tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51087806227892611252024-03-05T12:47:09.830-08:00Real Fun with FlagsBeautiful, ugly, boring, bizarre, clever, confusing, thought-provoking, laugh-out-loud funny ...Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-41438909424989351352018-12-29T14:37:00.001-08:002018-12-29T14:37:06.739-08:00Introduction<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s called vexillology (the study of flags, that is), and it’s something I’ve been fascinated by since I can remember. In fact, one of my favorite Christmas memories is getting a first edition of Whitney Smith’s <i>Flags: Through the Ages and Across the World </i>as a pre-teen. And, if that title doesn’t mean anything to you, that’s okay. If it does, though, you’re probably a flag nerd like me – and should really enjoy this blog.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCMOCNw6ijz3EtAN2_ABZhCPE6vZdrLOCbscbmdFcvHInXHjy9AoEhpUKeXeyV1cYolVpWpY0ZGnnDTyGWxjJHEBONaEzMc6RZaq0fXoPpeHeP8grYMDZVoBEcil2Y2Gtm1ANfQTAoRg/s1600/whitney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="470" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCMOCNw6ijz3EtAN2_ABZhCPE6vZdrLOCbscbmdFcvHInXHjy9AoEhpUKeXeyV1cYolVpWpY0ZGnnDTyGWxjJHEBONaEzMc6RZaq0fXoPpeHeP8grYMDZVoBEcil2Y2Gtm1ANfQTAoRg/s320/whitney.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My hero</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m pretty sure I know what it is about flags that’s always been so appealing to me. One, I’m a huge history buff, and a geography nerd to boot. Second, I have some artistic skills, and even have a minor in art history. Put ‘em all together … It’s probably what’s been behind my love of coin-collecting, heraldry, and old maps as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s also what's behind the theme of this blog. So, instead of just sharing flag trivia with you, I’ve decided to be more of a critic. I’ll definitely share some of the stories behind the flags along the way, but what I’m really interested is whether a flag is effective, or too plain, too much, beautiful, hideous, or whatever.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3uO0mJRtlsIAB_4kzHLIMlKvX35aEztrEvbFDcBc-7WWlR9X4rLkafUEoyE9dQK5BTXL8m5vg2NEkvzcwTSyw7kpW13TEfwUx99fptXKaePDtz00PSX0_0NWRCJzVXjhq1wYwCGKmgo/s1600/tampa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="632" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3uO0mJRtlsIAB_4kzHLIMlKvX35aEztrEvbFDcBc-7WWlR9X4rLkafUEoyE9dQK5BTXL8m5vg2NEkvzcwTSyw7kpW13TEfwUx99fptXKaePDtz00PSX0_0NWRCJzVXjhq1wYwCGKmgo/s320/tampa.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or just downright peculiar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The name? Well, I had actually been planning this blog for quite a while ... when I wandered into the family room to see what the wife was up to, that is. She’s a huge fan of <i>The Big Bang Theory</i>, so I wasn’t too surprised when I saw that on the telly. What really surprised me, though, was that Sheldon and Amy were doing a vodcast called “Fun with Flags.” That was, in fact, the title I had been thinking of for this blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, there went that idea. Sure enough, somebody else had already taken funwithflags.com, as well as funwithflags.blogspot.com (where I have all my other blogs). Realfunwithflags.blogspot.com? Hey, it’s a winner!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4_f-kPxlzIRjv7c5QQhkTRT1KxXSTLpfbzMfvASNAOF8o3I9TobfGK7VE8o2dC8N7MXPRBVfZNXg22Ng8vY2wBeu2_QlSq8pQyWmA_pbjIAKM0UFH2c548J4f_K9RS8iHbCu_xRpuKA/s1600/bigbang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="529" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4_f-kPxlzIRjv7c5QQhkTRT1KxXSTLpfbzMfvASNAOF8o3I9TobfGK7VE8o2dC8N7MXPRBVfZNXg22Ng8vY2wBeu2_QlSq8pQyWmA_pbjIAKM0UFH2c548J4f_K9RS8iHbCu_xRpuKA/s320/bigbang.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My other heroes</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, will I be dressing up as a pretzel? <i>Nein</i>! Will LeVar Burton make a guest appearance? Uh, probably not. Should you prepare yourself to surrender to fun? Most definitely!</span><br />
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<b>Contents</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-51724505615259927322018-09-14T15:13:00.002-07:002018-09-14T16:54:13.880-07:00US Municipal Flags – Virginia thru Washington DC<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Virginia</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Winchester</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4_V1O4oxWXGG5xp8J3Q3XkpWSskj1F0RHMaJjsdixvExhnQKxUI8fLLgRIiHJpblQEGZkFQTC2AgVvLdVjhDSQNaRoAFnhvp7ikfju8BX6hssI9Y1kw9TuFP5TQavNEdvBhAl2em_IM/s1600/us-va-wn.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="364" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4_V1O4oxWXGG5xp8J3Q3XkpWSskj1F0RHMaJjsdixvExhnQKxUI8fLLgRIiHJpblQEGZkFQTC2AgVvLdVjhDSQNaRoAFnhvp7ikfju8BX6hssI9Y1kw9TuFP5TQavNEdvBhAl2em_IM/s320/us-va-wn.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cool! This heraldically correct beauty looks like it could fly proudly anywhere in Europe. Indeed, that shield is the same one that adorn the flag of Winchester, England:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYPYk1iabmXfVzeU769xnpnK_HB_Pjn3WhwUyGgyJD-EOesF3T2pfRajHOCwEqM_lpUvYx2GhJBLrKuacnQbwBlm7Tp_dLaEuPPt7IcLJYi5Fls5kV42TKyRJTVDF0Wi1Zw-c_miTXXg/s1600/winch+uk.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="388" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYPYk1iabmXfVzeU769xnpnK_HB_Pjn3WhwUyGgyJD-EOesF3T2pfRajHOCwEqM_lpUvYx2GhJBLrKuacnQbwBlm7Tp_dLaEuPPt7IcLJYi5Fls5kV42TKyRJTVDF0Wi1Zw-c_miTXXg/s320/winch+uk.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hmm. I take that back. <a href="https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-va-wn.html">FOTW</a> is usually pretty reliable when it comes to this sort of thing. Not sure what happened here - or where the white lion comes from.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The X, of course, comes from the Confederate battle flag. Given that, my guess is it will be redesigned any day now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Winchester, VA, USA is located in the far northern part of the state, near the mouth of the Shenandoah River. It's got 27,000 people, a ton of history (esp. Civil War), is famous for apples, and counts polar explorer Richard Byrd and C&W singer Patsy Cline as famous sons (and daughters). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If I sound like I know a lot about the place, I do. I lived just over the Blue Ridge, less than 20-miles away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Bridgewater</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrNovVS2EzEqIwSemMECLmh5c194mBpy5ayCYvbNN3UvM8CtnjsTo2TwYW1LbYCmX_rWhJCqlgrwL-SzD7l7mzCcgqcEqoERfGpC2UU_wqBeERP_H0bu5HOXBrKND5ajndVRO62dvNx0/s1600/bridge.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrNovVS2EzEqIwSemMECLmh5c194mBpy5ayCYvbNN3UvM8CtnjsTo2TwYW1LbYCmX_rWhJCqlgrwL-SzD7l7mzCcgqcEqoERfGpC2UU_wqBeERP_H0bu5HOXBrKND5ajndVRO62dvNx0/s1600/bridge.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A seal on a bedsheet is bad enough, but when your seal looks like a particularly inept Boy Scout patch, you gotta seriously wonder if it might not be time to come up with something new. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interestingly, I found a different, slightly better seal out there on the interwebs, so maybe we can just sub that in:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4m4TRLMbsn4l5FPRNY-7KGiuE6jizl8s5M64ZSA-rauIfuPFNW7kk9qrRLweo5F8V9zjEZ8PDFFGL6xEvlrzwCA15wCkDhGOkZyruFcOyzs48e0rRNVlvr6ONrPJ2CtlTUT4O316qE_M/s1600/brridge+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="322" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4m4TRLMbsn4l5FPRNY-7KGiuE6jizl8s5M64ZSA-rauIfuPFNW7kk9qrRLweo5F8V9zjEZ8PDFFGL6xEvlrzwCA15wCkDhGOkZyruFcOyzs48e0rRNVlvr6ONrPJ2CtlTUT4O316qE_M/s320/brridge+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sub in a different color (the blue of the state flag, say), and it’d look even better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This town of 6,000 is also in the Shenandoah Valley, and also features an institution of higher learning, Bridgeport College.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Washington</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Bellevue</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzcN0cRysAGTOeRG1lfWjYJSZ5YizRGoBAr0zSkpRgmHGtLmSfJLO6708ZcYu3u068ZKE1TsUlcce7XjIHsT0i5shK0GZ7E3u5Dn-Hw9TbB7BZcOmJehyphenhyphenvxgKOrzA3zs9Bv0dFqTsQLU/s1600/belle.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="373" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzcN0cRysAGTOeRG1lfWjYJSZ5YizRGoBAr0zSkpRgmHGtLmSfJLO6708ZcYu3u068ZKE1TsUlcce7XjIHsT0i5shK0GZ7E3u5Dn-Hw9TbB7BZcOmJehyphenhyphenvxgKOrzA3zs9Bv0dFqTsQLU/s320/belle.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one seems to have all the tropes of the Pacific Northwest baked right in. Blue and green colors? Check. Conifer? Check. Yin-yang swerve? Whoa! Now, that’s a little different. It really is super-effective though. I honestly can’t think of another municipal flag out there that does that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: Seattle</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Wenatchee</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VRRU0fvI9B1b7NNHaUtBsle6xgPzoSkLKYDzznELonqhec5V1_prDKD4-9nDlBgSy8gR9Nh-7sp88kZoqE-5sj5e8qTQ_ump71uQpBPT9ObjklB76dBHh9b77VimVFqH9TS7iMtJSsg/s1600/wenatchee.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VRRU0fvI9B1b7NNHaUtBsle6xgPzoSkLKYDzznELonqhec5V1_prDKD4-9nDlBgSy8gR9Nh-7sp88kZoqE-5sj5e8qTQ_ump71uQpBPT9ObjklB76dBHh9b77VimVFqH9TS7iMtJSsg/s1600/wenatchee.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honestly, it’s not awful. It could definitely use a little help though, that’s for sure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let me attempt to explain a little of what’s going on here. This town of 33,000 in the north central part of the state is known as the “Apple Capital of the World,” so the apple theme makes a ton of sense. It also just so happens to be known as the “Buckle of the Power Belt of the Great Northwest [!?!?],” which makes a little less sense, but is what the left part of the apple is trying to show (those are dams).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know, maybe that’s just trying to do too much. Or maybe that latter part isn’t terribly obvious (you could swap blue for yellow, but that would be one weird apple). And then there’s all that text (and not to mention that pretty dated font).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are actually heraldic apples out there, so maybe something like this might work:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsm3V8qfa7GKap4WQwgjYI13m_GutdrCqs3cwgDU1tk4jfjK9Z7kLaYmuRGZ_uao1U3Vube0dxbMSCJNfwbw3ZS7sjOc8ztXzq0_24JGy1vXHmWsDXq5O_hRa7adaH4mmLxwliKPeuaE/s1600/wenatchee+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="327" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsm3V8qfa7GKap4WQwgjYI13m_GutdrCqs3cwgDU1tk4jfjK9Z7kLaYmuRGZ_uao1U3Vube0dxbMSCJNfwbw3ZS7sjOc8ztXzq0_24JGy1vXHmWsDXq5O_hRa7adaH4mmLxwliKPeuaE/s320/wenatchee+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Feel free to make those 3 blue lines if that’s an important feature (I just couldn’t make it work in Microsoft Paint).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>West Virginia</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Dunbar</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWseaIyIz6MM7QwK93CHnhlz0J6njxhLRxkWvgqtD_1Cp5U-rsbI2EkGkYDJKSJdSOWdII3a4ptqL2tUwsAUZ09XpDqSQ0pBJuQfmjTP9cqG78DVq6yPI9RVyKCiqStO4xTvZXqxJ_QAs/s1600/dunbar.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="327" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWseaIyIz6MM7QwK93CHnhlz0J6njxhLRxkWvgqtD_1Cp5U-rsbI2EkGkYDJKSJdSOWdII3a4ptqL2tUwsAUZ09XpDqSQ0pBJuQfmjTP9cqG78DVq6yPI9RVyKCiqStO4xTvZXqxJ_QAs/s320/dunbar.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hard to believe that this is the best out there. It does get some credit for simplicity, if nothing else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This town of 8,000 is just down the Kanawha from Charleston. It’s where the Gravely plow was invented (whatever that might happen to be).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Chapmanville</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPb4qOhL30mT9n_boIUm894okzpRMW9umhSUPJNYW8vwLJJbkshOlrPq0YUsS8cXIbrKKEOJgAelj-8NP89FL00fkH8v0PV-yEi6BZwUeZWWwwrEJJFA60bMYBjLglS7VmoZAcBVWxgKU/s1600/chapman.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPb4qOhL30mT9n_boIUm894okzpRMW9umhSUPJNYW8vwLJJbkshOlrPq0YUsS8cXIbrKKEOJgAelj-8NP89FL00fkH8v0PV-yEi6BZwUeZWWwwrEJJFA60bMYBjLglS7VmoZAcBVWxgKU/s320/chapman.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m assuming there’s more to this town than just the local high school’s football team. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Indeed, Wikipedia tells me this place dates all the way back to 1800 (though it was only incorporated in 1947). It has 1,200 inhabitants, and is in the southwest corner of the state. Notable residents include a couple of NFL and MLB players I’ve never heard of, as well as a real live WV governor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dishonorable mention: Huntington</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Wisconsin</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Beloit</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWznQBGmPU9xe-zIUQRSsbOHmy1qVsSXJx7HUGoRQnpel-QX1p_Y7izb7I3Cofg_FDThyWVWBI0PfOf-ewFK64J2rmTzXBAQMu6PG7073mDgm1nikDZP8IUcSPyH1dLGhuMNjK1c0Pfw0/s1600/beloit.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="365" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWznQBGmPU9xe-zIUQRSsbOHmy1qVsSXJx7HUGoRQnpel-QX1p_Y7izb7I3Cofg_FDThyWVWBI0PfOf-ewFK64J2rmTzXBAQMu6PG7073mDgm1nikDZP8IUcSPyH1dLGhuMNjK1c0Pfw0/s320/beloit.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Great (and unusual) colors. I also like that thing in the middle (it’s a water wheel), as well as how easily it fits in with the rest of the flag. Somebody thought this one out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whence the water wheel though? Turns out one of the things that attracted settlers to this place in the first place was the water power. Here are a couple of interesting fun facts about the city:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>The name was fashioned after Detroit (and is, in fact, pronounced as if the two rhymed)</li>
<li>Is where the speedometer was invented</li>
<li>Is also the home of Korn Kurls, arguably the first snack</li>
<li>Claims Danica Patrick as a famous daughter</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: Madison</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Kenosha</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8qz0t98T9EmQjH5DKiownZH9S6fXRQHJDQyc463s6UutIYz-FI9XFo9kiF29UVNH3sZ_40GOdaSAxd6Zxiv12S3fCouzMNauZ-5-VmMAfGWp_CgP026-alNny28hMHluLhpor0rc0Yc/s1600/kenosha.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8qz0t98T9EmQjH5DKiownZH9S6fXRQHJDQyc463s6UutIYz-FI9XFo9kiF29UVNH3sZ_40GOdaSAxd6Zxiv12S3fCouzMNauZ-5-VmMAfGWp_CgP026-alNny28hMHluLhpor0rc0Yc/s1600/kenosha.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow! There’s a lot going on here. Unfortunately, here’s all we know about it:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The City of Kenosha, Wisconsin, replied to me with a photo of the flag and image of the logo. According to the Kenosha city clerk, the flag must be from 1950's or 1960's, but he couldn't find any document about it. (<a href="https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-wiken.html">FOTW</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everyone’s probably heard of Kenosha, but did you know they’re in the very most southeastern part of the state and have 100,000 people?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dishonorable mention: Milwaukee</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Wyoming</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Johnson County</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzsIM5W6GCtFYUG4RCc8DIW7wbTxhYk39fMKwTK7Rs-NUnQQ03wV_DV1JtdKM14vzD62VyoDQgVVYQWSc3pIC25bi5tM14ApHzuZJuOdN4i7Br1Ydpivr0KG7rZXJtqgaS3iB7gNRYb8/s1600/johnson.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="373" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzsIM5W6GCtFYUG4RCc8DIW7wbTxhYk39fMKwTK7Rs-NUnQQ03wV_DV1JtdKM14vzD62VyoDQgVVYQWSc3pIC25bi5tM14ApHzuZJuOdN4i7Br1Ydpivr0KG7rZXJtqgaS3iB7gNRYb8/s320/johnson.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Forget the seal, okay? Now, check out that crazy version of the Union Jack? Know where it comes from? Would you believe it’s the Basque flag? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yup, Johnson County was the home of a number of Basque settlers. There were actually a surprising number of Basque immigrants in the Rockies (usually, as sheepherders), and Basque cuisine is still a feature in these states.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Byron</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUL0yFfwItcJ7pfxdr7fZ2EZI-FxYvBUAk1ODGJWbJWD6ybV8VWavCDwM6h_vPWXIogEg0JIZuoM3wY2ZkYZW4pfS0gwcVcpMZcVzh7XWKcLuDDeQfKOcfg9FlA4v5VXGUa9rS6B1-htc/s1600/byron.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUL0yFfwItcJ7pfxdr7fZ2EZI-FxYvBUAk1ODGJWbJWD6ybV8VWavCDwM6h_vPWXIogEg0JIZuoM3wY2ZkYZW4pfS0gwcVcpMZcVzh7XWKcLuDDeQfKOcfg9FlA4v5VXGUa9rS6B1-htc/s320/byron.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow, typewriter font and everything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This tiny town of less than 600 was named after settler and Mormon leader Byron Sessions. Not a lot to say about this place, so maybe we could use the red stripes from the standard coat of arms:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PBdf7M-4MF-2FyYdP2hiormDiwYv97s8ZavZuLCoQLEzs4bdGauwgI1WDclT1_yIPi1HEvR56axJCyml_izs8VERtimqvQhaHN4uIK8U3VjmmpUy9VY5a7Z9a2qsT53s9gDjZYC0kVA/s1600/byron+shield.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PBdf7M-4MF-2FyYdP2hiormDiwYv97s8ZavZuLCoQLEzs4bdGauwgI1WDclT1_yIPi1HEvR56axJCyml_izs8VERtimqvQhaHN4uIK8U3VjmmpUy9VY5a7Z9a2qsT53s9gDjZYC0kVA/s1600/byron+shield.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">… and combine it with the name “Byron” (but a little more attractive text). Like so:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxg90nGaaZvI2YRtYRax18jg5Zp_f6kckE8W7Q9fHxSp-LghThGgBAsnG4M8G9vmOie0TEG20ArHJHvNCz50JxuFfYRx1UeSJG-rCXXvvQD-EZRHuaHi8MfURTJf86YKdzsKPl0j8VaI/s1600/byron+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxg90nGaaZvI2YRtYRax18jg5Zp_f6kckE8W7Q9fHxSp-LghThGgBAsnG4M8G9vmOie0TEG20ArHJHvNCz50JxuFfYRx1UeSJG-rCXXvvQD-EZRHuaHi8MfURTJf86YKdzsKPl0j8VaI/s1600/byron+2.PNG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8JhCTAH7NkZk8ILO7cZR_Ex_5a8bbWJd8Z3FPOV4EYt5ZL7fhX2AsWZR1jccah0lbYWm-Mknwd021iVU8p6guLi1EJVHCKUZ7OhJv1j9ow6lAaAFM03Sts8eP8kiS5rA6lDYSWLi92I/s1600/byron+3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="156" data-original-width="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8JhCTAH7NkZk8ILO7cZR_Ex_5a8bbWJd8Z3FPOV4EYt5ZL7fhX2AsWZR1jccah0lbYWm-Mknwd021iVU8p6guLi1EJVHCKUZ7OhJv1j9ow6lAaAFM03Sts8eP8kiS5rA6lDYSWLi92I/s1600/byron+3.PNG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not sure what font to go with. Take your pick.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Washington, DC</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguehWRae_i0Su7F_u1OMzOtFwwV9mjOl2fzDuchZp7CDdjYT_vie_06l19MWaZfqAhlNOb4hBIio2uZfoRtsbc4omOmX70yWBjBiwW7SS5qhYGR24Dmia5M0LMEGW85p6oD7d0gEgnIsQ/s1600/dc.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="331" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguehWRae_i0Su7F_u1OMzOtFwwV9mjOl2fzDuchZp7CDdjYT_vie_06l19MWaZfqAhlNOb4hBIio2uZfoRtsbc4omOmX70yWBjBiwW7SS5qhYGR24Dmia5M0LMEGW85p6oD7d0gEgnIsQ/s320/dc.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here is NAVA’s #1! It comes directly from George’s family coat of arms:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6eitconRMm7Iiagoqlmra_SF0X_vJTcuXwsuCTYnB7tZViOgAAxzjf_kZ_CklvebCrooCyQXfa_8zWnVFugvT99djFF1kcHCiguBsNYlw0UVaYYSH8QhEtL4kVFVfdxCxYc4EZQ7wgMg/s1600/wash.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6eitconRMm7Iiagoqlmra_SF0X_vJTcuXwsuCTYnB7tZViOgAAxzjf_kZ_CklvebCrooCyQXfa_8zWnVFugvT99djFF1kcHCiguBsNYlw0UVaYYSH8QhEtL4kVFVfdxCxYc4EZQ7wgMg/s1600/wash.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">... and is probably the perfect expression of the benefits of using good heraldic design in coming up with a good city or county flag. Which is also my main advice to you mayors and city councilmen … and a fitting end to this blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: "times new roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/09/us-municipal-flags-south-dakota-thru.html">< US city flags - South Dakota thru Vermont</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-82878038856505267562018-09-07T16:21:00.003-07:002018-09-14T15:41:47.764-07:00US Municipal Flags – South Dakota thru Vermont<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>South Dakota</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Hermosa</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tqfY8w8UrtgJi7z_DF4kbj5O_XEnWl2LzB6wLgmt6EpvJmY9CZdshCrZkZwKwGb3wA-fnSZ8tCJy_DoBMIJDf04jB4rUPTgfLWs9Nkwgf5BPHIEQX3exXow3H9YEnU29Vi_E4DIBgAI/s1600/hermosa.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="362" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tqfY8w8UrtgJi7z_DF4kbj5O_XEnWl2LzB6wLgmt6EpvJmY9CZdshCrZkZwKwGb3wA-fnSZ8tCJy_DoBMIJDf04jB4rUPTgfLWs9Nkwgf5BPHIEQX3exXow3H9YEnU29Vi_E4DIBgAI/s320/hermosa.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love the large, rather different elements in this one. The seal is pretty lame, but I do like that sun. In a similar vein, the “South Dakota” doesn’t add a lot, but the Western-style font on “Hermosa” is very nice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seeing as this place has less than 400 people, I’m actually pretty impressed with this one. The town itself is in the southwest part of the state. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Rapid City</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcPKuwyMTXLbNBkqTvj-poAXZWH1Zx71pFWs4viLo7FWK54paB6fWIlANPJfQHO7912Gel5Bu90KWizNO8chWOuKjNLfOG9cO7g911DE9ZiKUVASmAZ792xYJ7pKcnzkNvzqew00Xc0U/s1600/rapid.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcPKuwyMTXLbNBkqTvj-poAXZWH1Zx71pFWs4viLo7FWK54paB6fWIlANPJfQHO7912Gel5Bu90KWizNO8chWOuKjNLfOG9cO7g911DE9ZiKUVASmAZ792xYJ7pKcnzkNvzqew00Xc0U/s1600/rapid.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, on the other hand … I mean, that’s a pretty big city for such a lame snoozer of a flag.