The Rebellious Stripes Flag
As we will be celebrating our nation's 1776 birth this week, staining shirts with ketchup and mustard, flash-banging our poor dogs, and edging toward the nation's semiquincentennial (say that three times, fast) in 2026, I thought I'd feature something revolutionary with historical echoes that are relevant today.
It's a flag. And if you're a frequent reader, you know how I love flags. (My building in Boise has a flag pole which allows me to celebrate/promote/protest causes ranging from B Corps to climate action.)
This particular flag is known as the "Rebellious Stripes" flag, created in 1765 by the Sons of Liberty as a call to action for protesting unfair taxation and overreach by the English Crown.
Simple design, always best for a flag, just alternating red and white stripes.
If the flag is unfamiliar, well, the Sons of Liberty had a motto that might ring a bell for the grade-school you: "No taxation without representation."
As with other historical flags – think Pine Tree Flag, aka An Appeal to Heaven flag, or the Gadsden Flag, aka Don't Tread on Me – the Rebellious Stripes is gaining new life today as a symbol to protest governmental overreach by the current presidential election.
I got my flag from Michael Green at Flags for Good, who we profiled back in 2023. While a small gesture, flying the Rebellious Stripes is my attempt to put some micro vibes into the universe to help achieve the 3.5% rule (Civil Resistance: It's a Percentages Game). Raise a flag and raise awareness for positive, nonviolent community protest.
On a completely DIFFERENT note, today is July 1. Our year, 2025, is halfway through. (Holy 💩, where did THAT go?) This mid-way point is an opportunity to take stock; did you achieve what you set out to during the first half year or are you on track to do so for the full calendar year? What do you hope to accomplish during the second half of the year?
January through June, I picked up a couple of great brand strategy clients, recertified as a B Corp, met goals I'd established for my coworking space, Inspiration Alley, including successfully getting an extension on my building's mortgage. (Thanks to reader Marissa Szapucki of U.S. Bank for your help on the mortage🙏.)
Now on to quarters three and four of the year. Let's see what kind of impact we can make, shall we?
Godspeed, friends.
Russ
💬 Think About It
“If you feel pain, you are alive. If you feel other people's pain, you are a human being." Leo Tolstoy
💥 Quick Hits
• Sketched out by AI? – If you love art and are both curious and concerned about AI, then you MUST experience this beautiful, interactive graphic story by illustrator Christoph Niemann. (New York Times gift article)
• Here's a gutsy move – Available in print-only (no digital!), the Goodnewspaper is filled with good news because print makes you slow down and let the good sink in. Plus, every issue includes art you can hang on your wall.
• Good news/bad news: The good news? AI will be able to help us more accurately forecast extreme climate events. The bad news? Climate change. (Columbia Universe Data Science Institute)
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