Happy nEU Year!

[Aphex_Twin]

The army of eurocrats has finally crossed the Carpathians. All packed with mountains of paper and rule books, hundreds of thousands of poor pathetic nit-pickers are about to drag the economy to a screeching halt. Well, that and there are cool fireworks, nifty blue flags and a new breed of European patriotism. You just have to love this New Year.

So in celebration, I propose a flag design contest. I find the old version a little damp, especially considering the great diversity of people, language and cultures that make it up. Something more lively, maybe?

I'd dish out a symbolic $10 gift certificate from Amazon.com for a good winner.


So let's begin. Take this as a kind of benchmark:

 

[Chandrasekhar]

It needs something to go in the center.

 

[Mirc]

I'm a huge EU fan......... Yesterday I just found an avatar which I'm going to put up later today or tomorrow.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Hey, better for the Germans to be engaging in acts of bureaucracy with the French than invading.

After all, they did it 3 times, once humiliating them and twice letting the French take credit when we kicked them out. But we are busy right now . . .

 

[Aphex_Twin]

OK, I added in a little prize to make for an official contest.

 

[Mirc]

Here's a better version of the flag:


I am planning for about a week to make this my avatar......

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

For the paranoid out there.

 

[Lockesdonkey]

Speaking as an EU outsider, I have two points to make:

1. I like the idea of the EU.

2. I think the flag is good as is.

I'll look for another good one, tho. I make flags to pass the time sometimes.

The ones that really need new flags are the US states. Here are some samples:

My home state, Michigan:

Spoiler :

The blue represents the lakes, the green represents the land, the white ring the Mackinac Bridge (any other design makes it look like you're looking down a hallway), the gear Michigan's historically industrial society, the gold border-thingy the importance of commerce, and the pine tree is nature.

Montana:

Spoiler :

The squiggle represents mountains, as the state's name means "Mountain" in Spanish. The state's motto, Oro y Plata, means "Gold and Silver," gives the colors yellow and white.

Virginia:

Spoiler :

The British flag is the one that flew over Virginia before the Revolution; I have variants with the English flag in the corner. The spear is breaking the chains of tyranny, representing the motto Sic Semper Tyrannis (Thus Always to Tyrants) far better than a woman standing over a bloody body ever could.

New Jersey (two):

Spoiler :

Both variations of the Flag of Jersey. The green in both instances represents the greenness of the state's fields (Garden State). Yes, the second one is directly plagiarized from the Basque Irkunina.

New Hampshire:

Spoiler :

The canton (upper-left corner) is derived from the Flag of Hampshire. The stripes represent the fact that NH was the ninth state in the Union.

 

[JonnyB]

This one screams diversity.

Spoiler :

I think it's being used though...
so you might want to switch it to vertical stripes

 

[Princeps]

This one's better... more European with the Roman style eagle and all.

 

[Red Door]

This is what Conservatives want:

 

[Aphex_Twin]

A new design:

 

[Mirc]

What's the gray thing? (probably stupid question, but anyway....)

 

[Aphex_Twin]

You're kidding, right?

 

[amadeus]

That's the fasces, the symbol for fascism.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

What's the gray thing? (probably stupid question, but anyway....)

I believe it is a fasces (spelling)? The root of the word fascist.

EDIT: Damn you Sharpe!

 

[Mirc]

Ah, I've heard of it, but never saw it. And no, I wasn't kidding.

 

[Reno]

Time for the EU to expand, although it should now take a break from expanding. Countries such as Romania and Bulgaria (especially Bulgaria) were hardly in condition to be accepted.

All packed with mountains of paper and rule books, hundreds of thousands of poor pathetic nit-pickers are about to drag the economy to a screeching halt.

And isn't the Romanian economy already in a state of paralysis?

The EU could only do good for Romania at this point.

 

[amadeus]

 

[bhsup]

They're going commmmmiiiieeee!!! Run!