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The seal’s not bad, but throwing it against a white background sure does wash it out. How about something with a little more color contrast? The state flag features a pretty unique hue, so why not use that:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgO47ZkU2XSbFj-1DWD_ovMCOTasTM5g-WRUgpmVzNFtufrUAQeTgLySb2S_Ucat6yHojdScrJbfURO1S0XOo02OTOv6aPVpawoLQhDlBQxRxAJ28oo1psT08RKVfdQz2R9rqJ-Hc4mco/s1600/rapid+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgO47ZkU2XSbFj-1DWD_ovMCOTasTM5g-WRUgpmVzNFtufrUAQeTgLySb2S_Ucat6yHojdScrJbfURO1S0XOo02OTOv6aPVpawoLQhDlBQxRxAJ28oo1psT08RKVfdQz2R9rqJ-Hc4mco/s320/rapid+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still pretty washed out, though, isn’t it? Guess we really need to just up the color contrast on that seal. An entirely different approach, though, might be to hone in on that “star of the west” deal:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28OGdwzNVRs2VtjR2gAhAgjekVk6RLjpNYO-RLlrxP9z7bEVpalNXY3GD5NbBJP4tK8blfT1PEP__Q7aGXYHWV79pzB-kQ7h1q98I8zTzTIsNVAklktK6Ng1WX7DjkUTjlqI7HX5SSUU/s1600/rapid+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="360" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28OGdwzNVRs2VtjR2gAhAgjekVk6RLjpNYO-RLlrxP9z7bEVpalNXY3GD5NbBJP4tK8blfT1PEP__Q7aGXYHWV79pzB-kQ7h1q98I8zTzTIsNVAklktK6Ng1WX7DjkUTjlqI7HX5SSUU/s320/rapid+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Feel free to put “Rapid City” or even “South Dakota” in there. Simple, curved, black text around the star might work fine. Just keep it simple, Rapid Citizens. Heck, you could even just leave it as is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Tennessee</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Maryville</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16c2utKj8zcSRMnQUfS_r_RuHy1g_wCEg5ThBAGt7FoljdZ3WUuieCi8vMPGeCzzdA16xxVXBfyw8mOUUx8crgh_5fICiu1zOf-pVgeBf7pDc3Sp7WJmPgNosCNtdR4W3XE50x0WxlRM/s1600/mryville.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16c2utKj8zcSRMnQUfS_r_RuHy1g_wCEg5ThBAGt7FoljdZ3WUuieCi8vMPGeCzzdA16xxVXBfyw8mOUUx8crgh_5fICiu1zOf-pVgeBf7pDc3Sp7WJmPgNosCNtdR4W3XE50x0WxlRM/s320/mryville.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whoa, clever! Not too surprisingly, this was the winner of a contest. Interestingly, the winner, one Ken Bright, was from the UK. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maryville is a city of 27,000, just south of Knoxville. Well-known Maryvillians include Lamar Alexander and Sam Houston.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: Memphis</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Collinwood</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUFeK6ItaObW9Xd2dTaZQgHB5L8qX9IqTro_QfO2CTLbSjhq9TPYoZYStAXqtf-oKkDksuo1XtX7zg5hpj54wY9g6dcSp6UKHvE59-iddLe-IKqIFa1_l0hdsAoBUeJlYU0f7M6PENy0/s1600/collinwood.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="340" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUFeK6ItaObW9Xd2dTaZQgHB5L8qX9IqTro_QfO2CTLbSjhq9TPYoZYStAXqtf-oKkDksuo1XtX7zg5hpj54wY9g6dcSp6UKHvE59-iddLe-IKqIFa1_l0hdsAoBUeJlYU0f7M6PENy0/s320/collinwood.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know, sometimes, less is more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But, just in case, you were wondering:</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Trojan head portrays Collinwood's schools. The mascot is centrally located to show that the school is the center of the Collinwood community. The items surrounding the Trojan head display the opportunities for a great education through studies and extra curricular activities offered at Collinwood Schools. Presented in the top left is the Old Depot Train Station. The Logging Industry is shown in the upper right corner. The church at the bottom right represents the many churches of the area. The bottom left picture symbolizes the City park. (<a href="https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-tnclw.html">FOTW</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trojan head? I thought it was a Martian (or maybe a slug) with a fan behind it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sigh … Hard to know where begin. This place is so small, their flag is such a wreck, and you definitely want your town to be known for something other than just your high school football team. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, here’s a shot at just reducing the amount of stuff at least:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaobUqw5msntb7brAQOSeOaBYV6f7UjZ2tsc-drul6tP03BD3NE_aIfEMnS2zTzp5XzcpbJahl1wwufryZw2k8O5HU2xdumB1lHVZt2nxEOQdqPPg4kQnvV-jxZ1q7TU94TIVbsjLUsA/s1600/collin+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="250" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaobUqw5msntb7brAQOSeOaBYV6f7UjZ2tsc-drul6tP03BD3NE_aIfEMnS2zTzp5XzcpbJahl1wwufryZw2k8O5HU2xdumB1lHVZt2nxEOQdqPPg4kQnvV-jxZ1q7TU94TIVbsjLUsA/s320/collin+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah, I know it’s a little spartan (groan) …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Texas</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Dallas</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4X705wr5kwDkJUrWaA7f9IIi9azipGCYdgoDKfKN-OPukFxumZllq2Qw5lcOpdq4tWCUmLR0gp6menkggVGGGbN_iQljrkWdphCIf2c9IZa-rsPGw_pGz9qhz81pPoN2FaNULvfU082o/s1600/dallas.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="326" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4X705wr5kwDkJUrWaA7f9IIi9azipGCYdgoDKfKN-OPukFxumZllq2Qw5lcOpdq4tWCUmLR0gp6menkggVGGGbN_iQljrkWdphCIf2c9IZa-rsPGw_pGz9qhz81pPoN2FaNULvfU082o/s320/dallas.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nice little riff on the Lone Star flag there. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That little white stripe that makes sure that the red and blue don’t bump against each other? That’s called a "fimbriation." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: San Antonio</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Bastrop</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTPSfbdNFnYC8HonUtFwAfVJwcFkyyS5jx5byXMpTbWYoIl3ToXOcNBJMdGYpsk3cffXH6jV6IIJHSiuFpqaKTf30nAZIQcvm9vmBR1uSv9Vkq19mNWd-rqaa5wxbTAyal53rdhlPk7Y/s1600/bastrop.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="332" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTPSfbdNFnYC8HonUtFwAfVJwcFkyyS5jx5byXMpTbWYoIl3ToXOcNBJMdGYpsk3cffXH6jV6IIJHSiuFpqaKTf30nAZIQcvm9vmBR1uSv9Vkq19mNWd-rqaa5wxbTAyal53rdhlPk7Y/s320/bastrop.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It looks like something scribbled on a napkin. By an 8 year old.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s supposed to be a pine tree, by the way. Given that, here’s something using that idea, but with a little less busyness and a little more class:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwzILsAfZcOEveyuvaZhc9oFHnbwxlTdyJu9__MGfRZwaejMky3HShI5Xs-_9HH5yNe_NOHT7KnJL6-oqYjWZpu4AfxP54Wp8ArGtlhMDLekgSx_hqtrGopTfcfG00bywHH4B99rHzGI/s1600/bastrop+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="334" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwzILsAfZcOEveyuvaZhc9oFHnbwxlTdyJu9__MGfRZwaejMky3HShI5Xs-_9HH5yNe_NOHT7KnJL6-oqYjWZpu4AfxP54Wp8ArGtlhMDLekgSx_hqtrGopTfcfG00bywHH4B99rHzGI/s320/bastrop+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know you’ve heard of Dallas and Houston. Bastrop, on the other hand, is a town of 7,000, not too far from Austin. It’s actually a popular film locale, including for no less a cinematic gem than The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. See <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felipe_Enrique_Neri,_Baron_de_Bastrop">here</a> for where that rather odd name comes from. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dishonorable mention: Lubbock</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Utah</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Provo</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJchqg-9q9yMgSrp1E8IEjp45r37erjv1Z_NCG6qf5BaG-I2KnybG_D2ryRRoFOERLzJ4vMf9DKZrIAf5l5O6Lx2OaaFShb0X6r9x4rU8FOApxYc6JCJDl_0Fmo-b8dvirM2ph3jAkWC0/s1600/provo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="352" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJchqg-9q9yMgSrp1E8IEjp45r37erjv1Z_NCG6qf5BaG-I2KnybG_D2ryRRoFOERLzJ4vMf9DKZrIAf5l5O6Lx2OaaFShb0X6r9x4rU8FOApxYc6JCJDl_0Fmo-b8dvirM2ph3jAkWC0/s320/provo.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So simple, so clean, such vibrant colors. Why can’t more city flags look like this?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This baby dates back to only 2015 – and was officially introduced on Twitter. Its old flag was recognized by <a href="https://nava.org/digital-library/design/surveys/2004-American-City%20Flags-Survey.pdf">NAVA</a> as one of the worst in the country:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcW-LkDadoMViaVPh9jciQSPFg-r9lQ8IZPIiXwGSZNshfloOC0Har6QbALVTeHMXKWGiabP1S24CoKijd9100ggvh4ScTvMy9Y2ELQfmnkhv36-2H5y-3FthSs6-nZ3w8oWkLNuvpmo/s1600/provo+old.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcW-LkDadoMViaVPh9jciQSPFg-r9lQ8IZPIiXwGSZNshfloOC0Har6QbALVTeHMXKWGiabP1S24CoKijd9100ggvh4ScTvMy9Y2ELQfmnkhv36-2H5y-3FthSs6-nZ3w8oWkLNuvpmo/s1600/provo+old.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, in other words, anything would have been an improvement. Good job, though, Provo!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Roy</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeuCW6MvcPvsTYTE7ktpL8FI7e2lgr9Hr7UOJTvtzHedmHJ8YwlbyNYy2ux42tYzXrrgiXytQhecu7hNZB0FztMUvlO7MV62UkC5NF3gX0LoEX-YtJ37ex8bAuEK5yxsNtKZVUU1y9uVc/s1600/roy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="357" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeuCW6MvcPvsTYTE7ktpL8FI7e2lgr9Hr7UOJTvtzHedmHJ8YwlbyNYy2ux42tYzXrrgiXytQhecu7hNZB0FztMUvlO7MV62UkC5NF3gX0LoEX-YtJ37ex8bAuEK5yxsNtKZVUU1y9uVc/s320/roy.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know, when you’re city’s got such a lame name as Roy, you really might want to tone things down a little, right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This poor little burg was named after a local school teacher's child, Roy C. Peebles, who had just passed away. I’m sure there’s a great story there, but I’m afraid that’s all I know. The city was previously known as Central City, Sandridge, Basin, and Lakeview, which all seem just fine. I have no idea what to do with their flag. Well, at least they didn’t name it Peebles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This place actually has 37,000 people. It’s close to Ogden.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Vermont</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Montpelier</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbwwU3jRVFgdv1aDxJItYF9wr1_ghoH8DNbK51MwM0UPUwgWsaDfuOg_8j9esTmDjWlduUz94e5f6FMWSJVd4Yy_g6-1HIH00fcrui7aU7YZ49NpByI3TvGZ8E-OtlTG5mbNps_X9wHw/s1600/montp.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="407" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbwwU3jRVFgdv1aDxJItYF9wr1_ghoH8DNbK51MwM0UPUwgWsaDfuOg_8j9esTmDjWlduUz94e5f6FMWSJVd4Yy_g6-1HIH00fcrui7aU7YZ49NpByI3TvGZ8E-OtlTG5mbNps_X9wHw/s320/montp.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here’s one that dates back to only 2017. It’s another contest winner, and was designed by Montpelier native and industrial designer Chet Larrow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It replaced something pretty lame as well:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ilvcte-BY5ZpDBB96p8Tuv4dnm7-TwrR9jyMo6F307WqGBBvb0iAfV3MSusupOKM2NczbEOJB9D-bIHD-Him-APuyEFH-oKM9rP5Nf5WTixb0nu91zJhveb4COqK9eNYkxqRdndAanc/s1600/montp+old.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="331" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ilvcte-BY5ZpDBB96p8Tuv4dnm7-TwrR9jyMo6F307WqGBBvb0iAfV3MSusupOKM2NczbEOJB9D-bIHD-Him-APuyEFH-oKM9rP5Nf5WTixb0nu91zJhveb4COqK9eNYkxqRdndAanc/s320/montp+old.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you’re a geography buff like me, you probably already know that Montpelier is the capital of the Green Mountain state. At 7,500 people, it also happens to be the smallest state capital out there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Burlington</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VH7iRNDKGxjLs_oLJuQqjfmwoszhLOy2rrPWv0GaT6BvpoDqeOSqd7v4argSsPSCqxnWEzN_xFJEBRbNcPEoZBqNzwuAU_BWQ773pezavh0DuSNBsl7dYj-4YomFZo0NN_FTlrfuajk/s1600/burl.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VH7iRNDKGxjLs_oLJuQqjfmwoszhLOy2rrPWv0GaT6BvpoDqeOSqd7v4argSsPSCqxnWEzN_xFJEBRbNcPEoZBqNzwuAU_BWQ773pezavh0DuSNBsl7dYj-4YomFZo0NN_FTlrfuajk/s320/burl.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m guessing the original design was in crayon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sure enough, <a href="https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-vtbur.html">Flags of the World</a> says, “It was designed about 10 years ago by 8th graders.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They’ve got a contest going to come up with something a little bit less middle school. Maybe I should submit something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">STOP THE PRESSES! THEY HAVE JUST ANNOUNCED A WINNER:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The story is so heart-warming (to an amateur vexilloligist at least), I had to share it in full:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Congratulations to Owen and Lucas Marchessault on the selection of their design, which beautifully conveys our city’s history, character, and natural environment, as the new City of Burlington flag,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “It is fitting that a design created by two Burlington students should be chosen to replace the City’s original student-designed flag. Thank you also to Burlington City Arts for leading a process that involved more than 100 entries and engaged over a thousand Burlingtonians in selecting a new flag. I will be honored to officially unveil the new flag at First Night, and look forward to seeing it fly over City Hall – and many other parts of the City – for years to come.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Public online voting ended on Friday, November 17. Residents were asked to rate the design and artist statements of the seven finalists from zero to ten. 1,427 residents participated in the voting phase; Owen and Lucas' design received the highest score. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Owen and Lucas' design was one of 138 designs submitted for consideration. Molly Abair, Owen and Lucas’ mother, shared their creative process: "We watched the Ted talk together (very inspiring!) and then we drafted several ideas over the course of several days and finally agreed on a final design concept. It was truly a collaborative effort. The three of us worked together, each providing input on the colors, the number of peaks, the thickness of lines, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The twin brothers are honor roll students at Edmund's Middle School and play soccer in their free time. "I was going to the City of Burlington website to obtain an update on the impending teacher's strike and happened upon the Burlington City Flag contest,” Molly said. “I showed the boys, and we decided that this would be the perfect project for them to work on during the strike while out of school."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Marchessault family worked together to create a final design that includes a representation of:</span><br />
<ul>
<li>The sky, representing looking back to our rich history and ahead to the unknown future with perpetual hope</li>
<li>Snow covered mountains - an indelible backdrop to our city</li>
<li>The Green Mountain State, Burlington’s commitment to the environment, and education</li>
<li>The breakwater, which protects Burlington’s spectacular waterfront, and</li>
<li>Lake Champlain, which sustains and enriches our community and lives. </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKjIX3rDCyhUNg6guVWMvneAMQxg1jwkgQ5bkWwZXz8IT6Ew4GFgS-EgGA6FjCtbTh0IWtnK4neRuTECMHGrr7xMJZa8IOa9NleSMXtVinMWwVb_U4GLEnk25wrWgIp62q4vwoQKHoys/s1600/burl+new.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKjIX3rDCyhUNg6guVWMvneAMQxg1jwkgQ5bkWwZXz8IT6Ew4GFgS-EgGA6FjCtbTh0IWtnK4neRuTECMHGrr7xMJZa8IOa9NleSMXtVinMWwVb_U4GLEnk25wrWgIp62q4vwoQKHoys/s1600/burl+new.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Burlington is actually Vermont’s most populous city, at 42,000.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul style="font-family: "times new roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/09/us-municipal-flags-virginia-thru.html">> US city flags - Virginia thru Washington DC</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/08/us-municipal-flags-oklahoma-thru-south.html">< US city flags - Oklahoma thru S. Carolina</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-34737667655803047362018-08-31T12:39:00.002-07:002018-09-07T16:48:50.376-07:00US Municipal Flags – Oklahoma thru South Carolina<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Oklahoma</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Tulsa</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL9xuarp5Yakid03fpOLCCbEmUbZyj7Z_RpSvjobxTTZrotAWHTj2Bs_rNp_cDbzETeWF6ulBE8f3xQ074aGFbeDIEzuoIUVaIPteVKJnrZLxylKNSf_L9kHcX3ZK6xWWxKJ_UnO3OLA/s1600/tulsa.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="327" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL9xuarp5Yakid03fpOLCCbEmUbZyj7Z_RpSvjobxTTZrotAWHTj2Bs_rNp_cDbzETeWF6ulBE8f3xQ074aGFbeDIEzuoIUVaIPteVKJnrZLxylKNSf_L9kHcX3ZK6xWWxKJ_UnO3OLA/s320/tulsa.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interesting. I like it’s simplicity, as well as that pretty clever seal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be that as it may, this one actually may be superseded any day now by this rather handsome contest winner: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XDZx8zF72n0s1d5XkWZKDFYmL-XaoPIxYK2GhyphenhyphencJnmaf3rImHDHPPTOSJ2ZfYFqfpIFzUprNW4oS24rK_YB_itdes43tDZ50w-WuLfPnaCz-QzltbLfo6HLP21sY9c1bAusIs8-o_aU/s1600/tulsa+new.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XDZx8zF72n0s1d5XkWZKDFYmL-XaoPIxYK2GhyphenhyphencJnmaf3rImHDHPPTOSJ2ZfYFqfpIFzUprNW4oS24rK_YB_itdes43tDZ50w-WuLfPnaCz-QzltbLfo6HLP21sY9c1bAusIs8-o_aU/s1600/tulsa+new.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Somewhat surprisingly, though, Tulsa was not always known for its well-designed flags. Here, for example, is what flew between 1924 and 1941:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-ldAkH__EpyOdzxybjH6IwhrbRSEQ2B258opksnCPOrjHTWqj013-Ro6QCpBv93TBAP2Cu5MG3hBmmuS3T6rrYebhDjkLwpWrqUmDqUyRw6zWA8I2uT2wzhIeB9wUWW2Bh0nFs1N_BA/s1600/tulsa+old.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="376" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-ldAkH__EpyOdzxybjH6IwhrbRSEQ2B258opksnCPOrjHTWqj013-Ro6QCpBv93TBAP2Cu5MG3hBmmuS3T6rrYebhDjkLwpWrqUmDqUyRw6zWA8I2uT2wzhIeB9wUWW2Bh0nFs1N_BA/s320/tulsa+old.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Banzai! Maybe the town's penchant for decent flag design all came about as a reaction to <i>that </i>thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Bartlesville</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVLSEi7hCQiJKTfOssfdMkhMOTXndmyQFLe-yjFtN_Fd_iFDuTBE4Vj3PDDp-tGhRsErHnYT0usmzllhbIvtM1CYrQz5kY9L0MpG7gMkSjAp5nM_BaELE9PIjZqQhzBkCxiHsjxSdPZM/s1600/bartles.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVLSEi7hCQiJKTfOssfdMkhMOTXndmyQFLe-yjFtN_Fd_iFDuTBE4Vj3PDDp-tGhRsErHnYT0usmzllhbIvtM1CYrQz5kY9L0MpG7gMkSjAp5nM_BaELE9PIjZqQhzBkCxiHsjxSdPZM/s1600/bartles.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Music! Theatre! Indians! Sports! Oil! Skyscrapers! You can find it all in Bartlesville!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, how to improve? Well, this one is easy. B-ville just came up with a snazzy new logo. Throw it one a bed sheet, and you're done:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDic4IPBcH6oKLAG1tsShSMLRIa_ZT7wmXJwqxULzg7Q7lak354cS-qkgg9IXHdRax2YTlGClb6vMF6xpzCCaWXNAMG5w4nsAVdCeRDQhXfLaIUm5Xnp0DmO-FzpyophWRYM6LPGjAi4/s1600/bville.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="330" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDic4IPBcH6oKLAG1tsShSMLRIa_ZT7wmXJwqxULzg7Q7lak354cS-qkgg9IXHdRax2YTlGClb6vMF6xpzCCaWXNAMG5w4nsAVdCeRDQhXfLaIUm5Xnp0DmO-FzpyophWRYM6LPGjAi4/s320/bville.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Oregon</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Portland</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bF92XDaFxnzHCsWdKQ7cO66w3wzZjKOX8LRUntzv51v5DW488XGJfJP9ujqICbhkyJvMvm98Mtf3OODCsyIKqMBcov0FwtMal967htD-iaMN4vtv8jQVfc_cCH7O2RsyZMDQc3ibUhM/s1600/portland.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bF92XDaFxnzHCsWdKQ7cO66w3wzZjKOX8LRUntzv51v5DW488XGJfJP9ujqICbhkyJvMvm98Mtf3OODCsyIKqMBcov0FwtMal967htD-iaMN4vtv8jQVfc_cCH7O2RsyZMDQc3ibUhM/s320/portland.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s a winner. I love the colors, especially the green for the Emerald City (and the area’s forests) and the blue for the Columbia and Willamette rivers. I also like how the intersection of those two rivers is signaled pretty darn cleverly by the cross. Finally, the little offset that creates that little star (representing the city itself) is particularly creative as well. Not too surprisingly, this one is in the NAVA top 10, coming in at #7.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The only beef I have is probably just a quibble from a flag nerd. I just can't help thinking Portland must have been settled by Scandinavians - maybe Swedes in particular.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Douglas Lynch, local graphic designer and president of the local Art Commission can take credit for this one. It dates back only to 2002.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Chiloquin</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLr05OeMvmoRHCP6bXHh9nAyCymQRow430MJfns_98wfzrKGsijOEu2gr3XudTalyInDETKq_EjBTRxTA0vOY1TRfhUEuy61B6H5YFWmhu9J6JN9cbbSP3tOGAC2Dgk4j7jpvIdGNtOmI/s1600/chiloquin.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLr05OeMvmoRHCP6bXHh9nAyCymQRow430MJfns_98wfzrKGsijOEu2gr3XudTalyInDETKq_EjBTRxTA0vOY1TRfhUEuy61B6H5YFWmhu9J6JN9cbbSP3tOGAC2Dgk4j7jpvIdGNtOmI/s1600/chiloquin.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The flag as stationery. I also think all that stuff on the left needs is a wolf.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The town? I had to just share this description I found on <a href="https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-orchq.html">FOTW</a>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The City of Chiloquin, Oregon is located approximately 30 miles north of Klamath Falls in Klamath County. It is one mile east of Highway 97. The City limits boast of a population of 720. There is a small airport that parallels the highway. Chiloquin has an altitude of 4178 feet. It is nestled in a small valley surrounded by mountains. The Williamson River runs through the center of town and joins with the Sprague River just to the south of the City limits. Fishing and hunting are favorite sports here. There are deer, elk, and ducks in the area. Agency Lake is a favorite fishing place, while the Williamson River is considered one of Oregon's top trophy fly fishing waters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With those short, punchy sentences, I'm guessing that might have been written by a 5th grader.