a foundation for informed policy making and effective governance.
"This graduation celebrates the important commitment to public service that these public officials have made. Their work in the Academy not only prepares them for even greater service in the future, it lays the foundation for excellence in Maryland's government in the future. We're very proud of this important effort," said University of Maryland School of Public Policy Dean Donald F. Ketti.
The Academy, which offered its first classes in 1998, is a collaborative effort between the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, the Maryland Municipal League, and the Maryland Association of Counties.
The School of Public Policy is recognized as one of the country's premier programs in public policy and management. The school has over 25 years of experience delivering acclaimed leadership development and public policy programs to public clients as well as non profit and for profit organizations.
Elkton Mayor Joe Fisona, Rising Sun Mayor Bob Fisher, and former Rising Sun Commissioner Stephen Naughton also earned the honor as being fellows from the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance.