Half Mast Gadget?

[FactryRatt]

Does anyone know if there is a "gadget" for letting us know when to fly our flag at half mast? Sure would be cool to have one!

[NAVA1974]

Does anyone know if there is a "gadget" for letting us know when to fly our flag at half mast? Sure would be cool to have one!

Yes, it consists of two parts: a friend, and a magic marker. When your friend tells you the flag is at the proper height for half-masting, you make marks on the halyard to let you know you are at the correct height.

Nick

[Robin Hickman]

.
Nick, I might be wrong, but I think FactryRatt is referring to a Windows 7 desktop "gadget" (application) that would provide him/her half-staff notifications automatically and display them on his desktop.

Or maybe it really does have to do with finding the physical location of the halfway point on his/her flagpole!


Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
.

[NAVA1974]

.
I think FactryRatt is referring to a Windows 7 desktop "gadget" (application) that would provide him/her half-staff notifications automatically and display them on his desktop. Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
.

Well, I guess that is another way of looking at 'when is the flag at half-mast.' But I made the assumption that FactryRatt was asking the harder question. There really is a need for some means that will let a person know that they have reached the half-staff position when they are raising their flag in the morning then lowering it to the proper position - I see far more flags waaaaay to low on the mast on days when half-staffing has been declared than I see flags that are at the peak. A flag should only be lowered by the length of the flag - just enough to show that "death's invisible flag triumphant' as Whitney Smith put it. You do NOT need to lower the flag to the physical center of the mast, or to a point where you can almost touch the lower fly corner.

And you are probably right. And there is no such site that is applicable nationwide. The US General Services Administration is responsible for informing all Federal buildings when the flag should be lowered according to Presidential procalmation, but each state governor has a limited authority to call for half-staffing. There may be someone out there who checks each governor's proclamations each and every day, but I haven't heard of any.

Nick
Please visit my Flicker photo stream for pics of antique US flags:
Flickr: nicka21045's Photostream

[mknowlan]

Yes, there is a site that has a gadget or widget you can download onto your site. The widget will automatically display the flag at half staff on the appropriate days and give the reason why. Here is a link to the page to get the code. Half Staff American Flag Widget

[dpd4333]

Does anyone know if there is a "gadget" for letting us know when to fly our flag at half mast? Sure would be cool to have one!

Unless you are on a ship, you will be flying your flag at half staff. There is a difference. Also, Windows 7 does have a desktop widget. You can also sign up with your state to receive notifications. There are only 5 days you fly the flag at half staff.

• May 15 — Peace Officers Memorial Day: half-staff from sunrise to sunset
• Last Monday in May — Memorial Day: the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon
• September 11 — Patriot Day: half-staff from sunrise to sunset
• First Sunday in October — Start of Fire Prevention Week: half-staff from sunrise to sunset. See Public Law 107-51
• December 7 — National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: half-staff from sunrise to sunset