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pennsylvania</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Easton</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymoSe5UEUPBQcyAwGVpFCOBb3T6ipdICMUniky55gmYkrjGOe71hpCkasF1_ZNq69-K2zia9hefwdgMNeCKfXla3Y75PKzY_kpmi28Yy6UNgCE3vLntq0cny1Vi6s-NCYfhpBR3mOMQg/s1600/easton.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="338" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymoSe5UEUPBQcyAwGVpFCOBb3T6ipdICMUniky55gmYkrjGOe71hpCkasF1_ZNq69-K2zia9hefwdgMNeCKfXla3Y75PKzY_kpmi28Yy6UNgCE3vLntq0cny1Vi6s-NCYfhpBR3mOMQg/s320/easton.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unique, and historic too.This one dates all the way back to 1812, and was the flag of a local militia. Some like to claim it goes all the way back to 1776, and was the <a href="http://www.mcall.com/news/local/easton/mc-easton-flag-20150613-story.html#">first national flag</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bristol is up the Delaware, north of Philly. Dating back to 1752, this burg has not quite 27,000 people. It's the home of Crayola crayons.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Coal Township</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqScbZNtxZbESMcqtwPnrsfUr470p2yZkbAXmuJ_oVq_ncfUqXokbeNJRtWMFUgNTr6RYspLGjGBtjOqySokLDX-IbNiUu7qdMHGbOOG_wf_UZHN0yndSHbx7vBThiLiD5IMEqEladcI/s1600/coal.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="336" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqScbZNtxZbESMcqtwPnrsfUr470p2yZkbAXmuJ_oVq_ncfUqXokbeNJRtWMFUgNTr6RYspLGjGBtjOqySokLDX-IbNiUu7qdMHGbOOG_wf_UZHN0yndSHbx7vBThiLiD5IMEqEladcI/s320/coal.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, it kind of gets straight to the point, doesn’t it? That said, that has to be the most inept representation of a coal car I’ve ever seen (I particularly like the googly-eye wheels). Perhaps there’s a classier way to represent mining or coal or what have you. Like maybe this:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5UmOFD7f01NUPO7-0XGvtjRfm5EMMrDZEdRr2wtmetSAIw2EXqH2SOgja15oIo5TmsQuWX7xijCaZIX195jq8C7R0Fw_DEUvr0bGu54TpgbKUWD8P9WqMLRmNSk622bhS3QKiXf9UjI/s1600/coal+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="335" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5UmOFD7f01NUPO7-0XGvtjRfm5EMMrDZEdRr2wtmetSAIw2EXqH2SOgja15oIo5TmsQuWX7xijCaZIX195jq8C7R0Fw_DEUvr0bGu54TpgbKUWD8P9WqMLRmNSk622bhS3QKiXf9UjI/s320/coal+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Coal Township has just over 10,000 people, is in the center of the state, and features a big prison.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Rhode Island</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Little Compton</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZpxrKklWnSRzF94MSecpuQ9m7zanPbfprOih5Xrf1kI9BXtItAethlFBwl4zdgsiWc-fz6NmUthTxo_9Df3HbOCYLt6_vSVhp_XmcyGr9gidYUwx8hdKeoqOdcLDCYB8qR6DlIeS_WE/s1600/little+comp.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="321" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZpxrKklWnSRzF94MSecpuQ9m7zanPbfprOih5Xrf1kI9BXtItAethlFBwl4zdgsiWc-fz6NmUthTxo_9Df3HbOCYLt6_vSVhp_XmcyGr9gidYUwx8hdKeoqOdcLDCYB8qR6DlIeS_WE/s320/little+comp.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Straight outta Little Compton (sorry) – simple, large elements, fairly heraldic ... I like it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Little Compton is on the coast, just east of Newport. It looks like a pretty tony (and historic) place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whence the geese and arrow? Honestly, I have no idea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: Warwick</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Cumberland</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-fvd_iLueVglyLUf5yfwnaB6gfNSVdG-vEv6O1ixmdC9hvDLJnRA3DSOzPClwPoJx5NFC0ImLeSmRrFGSpM1g4lxyghup4ZovrTnGGXukhnUk79abb1p3CrrxDHKv9qNWNuzFX1U6s4/s1600/cumb.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="380" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-fvd_iLueVglyLUf5yfwnaB6gfNSVdG-vEv6O1ixmdC9hvDLJnRA3DSOzPClwPoJx5NFC0ImLeSmRrFGSpM1g4lxyghup4ZovrTnGGXukhnUk79abb1p3CrrxDHKv9qNWNuzFX1U6s4/s320/cumb.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What <i>is </i>that thing? I mean, the diamond, inside the triangle, inside the shield?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There’s lotta history here. You’d think they could do a little better than this. I mean, it looks like something from a particularly boring PTA.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How to improve? Well, here’s the flag of the <i>county </i>(i.e., shire) of Cumberland, back in merry old England:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4-x87NTozE_uUF8VT9JJRIx8IlyTqJqkLi-BHvctEoKFMmM56xXoPABhBsSjxVdu4xtZGH9fvAQ4p-Lo6DAzO1yl0w9INYwQG4h4FCfqivKlDv-5aX6esw6XVcNyjDi9V6G3C2ls7Sg/s1600/cumb+uk.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4-x87NTozE_uUF8VT9JJRIx8IlyTqJqkLi-BHvctEoKFMmM56xXoPABhBsSjxVdu4xtZGH9fvAQ4p-Lo6DAzO1yl0w9INYwQG4h4FCfqivKlDv-5aX6esw6XVcNyjDi9V6G3C2ls7Sg/s1600/cumb+uk.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What are <i>those </i>things? Well, Grass of Parnassus blossoms, of course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hmm. Kinda particular, no? Maybe we could put some stars in there instead:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmEazcwjE2yXY3k_4WxM36hg9db3Ea_AihgpEsVjIl5e1B3s62mu9cLT0lw5WaFkmkrqy2b7csXZGXvL1ff4Ox0Ob5Uaz3Zx7w0PmXCcv1_LBWvC8w6KD_2SGQ4tGI2wY-AU0r3z4EUE/s1600/cumb+new.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="151" data-original-width="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmEazcwjE2yXY3k_4WxM36hg9db3Ea_AihgpEsVjIl5e1B3s62mu9cLT0lw5WaFkmkrqy2b7csXZGXvL1ff4Ox0Ob5Uaz3Zx7w0PmXCcv1_LBWvC8w6KD_2SGQ4tGI2wY-AU0r3z4EUE/s1600/cumb+new.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, the city? It’s in the northeast corner of state. Has about 33,000 people. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>South Carolina</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Pendleton</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCv05FqDBM7FhFMIC1Ucs2KfdhC4jt7v9gJv1WPilRgaGFl9BMDasv1jTmZEJ7MPzwP19sl8CFqZIN9pDzKuFVo6m431Ts9iuc17Z2RnL6JH0tB3XPXvuwTaBdKBny7qSEpJIeiUjmLs/s1600/pendleton.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCv05FqDBM7FhFMIC1Ucs2KfdhC4jt7v9gJv1WPilRgaGFl9BMDasv1jTmZEJ7MPzwP19sl8CFqZIN9pDzKuFVo6m431Ts9iuc17Z2RnL6JH0tB3XPXvuwTaBdKBny7qSEpJIeiUjmLs/s1600/pendleton.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one’s pretty different. Honestly, I wish more flags did that diagonal thing. I also like the blue / red combination. You might think the color contrast wouldn’t work here, but it really does.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the same time, though, this baby also represents quite an interesting riff on the ol’ red-white-and-blue. Especially with those stars. I really like this one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pendelton started as a mountain retreat for Low Country plantation owners. It now counts 3,000 inhabitants. Spent the night there in an old B&B once.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Florence County</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDLH-TnHBAG6I9M5p_diB7FiwESiP70ylTg1n-djI5MVoBbC6WYLpPXEtJ_X3UA_AoNYxASRYLu_GAkghSB5_XjtUkLML-_WOPOeZTxOvJtw6WW7-bysO0EPShWozP41y4IJq2CLDbH8/s1600/flo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDLH-TnHBAG6I9M5p_diB7FiwESiP70ylTg1n-djI5MVoBbC6WYLpPXEtJ_X3UA_AoNYxASRYLu_GAkghSB5_XjtUkLML-_WOPOeZTxOvJtw6WW7-bysO0EPShWozP41y4IJq2CLDbH8/s1600/flo.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hooboy, that’s a lotta stuff! How about we get rid of the text, the gears, and some of the many stripes:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9SAuq87iGcldBXyRXhXlgPPCKDj91LiQRDbacmtOFQALnemF4QaRPJ2QOZNu9jHRiL9_Yoclji2pfu0bFqxp33vEQVi5LzrgJX9Pc54FCG-NKSLOyL7ppjUo2tbFc6wZZpRFX8RW4BE/s1600/flo+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9SAuq87iGcldBXyRXhXlgPPCKDj91LiQRDbacmtOFQALnemF4QaRPJ2QOZNu9jHRiL9_Yoclji2pfu0bFqxp33vEQVi5LzrgJX9Pc54FCG-NKSLOyL7ppjUo2tbFc6wZZpRFX8RW4BE/s1600/flo+2.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Florence County is home to the city of Florence, which also does duty as the county seat. Both county and city were named after the daughter of one Gen. W. W. Harllee. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
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<ul style="font-family: "times new roman";">
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Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-90609670229949355252018-08-25T06:24:00.002-07:002018-08-31T13:49:06.674-07:00US Municipal Flags – New Mexico thru Ohio<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>New Mexico</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Las Cruces</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzA_jeifRVhcDQ2nl_Zn3__VbnMPVCzbqeCAoJKgGyGx37_3VdE4rL3vpkmfY_SLB28xS0cgX9TBfidaWYSsm_VlLevht82iDnMylJiqmFaFNwbXlGN1izapG5gBodn6s9Os-T_WcnRM/s1600/cruces.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzA_jeifRVhcDQ2nl_Zn3__VbnMPVCzbqeCAoJKgGyGx37_3VdE4rL3vpkmfY_SLB28xS0cgX9TBfidaWYSsm_VlLevht82iDnMylJiqmFaFNwbXlGN1izapG5gBodn6s9Os-T_WcnRM/s1600/cruces.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ooh – new favorite. I feel the super simple color scheme is a terrific match for the very unique and different symbol in the middle. I find it hard to believe that NAVA didn’t even rank this one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That symbol? Well, obviously, “Las Cruces” means “the crosses.” But did you get that there are 3 of them? Yup, black, white, black; left to right; back to front. But if you’re not getting it, you’re not alone. Here’s what some random dude on the Interwebs had to say about it: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Looking at that thing hurts my head...It's like a bad optical illusion. Can't they just put three crosses on it completely separate?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This town of not quite 100,000 is home to New Mexico State, White Sands, and Spaceport America.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Belen</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnmEl86r1JCs0chvfwsgkoVgxvoxG_e_ETI7c6ya-qDo6Ros4kFC7Gr4i7Vsk4I1HBoefWoDvPKINcrGXlY36I6fEO_iIO6_buSFHdF4uNiqV3Ev9H72IxmTH-sYvDiJrNjIOT4y2Qrs/s1600/belen.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnmEl86r1JCs0chvfwsgkoVgxvoxG_e_ETI7c6ya-qDo6Ros4kFC7Gr4i7Vsk4I1HBoefWoDvPKINcrGXlY36I6fEO_iIO6_buSFHdF4uNiqV3Ev9H72IxmTH-sYvDiJrNjIOT4y2Qrs/s320/belen.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps this would make a nice beach blanket. A municipal flag? Not so much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, here’s the straight poop on this baby from no less a personage than the town secretary:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The flag was designed by Ronnie Torres, the Mayor of Belen with the help of Bruce Prater of Graphics Art Station, a local business in Belen. Mr. Torres wanted the flag to signify Belen as the City different [sic]. The train is to represent the long time relationship of Belen with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad "BNSF" and the Harvey Museum associated with the railroad. The Star is representative of the star of Bethlehem, the meaning of Belen, being Bethlehem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I actually like that they tried to tie in the two themes, the railroad and the star of Bethlehem. Perhaps they were just trying a little too hard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know, the town actually has a pretty nice seal:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_oyqFQ5mtmg_OwQdGcPhxMTZdRzmaKv5rnVH7ZNZB5Dc1LaLXcC-FgVvd7ch9tR2H3p661UriLr7BWqW4Gz7h4A7xnla_4WeZf-bhuykwxl-3zyimuqq7NXNYsEyhzYlbQOQC52zfJM/s1600/belen+seal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_oyqFQ5mtmg_OwQdGcPhxMTZdRzmaKv5rnVH7ZNZB5Dc1LaLXcC-FgVvd7ch9tR2H3p661UriLr7BWqW4Gz7h4A7xnla_4WeZf-bhuykwxl-3zyimuqq7NXNYsEyhzYlbQOQC52zfJM/s1600/belen+seal.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That definitely gets the railroad theme across. Maybe if they just combined that with a star, they might be just fine:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1k7USp0X__taCUmN1rcomKNLiL7-6Zawl2p5fj-gfJQZ7NXRER6BcXgI8-VXf0Kl6TwbiiMdF3PquFvASqwVh_k5orOvmzg8xl6zdirId_EMaSyRb5l1AbO4Y0AVvfb6RImKj_yt7VU/s1600/belen+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1k7USp0X__taCUmN1rcomKNLiL7-6Zawl2p5fj-gfJQZ7NXRER6BcXgI8-VXf0Kl6TwbiiMdF3PquFvASqwVh_k5orOvmzg8xl6zdirId_EMaSyRb5l1AbO4Y0AVvfb6RImKj_yt7VU/s1600/belen+2.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m sure someone out there with some graphic design skills can do a better job of that than I could.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, in addition to the association with the railroad and Bethlehem, this town of 7,000 also lays claim to being where waffle fries were first cut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Stop the presses! </b>Between the time this was written and the time I published it, Belen came up with a new flag:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EaTlhfhSdUJX2UCN8n0Gk94xWztS48d3lGEinWswOAUZuY0LGmlkkqyFE_C4vCCPodO2e-7HfV-TapGG80tQtOJMW3eZB9opr5MgxE9M7OjqP1OX9Q83s1FxaN5AIDvLa15-rOV9el0/s1600/belen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1200" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EaTlhfhSdUJX2UCN8n0Gk94xWztS48d3lGEinWswOAUZuY0LGmlkkqyFE_C4vCCPodO2e-7HfV-TapGG80tQtOJMW3eZB9opr5MgxE9M7OjqP1OX9Q83s1FxaN5AIDvLa15-rOV9el0/s320/belen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well played, Belen. Well played. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">May I make a suggestion though? That's a lotta text over there on the right. How 'bout a simple "Belen / 1740"? Thank you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>New York</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Buffalo</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi732yJA6h1zKj09PmK1E0_YDfTB2B9SlV5-v4YxW0rE_RfFShnog4W9ZsLJesj87bS5xrVFjF_rg3MYmPF96yyNwrdBERDd012S5YsYci53j52eNfh3LN2glw3kUOxrswmC47hX6FQsHI/s1600/buff.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="342" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi732yJA6h1zKj09PmK1E0_YDfTB2B9SlV5-v4YxW0rE_RfFShnog4W9ZsLJesj87bS5xrVFjF_rg3MYmPF96yyNwrdBERDd012S5YsYci53j52eNfh3LN2glw3kUOxrswmC47hX6FQsHI/s320/buff.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s fairly simple, but I just absolutely love those lightning bolts. They’re pretty unique, but they also do a good job signaling Buffalo’s important role as an early adopter of electric power. I’ll bet you didn’t know that Buffalo used to be known as “The City of Light.” Not to be confused with that other City of Light across the pomd, of course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: New York</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Governors Island</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhGZ2v15hvYGdS8mIbgULr-o0OnBwdpgAobSMlksRJG0KiIYt5V8_i5plwdIzMioGesCdNezALk851iaYFcxeDpggoDU_BNSy5mcpqvtvIoaYGbZDEx0gPcRz8clbk-aDTBvvK0n8uC4/s1600/gov+isl.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="335" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhGZ2v15hvYGdS8mIbgULr-o0OnBwdpgAobSMlksRJG0KiIYt5V8_i5plwdIzMioGesCdNezALk851iaYFcxeDpggoDU_BNSy5mcpqvtvIoaYGbZDEx0gPcRz8clbk-aDTBvvK0n8uC4/s320/gov+isl.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What <i>is </i>that? It actually looks uncannily like a toy of my youth, called a doodlebug. (I might have gotten that name wrong, though, as I couldn’t find any pictures of one on Google Images.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You’ve probably already guessed that that rather odd shape is in fact the island itself. Indeed, you may even know that Governor’s Island is in New York Harbor, and that it owes that peculiar shape to its having been built up over the years, mostly by the US military.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other than that very freaky shape, though, it’s not a bad flag. It was, in fact, fashioned by a design firm, one Level M. Maybe if we just subbed out the doodlebug for something else. How about a classy/fancy “G I”:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzjIg8O679kExqIJEfmnPIw07lqQ0PxOtCR56m7rWhSfQwGlm-CGf-Ne7OSPNTMn1zKU3wdMtjoI0KQhPZKK10S8_DOR9xErAo6iPRvrSeiBqYaJr1N5MkxaTNEfl-t7U2I22eAbwkjw/s1600/gov+isl+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="334" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzjIg8O679kExqIJEfmnPIw07lqQ0PxOtCR56m7rWhSfQwGlm-CGf-Ne7OSPNTMn1zKU3wdMtjoI0KQhPZKK10S8_DOR9xErAo6iPRvrSeiBqYaJr1N5MkxaTNEfl-t7U2I22eAbwkjw/s320/gov+isl+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>North Carolina</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRXHTiUUu4BU8GfacMuhDUAu1n-wXYV8R3jfpGZ4gL99zAnJyD1WmF9XlscaHXcYVrI6Vb4zzpHdCy0lCZY7kIe2nLgoZlrePt7ALG_uNQBVFknAZkB9Vo9Z6H5bVyF1wh71QnS-5_gA/s1600/beaufort.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="323" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRXHTiUUu4BU8GfacMuhDUAu1n-wXYV8R3jfpGZ4gL99zAnJyD1WmF9XlscaHXcYVrI6Vb4zzpHdCy0lCZY7kIe2nLgoZlrePt7ALG_uNQBVFknAZkB9Vo9Z6H5bVyF1wh71QnS-5_gA/s320/beaufort.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Check out that cool border, would ya. It’s very heraldic, is called a “componee,” and is obviously taken from the coat of arms in the seal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And that coat of arms happens to belong to one Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort, and one of the Lords Proprietor of Carolina. Those were 8 English dudes who basically owned the Carolinas back in the late 17th and early 18th Centuries. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The town of Beaufort itself dates all the way back to 1709. A quaint coastal village of 2,000, it may be most famous for its associations with the pirate Blackbeard (his flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge was recently discovered and excavated nearby).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: Raleigh</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Jacksonville</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOayvUHd5yZ0NqjeXqmO2rAygjMERRuws3Bo0alFLyAwQJxftAwr_8P_mNfhr_ejVIQwIaJ_I-scVGIsIpN9t1U64DdmsP9_JJkGHEDVQpSwnGIvIWOEWaf8Ck4Nt7vPYyNVhK_3m4N0/s1600/jax.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOayvUHd5yZ0NqjeXqmO2rAygjMERRuws3Bo0alFLyAwQJxftAwr_8P_mNfhr_ejVIQwIaJ_I-scVGIsIpN9t1U64DdmsP9_JJkGHEDVQpSwnGIvIWOEWaf8Ck4Nt7vPYyNVhK_3m4N0/s1600/jax.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Busy, busy, busy. Would you believe this baby has no less than 66 characters on it? It’s not a flag – it’s a press release!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, what’s a good fix? The Marines are a huge part of the town, so maybe we could start with a Marine red background:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUbRDdE5HaSvkOlQ4LBTQli06JnLsMwC0BcwyAf6AZ9RcGUxVb3EP2LwgJC6S0TIEs4jssbgeOLmyNIPUdZkAniRBhBW8ncotcGPCOEv9hAzfic7H4B2ayLpN19nCx1ON8QwZUYwvQPQ/s1600/marines.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="650" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUbRDdE5HaSvkOlQ4LBTQli06JnLsMwC0BcwyAf6AZ9RcGUxVb3EP2LwgJC6S0TIEs4jssbgeOLmyNIPUdZkAniRBhBW8ncotcGPCOEv9hAzfic7H4B2ayLpN19nCx1ON8QwZUYwvQPQ/s320/marines.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was thinking we could throw the city seal on that, but the flag is basically the seal, so that’s not going to work. Okay, I’m stuck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>North Dakota</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKdSVRY5yhYW52naZKSNHrKgVKZTCCmvbdWGwpjNeni1kKwQQ4eNkjfAXw4VaHR5gQ_2snDhz3eZP52JBs1MPSKpeycDlDDbzKiv2jmwT9RWp7SKPEwZU6VBWl9X6-KWHkYzOX6CohRY/s1600/gr+forks.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKdSVRY5yhYW52naZKSNHrKgVKZTCCmvbdWGwpjNeni1kKwQQ4eNkjfAXw4VaHR5gQ_2snDhz3eZP52JBs1MPSKpeycDlDDbzKiv2jmwT9RWp7SKPEwZU6VBWl9X6-KWHkYzOX6CohRY/s1600/gr+forks.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s a little busy, I’ll admit. That thing in the bottom is pretty clever though (it represents the confluence of the Red and Red Lake rivers, where the city is situated). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe we could just eliminate all the other stuff and make the graphic a little bigger (and, yes, I am redoing the best the state has to offer):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNc2u7EPf7PMRKg_uJwJYZaAtrVOHGMu3pRQ-noJ1JoT5Zxnofcql-cOodYle1-a8d833PDpv-iNacAZQsrxLKLPKfZoFXS0T07W91msRa6JJmli2O54huFYo9DA0fKzELECW5b2pYVk/s1600/gr+forks+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNc2u7EPf7PMRKg_uJwJYZaAtrVOHGMu3pRQ-noJ1JoT5Zxnofcql-cOodYle1-a8d833PDpv-iNacAZQsrxLKLPKfZoFXS0T07W91msRa6JJmli2O54huFYo9DA0fKzELECW5b2pYVk/s1600/gr+forks+2.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Grand Forks, with a population of not quite 100,000, is the 3rd largest city in North Dakota. Right along the border with Minnesota, it’s mostly known for getting flooded. It’s also the location of a large Air Force base and the University of North Dakota.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Drayton</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Q02LGEMMhsCWZq0H0kU779vfIKWcHvrYREALh7rgDyK6TkKuv-oW-5PJhyphenhyphenJxXTVOAqLAfAU_OeaEYO2e3Mr8dF1HPKz0Hh0TMVnHzAtZDOPLhXttJoqh_biHHGi2WN5SQOm5LIFI6d4/s1600/drayton.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Q02LGEMMhsCWZq0H0kU779vfIKWcHvrYREALh7rgDyK6TkKuv-oW-5PJhyphenhyphenJxXTVOAqLAfAU_OeaEYO2e3Mr8dF1HPKz0Hh0TMVnHzAtZDOPLhXttJoqh_biHHGi2WN5SQOm5LIFI6d4/s1600/drayton.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, your first question is probably, “What <i>is </i>that thing?” Well, would you believe it’s a beet? Yup, a sugar beet – which happen to be white, not red.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Drayton is, in fact, the location of a large sugar refinery, and is in the middle of major sugar beet country. (It’s also just a little up the Red River from Grand Falls, and has a population of 800.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, that doesn’t explain all the other stuff going on here – the name, the colors, the shapes ... Maybe if we just focused on a couple of these. I like the beet, but if we go with that, how do we design it so it would be suitable for a flag (unlike that terribly misshapen, cartoonish thing that’s there now)?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, Drayton is also known as the Baseball Capital of North Dakota, as well as the Catfish Capital of the North. So perhaps there are some ideas there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ohio</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Best</b>: Minster</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnrGb8YuKg70biGAwkgawe6RrI8b74JpEy_Q1e-kMT065z_rbT3mrAzM6g8-nkPdbyaegRLwkh5QAqID6qXnuIKUEqYokXPEWubh0-2LNNWt3DmyJI4dK5eZPHOeFvdFvgb8q-XIzfEU/s1600/munster.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnrGb8YuKg70biGAwkgawe6RrI8b74JpEy_Q1e-kMT065z_rbT3mrAzM6g8-nkPdbyaegRLwkh5QAqID6qXnuIKUEqYokXPEWubh0-2LNNWt3DmyJI4dK5eZPHOeFvdFvgb8q-XIzfEU/s1600/munster.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Somebody put some thought into this one. Indeed, the designer, David Hoying, explains that the colors “are the colors of the flag of the city of Munster [in Germany],” where the first settlers came from and which the town is named after. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The nice, simple shield also has meaning as well. Oddly, though, Hoyning gave everything but that canal boat in the lower left corner a very … um, Saxon/pagan? … vibe:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>CROSS - The cross represents the strong Christian faith of the community. This faith was rooted in the late eighth century when Christianity was brought by the victorious Charlemagne and the venerable Benedictine missionaries to the defeated Saxon tribes in the area that was to comprise the Dioceses of Munster and Osnabruck.</li>
<li>OAK LEAF AND ACORN - The acorn is a symbol of the Saxon tribes to whom the oak leaf served as a symbol of strength. The early pagan ancestors of the settlers of Stallostown worshipped the oak tree as a deity. The "tree of life" was an important feature of many customs that developed later in the Münsterland.</li>
<li>HORSE HEADS - Two crossed wooden equine heads are another ancient symbol of the Saxon nature religion. These heads were placed at the peak of the front gable of the old homeland farmhouses to ward off evil and thus served as an omen of good fortune.</li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Latty Township</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NfSDE4em6zav40weh88vWPcmKCgeriRguLRza-xyqY4ioXAlnQzsDSbllOzL0eyadmGEHKXwBbSLcLiYxY3zMnIWBduT8dbAL46e7msisGfdBp1u2nE7D8DsAt5vYZlJGf-wGKJgTO4/s1600/latty.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="359" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NfSDE4em6zav40weh88vWPcmKCgeriRguLRza-xyqY4ioXAlnQzsDSbllOzL0eyadmGEHKXwBbSLcLiYxY3zMnIWBduT8dbAL46e7msisGfdBp1u2nE7D8DsAt5vYZlJGf-wGKJgTO4/s320/latty.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, it is a bold color combination, I can say that for it. Maybe a little too bold. It could use a little color contrast too. I find the black on dark green particularly unhappy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not sure where to go with this one. Nothing I could uncover about the town is helping me any here either. Seems like it’s a teeny place of under 200 people, dates back to the 1880s, and is in the northwest corner of the state. And that’s about all I could find on it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul style="font-family: "times new roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/08/us-municipal-flags-oklahoma-thru-south.html">> US city flags - Oklahoma thru South Carolina</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/08/us-municipal-flags-new-mexico-thru-ohio.html">< US city flags - Montana thru New Jersey</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-22922577064788108442018-08-17T17:46:00.001-07:002018-08-26T11:14:00.626-07:00US Municipal Flags – Montana to New Jersey<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Montana</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Billings</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2H7xNN5MZ3eZghKELZ9GtJr-7-_xoYduvGDV4gem3OfP0TFCyQ4vXH67NvCbYVOJ3PLpqH68iCI1-rpukIQu7xvibwveWEdISquTQwjPLmYN9nzpW3PA5QJw-EUKP44uX4s3FCeNBFRU/s1600/billings.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2H7xNN5MZ3eZghKELZ9GtJr-7-_xoYduvGDV4gem3OfP0TFCyQ4vXH67NvCbYVOJ3PLpqH68iCI1-rpukIQu7xvibwveWEdISquTQwjPLmYN9nzpW3PA5QJw-EUKP44uX4s3FCeNBFRU/s1600/billings.PNG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey, it’s the best of a bad bunch. I do like the blue stripes. That seal could use a little work though. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, seeing as they call themselves the “star of Big Sky Country,” why not just sub a nice star for that thing:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oK8-RyPcefZvyt4NcEsT__gJ1buGX7lDKzTO3pBfbbqZlPmtweXb-3lSkkEjoXCu8uAyfUwI_hz_RJfvRn1eaT5ze11mOy0KQaf_SNYp9f2I4Rieug-GCvfDouWZExQfLIIcxn832RY/s1600/billings+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oK8-RyPcefZvyt4NcEsT__gJ1buGX7lDKzTO3pBfbbqZlPmtweXb-3lSkkEjoXCu8uAyfUwI_hz_RJfvRn1eaT5ze11mOy0KQaf_SNYp9f2I4Rieug-GCvfDouWZExQfLIIcxn832RY/s1600/billings+2.PNG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Browning</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XhK4Yy6yh52OWUaS9YTQenA1jlG8Qw3JHzR5UAW0j8MiY6qSklLHjD2bBrRCx7mVaVyXoyjUnMnSVLo4BMKrzufAnSIrSxppr7uinJlgHf9Xv1UZTmZ8rTpLAJU4_baoKMYbP8iIOfI/s1600/browning.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XhK4Yy6yh52OWUaS9YTQenA1jlG8Qw3JHzR5UAW0j8MiY6qSklLHjD2bBrRCx7mVaVyXoyjUnMnSVLo4BMKrzufAnSIrSxppr7uinJlgHf9Xv1UZTmZ8rTpLAJU4_baoKMYbP8iIOfI/s1600/browning.PNG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s not a disaster. It’s simple. I also like how they didn’t feel they had to center it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That said, what <i>is </i>that thing?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe we could simplify this a little. There’s plenty of eagles out there on Google Images. How about a Native American one of those (to reflect the town’s heritage), with maybe a brown circle for Browning:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1ITs8tHqFLvWrosKEkwEHyVTYH5pJzL-ha97RVlBfd2g3IGp7JhnMrtqlZLgJQXEJNbaWFgRvcwUuNuGQhZfO6l23y__qU1tCCEJawFDjGVi3N-9XNvWlYU-LNcZ5NVrkIXhvi5k1-0/s1600/browning+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="321" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1ITs8tHqFLvWrosKEkwEHyVTYH5pJzL-ha97RVlBfd2g3IGp7JhnMrtqlZLgJQXEJNbaWFgRvcwUuNuGQhZfO6l23y__qU1tCCEJawFDjGVi3N-9XNvWlYU-LNcZ5NVrkIXhvi5k1-0/s320/browning+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This town of 1,000 is on a Blackfoot Indian reservation, not too far from the Canadian border.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Nebraska</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Lincoln</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIFx-zjOIy6FQdD-6m0-gC2kUQx9KOncdp10IRqDZEvGRh6kfKAqnF3Yk4YH0ehQ7_oSVBKvp7l3CCiL9LDEHguHMN-iLeZ8RiXmAifKeE6Lq6SfmdCYkWMH95NJ3tU-zQmJwHoDi-2k/s1600/lincoln.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIFx-zjOIy6FQdD-6m0-gC2kUQx9KOncdp10IRqDZEvGRh6kfKAqnF3Yk4YH0ehQ7_oSVBKvp7l3CCiL9LDEHguHMN-iLeZ8RiXmAifKeE6Lq6SfmdCYkWMH95NJ3tU-zQmJwHoDi-2k/s320/lincoln.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah, it’s basically a seal on a bed sheet, but it does have a few nice wrinkles (groan):</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The seal is nice and large</li>
<li>It’s not your typical one, and has some genuine visual interest</li>
<li>The royal blue background </li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That white thing? Why, it’s the state capitol. One of the few skyscraper state capitols out there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: Omaha (though it does look a little like a Grateful Dead album cover)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Brown County</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kbwSYO5QZTMBdSMVUYTrMnrygLGD7OXMNR2jJmtAqNtu4VrIX3n6U5Rhz_XFlM3ihG7ivH7sFSwUlqs13HKNB0bTCrgp69laRqUdZ6Ui9hXOIzxG1b8b2yfwNNVoqXa2r087IKeGmcA/s1600/brown.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kbwSYO5QZTMBdSMVUYTrMnrygLGD7OXMNR2jJmtAqNtu4VrIX3n6U5Rhz_XFlM3ihG7ivH7sFSwUlqs13HKNB0bTCrgp69laRqUdZ6Ui9hXOIzxG1b8b2yfwNNVoqXa2r087IKeGmcA/s1600/brown.PNG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This baby’s actually pretty famous. It was voted “worst flag ever” on Reddit. In addition, somebody had some serious fun using the “aesthetic” here and applied it to some other flags as well:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8g3m6loeYkZoIGioTBCDDv86EELAn3givRwcfB9P8Oprxs5nxAus94-DaxhLFgOSqJkmYd0zcl4KTeAQY8fVf85dAtJ8MBfT_TjiMuAtVzZfVt01AnOAgbq5AZOyM-6yo-Hv8Aup-e8/s1600/spain.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8g3m6loeYkZoIGioTBCDDv86EELAn3givRwcfB9P8Oprxs5nxAus94-DaxhLFgOSqJkmYd0zcl4KTeAQY8fVf85dAtJ8MBfT_TjiMuAtVzZfVt01AnOAgbq5AZOyM-6yo-Hv8Aup-e8/s1600/spain.PNG" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvU70QR5mQOGdMkvu_pF8Ae0UF72jVrmk35s6MD5nX6Dr78tG9AH9hz3J1xCWXKOiJfBZQQLPLv0ZXGi_uxfoqc2JfVOP12-jSmILPZ8Mn1l3G7toobY5TnBe7kb2hZl1DqN0ImpgiK6M/s1600/usa.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvU70QR5mQOGdMkvu_pF8Ae0UF72jVrmk35s6MD5nX6Dr78tG9AH9hz3J1xCWXKOiJfBZQQLPLv0ZXGi_uxfoqc2JfVOP12-jSmILPZ8Mn1l3G7toobY5TnBe7kb2hZl1DqN0ImpgiK6M/s1600/usa.PNG" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwoI0gmwY0Np-W6dtZPC16XJQM2lOpr8DhHRuYKCGYZHiwwtGnaYwyIFQ3Wtuc-eFaT1zmEm88WoI7eWLAc_qhLXrFlpZrCX5gbG3SsH_D3SjV6BWeRwbCi6EfmHasGuloiTAfkPY2kI/s1600/finland.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwoI0gmwY0Np-W6dtZPC16XJQM2lOpr8DhHRuYKCGYZHiwwtGnaYwyIFQ3Wtuc-eFaT1zmEm88WoI7eWLAc_qhLXrFlpZrCX5gbG3SsH_D3SjV6BWeRwbCi6EfmHasGuloiTAfkPY2kI/s1600/finland.PNG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What to actually do with this god-awful mess? Once again, let’s just use a <i>few </i>of those many elements:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ8yWr-KNd8DGj_ClY2Pkdq5zA9OOToQXsVcJF4ZOuzmhfXd-_w8-eHQ4qTPJsam-rGjvLCHlWpGBO17clz-mLY-2wt5IEedByf8WCfuD42_lmsEoUwuhd-1AcpFGkyDP2t6IhhKU53Q/s1600/brown+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ8yWr-KNd8DGj_ClY2Pkdq5zA9OOToQXsVcJF4ZOuzmhfXd-_w8-eHQ4qTPJsam-rGjvLCHlWpGBO17clz-mLY-2wt5IEedByf8WCfuD42_lmsEoUwuhd-1AcpFGkyDP2t6IhhKU53Q/s1600/brown+2.PNG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Nevada</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Reno</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtXnIInBL2lX4pqPhXH9hcsexayYUUQP50_R33aS2LdeY5n4LxBi4mQfKvOAgBvKCuV2-H7EJ-wUgQG94K73Wjc8Mj4Ds3syoy_MIq8z0eCAENnsQcZAHcFO1__qh33bOkeZbAhq-kAA/s1600/reno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1600" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtXnIInBL2lX4pqPhXH9hcsexayYUUQP50_R33aS2LdeY5n4LxBi4mQfKvOAgBvKCuV2-H7EJ-wUgQG94K73Wjc8Mj4Ds3syoy_MIq8z0eCAENnsQcZAHcFO1__qh33bOkeZbAhq-kAA/s320/reno.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hard to believe, but this one is just a few months old. It was adopted by the City Council in April of this year, being rolled out to celebrate the city's 150th birthday. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The city had never actually had an official flag before, though this unofficial one dates back to 1959 (and is actually not that bad at all):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2iSAnA8nctyuXmb-C4BKxlurHzb4cXyuP3-g4RHUjZPOs-ZZp8jxA9HnzKolkjRvP9aYU8P-1llbDOCywEpv72qRq6L__1bQS4ha0i2IPyoRp4keamMf4RvRI4IJf8cYMRnZcuLI4Do/s1600/reno.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="380" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2iSAnA8nctyuXmb-C4BKxlurHzb4cXyuP3-g4RHUjZPOs-ZZp8jxA9HnzKolkjRvP9aYU8P-1llbDOCywEpv72qRq6L__1bQS4ha0i2IPyoRp4keamMf4RvRI4IJf8cYMRnZcuLI4Do/s320/reno.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The design was the result of a contest, with 150 entries being narrowed down to 13 by a committee, then voted on by the whole city. The winning designer was a 23-year-old native by the name of Tucker Stosic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Fernley</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHO885tK8jWXt2h853iUmA81fH0EBsuGyglcreHkq071dVb9ABXLsP6mtfz3Wi-h-AAlNA5Y_BnkYEuz91Wfig9_lhSVFeAuYfJFmUHYYbTCE1QjIHFYQIyiH8dfeKvEDAfwdh-C6dPXA/s1600/fernley.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHO885tK8jWXt2h853iUmA81fH0EBsuGyglcreHkq071dVb9ABXLsP6mtfz3Wi-h-AAlNA5Y_BnkYEuz91Wfig9_lhSVFeAuYfJFmUHYYbTCE1QjIHFYQIyiH8dfeKvEDAfwdh-C6dPXA/s1600/fernley.gif" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Repeat after me, “Flags are not paintings.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It sounds like this baby might be the result of, not only a committee, but a committee that couldn’t make up its mind:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A contest for the city's flag was launched by the Fernley Arts & Culture Commission in 2007. The commission decided to mix ideas from the three top designs, proposed by Paulette Patten, Alex Lacko and Goldie Henderson, respectively</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s what that flag might look like it was a flag, and not a painting:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwDvNBxu6alEs0OH380mCVFHxSv5AETvdi3pUet3wcazynUrQYu_RKgJl7Up7tqPrzIrQwx_kqYZYBqNf-QAIH_WMkaPMCBOCkXwTQMi6w4Df6B7FB0KJtLdlwy_Zrwr1QZz9VtXhKT4/s1600/fernley.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="447" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwDvNBxu6alEs0OH380mCVFHxSv5AETvdi3pUet3wcazynUrQYu_RKgJl7Up7tqPrzIrQwx_kqYZYBqNf-QAIH_WMkaPMCBOCkXwTQMi6w4Df6B7FB0KJtLdlwy_Zrwr1QZz9VtXhKT4/s320/fernley.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This town of 19,000 is in the Sparks-Reno Metropolitan Area, and was incorporated only in 2001.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>New Hampshire</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Concord</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Sr5OX3MUmIkoANrw-SIfodgnVhIbgzuE3Pn2dVwdp58Zm7TuB6S-wZkXkwd67jPZQgXU6ws8jPo7Kons7WYzbDdXnfHfouOUetNT2tzo_0BgZMAu0Wc7oKqWfX_QN607KAp_-qaMuUY/s1600/concord+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="331" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Sr5OX3MUmIkoANrw-SIfodgnVhIbgzuE3Pn2dVwdp58Zm7TuB6S-wZkXkwd67jPZQgXU6ws8jPo7Kons7WYzbDdXnfHfouOUetNT2tzo_0BgZMAu0Wc7oKqWfX_QN607KAp_-qaMuUY/s320/concord+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interesting. I like the off-center stripe, the very large words, and the rather unusual pic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They also have a version that is <i>sans </i>words, which I must admit I do prefer:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBwiGQHqS_rJxfc8wOR6BtAsAWssbrtctV7ojSHpxp2ZOTWS7XsMPsRgdot2oAzMMOEOuebIbmqfiSu0PahPRkgIg9bQFF55ALcCY0VLDTl1J2Ur7J_h_S0n21QQiu1h1d565s6UTbiw/s1600/concord+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBwiGQHqS_rJxfc8wOR6BtAsAWssbrtctV7ojSHpxp2ZOTWS7XsMPsRgdot2oAzMMOEOuebIbmqfiSu0PahPRkgIg9bQFF55ALcCY0VLDTl1J2Ur7J_h_S0n21QQiu1h1d565s6UTbiw/s1600/concord+2.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Concord, with a population of 42,000, is the capital of the Granite State. It also just so happens to be the one-time home of the Downing-Abbot Company, founded in 1827, and makers of the Concord Coach, the coach that Wells Fargo made famous. Cool!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Milford</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaP5-hX5snSNXidcG1BN6ZnlK1ZbKZKQ3CJowisp5vpwOJD7CZ_lAd7HAEbPyx_0GZCGqy8rrc95gvD4vLvJcvMLivd2orCrKAvRcCwrLiMa_dKIroyYfIjyi68wCq49Ilnhqj8wUhNI/s1600/milford.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaP5-hX5snSNXidcG1BN6ZnlK1ZbKZKQ3CJowisp5vpwOJD7CZ_lAd7HAEbPyx_0GZCGqy8rrc95gvD4vLvJcvMLivd2orCrKAvRcCwrLiMa_dKIroyYfIjyi68wCq49Ilnhqj8wUhNI/s1600/milford.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honestly, it looks like a local telephone company logo from the late 1960s. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There seems to be no shortage of symbolism involved here:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>The gray of the granite which is extensively quarried here in Milford making Milford the granite town of the granite state;</li>
<li>The purple was to represent our connection to New Hampshire symbols of the purple lilac and purple finch, the state floral emblem and state bird;</li>
<li>The blue stripe was to represent the Souhegan River which flows through Milford.</li>
<li>Over the blue river was placed a mill wheel showing the "mill fording" the river. Many mills were built along the river to take advantage of the power of the falls.</li>
<li>The spokes and hub were to represent the town oval where all roads lead.</li>
<li>The gold bell on the flag is representative of the bell in the clock tower of the town hall, which is a Paul Revere bell and has been part of the town since 1846.</li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whew! You know, symbolism’s a great thing, but sometimes you can go a little too far.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s my woeful, Microsoft Paint version of something perhaps just a tad simpler:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIyjsaleNfYn46vBHy2ZsLHxjE4Fch6RgaXPrvZmnsHOizCPxMNTecND1v52N5_riDddeF7mf3g3cfA3MIdQsuJtJN00WTeKx1EYhNsDWK0XN0AZNzs_ZR6Yw8UK-6lt95fo2y7sV1fE/s1600/milford+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIyjsaleNfYn46vBHy2ZsLHxjE4Fch6RgaXPrvZmnsHOizCPxMNTecND1v52N5_riDddeF7mf3g3cfA3MIdQsuJtJN00WTeKx1EYhNsDWK0XN0AZNzs_ZR6Yw8UK-6lt95fo2y7sV1fE/s1600/milford+2.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Heck, you could even throw in that wheel. Just put it behind the bell. Brown would probably be fine for the color. (I’m not going to try and attempt that in Paint.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>New Jersey</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Trenton</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXdz4j9_qgJtWLHCmUSsvZcCvlBQjp8-F0oImalXtt6sfr0LE0l_IFPZci_qZX5fgPBWcqJNrWC1yQp-Ya8TDfq2jSbGUJ2hHKNYo-QD2kXKzC-bQseyMfu1oXIvidT8e-7ClPyoYxmQ/s1600/trenton.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXdz4j9_qgJtWLHCmUSsvZcCvlBQjp8-F0oImalXtt6sfr0LE0l_IFPZci_qZX5fgPBWcqJNrWC1yQp-Ya8TDfq2jSbGUJ2hHKNYo-QD2kXKzC-bQseyMfu1oXIvidT8e-7ClPyoYxmQ/s320/trenton.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Strong colors, a little heraldry, a pretty simple seal … and I just love the bicolor background (why don’t more cities do that?).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another state capital, Trenton was actually once the capital of the US as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: Jersey City</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Manville</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6i-Ovi_A6t-auOVcqokF6Xmi3q_ZeIVRzvdDp34EPA-6Ztp6jwlAX4U_rp97v7cDiE5YzqINbdxXR3xCeGr6XIzmmR4Dkd-m9gntceWNfLJukI2twLAMrbmM1WG5_Dj5bxuALsIk2jcE/s1600/manville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6i-Ovi_A6t-auOVcqokF6Xmi3q_ZeIVRzvdDp34EPA-6Ztp6jwlAX4U_rp97v7cDiE5YzqINbdxXR3xCeGr6XIzmmR4Dkd-m9gntceWNfLJukI2twLAMrbmM1WG5_Dj5bxuALsIk2jcE/s1600/manville.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know, I think there’s some room for a kitchen sink over on the right there. And, yes, that would indeed fit in the with the family-friendly theme.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This city of 10,000 is about halfway between Philadelphia and New York. It was actually named after Johns-Manville Corp. co-founder C.B. Manville (the company had an asbestos factory there). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It has a large Ukrainian population, which may explain the yellow and blue. It also has a large Polish population as well though. Maybe we could combine their traditional colors – red & white – with the blue & yellow:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTi5CHKOhMfDT35CXBoJxJB7bgWpvIh1-wYoQFvx7D4g_tFoNK9oTGCxI2yOjAKdvtrNrqgOZWFRmhp2xcvIExecq1OucM5NmwgQqQLIiK55Z_Cn61utSJoQaLoAI9Iu4b4MFcNyfk45s/s1600/manville2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="329" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTi5CHKOhMfDT35CXBoJxJB7bgWpvIh1-wYoQFvx7D4g_tFoNK9oTGCxI2yOjAKdvtrNrqgOZWFRmhp2xcvIExecq1OucM5NmwgQqQLIiK55Z_Cn61utSJoQaLoAI9Iu4b4MFcNyfk45s/s320/manville2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And if that’s too basic for you, feel free to add a “Manville,” or the city seal, or whatever. Just not all that stuff that’s on the existing flag.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/08/us-municipal-flags-new-mexico-thru-ohio.html">> US city flags - New Mexico thru Ohio</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/08/us-municipal-flags-massachusetts-thru.html">< US city flags - Massachusetts thru Missouri</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-47104213707985899172018-08-11T05:07:00.001-07:002018-08-17T17:57:45.899-07:00US Municipal Flags – Massachusetts thru Missouri<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Massachusetts</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Newbury</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEf-gqzbFD43tf4C717oQ3LxBTvkJsEYfvXU3jkn3RMJYN65QX9hkSJuKZ1MVj0x9IOXK1wRFiJ0_jnsPkXlNhJHrtvSnMaenyqoQDRplX3-rl5Pq5mQUbSVQj4oVT-idE-b15SKFic1Y/s1600/newbury.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEf-gqzbFD43tf4C717oQ3LxBTvkJsEYfvXU3jkn3RMJYN65QX9hkSJuKZ1MVj0x9IOXK1wRFiJ0_jnsPkXlNhJHrtvSnMaenyqoQDRplX3-rl5Pq5mQUbSVQj4oVT-idE-b15SKFic1Y/s1600/newbury.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This looks like one of those classic Revolutionary-era flags. I’m a little surprised this one wasn’t already spoken for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Newbury is in the northeast part of the Bay State, right along the coast. It dates all the way back to 1635, and has about 7,000 people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Colrain</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgohFHR6WN345_kVyH6nWn30HGMlCp2cdHKWGWGMhTI-tzCAu7SEuM_6iqMIWcg4Kao8ZjvF2nq85f2rAmG9m3EPZY7u17EE0uOymqDDM56ewLEXAVhlhojcTYBXT494en62zDaV-K9Qk/s1600/colrain.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgohFHR6WN345_kVyH6nWn30HGMlCp2cdHKWGWGMhTI-tzCAu7SEuM_6iqMIWcg4Kao8ZjvF2nq85f2rAmG9m3EPZY7u17EE0uOymqDDM56ewLEXAVhlhojcTYBXT494en62zDaV-K9Qk/s1600/colrain.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This looks like a school project. An elementary school project. That got a C. Because the teacher was being kind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Colrain is one of those quaint New England towns. It’s got 1,700 people, and is in the northwest part of the state, near the Vermont border.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not sure where to go with this one. Heck, the ol’ seal on a bedsheet would be a major improvement here:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbI1LW4JZOpiACxp0EvCVpVRj9VoHBIImE1R8MPc_XTaBXCWyO4gW6pdlaldPTKpEENrCuHn0RlYE6BXma0BDKC90Hw0umuzEjQeRuGby0lJRvUtsLoqA7bvDx0elqB_DQ0FPH-CfYWo/s1600/colrain+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="175" data-original-width="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbI1LW4JZOpiACxp0EvCVpVRj9VoHBIImE1R8MPc_XTaBXCWyO4gW6pdlaldPTKpEENrCuHn0RlYE6BXma0BDKC90Hw0umuzEjQeRuGby0lJRvUtsLoqA7bvDx0elqB_DQ0FPH-CfYWo/s1600/colrain+2.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don’t know – it still really needs something else though (a little color, maybe?).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Michigan</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Grand Rapids</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_7Hapgw9nXVCAjfb84jnOGrFTNf3ekcfYtwqXSeVIf9rq8SUCNHAlPDhGfZKf__v4aJMJ4lAnxEmfoX3D-zMI5Q9eM55XXqSuB0aiVoPA5KhHJeDTShkQS3A4PWVhPSNRw9IQgNZUOA/s1600/gr+rapids.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_7Hapgw9nXVCAjfb84jnOGrFTNf3ekcfYtwqXSeVIf9rq8SUCNHAlPDhGfZKf__v4aJMJ4lAnxEmfoX3D-zMI5Q9eM55XXqSuB0aiVoPA5KhHJeDTShkQS3A4PWVhPSNRw9IQgNZUOA/s1600/gr+rapids.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This looks a little like it belongs in <a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/04/doppelgangers-central-america.html">Central America</a>. It sure does beat an old SOB (“seal on a bedsheet”) though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m a little surprised more municipal flags don’t throw some stripes up there with their seals. Seems like an easy way to add a little interest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, the city also uses a flag based on their logo, which is basically just a glorified map:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPo59MvpsK8dEOE8VP3_nMg4mZI99TxxmFtf7EtkNaxJq85HnNxJMLNVvyhjQvM16zs5WlERtIjuowxUEw1x91IO6PVtNNNQZIjxSack98vcQ0GvV1aYqBOtsQ6tLoaxrlKBpKz0OsN4/s1600/gr+rapids+2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPo59MvpsK8dEOE8VP3_nMg4mZI99TxxmFtf7EtkNaxJq85HnNxJMLNVvyhjQvM16zs5WlERtIjuowxUEw1x91IO6PVtNNNQZIjxSack98vcQ0GvV1aYqBOtsQ6tLoaxrlKBpKz0OsN4/s320/gr+rapids+2.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow! Looks kinda like some sort of vampire Pacman character.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Mt. Haley</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OUbSb2dV2ygeHbaowUdARbJ03v9_6agqQNN1mKJ6JiWVUQs9tVrv1f3RzIlAoJ4IDALmuOy_AliYrtlQP0b8mjmlq3VZWXkiriHd8WuPkmY44Nar869935XjAcbepzKoKi5KElJCweM/s1600/mt+haley.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OUbSb2dV2ygeHbaowUdARbJ03v9_6agqQNN1mKJ6JiWVUQs9tVrv1f3RzIlAoJ4IDALmuOy_AliYrtlQP0b8mjmlq3VZWXkiriHd8WuPkmY44Nar869935XjAcbepzKoKi5KElJCweM/s1600/mt+haley.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">69 characters! It’s a novel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also like the clip art. Let’s see, what we’ve got here? – a tractor, a house, the sun, a car, some corn ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mt. Haley, a town of less than 2,000, is just west of Saginaw. It looks very flat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This place is really too small to come up with anything to replace this. I wouldn’t have a clue where to start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Minnesota</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Owatonna</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zoNzghFNRjF_qPq0fs-wEQ32GALjkW1AxS-fnyNoeDBUJKOtX8MI7L7zMoGFn01gtYpwORj9gCiNha5THsllGatbJbrqvH2yfO-MAHZrnL75oOct7mZwdMmUYLeslMcU8upr2Ur5Xh4/s1600/owatonna.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zoNzghFNRjF_qPq0fs-wEQ32GALjkW1AxS-fnyNoeDBUJKOtX8MI7L7zMoGFn01gtYpwORj9gCiNha5THsllGatbJbrqvH2yfO-MAHZrnL75oOct7mZwdMmUYLeslMcU8upr2Ur5Xh4/s320/owatonna.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s not perfect, but I like the unusual shade of blue, the large coat of arms, and the latter’s somewhat heraldic appropriateness. In fact, this thing even has its own official heraldic description:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>Azure and gules, quartered; parted per pale, argent.</li>
<li>In dexter chief, three wheat stems, or.</li>
<li>In sinister chief, interlocking gear wheels, of the third.</li>
<li>In dexter base, a torch and atomic symbol also of the third.</li>
<li>In sinister base, a cross, drama mask and music lyre of the fourth.</li>
<li>In pale, an Indian maiden, proper, affronteé.</li>
<li>Crest: A cornucopia of the fifth.</li>
<li>In an escroll under the shield, "Owatonna,"</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Owatonna? It’s a decent-sized city of 25,000, almost an hour south of the Twin Cities. The name comes from the Dakota word for “straight,” for the nearby Straight River.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: Minneapolis</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Mora</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGDRQwElFvbw8QFhJoCbfymY9C_fIyvowQcV4N8jvoAAhzmeppJy4NXnizCxugka9ZFUbc6_qN7K5-XoW_aDFr68LHAKNFh4ZuQM5q6Dk3iuT5BEj1ZD5GWG_0YpeA98D84-8V0bm08c/s1600/mora.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGDRQwElFvbw8QFhJoCbfymY9C_fIyvowQcV4N8jvoAAhzmeppJy4NXnizCxugka9ZFUbc6_qN7K5-XoW_aDFr68LHAKNFh4ZuQM5q6Dk3iuT5BEj1ZD5GWG_0YpeA98D84-8V0bm08c/s1600/mora.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Busy much?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, the flag of Mora is like the Swedish flag (a yellow cross on blue), but with a blue-white-red ribbon waving across it (for the Dutch, I assume), a large red Dala horse, and no shortage of text. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dala horse? Why, the Dala horse is a:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a traditional carved, painted wooden statue of a horse originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna (Dalecarlia). In the old days the Dalecarlian horse was mostly used as a toy for children; in modern times it has become a symbol of Dalarna, as well as of Sweden in general. (Wikipedia)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_OJLkJqADNIz5IJi18UMCdSzIqgbBnoGZBOhxNbFFPZ8vyyhBvUMoLd10aGmfyN-EkzjJkktYsNwp61zYVgyP_xCFOJDp6LScxkJKL2ei1oIaeEQJF5I91PXJ_Fei1JFyHViNSk4Qac/s1600/dala.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_OJLkJqADNIz5IJi18UMCdSzIqgbBnoGZBOhxNbFFPZ8vyyhBvUMoLd10aGmfyN-EkzjJkktYsNwp61zYVgyP_xCFOJDp6LScxkJKL2ei1oIaeEQJF5I91PXJ_Fei1JFyHViNSk4Qac/s1600/dala.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not a bad idea. I just wish the rest of the deal wasn’t so darn busy. Maybe we could just throw one of those things on a Swedish blue bedsheet and call it a day (feel free to add the name and the date in yellow).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mora is a town of 3,000, about an hour north of the Twin Cities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Mississippi </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Natchez</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnw3Jqlg8S_f9EE79stlsqsdvk0crF40ONNqZqeIy2isYHTfSeoIi9lno0nJAD45M7l25GD3BM3W141-HPbWePX6WbYf_QrO8CrpQH-nfLhK4Z_coXzbldxf6UpYLEM4k4Qqx7lAlI1o/s1600/natchez.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="361" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnw3Jqlg8S_f9EE79stlsqsdvk0crF40ONNqZqeIy2isYHTfSeoIi9lno0nJAD45M7l25GD3BM3W141-HPbWePX6WbYf_QrO8CrpQH-nfLhK4Z_coXzbldxf6UpYLEM4k4Qqx7lAlI1o/s320/natchez.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear old Natchez. Now, that’s a pretty hip and happening flag for such a traditional, Old South city.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The wavy white line, of course, represents the Mississippi River. Everything else represents all sort of abstract things I’m not sure I have the room for (or interest in).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: Jackson</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: McComb</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqkV4F2hXMt7f7gW2vgU1Ztq_1Eu7AERU0dc3xTGB-TyVEntCvz-0fEqB7YifHMuvNBuzm3lqhIPiVqY80d-LJT2cTN-RpR-Sp7Ex1nrIcI7Pk45688kFjJeuh4iqb5Y9gTHB6rV2FSA/s1600/mccomb.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqkV4F2hXMt7f7gW2vgU1Ztq_1Eu7AERU0dc3xTGB-TyVEntCvz-0fEqB7YifHMuvNBuzm3lqhIPiVqY80d-LJT2cTN-RpR-Sp7Ex1nrIcI7Pk45688kFjJeuh4iqb5Y9gTHB6rV2FSA/s1600/mccomb.PNG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Look! It’s a choo-choo! And a flower! And another flower! And some stripes! And an eagle! And some stars! And some words! And a …</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You probably know the city of McComb City as the hometown of Britney Spears (I know I do). It’s in the SW part of the state, almost into Louisiana.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, what to do with this mess? Well, how about if we take those many components and reduce them down to 2 or 3. For example, here’s the seal on some stripes:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uaBcvpn1lksi7FJNVHvL09r9XdOIiLZrPEtIBVVwpniYQwtyAQATzkzUE2sTQeDnauxc_KAjchzWpnb84xiS224nR3xo2RGT1AGtlVU02kvOKCYui1LMAjMQ0ipow6gopywLWa8cGjk/s1600/mccomb+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uaBcvpn1lksi7FJNVHvL09r9XdOIiLZrPEtIBVVwpniYQwtyAQATzkzUE2sTQeDnauxc_KAjchzWpnb84xiS224nR3xo2RGT1AGtlVU02kvOKCYui1LMAjMQ0ipow6gopywLWa8cGjk/s1600/mccomb+2.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Missouri</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Creve Coeur</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAHi_EY2ySgwTVO9u53oOAfqSwYMlXL8p_DWP00Y2MX-DvH4xxW3HZ3UHs0rSGtYjzWY0zqOnY2_ECIeBxUrzNdNA0U9tHkCTyKD2rCucKAeouL5767JxxCdd0azrvJRI9H-IRl3CFPs/s1600/creve+coeur.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAHi_EY2ySgwTVO9u53oOAfqSwYMlXL8p_DWP00Y2MX-DvH4xxW3HZ3UHs0rSGtYjzWY0zqOnY2_ECIeBxUrzNdNA0U9tHkCTyKD2rCucKAeouL5767JxxCdd0azrvJRI9H-IRl3CFPs/s1600/creve+coeur.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Creve Coeur is a suburb of St. Louis, means “broken heart” in French, and was supposedly named after some old Indian legend. Somehow or other, they also came up with this very distinct, heraldically perfect flag (which actually reminds me a lot of a pirate ensign as well).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: St. Louis</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Rockaway Beach</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZrus9jquYqo1UhMaSEt1nr7A2Z4BFL8E3EgGL_emihJybpMyoZI4wZleAY_3R-B65jUgKVzkj_8nY7QXQzB0vL6b4faXspgDyYNMi5R1085mvmXs6NtboT53GdQzcd-Zx_WvJ3e-MLo/s1600/rockaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="359" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZrus9jquYqo1UhMaSEt1nr7A2Z4BFL8E3EgGL_emihJybpMyoZI4wZleAY_3R-B65jUgKVzkj_8nY7QXQzB0vL6b4faXspgDyYNMi5R1085mvmXs6NtboT53GdQzcd-Zx_WvJ3e-MLo/s320/rockaway.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Photographic realism is not always your best bet for your flags, ladies and gentlemen. Yeah, this one’s realistic alright. Right down to that copyright. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The red and blue stripes remind me of the Missouri flag, so maybe we could play on that. All we’d really need to do, then, would be to come up with a fish that was a little less detailed. Like so:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifR-OUBr1GGWJM2NeI61pDNROnE23v6_PcgnEiFMQsHA_GBIqj0A7Zo3_T4V2nhEiARUgZYuOWbT6wdWqhOuZD2UDa09wueL7Ov7WvzoD2ZcKVmnTunabNT6TFU7z2vL2aAIKJ0mA4HY/s1600/rockaway+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="321" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifR-OUBr1GGWJM2NeI61pDNROnE23v6_PcgnEiFMQsHA_GBIqj0A7Zo3_T4V2nhEiARUgZYuOWbT6wdWqhOuZD2UDa09wueL7Ov7WvzoD2ZcKVmnTunabNT6TFU7z2vL2aAIKJ0mA4HY/s320/rockaway+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rockaway Beach is a resort town in the Ozarks, right on scenic Lake Taneycomo. It's know mostly for a big motorcycle gang riot back in 1965. Population: 800.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/08/us-municipal-flags-montana-to-new-jersey.html">> US city flags - Montana thru New Jersey</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/08/us-municipal-flags-kansas-thru-maryland.html">< US city flags - Kansas thru Maryland</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
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Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-72632340624763203382018-08-04T08:19:00.000-07:002018-08-11T05:09:38.297-07:00US Municipal Flags – Kansas thru Maryland<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Kansas</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wichita<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9_9XLCWEvd81BurJj-htOKfMONuOZRRAV07c8aSPG4eCSrK9vRPAfpKTl3m1WkhM5f_FXFxPI0hlJv6655CGlBpx2p_u7xwi4A6TjrfxNoN-ZWAmnyuSb-xFA8_5YFiiUVb2QzitqUk/s1600/wichita.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9_9XLCWEvd81BurJj-htOKfMONuOZRRAV07c8aSPG4eCSrK9vRPAfpKTl3m1WkhM5f_FXFxPI0hlJv6655CGlBpx2p_u7xwi4A6TjrfxNoN-ZWAmnyuSb-xFA8_5YFiiUVb2QzitqUk/s1600/wichita.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow, this one really is unique
(even if they stole that symbol from the <a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">New Mexico flag</a>). Hard to believe this
baby is 80 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yup, it was
designed by local artist Cecil McAlister, way back in 1937. He got $40 for it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The North American Vexillological
Association ranked this one pretty high – 6 out of 150. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Countryside<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTPIW70xNEFHRtivxtK5PwPQZfHpx063VYu0vkElYvS9hyE1-yLQ5IvH1tyDJiLk1pNKYYO0IPA9AxJjaQ1Bn6NSw8YsM8mGDkaawVCtdFWs3FZMpCsvyhMoHQM-F2xP-oDvXQlBTBKI/s1600/countryside.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTPIW70xNEFHRtivxtK5PwPQZfHpx063VYu0vkElYvS9hyE1-yLQ5IvH1tyDJiLk1pNKYYO0IPA9AxJjaQ1Bn6NSw8YsM8mGDkaawVCtdFWs3FZMpCsvyhMoHQM-F2xP-oDvXQlBTBKI/s1600/countryside.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ah, yes, the PowerPoint school of flag design. This suburb
of Kansas City 1) is only 3x4 blocks big and 2) was absorbed by neighboring
Mission in 2003. I’m not sure it’s even worth coming up with anything new for
this one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Kentucky</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Florence</span></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXLmJjwT6jBxBmK27hE4oGFjWbzjIcupjPZQ_1kElQrK09uhhESaxWML3BQPSQ10lyIBbmbcDzaWxpGeEmdH_MbX_ssQvT6JBDYedAPDp5FIcgf6uygOuwhQjIcZGdgN5eZYbDHYY5EQ/s1600/flo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="323" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXLmJjwT6jBxBmK27hE4oGFjWbzjIcupjPZQ_1kElQrK09uhhESaxWML3BQPSQ10lyIBbmbcDzaWxpGeEmdH_MbX_ssQvT6JBDYedAPDp5FIcgf6uygOuwhQjIcZGdgN5eZYbDHYY5EQ/s320/flo.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No, it’s not all that great. Honestly, though, you should
see the competition. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It actually flies with this odd streamer below it:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iznCbRwNDPFRUWAm3DMMjwxwlEjcsgcUwNhXKb3ryvoAk1qt4XkN9Pyk60n7tv16SNkWp8ftZZC8OgimaCLUhfvDanqEiaswfx15jNY0JQ4j7p4SABIfnEWkBgX8VU3t5nEJYBbShUA/s1600/stream.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="108" data-original-width="524" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iznCbRwNDPFRUWAm3DMMjwxwlEjcsgcUwNhXKb3ryvoAk1qt4XkN9Pyk60n7tv16SNkWp8ftZZC8OgimaCLUhfvDanqEiaswfx15jNY0JQ4j7p4SABIfnEWkBgX8VU3t5nEJYBbShUA/s320/stream.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe we could make a play on that streamer – adding the
seal, say, to make it more official (and, yes, we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are</i> redoing the best this state has to offer):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8f92mIN7hJjTMt4JXbZjmUFSIEB14cjihKOSt2ziz_d_-yx7rUfcUvxPVjpYhVw-EqmkStXrV5Viu1lvkaUNuTPdz1riPLkw5foLeUITLL_B6JC3EPohJLlGY_jYi9fQ6ZdHOBlBuzBo/s1600/flo+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8f92mIN7hJjTMt4JXbZjmUFSIEB14cjihKOSt2ziz_d_-yx7rUfcUvxPVjpYhVw-EqmkStXrV5Viu1lvkaUNuTPdz1riPLkw5foLeUITLL_B6JC3EPohJLlGY_jYi9fQ6ZdHOBlBuzBo/s1600/flo+2.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you do keep the original, however, do please ditch that trademark
symbol. Thanks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Almost forgot … This burg of 23,000 is just south of
Cincinnati. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: <a href="https://flagpolesetc.com/blog/louisville-kentucky-city-flag-history">Louisville's <i>former </i>city flag</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alexandria<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuv-8_PVLeZaCYOH9B9LdPQ77kL_mzomHew1ew6e2xX-PUzum0mL1pH9qyXcEZN5CL1cuJPPJ2hutIxGLQqj6kqaQKuOCFNU7S0WEDAOEZLXAAJtf9vucC1xZYepsWmjznCvsJ0-CXSKY/s1600/alex.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuv-8_PVLeZaCYOH9B9LdPQ77kL_mzomHew1ew6e2xX-PUzum0mL1pH9qyXcEZN5CL1cuJPPJ2hutIxGLQqj6kqaQKuOCFNU7S0WEDAOEZLXAAJtf9vucC1xZYepsWmjznCvsJ0-CXSKY/s1600/alex.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I call this one “text on a bedsheet” (“TOB”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The town itself has about a third the people of Florence,
but is in the same rough area. Interestingly, Alexandria shares the county seat
(of Campbell County) with another town (Newport).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alexandria, KY was supposedly named after Alexandria, VA, so
maybe we could get a redesign going around their flag, which is not bad:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULzFw7RAPNLwnEFQpgGzcm_f57I6vJZ4k0fzrnRAubVM30nL9b0_AmXNmA_2X4J5rSLY2yECf4_iyO7yZeuBgmlVCURmyyWOEUnSqEDvGk1yA7_QK76AbiN20yc3KCwY8vvASoSx5AhA/s1600/alex+va.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULzFw7RAPNLwnEFQpgGzcm_f57I6vJZ4k0fzrnRAubVM30nL9b0_AmXNmA_2X4J5rSLY2yECf4_iyO7yZeuBgmlVCURmyyWOEUnSqEDvGk1yA7_QK76AbiN20yc3KCwY8vvASoSx5AhA/s1600/alex+va.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because Alexandria, KY is right between two rivers, the Ohio
on the East and the Licking on the West, maybe we could add some blue to either
side to reflect that – and to liven things up a little as well:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidixOJ0cX2E0BDqmglRXLsVlLBgXfbyML0oXPRTMzAYkRxwoJSQI5WVurrZJUQujq4etHr4LABWthaO_fIVoaE32SVBbzQxKJXe8lODNXzAX5d1U6_WJzybK3jnP460rRcrAjyATI5o8U/s1600/alex+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidixOJ0cX2E0BDqmglRXLsVlLBgXfbyML0oXPRTMzAYkRxwoJSQI5WVurrZJUQujq4etHr4LABWthaO_fIVoaE32SVBbzQxKJXe8lODNXzAX5d1U6_WJzybK3jnP460rRcrAjyATI5o8U/s1600/alex+2.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ll let the Alexandrians themselves work on that seal. Heck,
they could even make it purple if they want. ... Nah<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Louisiana</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lafayette<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgWmGmM9-WTzZNuBUDDSsKYX4PvRVPcCxyP0m2uW2oBKfiWziydh05EoHTRtoyImWC-ZUgqcWlsmsWKvCUUeaxLP6jjhFmdNKgJlx_yo2FE71w89lJD0aOjw9VEO1-a0VUNU6JfCKvcM/s1600/laf.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgWmGmM9-WTzZNuBUDDSsKYX4PvRVPcCxyP0m2uW2oBKfiWziydh05EoHTRtoyImWC-ZUgqcWlsmsWKvCUUeaxLP6jjhFmdNKgJlx_yo2FE71w89lJD0aOjw9VEO1-a0VUNU6JfCKvcM/s1600/laf.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It might not have occurred to you right off the bat, but
this is actually a cursive L. Can you see it now? Clever, huh? I don’t know,
maybe they should a little show more of the letter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lafayette is generally considered the capital of Cajun
country. It has almost 130,000 people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mamou<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GC4WyySmdrewD0KUobMpcT7z2l9GdoXfAilTU8MBdo629KVXh4C_R3JN6_-mDLEiFx8d85wGelNB2ZnFENEvSYRIAgTElY4tpR9ZrvWunMu0IsvZjmvn3C-120sAvBrblBHtdIrph4U/s1600/mamou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="121" data-original-width="200" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GC4WyySmdrewD0KUobMpcT7z2l9GdoXfAilTU8MBdo629KVXh4C_R3JN6_-mDLEiFx8d85wGelNB2ZnFENEvSYRIAgTElY4tpR9ZrvWunMu0IsvZjmvn3C-120sAvBrblBHtdIrph4U/s320/mamou.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Did we leave anything out? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I guess this little town of 4,000 is supposed to be the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">musical</i> capital of Cajun country. Well,
they do have a well-known venue (Fred’s Lounge), feature in a number of song titles,
and have their own festival. So …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A redesign could keep those (traditional Mardi Gras) stripes
of colors but maybe limit the number of other things. Heck, let’s keep it super
simple and just include a treble clef (symbolizing music, doncha know):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLXWEAQ2QwE5qgO2Lm7MUk1eBgS4aQKnbobyBXmSMfIEaYmijdlzmBIxeesFD7KvEGc9aHxBeKDIqBRiDFCsamykTRU4RvzjepYhrswCFMgBqodwixd_FahmYwA-TVWwDXfHVwTa9E6M/s1600/mamou+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLXWEAQ2QwE5qgO2Lm7MUk1eBgS4aQKnbobyBXmSMfIEaYmijdlzmBIxeesFD7KvEGc9aHxBeKDIqBRiDFCsamykTRU4RvzjepYhrswCFMgBqodwixd_FahmYwA-TVWwDXfHVwTa9E6M/s1600/mamou+2.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Maine<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bath<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd31yArrm96NuHRhb24B_eEst3xD5kAqIGFthU6SvvemvoWNCoYIxUlUcAfhhWeLxbPlsLK4MVmDtzgoWtQ0BAX9tUq0SIEP8XBnUs_gM6ylTKFOcdwFjlSilnO9l_tWcbFlCy9HS7ZXo/s1600/bath.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd31yArrm96NuHRhb24B_eEst3xD5kAqIGFthU6SvvemvoWNCoYIxUlUcAfhhWeLxbPlsLK4MVmDtzgoWtQ0BAX9tUq0SIEP8XBnUs_gM6ylTKFOcdwFjlSilnO9l_tWcbFlCy9HS7ZXo/s1600/bath.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A classic – and very classy – traditional heraldic
treatment. Indeed, the flag shares those wavy lines (representing a river) with
the coat of arms for Bath, England (nice touch, that).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmtWL9-cNb4qsLRlyGo4QS6W09pgFE31Ndiux0RtLV9ChTqKzfW4tNbd0xRYyBDEoyvrI09zEzhSFPLwzEx36jlqhFWsnoErWEWYG9AauEsy0hthBroSH35f927oMzQCsxgkHesXG0_g/s1600/bath+uk.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmtWL9-cNb4qsLRlyGo4QS6W09pgFE31Ndiux0RtLV9ChTqKzfW4tNbd0xRYyBDEoyvrI09zEzhSFPLwzEx36jlqhFWsnoErWEWYG9AauEsy0hthBroSH35f927oMzQCsxgkHesXG0_g/s1600/bath+uk.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Bath on this side of the pond is a city of 8,500, near
Portland. It’s known for shipbuilding, and is pretty darn quaint and touristy.
I should know – I visited there once.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, Bathers (I guess that’s what they’re called) are
very proud of having their flag approved by the North American Vexillological Association.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lubec<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBm_FnYuJ2Rv3xLwBJkoT0fZt3QrZYszIPJoho8-FrPq5pYSKCG_UtyDBQGQShhld1k0BXG0QU9Lb-t1uPsdi5vo0Kg58Ec0O4od3BD4C3Hi3nCK1_eupiNYbX4w-WfEiXF8Px2rUehb0/s1600/lubec.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="357" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBm_FnYuJ2Rv3xLwBJkoT0fZt3QrZYszIPJoho8-FrPq5pYSKCG_UtyDBQGQShhld1k0BXG0QU9Lb-t1uPsdi5vo0Kg58Ec0O4od3BD4C3Hi3nCK1_eupiNYbX4w-WfEiXF8Px2rUehb0/s320/lubec.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m surprised this doesn’t have some ads on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks a little like a diner menu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another scenic place, this one is right on the border with
Canada. It’s got about 1,300 people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I guess we could refashion it after the flag of Lubeck,
Germany (for which it was named), but that thing’s just too darned German:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tJEmgSW78aslf-ZyzAjsKcs0r-G67xUOHtVM9PEpUH-Yrj5SCr8pc4Gkb3rgJRPyhhNIgc3hHBsFuTOOr1oOKrKj9IVz4ub8fWgTSzOTIaBlEOJpSM7FM0SARkuhTIsliryGGFYl-8U/s1600/germ.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tJEmgSW78aslf-ZyzAjsKcs0r-G67xUOHtVM9PEpUH-Yrj5SCr8pc4Gkb3rgJRPyhhNIgc3hHBsFuTOOr1oOKrKj9IVz4ub8fWgTSzOTIaBlEOJpSM7FM0SARkuhTIsliryGGFYl-8U/s1600/germ.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know, I know! How about if we just take that cool
lighthouse and plop it on a nice, clean blue background:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Feel free to add the name,
some compass points, the sun, whatever … Just don’t overdo it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8aUES6TBHWNTxYlyaqRDMHL56wOrJo9AOhmsfOVzCaywS-1CjOmPhDvsIkjdtHuk0Ii2ehAHVe5u-RZPdjwz1xOVO9HkDOH3K_Qenl5CUZqEUiyzzEbL5TM3cYwWMCQBthlWWmhdNkU/s1600/lubec+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8aUES6TBHWNTxYlyaqRDMHL56wOrJo9AOhmsfOVzCaywS-1CjOmPhDvsIkjdtHuk0Ii2ehAHVe5u-RZPdjwz1xOVO9HkDOH3K_Qenl5CUZqEUiyzzEbL5TM3cYwWMCQBthlWWmhdNkU/s1600/lubec+2.png" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Maryland</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best </u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rockville<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1ETTBnjBWLvaJQ1dpJQMUFVspFaSziGzAhYVKUONY8RQq29Ys322fFXraxfIT49_OcXdycB2IMUxiDAy1tA3PWE2eRRrEHJEhrxI2PfqzYNXzHVOpqv5mrdsMyUTnTZhMDu06fhh09k/s1600/rockville.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1ETTBnjBWLvaJQ1dpJQMUFVspFaSziGzAhYVKUONY8RQq29Ys322fFXraxfIT49_OcXdycB2IMUxiDAy1tA3PWE2eRRrEHJEhrxI2PfqzYNXzHVOpqv5mrdsMyUTnTZhMDu06fhh09k/s1600/rockville.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Another classic heraldic look,
this is based on the town’s seal, which is in turn based on the </span>coat of
arms of some guy, I guess. Wish I knew a little bit more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This suburb of DC has a population of 60,000. F. Scott
Fitzgerald is buried here for some reason.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somerset<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Gl39QVouXPM41txbfoEvXq38SEJUnm7LCt9N1rleO-YUVXqhBS2V2fHE2f6-f8w0Z6ooD_0LYRsNi07pJDd2w91DBmil5mZFdCOCzocQHKhWrRADaqsrDwhg_7vYTuYviWB7NK9duK0/s1600/som.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="121" data-original-width="246" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Gl39QVouXPM41txbfoEvXq38SEJUnm7LCt9N1rleO-YUVXqhBS2V2fHE2f6-f8w0Z6ooD_0LYRsNi07pJDd2w91DBmil5mZFdCOCzocQHKhWrRADaqsrDwhg_7vYTuYviWB7NK9duK0/s320/som.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This looks like one of those flags you buy at the local
garden shop. Just stick it in your lawn to signal summer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We’re in the great DC sprawl again, but with only 1,000
folks this time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There’s not a lot to this little town (it only dates back to
1890), so perhaps we could take some inspiration from the flag for the shire of
the same name back in Merrie Ol’ England: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6HDFkQYB4uaZ8oCIQyicHml0JqCxyYUYcukE5FGVAD0SISgV_9ITxVdFLuRcRuclJrCoeFT5_cGiYhISiA-tz-CMsYwrWUYk9-Yvd8VNSfC71t-CvlFqD1zormyhtTzNsbkF5FHcvJ0/s1600/som+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="339" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6HDFkQYB4uaZ8oCIQyicHml0JqCxyYUYcukE5FGVAD0SISgV_9ITxVdFLuRcRuclJrCoeFT5_cGiYhISiA-tz-CMsYwrWUYk9-Yvd8VNSfC71t-CvlFqD1zormyhtTzNsbkF5FHcvJ0/s320/som+uk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s a little something to distinguish It a little – a play
on the Maryland flag:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NNsTsnJdqyqOvHMXgDgrPyqmtPztGwPcVv1rEbp7fRo_LgJ7C9BayauXOEwOvFi14-DCtFTPOv8eNP3AFNf5JwdNZOR-rei8LiPT0w-0L0vRvTtzNHUGxKe5I6pVTakOlTA73_Tgv6k/s1600/som+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="207" data-original-width="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NNsTsnJdqyqOvHMXgDgrPyqmtPztGwPcVv1rEbp7fRo_LgJ7C9BayauXOEwOvFi14-DCtFTPOv8eNP3AFNf5JwdNZOR-rei8LiPT0w-0L0vRvTtzNHUGxKe5I6pVTakOlTA73_Tgv6k/s1600/som+2.png" /></a></div>
<br />
See what I did there?<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/08/us-municipal-flags-massachusetts-thru.html">> US city flags - Massachusetts thru Missouri</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/07/us-municipal-flags-hawaii-thru-iowa.html">< US city flags - Hawaii thru Iowa</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
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Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-70833059915105975802018-07-27T15:06:00.000-07:002018-08-27T16:11:24.259-07:00US Municipal Flags – Hawaii thru Iowa<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Hawaii</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Honolulu</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhor-o_tc79UKq5_NdFYC3xECqROpYQ95umHl1gbyP7i-D0Jot9RCeJHg7tBWD12AyhJ6vpFlESl3MAtiuT7IuGvIFbUjjEJG_FjJVt-9aFQBcadq-HShlgFCRGE3VkYx-z1m-qqPuFrho/s1600/hono.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhor-o_tc79UKq5_NdFYC3xECqROpYQ95umHl1gbyP7i-D0Jot9RCeJHg7tBWD12AyhJ6vpFlESl3MAtiuT7IuGvIFbUjjEJG_FjJVt-9aFQBcadq-HShlgFCRGE3VkYx-z1m-qqPuFrho/s320/hono.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seeing as there are only two municipal flags in the whole state, this one will have to do. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah, it is a little bright. But, you know, I kinda like it. A yellow background is just not something you see every day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As for that seal, well, at least it does include the coat of arms of the state (and, with one little change, the coat of arms of the former kingdom as well).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Maui</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicL9300yMniEmLb1-68qoxzRZJou9ushTUwW0AYOWdsPvNa93hhlh2WnQuf17w7lwNfxNyeUKtObOluHTwxobQ8_ksgdRQhTujn9ZBrkm1tUkZeSfU8XtJnL3cYCkdIi0fYsY2KXBB398/s1600/maui.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicL9300yMniEmLb1-68qoxzRZJou9ushTUwW0AYOWdsPvNa93hhlh2WnQuf17w7lwNfxNyeUKtObOluHTwxobQ8_ksgdRQhTujn9ZBrkm1tUkZeSfU8XtJnL3cYCkdIi0fYsY2KXBB398/s320/maui.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow. This train wreck might have been the state’s worst even if it had 100 of them. The colors, the text, the outlines of the islands, that weird pink thing … </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, that weird pink thing is actually a silversword. They are found only in Hawaii and only at elevations over 5000’. Here’s what one really looks like: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOIBtJtA8x3mVe5T6UVIRTpf4gwG6k_R47npiWxg4mRSR4YM9YJPbLZiaODd85hmFprXY2vT3CQbhQJYKFzmaGdvnc8vopNAxp_XpG9uCDZ0KbKXd5iBQ-lSWodLXzqKXnXSFbW2jh9A/s1600/silver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOIBtJtA8x3mVe5T6UVIRTpf4gwG6k_R47npiWxg4mRSR4YM9YJPbLZiaODd85hmFprXY2vT3CQbhQJYKFzmaGdvnc8vopNAxp_XpG9uCDZ0KbKXd5iBQ-lSWodLXzqKXnXSFbW2jh9A/s320/silver.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps something a little more stylized might work. Chaminade University’s sports teams are known as the Silverswords, and they use a logo that might provide some inspiration:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUdPtr1dS59E0sEe3ea9BMAQDdrGiHRRxlOAFtHo1Rq4tsFzh87pBhTj8uILAMUhD0y0JoWUiu6QsxtOwEnaZ8iwdtEZnvw9y9UDXdLRAF14ii4ER_eCYF3IOQya7iPR67J586S9wYFA/s1600/sword.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="443" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUdPtr1dS59E0sEe3ea9BMAQDdrGiHRRxlOAFtHo1Rq4tsFzh87pBhTj8uILAMUhD0y0JoWUiu6QsxtOwEnaZ8iwdtEZnvw9y9UDXdLRAF14ii4ER_eCYF3IOQya7iPR67J586S9wYFA/s320/sword.png" width="249" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, what I’m thinking is:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Keep the baby blue background</li>
<li>Ditch the sword</li>
<li>Make the blades silver (or at least white)</li>
<li>Add some more bits to the top and make them pink</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m not going to try and attempt all that with MS Paint, so have at it Photoshoppers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Idaho</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Canyon County</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHNfxayHu7cZnNWeUG-KzcqyUFUaGM_ZqcrISL7HGsbwwtgVz64E1_VSHgAua1ZO9v0SmBfo8VUtFwsLQLWNNwjZxh3VqRejP_LMLbBi0Qa270-EL-Ejr9i87Y9ljT6kazFswlXzOLj4/s1600/canyon.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="333" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHNfxayHu7cZnNWeUG-KzcqyUFUaGM_ZqcrISL7HGsbwwtgVz64E1_VSHgAua1ZO9v0SmBfo8VUtFwsLQLWNNwjZxh3VqRejP_LMLbBi0Qa270-EL-Ejr9i87Y9ljT6kazFswlXzOLj4/s320/canyon.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Had to resort to counties for Idaho. Just not that many people there, I guess.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once again, simple and elegant wins the race. A border might be a nice idea, but that pic on the seal is just so colorful that that’s probably not necessary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not familiar with Canyon County? It’s just west of Boise. That location probably accounts for it being the 2nd most populous county in the state, accounting for over 10% of all Idahoans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Kuna</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtahzRUV1MF8Df0VpKb9zCjPStDjN6k92k5UGXXcD7pjLHzsGlZEyzt8LB4ZyvkWmKIGr5tbE_9qiahVwBCwOWaRGPH4rQQDEyAcGwGedW_LEj96Qx1tGbklRypj5wcKc5g1Z_WvXRJFw/s1600/kuna.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtahzRUV1MF8Df0VpKb9zCjPStDjN6k92k5UGXXcD7pjLHzsGlZEyzt8LB4ZyvkWmKIGr5tbE_9qiahVwBCwOWaRGPH4rQQDEyAcGwGedW_LEj96Qx1tGbklRypj5wcKc5g1Z_WvXRJFw/s1600/kuna.PNG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The clip art school of flag design. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This town of 15,000 is in the same rough area of Canyon County (oh, just a little bit south and east). The name may mean “end of trail or, alternatively, “green leaf – good to smoke.” Wait a minute – shouldn’t this town be in Colorado then?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How might we improve this monstrosity? Maybe we could take one or two of those elements, and go from there. They seem quite proud of their raptors, so why not a silhouette of one? “Kuna” could perhaps be added in script underneath. We could probably keep the light blue, but definitely ditch the gradient. Whether we go with black or white for the other elements would depend on how dark the blue is. Here, how about this one:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsIvKAvR916qHINTtyxj8aikne0f-TV4632b92ckir4IKOwKUaedYnOuIctCE3kpZ6RWXewQknyiZ5JmqF_Pqab82LGGBGB2toDbjzaU1L7EaVAIcnu_8p-FD6PYMRfG2EIjABQK_Vl8/s1600/kuna+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsIvKAvR916qHINTtyxj8aikne0f-TV4632b92ckir4IKOwKUaedYnOuIctCE3kpZ6RWXewQknyiZ5JmqF_Pqab82LGGBGB2toDbjzaU1L7EaVAIcnu_8p-FD6PYMRfG2EIjABQK_Vl8/s1600/kuna+2.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sorry. That’s the best I can do with MS Paint.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dishonorable mention: Pocatello</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Illinois</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Chicago</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_8yyMkSMxE0iaQqVl6YgF07E_YR8Vkt-zaRDPcYAU0anVt9MGYqWISqfTfhLTomApQYNh76hpO435u7qCmoiYFTCdy9jqsRE_xfRzTUL6YBXhn4ljAK-bnfMAFG8rJLSbZYYnUPNjik/s1600/chi.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_8yyMkSMxE0iaQqVl6YgF07E_YR8Vkt-zaRDPcYAU0anVt9MGYqWISqfTfhLTomApQYNh76hpO435u7qCmoiYFTCdy9jqsRE_xfRzTUL6YBXhn4ljAK-bnfMAFG8rJLSbZYYnUPNjik/s1600/chi.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the real classics. It also just so happens to be <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/roman_mars_why_city_flags_may_be_the_worst_designed_thing_you_ve_never_noticed">Roman Mars’ favorite</a> as well. He makes a very good point that one way you can tell that a flag is a success is if you see it all over the place. I’ve been to Chicago. He’s right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love those stripes. The only other flags I can think of that have them are Israel, DC, and <a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/07/us-municipal-flags-alabama-thru.html">Mobile</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BTW, the <a href="https://nava.org/digital-library/design/surveys/2004-American-City%20Flags-Survey.pdf">North American Vexillological Association</a> rated this one second of all cities across the country.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Newark</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXSpNiK_fItVS3kVUEEodRst87jTH49Ey46qTyxanFGkTFmG3Pa0fuKMbqX_EJt6bm2gJxF0J65oNnFSHY8RR3IdaYwyDOgKWShaAeQW3YUxXmVyLsQubhjlXsFP47vXynlvnJ0EiXaM/s1600/newark.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXSpNiK_fItVS3kVUEEodRst87jTH49Ey46qTyxanFGkTFmG3Pa0fuKMbqX_EJt6bm2gJxF0J65oNnFSHY8RR3IdaYwyDOgKWShaAeQW3YUxXmVyLsQubhjlXsFP47vXynlvnJ0EiXaM/s320/newark.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one was designed by Salvador Dali. While on acid. In the middle of a nervous breakdown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow! Where did <i>this </i>come from? How about high school senior Hannah W.? I’m thinking with a little help from Photoshop or Powerpoint, and maybe some potent hallucinogens. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A redesign? It’s hard to say. This burg of 900, just west of Chicago, doesn’t seem to be known for anything in particular. Maybe they can use the flag of Newark, NJ (for which they were named) as a model:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mutWRLV5x9QLmIR2M09Yu5YCovk7_YiPrx-cKVbrfU49K863UwXm8UhvbFb63NcPkn5-JBP8807k-ZrYbUepgWhx3GWfincIMGO6PiI2t6ldSUk1tV6xxIZ7TcbuaLnUeOIE3BJXaUs/s1600/newark+nj.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="721" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mutWRLV5x9QLmIR2M09Yu5YCovk7_YiPrx-cKVbrfU49K863UwXm8UhvbFb63NcPkn5-JBP8807k-ZrYbUepgWhx3GWfincIMGO6PiI2t6ldSUk1tV6xxIZ7TcbuaLnUeOIE3BJXaUs/s320/newark+nj.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I like the blue border. If that clock means something, maybe they could include that, plus the name and date – though in a much more standard rendition. Good luck Newarkers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Indiana</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Clarksville</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULFosDGEQUke2IIivSLTXGyRZUpkTeIVSyFoj5TityCh_eg3pOKB8izmhcjqimClbS-P5F2HJ5HrZ2lgYQPHdrgTv7BnWz858MJbATHbuMxZcmeCUBL1vxX7YsB0T0KqtlQK2pYdVhYQ/s1600/clark.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="322" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULFosDGEQUke2IIivSLTXGyRZUpkTeIVSyFoj5TityCh_eg3pOKB8izmhcjqimClbS-P5F2HJ5HrZ2lgYQPHdrgTv7BnWz858MJbATHbuMxZcmeCUBL1vxX7YsB0T0KqtlQK2pYdVhYQ/s320/clark.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow! What a beaut. A classic example of good heraldic design.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Clarksville is right across the Ohio from Louisville. It was founded by George Rogers Clark, and dates all the way back to 1783.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: Indianapolis</span><br />
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<u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worst</u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">: Columbus</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_WiXkDAAwNho1ZpusSgpUoIoEpGhTC7towvG0GRmwXJ0mX18L1gnCkUPLSPcho7_6y4esYijmA1y_yPkKeqiT1oyRxSWjJuJsPV1Pmq7Djoyd6E3n7qkDNTRGKbj2VhrDQa7sH__Wu8/s1600/columbus.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="151" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_WiXkDAAwNho1ZpusSgpUoIoEpGhTC7towvG0GRmwXJ0mX18L1gnCkUPLSPcho7_6y4esYijmA1y_yPkKeqiT1oyRxSWjJuJsPV1Pmq7Djoyd6E3n7qkDNTRGKbj2VhrDQa7sH__Wu8/s1600/columbus.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What a busy, color-wheel mess. We’ve got the full town name, a (very detailed) skyline, the letter C, a pretty crazy rainbow thing … </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brian Bailey, a local artist is responsible for this mess. Maybe he should have gone with his last initial, like Hannah.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This town of 44,000 is about midway between Indianapolis and Louisville. It’s the home of Cummins Diesel and a surprising amount of classic modern architecture. I’m talking Saarinen, Pei, Pelli, Venturi …</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe that could give us an idea for our flag. Here, for example, is Saarinen’s North Christian Church:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRjxLVC7MhRV6cGEoI5pk4NXLaje6o7xhru7QRxyNWoS56wyhYLp0UwusC3YbPiSAT8EoZ4E4iOvXSroL_a_WvUWyU43aeyYKz8ssD1hD7RH-moCyQ1HucFl_JR7Q653CNj7Ckkv6UWA/s1600/church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRjxLVC7MhRV6cGEoI5pk4NXLaje6o7xhru7QRxyNWoS56wyhYLp0UwusC3YbPiSAT8EoZ4E4iOvXSroL_a_WvUWyU43aeyYKz8ssD1hD7RH-moCyQ1HucFl_JR7Q653CNj7Ckkv6UWA/s1600/church.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here is a flag based on that:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61ERRq2McbUzpn0epvQfhfzhHKbQdb5pPZw3h3uFMItJHmbVs79pbhK-G-hM7dNBQ306h-cUr-juilHjNocthirbesPJnMBRNBlRMIygmu-5vxU0UjvLAwLfOme9vd2O8IUmd40JWZXo/s1600/clark+church.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61ERRq2McbUzpn0epvQfhfzhHKbQdb5pPZw3h3uFMItJHmbVs79pbhK-G-hM7dNBQ306h-cUr-juilHjNocthirbesPJnMBRNBlRMIygmu-5vxU0UjvLAwLfOme9vd2O8IUmd40JWZXo/s1600/clark+church.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">See what I did there?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Iowa</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Madrid</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkDbjqqf8LCLLkoBGSFtNotxSJ54YXQYvWpstVQNb4BzJvb5tefgjVlHj458QALwrZ4zpecBhEOgntfYxaKB8PYkUKo39NwUPJBywMuHMf-cdvYtbwxKmrmcJ3fGYL2CM1BYx7jvN66k/s1600/madrid.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkDbjqqf8LCLLkoBGSFtNotxSJ54YXQYvWpstVQNb4BzJvb5tefgjVlHj458QALwrZ4zpecBhEOgntfYxaKB8PYkUKo39NwUPJBywMuHMf-cdvYtbwxKmrmcJ3fGYL2CM1BYx7jvN66k/s1600/madrid.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This looks a little like it might sit outside a fancy motel chain. That said, it sure is classy. Big fan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Madrid? Why, it’s the capital of Spain, of course.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, Madrid Iowa? Well, that one has 2,500 people, is almost in the dead center of the state, and is part of the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area. And none of that could possibly explain how they came up with this killer flag. (Though this <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/high-trestle-trail-bridge">killer pedestrian bridge</a> that I recently discovered just may.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Cedar Rapids</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6W1LrJvtVMBnxQcEsOhZ5F0GovVSybCkjlXyzOhyphenhyphenPp0DIb7WVkpz_52Yr9cxndonN_5m2QG8hfTSZCisCKSh4L6ENAB3r7M9IQrVeTwLYn_2Z7qUPnM5dHZps0Zt4q4tMxwL7EcoCal8/s1600/cedar.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6W1LrJvtVMBnxQcEsOhZ5F0GovVSybCkjlXyzOhyphenhyphenPp0DIb7WVkpz_52Yr9cxndonN_5m2QG8hfTSZCisCKSh4L6ENAB3r7M9IQrVeTwLYn_2Z7qUPnM5dHZps0Zt4q4tMxwL7EcoCal8/s1600/cedar.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know, that’s a pretty big city to come up with such a cheesy, amateurish nightmare. This baby was a major “star” in <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/roman_mars_why_city_flags_may_be_the_worst_designed_thing_you_ve_never_noticed">Roman Mars’ TED talk</a>. And I heartily agree. I mean, where to even begin?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For one thing, in spite of this flag seeming to show just about everything, there is one thing missing, a local landmark called the Tree of Five Seasons:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDvA4l1p8HzQndLbklQpUeN-WzzmZ6kJWs0A0ErjnLKs2R8FQJzd6GiOhwQ3mWLFkQE5prRRzjEs7YBxxxeADs-sx_U_yDZtTL0q2Aa8GJeaD7JW0vEl9fa_-dMlTwbvM0WTU5lzGLqk/s1600/tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="900" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDvA4l1p8HzQndLbklQpUeN-WzzmZ6kJWs0A0ErjnLKs2R8FQJzd6GiOhwQ3mWLFkQE5prRRzjEs7YBxxxeADs-sx_U_yDZtTL0q2Aa8GJeaD7JW0vEl9fa_-dMlTwbvM0WTU5lzGLqk/s320/tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How about if we just superimposed the logo for that thing on the Iowa state flag (which looks a little like the flag of France):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53muRLXoco9zaT2JlTVUllCpQfPwBmpPENZ5F8nK2ek-JvAavgyXjVIXwOpo0O-go-ObsysxXyrZO7xxz68zrUXPCIdhVyZj_5UIg0977EHjc90ZsdgUZufMXzNN1Ql8btAHv_0cOK5k/s1600/cedar+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="336" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53muRLXoco9zaT2JlTVUllCpQfPwBmpPENZ5F8nK2ek-JvAavgyXjVIXwOpo0O-go-ObsysxXyrZO7xxz68zrUXPCIdhVyZj_5UIg0977EHjc90ZsdgUZufMXzNN1Ql8btAHv_0cOK5k/s320/cedar+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/08/us-municipal-flags-kansas-thru-maryland.html">> US city flags - Kansas thru Maryland</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/07/us-municipal-flags-colorado-thru-georgoa.html">< US city flags - Colorado thru Georgia</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-89633548330319449232018-07-22T15:09:00.001-07:002018-08-31T10:21:11.356-07:00US Municipal Flags - Colorado thru Georgia<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Colorado</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Denver</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrPkbz3Jvo3_xIt8YmZA2-PiMWTE8wtPm7jpsVa-OkPS36j3e7JiuwbQ1Jgf-WKfS72fU2bxLl9G0s2cBbuG5djN8uqmFC2OEHfY2M-0PnlzTsY1X2FBSilqI2bJuL77jtHuvuNRzVdQ/s1600/den.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="383" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrPkbz3Jvo3_xIt8YmZA2-PiMWTE8wtPm7jpsVa-OkPS36j3e7JiuwbQ1Jgf-WKfS72fU2bxLl9G0s2cBbuG5djN8uqmFC2OEHfY2M-0PnlzTsY1X2FBSilqI2bJuL77jtHuvuNRzVdQ/s320/den.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I tend to shy away from these, but this one is absolutely perfect. It’s a wonderful combination of the abstract and the literal. It’s also reflects the state flag as well. Margaret Overbeck, a high school student, designed this. Nice job, Margaret! The North American Vexillological Association ranked this one <a href="https://nava.org/digital-library/design/surveys/2004-American-City%20Flags-Survey.pdf">#3</a> overall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Commerce City</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYN0wEQnHsFwCiK_OCwshXuKFG7NLU79eNh8NhJ_h1pVCr0JC3ntgnJc5C8XFyjFBYSWyZX9gTGz5XM2C9IvKO3E60jqkHp5MllQpIOEtdp98gYxBr7VCzd2ia7qvQjdF1ZtUuNRDnl4/s1600/comm+city.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYN0wEQnHsFwCiK_OCwshXuKFG7NLU79eNh8NhJ_h1pVCr0JC3ntgnJc5C8XFyjFBYSWyZX9gTGz5XM2C9IvKO3E60jqkHp5MllQpIOEtdp98gYxBr7VCzd2ia7qvQjdF1ZtUuNRDnl4/s1600/comm+city.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What the heck <i>is</i> it? <a href="https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-cocom.html">Flags of the World</a> wonders if it’s “possibly a stylized tree.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Commerce City is a suburb of Denver. It’s known for a huge oil refinery, and is also the site of Denver’s soccer team. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How might we improve this? Slightly more realistic tree? Maybe we could keep the color (it’s pretty unique) and definitely the border. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or, then again, maybe we could go in a completely different direction. Here, for example, is a design for the flag of the soccer team:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTl3ZPFFQXXRtMmVHIYxD-k_ypK-CAX8bI6f68__TCkifzn1DqtbLNzFzPjD5yx82uEFEM1Mfxg-3TtmKTryCqOl11UJjBm302NC3sK236IQ7l_VlJYMMCiu0s3A4pLwaJO4YzHo3yG1Q/s1600/rapids.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTl3ZPFFQXXRtMmVHIYxD-k_ypK-CAX8bI6f68__TCkifzn1DqtbLNzFzPjD5yx82uEFEM1Mfxg-3TtmKTryCqOl11UJjBm302NC3sK236IQ7l_VlJYMMCiu0s3A4pLwaJO4YzHo3yG1Q/s1600/rapids.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vexilloligists – have at it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Connecticut</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Fairfield </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VJ9FcGj2pX89E_vqY7NL8ZBSdDF63R-1abXsgrtdtpV7dOBndK8gX9M_IYQ3lUfyKSlQjV_CcXR2k__hvZrqHSR2GLwtfJAyF1psgJQ9pHQGoaS3i1McQDzR1NVFrz0wPdNb9cRBOms/s1600/fairfield.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="335" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VJ9FcGj2pX89E_vqY7NL8ZBSdDF63R-1abXsgrtdtpV7dOBndK8gX9M_IYQ3lUfyKSlQjV_CcXR2k__hvZrqHSR2GLwtfJAyF1psgJQ9pHQGoaS3i1McQDzR1NVFrz0wPdNb9cRBOms/s320/fairfield.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interesting. Those are pretty unlikely colors, but they’re treated in a nice, simple, traditional manner. I like it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This town of 60,000 is on Long Island Sound, and is basically a tony suburb of The Big Apple. It’s home to a university, GE’s headquarters, many commuters, and such leading lights as Leonard Bernstein, Robert Penn Warren, Jason Robards, Hume Cronyn, Paul Hogan, and Don Imus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Cornwall</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwtqXheurRqEF5LrHdYj4lxTaC1KJPgRjysJhrXKHJQvkM2z90ITTi9KeE_R-PnRDSe50YN2TiPQlBDxbKzQxL8UzfyZyeIQ4lU9YkLKLSOOeHu89YyYuewKC-xTOzoeNKG5pYHCgXTI/s1600/cornwall.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwtqXheurRqEF5LrHdYj4lxTaC1KJPgRjysJhrXKHJQvkM2z90ITTi9KeE_R-PnRDSe50YN2TiPQlBDxbKzQxL8UzfyZyeIQ4lU9YkLKLSOOeHu89YyYuewKC-xTOzoeNKG5pYHCgXTI/s320/cornwall.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just to clear things up, what we’ve got here is a cow and a covered bridge. Why they are rendered on top of one another and in those particular colors is beyond me. Yup, it’s distinctive alright. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe we could try something reflecting the original Cornwall, in the UK? Its flag is a simple white on black cross. We could add a cow in the upper left to distinguish it (weird), or maybe the symbol of Cornwall from their coat of arms (less weird, but barely):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KCV_kj1yS-upemaPNLH9LiVk_NHsQncNaxG6q_qCcXCzkawjkeyuUrkMMqf3NYEvrWxssp1m2g6UUb4gRgJl1fBuIqjEo7tBwHlPgyFRD2ZU9m2-1H2h5lneoX_frgY1cKFYBtcbksY/s1600/cornwall+2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="432" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KCV_kj1yS-upemaPNLH9LiVk_NHsQncNaxG6q_qCcXCzkawjkeyuUrkMMqf3NYEvrWxssp1m2g6UUb4gRgJl1fBuIqjEo7tBwHlPgyFRD2ZU9m2-1H2h5lneoX_frgY1cKFYBtcbksY/s320/cornwall+2.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The town? It’s on the northwest part of the state, and has about 1,400 people. “Notable people” include Ethan Allen, James Thurber, Abe Ribicoff, and Sam Waterston. It's also home to <a href="http://www.damnedct.com/dudleytown">Dudleytown</a> (AKA "The Village of the Damned"), a deserted townsite in the spookily named Dark Entry Forest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Delaware</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Middletown</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggT4400f5u1_QDb8WqUYkdZarvQToAs30jBnbC4m52GnhOt3dCFH5iB1zl7LQySPhjfWlWAjAgWb8Sz59TXY2_Qw7TindIpgB76rWbhRGboF2iW0pTmQPgCidr9zPGgogNaTN-WOKh1BI/s1600/middletwon.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="324" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggT4400f5u1_QDb8WqUYkdZarvQToAs30jBnbC4m52GnhOt3dCFH5iB1zl7LQySPhjfWlWAjAgWb8Sz59TXY2_Qw7TindIpgB76rWbhRGboF2iW0pTmQPgCidr9zPGgogNaTN-WOKh1BI/s320/middletwon.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, it’s boring. At the same time, it really is classy though. Simple, elegant. I like.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This town of 20,000 is in the north of the state. It’s basically a suburb of Wilmington, and is kind of lost in the sprawl of Philadelphia. There’s a pretty tony prep school there, St. Andrews.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Milton</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzbkhjq86iNA8eiuOgYXbuJX7VcdYxGFhddWgmi42BG2rpFfJJPxvYDlt6ma4vPxKIL4ohACUkiDfbE11YO_a8i5BALWSBIIN990SOBpaUzTDFAl2zn_Ry9OhAUxqdX8m-mdHaSf8SAE/s1600/milton.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzbkhjq86iNA8eiuOgYXbuJX7VcdYxGFhddWgmi42BG2rpFfJJPxvYDlt6ma4vPxKIL4ohACUkiDfbE11YO_a8i5BALWSBIIN990SOBpaUzTDFAl2zn_Ry9OhAUxqdX8m-mdHaSf8SAE/s320/milton.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one is actually not that bad. It just looks too much like the sign for a seafood restaurant. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps we could simply eliminate some of that text – the DELAWARE & “founded 1763” (or at least the founded). Milton might come below then: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0v0EOd58-06AlCv9fPFhfaf2M3ttXLNhW6CoDii5LCcCf4KelF-PO4V5ZKFcyinJ_9L6mu4zLVgFl82c7NO6EL3fQSszpzMiu_ZOuXAeCibiXjkoJAu0pM5ri-eilNc42pVAyqJFGOI/s1600/milton+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0v0EOd58-06AlCv9fPFhfaf2M3ttXLNhW6CoDii5LCcCf4KelF-PO4V5ZKFcyinJ_9L6mu4zLVgFl82c7NO6EL3fQSszpzMiu_ZOuXAeCibiXjkoJAu0pM5ri-eilNc42pVAyqJFGOI/s1600/milton+2.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Milton’s main claim to fame is being the home of Dogfish Brewery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Florida</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Coral Gables</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-V7e-E-6FqOlGZ3C5jC7HdRuXgTLxquNfOkpbegh0DLrgqsSSxSPbBJjgwvjMm3JRM-mOBnWZDgKbWL2Zse2s68ntGKmk9sMNR2Xi7YuT7_1R38T5HyrY67Jaq54lyUVBG4tayd2DsGg/s1600/coral+gables.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-V7e-E-6FqOlGZ3C5jC7HdRuXgTLxquNfOkpbegh0DLrgqsSSxSPbBJjgwvjMm3JRM-mOBnWZDgKbWL2Zse2s68ntGKmk9sMNR2Xi7YuT7_1R38T5HyrY67Jaq54lyUVBG4tayd2DsGg/s1600/coral+gables.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s a tad like the flag of <a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/03/doppelgangers-orange-white-green.html">India</a>. But, honestly, who would know that other than a vexilolligist? It's also way too close to the flag of Miami as well:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iwnUAiOaJnTdEq9ExdoRIxHmqAqop1RX4UTsy5J2OjRKZEcsQBQjnyGrBsz2N3_g5c3zmT4omE3v_ze7me_g9KmDdRYoUUWVo5GGmvWpppGyXS_mNjl3j74uEO-fDj_wmh6gyIQ242c/s1600/miami.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="365" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iwnUAiOaJnTdEq9ExdoRIxHmqAqop1RX4UTsy5J2OjRKZEcsQBQjnyGrBsz2N3_g5c3zmT4omE3v_ze7me_g9KmDdRYoUUWVo5GGmvWpppGyXS_mNjl3j74uEO-fDj_wmh6gyIQ242c/s320/miami.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps we could throw in a little wrinkle to make it stand out:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3azHu304BjflDHDUJGXU5xTpjt8miSd_k25iEUZzRwgGR-nLiBRHIO2VmaYmkjflshRMtt3fRVodJ9KxvAYnhTpkKK9B8VRZcQ2ci3cTAAR6ZtX2vRIUBVUD9-PrPa1_6aO6NrrLe24/s1600/cg+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3azHu304BjflDHDUJGXU5xTpjt8miSd_k25iEUZzRwgGR-nLiBRHIO2VmaYmkjflshRMtt3fRVodJ9KxvAYnhTpkKK9B8VRZcQ2ci3cTAAR6ZtX2vRIUBVUD9-PrPa1_6aO6NrrLe24/s1600/cg+2.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The colors are associated with the University of Miami, which is indeed located in CG. It’s another lovely little town (which the author has visited on business).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention: Tallahassee</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Sarasota</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsODjBOS2KNGZwWmwtMv0tw9rw15VMhcOoIgZJ39UUe4_sTLCf_Y-v80vXP8sW3xrUrJI1nqo6QrrgzvX6zW6nmQqTNc2YYvP1Y8qjrM0nVQCpY88_gWxNkA6qPRO6W78RC6Towps940/s1600/sarasota.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsODjBOS2KNGZwWmwtMv0tw9rw15VMhcOoIgZJ39UUe4_sTLCf_Y-v80vXP8sW3xrUrJI1nqo6QrrgzvX6zW6nmQqTNc2YYvP1Y8qjrM0nVQCpY88_gWxNkA6qPRO6W78RC6Towps940/s1600/sarasota.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here I thought David was in Florence, Italy. Turns out this David “represents the City's strong tie to the cultural arts within the community.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s a great town. Spent many Thanksgivings there on the beach. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How to fix it up? Boy, where to begin?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, here is a flag for something called “Age-Friendly Sarasota”:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXV2gVY8AQhriwgH69-A23xHbWvL5pQNQ7smi5nTtkOyCYuHNGLz-_WRbMzaX_ow6ql1bw8tRzyR3lQb5BzwTWFS_WQI-iTKftOQJsTWMw_x_AkPBxsOOwwHhI6q7EcqQYVRPL07aHgbA/s1600/sarasota+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXV2gVY8AQhriwgH69-A23xHbWvL5pQNQ7smi5nTtkOyCYuHNGLz-_WRbMzaX_ow6ql1bw8tRzyR3lQb5BzwTWFS_WQI-iTKftOQJsTWMw_x_AkPBxsOOwwHhI6q7EcqQYVRPL07aHgbA/s1600/sarasota+1.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hmm … Just might work. You guys wanna swap?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Georgia</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>: Savannah</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hnGVOVk5QUzkj-gK0gUJ_hGgUkISDFwADdNRmsDLf0PB8-AITS4HLRnr46UcE-vyZDRGdwWpPcrfQvwCkq8-ixK-9EMPAW4_aafMt0iN3aihzJEqj4bTdJnW0BUcj6BiSwVDxFlkcyA/s1600/savannah.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hnGVOVk5QUzkj-gK0gUJ_hGgUkISDFwADdNRmsDLf0PB8-AITS4HLRnr46UcE-vyZDRGdwWpPcrfQvwCkq8-ixK-9EMPAW4_aafMt0iN3aihzJEqj4bTdJnW0BUcj6BiSwVDxFlkcyA/s320/savannah.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s another SOB, but the border, the stars, the simple seal really make this very classy and distinctive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Been here as well. In fact, it’s one of my favorite towns. And it’s just like <i>Forrest Gump </i>and<i> Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil </i>make out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>: Chickamauga</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ia65vzlHAOse9f8VF4aRv2AHrqkMQj2abQ0U6KnS3feBQP0Z9sAUteazsWHqUX000E9xJs7QeCjOj5Uv3PlTxS6PC6iLMR9axluSA9mkcS9_u5kUvGwB6bqiBqk4y-1ORHb55Zvb6Cw/s1600/chick.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ia65vzlHAOse9f8VF4aRv2AHrqkMQj2abQ0U6KnS3feBQP0Z9sAUteazsWHqUX000E9xJs7QeCjOj5Uv3PlTxS6PC6iLMR9axluSA9mkcS9_u5kUvGwB6bqiBqk4y-1ORHb55Zvb6Cw/s320/chick.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One basic vexillilogical principle is to not have your flag made up of other flags. Throw in lots and lots of text, a super-boring seal, and we’ve got a really nice train wreck here. Wondering what this is all about? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chickamauga was actually the site of a major Civil War battle. The town is just south of Chattanooga, and the Union victory here basically opened up Atlanta to invasion. The national battlefield here also happens to be one of the best in the country. Yup, I’ve been there too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Improvements? How about something as simple as the silhouette of a cannon? There’s also a pretty famous tower on the battlefield. Either of those would work pretty well. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_L1RwC8MzV5r6uJqDZVLD6ubzx55iG04gOCpOTMcs1b_XQrlhjCFIyeF1tUGfQ8sCq6NlbPJs_8JTZoFWo5PyY02LZ8t0No0MAMkit5dgnTDSJk2Y_jfsXZmjPbEm3CWddIMpMIaLLKE/s1600/chick+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="662" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_L1RwC8MzV5r6uJqDZVLD6ubzx55iG04gOCpOTMcs1b_XQrlhjCFIyeF1tUGfQ8sCq6NlbPJs_8JTZoFWo5PyY02LZ8t0No0MAMkit5dgnTDSJk2Y_jfsXZmjPbEm3CWddIMpMIaLLKE/s320/chick+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s an example using the cannon, and including a basic blue/grey theme:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggSPw7MqAX4iRC2aO8Zr4Egr0_jRI-sme3_Z0rV4Ez8dgZvIgb1hmLiPeIlGcGXZO4sCtnEGHU9QE6zWCeNL7CtKbrVma2ey5smTXYx0sOk0EcEWt1WArCBJB5FvsVbYuqqm_ZGNfXwE/s1600/chick+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggSPw7MqAX4iRC2aO8Zr4Egr0_jRI-sme3_Z0rV4Ez8dgZvIgb1hmLiPeIlGcGXZO4sCtnEGHU9QE6zWCeNL7CtKbrVma2ey5smTXYx0sOk0EcEWt1WArCBJB5FvsVbYuqqm_ZGNfXwE/s1600/chick+2.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/07/us-municipal-flags-alabama-thru.html">< US city flags - Alabama thru California</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/07/us-municipal-flags-hawaii-thru-iowa.html">> US city flags - Hawaii thru Iowa</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
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Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-70706545207918042332018-07-06T15:57:00.001-07:002018-08-05T07:00:29.431-07:00US Municipal Flags – Alabama thru California<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Alabama</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mobile<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8V2eC6iPIIPCpgKQT3jCwHJejVWGYdhq0oayKOChbKjNYZg8IdfZEBL1FEqmnREetNyzD7qAHB8-f7fHrGFNS-wCzg_NF4x25W1ZRNPnRfnQ5ytfOh4PlkWEHohIwEQ7r9TMDalK_70c/s1600/mobile.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="328" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8V2eC6iPIIPCpgKQT3jCwHJejVWGYdhq0oayKOChbKjNYZg8IdfZEBL1FEqmnREetNyzD7qAHB8-f7fHrGFNS-wCzg_NF4x25W1ZRNPnRfnQ5ytfOh4PlkWEHohIwEQ7r9TMDalK_70c/s320/mobile.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I really like this one. Very distinctive. It’s the basic
pattern of the Israeli flag, something that’s not used that much. Also, the
seal’s not too bad. Luckily, it’s too small to show the rather boring details.
I guess, more than anything, I really just like the 3<sup>rd</sup> color it
introduces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable Mention:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Birmingham<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trussville<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgoh1itlt6680WR3O9Dow7XUN7A3abZ6NScU8chiTL8XvJd1FHbqPUmzqCJsoQJHHqKH5XnhPslXDwSA7yj4UNcQr1PUxHVkf_R5xjyqPVyX-2i87gWQ9g0Ce7fWN8nSW9heBzVbkoV0/s1600/trussville.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgoh1itlt6680WR3O9Dow7XUN7A3abZ6NScU8chiTL8XvJd1FHbqPUmzqCJsoQJHHqKH5XnhPslXDwSA7yj4UNcQr1PUxHVkf_R5xjyqPVyX-2i87gWQ9g0Ce7fWN8nSW9heBzVbkoV0/s1600/trussville.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Poor Trussville. You’re boring, you’ve got way too much text,
and your colors are bland. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, the actual town? It’s a suburb of Birmingham. Money
Magazine actually has it pegged as one of the nation’s 100 Best Places to Live.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The gateway is nice and seems to be important to the town. Perhaps
it could’ve simply been blown up and the text ditched:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aDQb2S21haniikSAFmXyJ7xSrrtVg97VeKst_eJgsl3YBSipNO7rExTVnHWLW_0PXlZm11bHYMLQtDSP6UidFLXm8hgG3DeADWbOF6Nv_dh4K9-HkX2FLXV8h2n53CjxneNawazVymA/s1600/truss+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aDQb2S21haniikSAFmXyJ7xSrrtVg97VeKst_eJgsl3YBSipNO7rExTVnHWLW_0PXlZm11bHYMLQtDSP6UidFLXm8hgG3DeADWbOF6Nv_dh4K9-HkX2FLXV8h2n53CjxneNawazVymA/s1600/truss+2.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Alaska</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best:</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seward<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPF1ZD6TCpTqKacyq1B7q07zSdYK4Tuko2bHHiwMP2k-q73JxVGtmHfJwjnMloSpg4NbBiTttAWfnuA96GfeBYqv_GTkJcTH4yfMF2QcQ5VEPsSKJHQJxXlaEalA9RcXHOR9POoFeNXdI/s1600/seward.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="372" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPF1ZD6TCpTqKacyq1B7q07zSdYK4Tuko2bHHiwMP2k-q73JxVGtmHfJwjnMloSpg4NbBiTttAWfnuA96GfeBYqv_GTkJcTH4yfMF2QcQ5VEPsSKJHQJxXlaEalA9RcXHOR9POoFeNXdI/s320/seward.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one's pretty much brand new, dating back to only 2016. The symbolism's pretty obvious - mountains, snow, blue sky - but also very well done. And I love the reflection of the state flag in the star in the upper right corner. The designer was Katelyn Correa, a local schoolgirl who won a contest with over 350 submissions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hUAY1RkrxBQKxaExf5ghjFx_RdUq5hDL5dc5uufVMMYXAkkcBpCN4Q-uo_MCHyRrSefnwp1PvRrcSN_oxy6qkvRtXwg6XUTd_ptRDHrZLvOlRcyZvWIn_1QkB40WdSYhkaOeMrgVbKY/s1600/katelyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hUAY1RkrxBQKxaExf5ghjFx_RdUq5hDL5dc5uufVMMYXAkkcBpCN4Q-uo_MCHyRrSefnwp1PvRrcSN_oxy6qkvRtXwg6XUTd_ptRDHrZLvOlRcyZvWIn_1QkB40WdSYhkaOeMrgVbKY/s1600/katelyn.jpg" /></a></div>
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Katelyn, with mayor Jean Bardarson</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seward is one of the better-known Alaskan cities. It’s named
after the man who bought Alaska from Russia. In fact, Alaska was once called
Seward’s Folly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anchorage<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst:</u></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wasilla</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MEiD0NwlO-fmKvGb-Pg087i9IwlbwFyD-UMB2OcohLCow2xzkhgASElCmiER79MFdZarGnPZSF7FYpQT_qP6J2Q3HKoGT5rPIUURaeiwRqY4ITLzlsADF83WoLrCAdGlHIb81UjJoqc/s1600/wasilla.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MEiD0NwlO-fmKvGb-Pg087i9IwlbwFyD-UMB2OcohLCow2xzkhgASElCmiER79MFdZarGnPZSF7FYpQT_qP6J2Q3HKoGT5rPIUURaeiwRqY4ITLzlsADF83WoLrCAdGlHIb81UjJoqc/s320/wasilla.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This isn’t a flag. It’s a painting! This should be hanging
over a fireplace somewhere, not flying over city hall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Did Sarah Palin design this one? Yup, that’s where she’s
from. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps we could just simplify this one a little. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, mountains, sunset, moose, lake, field
… I like them all, but maybe not all at the same time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dishonorable mention:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Juneau<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Arizona</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best:</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scottsdale<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYuMxW0kVn0TNTtCr-B7H_FwW28f7sSlkq4tPj1hyWFuFtlOsyNHNSbVVH34taKLmgotQL8O33EcbbT34yhdAFp3UDxMDFGNP8ZAfcVJjecjQpMiqt-2NA4kcFfXq0YlTFdZgsC9ek3s/s1600/scottsdale.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYuMxW0kVn0TNTtCr-B7H_FwW28f7sSlkq4tPj1hyWFuFtlOsyNHNSbVVH34taKLmgotQL8O33EcbbT34yhdAFp3UDxMDFGNP8ZAfcVJjecjQpMiqt-2NA4kcFfXq0YlTFdZgsC9ek3s/s1600/scottsdale.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another good example of a decent “SOB.” It’s a little
boring, but is actually pretty classy as well. And you gotta love that cowboy.
It reminds me of the Wyoming license plate.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oddly, they're coming up with <a href="http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/final-entries-chosen-for-official-scottsdale-flag-design">a contest to replace it</a>. The 10 finalists, though. don't look like any kind of improvement. To me, most of them don't look like flags. No sense of history either.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Scottsdale is a cool little town, right outside of Phoenix.
I’ve heard it called the Arizona version of Miami Beach. Went to a conference
there once. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honorable mention:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Phoenix<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst:</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Winslow<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bViQOc7WZ7RRWgIHSmeSAr25hhwvVZzHLnPfDfqqaJ6P3JHWAlMQZ_M2TNYD7FC62cRVUxF90Pg3nRiBzMy7y_ZghoAQgiA6nJLfNMcr6nqBDhKa2Kvi9VooN7ecBYi2D5ko9SwG-xc/s1600/winslow.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bViQOc7WZ7RRWgIHSmeSAr25hhwvVZzHLnPfDfqqaJ6P3JHWAlMQZ_M2TNYD7FC62cRVUxF90Pg3nRiBzMy7y_ZghoAQgiA6nJLfNMcr6nqBDhKa2Kvi9VooN7ecBYi2D5ko9SwG-xc/s320/winslow.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whoa! Color contrast! Color contrast! Also, what the heck <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> that thing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, I do like that baby blue, so maybe we could keep that.
As for the seal, perhaps we could introduce something that references Winslow’s
long transportation history – Route 66, the railroads ... I know! How about the
shield from the Route 66 sign, with the city name at top, and an alternate
version of that figure (it’s supposed to be an Indian mask, by the way):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoJuekT_ulIbPqhVVkrTH30uo89c1UVwAElP6KdMgPBs5Ea1PBkWndacSmVChlcCyfxNWAA27pkxq6siOq_k62sgux1MYA5y1DYoYnLFTmKJ00rKiM-1qkua76QLjD3dukfVKr7PKEz0/s1600/winslow+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoJuekT_ulIbPqhVVkrTH30uo89c1UVwAElP6KdMgPBs5Ea1PBkWndacSmVChlcCyfxNWAA27pkxq6siOq_k62sgux1MYA5y1DYoYnLFTmKJ00rKiM-1qkua76QLjD3dukfVKr7PKEz0/s1600/winslow+2.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Boy, I don’t know. I’m just not sure about that mask thing.
Maybe we could just ditch it altogether and go all full Route 66:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSwT2B1Z2gTKzZ0BCLc5XdD3zHX1jmPeoW1mDTtT3fuRdxwI365oGWL6HaKSFpOm3EfLOBryD_pc1dl2_b5jGi3BG5Ey2H24frcrAeruzV6jwVBzGAqhh7VIbEU947476lGG-6uskzbE/s1600/winslow+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSwT2B1Z2gTKzZ0BCLc5XdD3zHX1jmPeoW1mDTtT3fuRdxwI365oGWL6HaKSFpOm3EfLOBryD_pc1dl2_b5jGi3BG5Ey2H24frcrAeruzV6jwVBzGAqhh7VIbEU947476lGG-6uskzbE/s1600/winslow+3.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Arkansas</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best:</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ft. Smith<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZNs1yt-RmiidlJQzY1OOT0ve79cml4nA2l5i3IiF2IR5TWNPVWRWh6WWiOJ0nKLEFKw9CzFTUVaJZtOy8r8Xce8BV693f1j0KFx1Jyy-fyHKr3ETjUvoavEJV63dNEBTQkTP4BKWmzs/s1600/ft+smith.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="321" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZNs1yt-RmiidlJQzY1OOT0ve79cml4nA2l5i3IiF2IR5TWNPVWRWh6WWiOJ0nKLEFKw9CzFTUVaJZtOy8r8Xce8BV693f1j0KFx1Jyy-fyHKr3ETjUvoavEJV63dNEBTQkTP4BKWmzs/s320/ft+smith.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not a big fan of the seal. The rest of the flag, though, is
awesome. In fact, I’m surprised there isn’t a country out there who hasn’t
adopted this basic pattern. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ft. Smith is the 2nd largest city in Arkansas. It’s in the
northwest, right on the border with Texas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst:</u> Bryant<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Qvz41fgJ64D7oRuvAMqa07pLYVFSC1sEsiSZurmGjpRICUxyuAkufaFrnwtw2BaU6bVTqJzlKbnOhRo2blRcHYnXhzw_fGX-9FugOCVjU8SS1cVsZuZs_uA6PNc7XJogTSfPDEC7AHU/s1600/bryant.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="207" data-original-width="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Qvz41fgJ64D7oRuvAMqa07pLYVFSC1sEsiSZurmGjpRICUxyuAkufaFrnwtw2BaU6bVTqJzlKbnOhRo2blRcHYnXhzw_fGX-9FugOCVjU8SS1cVsZuZs_uA6PNc7XJogTSfPDEC7AHU/s1600/bryant.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I like the tree and the little jaggy thing (which reminds me
of the flags of Qatar and Bahrain). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once again, if we just eliminate all that
text, we might just be okay:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxs_1wCZvSo088Du2VqTRft5kMKaadMsxhB7Fka2BmQptazT0KqFVZFdBOUZnPX9BJeGK11I4eo2LMM9LJdikgrvsoMKegJ14EYO2F5uiQLTHhQ7-5z4b4fwxjZqQyitFEGSFcKLtMy0/s1600/bryant+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxs_1wCZvSo088Du2VqTRft5kMKaadMsxhB7Fka2BmQptazT0KqFVZFdBOUZnPX9BJeGK11I4eo2LMM9LJdikgrvsoMKegJ14EYO2F5uiQLTHhQ7-5z4b4fwxjZqQyitFEGSFcKLtMy0/s1600/bryant+2.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, Bryant is a suburb of Little Rock. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>California</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Best:</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Los Angeles<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks4WVY3wAX9eTVUOZ04Y_1uLXuL-zzEOGgTHdMD9ytNhaxp3wMLSVIjHLq1mi6HEhXDJT31zmFpdgsOuJ6Qk7O3EkDmaW-oJjgr1pZSIOi4Xw3rCqkyALZ45QXn-CpFeBxd_ROIqJITs/s1600/la.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="326" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks4WVY3wAX9eTVUOZ04Y_1uLXuL-zzEOGgTHdMD9ytNhaxp3wMLSVIjHLq1mi6HEhXDJT31zmFpdgsOuJ6Qk7O3EkDmaW-oJjgr1pZSIOi4Xw3rCqkyALZ45QXn-CpFeBxd_ROIqJITs/s320/la.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You may have heard of this place before. Indeed, the larger
cities tend to have better designs, almost at the country level. The seal, on
the other hand, is pretty forgettable. It’s also small enough, though, that it doesn’t
really matter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This baby dates back to the 1930s. Not sure where the colors
come from, but I’m guessing the green & red are from Mexico. The serrated
edges are pretty unique.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst:</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Riverbank<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_br2i0s1zMAP21xMO9U5C6vVKP8ZijGPCdudQ1zFa4Oj5NENItd1N0efvIbpmr1NuFi34xZD01mh73CfDQMgbnRJCOeMHU84199ARCKMcsY967Izo6RvQbSdJBge-JfOamO3AwsyHjIk/s1600/riverbank.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_br2i0s1zMAP21xMO9U5C6vVKP8ZijGPCdudQ1zFa4Oj5NENItd1N0efvIbpmr1NuFi34xZD01mh73CfDQMgbnRJCOeMHU84199ARCKMcsY967Izo6RvQbSdJBge-JfOamO3AwsyHjIk/s1600/riverbank.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow! It’s almost all text. In fact, it looks like a button,
something you might pin on your blazer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Indeed. Riverbank’s Deputy City Clerk comes clean: “In 2002,
a company in Las Vegas, NV specializing in label pins, designed our current
City flag” (<u>Flags of the World</u>). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps they could have ditched the text & kept the
colors and wave form. The seal’s not gonna help us here any, I’m afraid:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViJxxOQs4P1RPEGMIpaEXqq0gXEJ94DjYtsWf100Y81rQ0tbXx5QQeb8lDUqXiskF5ydt9ksYJ8LYcSQgEcJltZBgVz0NOEzAxdpimqdZPNuOr_v9vfXb7F8Aa1N2yoWnzsijGbESeOs/s1600/riverbank+seal.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViJxxOQs4P1RPEGMIpaEXqq0gXEJ94DjYtsWf100Y81rQ0tbXx5QQeb8lDUqXiskF5ydt9ksYJ8LYcSQgEcJltZBgVz0NOEzAxdpimqdZPNuOr_v9vfXb7F8Aa1N2yoWnzsijGbESeOs/s1600/riverbank+seal.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As you can possibly tell from that seal, the town is known
for its wine and cheese festival. It’s got about 20,000 people, is a little
east of Los Angeles, and is about half Latino.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/07/us-municipal-flags-colorado-thru-georgoa.html">> US city flags - Colorado thru Georgia</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">< US city flags - intro</a> </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-76620560882607396992018-06-22T16:23:00.002-07:002018-07-22T10:37:49.563-07:00US Municipal Flags – Intro<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Would you believe there’s actually a TED talk out there on city and town flags? It’s by a guy named Roman Mars. He’s a graphic designer, and that’s definitely reflected in his observations. He’s raises a good point though – there’s a lot of crappy design out there.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_emiMC0kDCtBRyRr9Na0Zq-zo0l89Xe1Pz0h5-lsP8A8rEvFCTeoMo2fvdAZBwaCjbMTsinslNPgz3zfiq6P7EXS2GSUlyxGOtNH7C0AVMe9RCIu6Gg-Jt-BuW9AnKw5njr9DEOlSxoc/s1600/ted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="137" data-original-width="368" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_emiMC0kDCtBRyRr9Na0Zq-zo0l89Xe1Pz0h5-lsP8A8rEvFCTeoMo2fvdAZBwaCjbMTsinslNPgz3zfiq6P7EXS2GSUlyxGOtNH7C0AVMe9RCIu6Gg-Jt-BuW9AnKw5njr9DEOlSxoc/s400/ted.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s the flag of Chicago, by the way</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mars also references Ted Kaye, a real, honest-to-goodness vexilloligist. In particular, he cites Kaye’s five rules to designing a great flag:</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Keep it simple</li>
<li>Use meaningful symbolism</li>
<li>Use two to three basic colors</li>
<li>No lettering or seals of any kind</li>
<li>Be distinctive</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Great thoughts, but definitely more of a challenge with municipal flags. I think these are fine for countries, but when there are thousands of cities, town, boroughs, and municipalities, it’s much harder to do, especially for those last two. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKABGsSyvkFT1j2imt8j-BUf65fGXsj6ywXLW5pXgJaqhwvA1mIViR2xmo2GEq2v2R7jF030aUryditUChZsVx9lMzwiHpx0116s5OdARZ2wdfRLqnnYKs2VjTjPYyBRzn9lFtR5me7sg/s1600/kaye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="800" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKABGsSyvkFT1j2imt8j-BUf65fGXsj6ywXLW5pXgJaqhwvA1mIViR2xmo2GEq2v2R7jF030aUryditUChZsVx9lMzwiHpx0116s5OdARZ2wdfRLqnnYKs2VjTjPYyBRzn9lFtR5me7sg/s320/kaye.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ted Kaye<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ll also be referring to a publication of the National American Vexillological Association, the <i><a href="https://nava.org/digital-library/design/surveys/2004-American-City%20Flags-Survey.pdf">2004 American City Flags Survey</a></i>, written by none other than … Ted Kaye. It ranks the flags of the country’s 150 biggest cities. I don’t always agree with them, but it’s a great resource (and a great organization).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHw1IK0-NpO4s8DLXQ0jyMsIEIc_hbD5jx1jp29vXN5MW1eTsoKe_XCJFDGNgwVuWgoSrWJq3-FHdzcX1Erw-mGYCicRzsdKRkKROhLQhabGi6QZUeZ9W7OQr3y0CKFP_WqAqoYM4mguk/s1600/ava.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHw1IK0-NpO4s8DLXQ0jyMsIEIc_hbD5jx1jp29vXN5MW1eTsoKe_XCJFDGNgwVuWgoSrWJq3-FHdzcX1Erw-mGYCicRzsdKRkKROhLQhabGi6QZUeZ9W7OQr3y0CKFP_WqAqoYM4mguk/s1600/ava.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">course</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> they have their own flag</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What I’ll be doing in my next 10 posts are to cover each state in turn. In particular, I’ll see if I can’t find the best and the worst they have to offer. I might also be tempted to redesign some of the latter. (Don’t worry, though, I won’t get too crazy. I’ve tried to keep what I’ve come up with fairly close to the original. Heck, maybe some of these folks might even adopt some of these, you know?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We’ll start you out with Alabama thru California. Tune back <a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/07/us-municipal-flags-alabama-thru.html">next week</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.blogger.com/More%20links:%20%20%3C%20Regional%20flags%20-%20Asia%20International%20Countries%20US%20states%20Site%20intro">> US city flags - Alabama thru California</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-9766268009604415782018-06-16T14:52:00.003-07:002018-07-22T10:51:37.556-07:00Regional Flags - Asia<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Asia’s a big place. In fact, there are a couple of organizations in here that could have gone in that post from last week, on the <a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/regional-flags-mideast.html">Mideast</a>. Anyway, here you go …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Association of South East Asian Nations</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLXgCkjfkiOs2i1u7JeYMuLGweKv-IgOv_fJZOxTj8kPReL6Wb6mTzZciQpdkUFn9cwNZh5H-424urUwLcnuZpetW8G4OLie-U1ZBEEinWVG9nmF4eyRH2miN3Z_RPbzSXggCXRnYeoQ/s1600/asean.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLXgCkjfkiOs2i1u7JeYMuLGweKv-IgOv_fJZOxTj8kPReL6Wb6mTzZciQpdkUFn9cwNZh5H-424urUwLcnuZpetW8G4OLie-U1ZBEEinWVG9nmF4eyRH2miN3Z_RPbzSXggCXRnYeoQ/s320/asean.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cool symbol. I’m not sure exactly what it is … I’m guessing it has something to do with rice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I was right! Indeed, it’s a “stylized bundle” of such.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The 10 stalks represent all the members of ASEAN – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Together, they actually represent 9% of the world’s population. ASEAN was the first regional community in Asia, and dates back to 1967.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-K9mcNrbjL4Br8VcSUA_np8EOiHfPXuBMrd0U7FQ0TJJNTevExMIWdk2rcrnNLjv93vePbYCGrK11RtGV3ujm_GccoNksSOTH3-R-b5LYX0k2O-IfTe1x56qTDo1rBRBdzxeNdjvvqQo/s1600/cctss.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-K9mcNrbjL4Br8VcSUA_np8EOiHfPXuBMrd0U7FQ0TJJNTevExMIWdk2rcrnNLjv93vePbYCGrK11RtGV3ujm_GccoNksSOTH3-R-b5LYX0k2O-IfTe1x56qTDo1rBRBdzxeNdjvvqQo/s320/cctss.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty clever. We’ve got a sun to represent Kyrgyzstan, the crescent moon of Turkey, the 8-pointed star of Azerbaijan, and the blue field of Kazakhstan. No idea what they’re going to do when proposed members Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan join, unfortunately. I hope it’s not this:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsXRBXRlyyjXAdciPoCZ6uJG5NwLlYoOqMxYRcNnS-DIfXGAv9YUnmw9mn7ubWFBTlJPWvFsEcwOjVMXyLFPYaXVq9D0t90T9AQKVb89XEEQQ-IT10rYQNYqbv8ty99WeRgiXS9A_wqs/s1600/cctss+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="588" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsXRBXRlyyjXAdciPoCZ6uJG5NwLlYoOqMxYRcNnS-DIfXGAv9YUnmw9mn7ubWFBTlJPWvFsEcwOjVMXyLFPYaXVq9D0t90T9AQKVb89XEEQQ-IT10rYQNYqbv8ty99WeRgiXS9A_wqs/s320/cctss+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I take it that these guys like to get together and speak the Turkic languages among themselves. They’re also known as the Turkic Council, by the way. It’s the “the first voluntary alliance of Turkic states in history,” though it dates back only to 2009.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Collective Security Treaty Organization</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9A2GmiLtgt0yY3YtCnx-oFCpbZXpV9Txq_LBEmIXd6jKp2JUuohyphenhyphensgUg-p7svSAfx1wqLv3NNHa7Tt82Op49L9jsTzxVE0eNyRQ48cCP5DHeSSYHcMH8mOMavbmklrlhXbwBIT44j-4/s1600/csto.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9A2GmiLtgt0yY3YtCnx-oFCpbZXpV9Txq_LBEmIXd6jKp2JUuohyphenhyphensgUg-p7svSAfx1wqLv3NNHa7Tt82Op49L9jsTzxVE0eNyRQ48cCP5DHeSSYHcMH8mOMavbmklrlhXbwBIT44j-4/s320/csto.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another cool symbol. Now, it does look a little like it should be some super hero’s ... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Indeed, the name of the organization itself sounds like it belongs in a comic book as well. In reality, though, it’s only a military alliance of former Soviet Union states.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>International Organization of Turkic Culture</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDBT_XcKIOgUBhX3WjShxtPu9muwI99AMjoj_6pW_8b_Kg47Va6sw4O9Qw_k19A2UJWJAqg4Z7RGjftdFlZwN_CvhV3EklLaTaXOW93xQ3-Mm0KYixZeJdEubp7BVtNFGN3o58HxCmbY/s1600/soy.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="338" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDBT_XcKIOgUBhX3WjShxtPu9muwI99AMjoj_6pW_8b_Kg47Va6sw4O9Qw_k19A2UJWJAqg4Z7RGjftdFlZwN_CvhV3EklLaTaXOW93xQ3-Mm0KYixZeJdEubp7BVtNFGN3o58HxCmbY/s320/soy.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cool symbol. But just way too many words. Why not just use the symbol instead – or at least the symbol and “TURKSOY”:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWvjHao-ZNPvDqc4ffNzkp0zekEx_29UmbmvKI7cDAevxlq7SyBBGriytOrnakvJhW6FA4YtHpxGsh9LmI8lFZUyIom4wB-7f7sO58VeeCb13HhluY3iTc1KcqlPqmHjeLY-xCaX7lvk/s1600/soy+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="338" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWvjHao-ZNPvDqc4ffNzkp0zekEx_29UmbmvKI7cDAevxlq7SyBBGriytOrnakvJhW6FA4YtHpxGsh9LmI8lFZUyIom4wB-7f7sO58VeeCb13HhluY3iTc1KcqlPqmHjeLY-xCaX7lvk/s320/soy+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, this would still make it look like it might fly outside a Turkish tofu factory, but hey …</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I honestly have no idea what the relationship between these guys and the Turkic Council might be. This one does include Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan however.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQt7Y9qRw4ltOMcVE5q2G-YZT0OfnY8qgm9zTbvtsl5VNszDRErQ1o7zr9PlTQWK01jAGMa1C2lpE_ERdlqCxqua3VatFRIMNckYTHlZO6X8DdXolBIJVD8w38RNfZlL4uFFBa3ki4kzo/s1600/tcs.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="337" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQt7Y9qRw4ltOMcVE5q2G-YZT0OfnY8qgm9zTbvtsl5VNszDRErQ1o7zr9PlTQWK01jAGMa1C2lpE_ERdlqCxqua3VatFRIMNckYTHlZO6X8DdXolBIJVD8w38RNfZlL4uFFBa3ki4kzo/s320/tcs.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What <i>is</i> that thing? A simple circular smudge? A blue mink stole with some jewelry? An oddly colored ring from a coffee cup?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to the organization itself, it represents the “dynamic and powerful upsurge of the Great Wave in calligraphic design.” The “Great Wave”? Sorry haven’t a clue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, here’s another group that, by its extremely generic name, seems like it must be completely fictional. Unlike our previous one, this one’s on the very eastern side of the continent, and includes China, Japan, and South Korea. Sounds like the get together for peace-y and prosperity-ish stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Eurasian Development Bank</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3AJZqs776Jf9ilacVCjfIaRQGmL1jO3C7pX_uLJThKPvQ0u7wBz3v-tGOrgs7xi_HMeLNHczCJdBv4RgmIle03i-a3pMS_4acgHGkK6Wz864vW-3lZMySWbIbRUYTkQc7t_7sqZdxyg/s1600/edb.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="336" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3AJZqs776Jf9ilacVCjfIaRQGmL1jO3C7pX_uLJThKPvQ0u7wBz3v-tGOrgs7xi_HMeLNHczCJdBv4RgmIle03i-a3pMS_4acgHGkK6Wz864vW-3lZMySWbIbRUYTkQc7t_7sqZdxyg/s320/edb.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, don’t knock yourselves out with those baby blue and pink lines, now guys. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To be honest, that logo looks a little like they phoned it in as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This group was formed in 2006 by Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Sounds totally boring and official.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZ_1_DoQmDqfNEzG-4ZUMChniJ2KoOhAq3FynJMd4eA97mC1uuAsPvyAKDJb0R3yhBLvPHfpNYaFUPygAcCxm20SQWGr3LV1qS6uZFN8mj4YYknzyi0n-yamRQBwmif6HST8NasggG_4/s1600/saarc.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="336" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZ_1_DoQmDqfNEzG-4ZUMChniJ2KoOhAq3FynJMd4eA97mC1uuAsPvyAKDJb0R3yhBLvPHfpNYaFUPygAcCxm20SQWGr3LV1qS6uZFN8mj4YYknzyi0n-yamRQBwmif6HST8NasggG_4/s320/saarc.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ohmigod! What is it? A cow with 7 eyes? Snakes? Velociraptors?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Somehow or other, this thing is supposed to includes 7 pigeons (or doves), 2 hands with thumbs, and the 2 eyes of Buddha. With each, of course, having all sorts of symbolism.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The pigeons, for example, represent the member countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Wait a minute. That’s 8, isn’t it? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Colombo Plan</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOa_vWDRWvFHqEWTlWaXDbWegIWH3EgjKEmSsbNUJ3wip75EbD1w45zTHei3v_AMgyUaZ0mFN0iJ-uW3amRlcv_IhhV2NTeumqW-Uf_8BNDomfAO4FYc4d7MFSsPPqDkIYkSfwy401OMs/s1600/colombo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOa_vWDRWvFHqEWTlWaXDbWegIWH3EgjKEmSsbNUJ3wip75EbD1w45zTHei3v_AMgyUaZ0mFN0iJ-uW3amRlcv_IhhV2NTeumqW-Uf_8BNDomfAO4FYc4d7MFSsPPqDkIYkSfwy401OMs/s320/colombo.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, this symbol is just plain lame. I mean, I could see the local PTA using something like this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Never hear of the Colombo Plan before? No, it is has nothing to do with one-eyed detectives in rumpled raincoats. Instead, it’s named after the city it was founded in (and which now serves as its headquarters). Oh, that’s the capital of Sri Lanka, by the way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The official name tells you a little more about what this organization actually does. Are you ready for this? Okay, boys, roll it out. Officially, we’ve got the Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic and Social Development in Asia and the Pacific. Okay, you can take a breath now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>South East Asian Treaty Organization</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ71kDGGOoCl0YYJZZ6X7E2WWiL_eHOKCJV9Y74zWdI-rb1Wln7Eia6mFiH_xJCHP_22ukxggXyaEIDShydAizCZrqWsAYlrPdB6pX8UEYbBaV3ox2d8zBjIIKFy-dPGl_j20Chh6LfBk/s1600/seato.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ71kDGGOoCl0YYJZZ6X7E2WWiL_eHOKCJV9Y74zWdI-rb1Wln7Eia6mFiH_xJCHP_22ukxggXyaEIDShydAizCZrqWsAYlrPdB6pX8UEYbBaV3ox2d8zBjIIKFy-dPGl_j20Chh6LfBk/s320/seato.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow! This one’s even lamer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You may, however, have actually heard of SEATO before. At the same time, though, it’s also a historical organization.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps I can be a little clearer … SEATO was supposed to be the NATO of southeast Asia. It was created in 1955, largely to counter Communist influence in the area. The US used SEATO to justify its intervention in Vietnam.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-speaking Countries</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegnJKFS4XKPLr68eujCJ5vN_oVCP9IaoQFzBSbmpexjwErwtPYeuBYaWcVtshSvl45e4nm5CczAE9bG-AA7TEgAp8qQnuyf0UMa818K0aIGcRdu5TAooQXrntYp22r7qAZixe7gCdItE/s1600/turkpa.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegnJKFS4XKPLr68eujCJ5vN_oVCP9IaoQFzBSbmpexjwErwtPYeuBYaWcVtshSvl45e4nm5CczAE9bG-AA7TEgAp8qQnuyf0UMa818K0aIGcRdu5TAooQXrntYp22r7qAZixe7gCdItE/s320/turkpa.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once again, this looks like it should be flying outside some Turkish factory. Though I really haven’t a clue what <i>these</i> guys would be making.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, it’s those Turks again, isn’t it? This time, though, I’m not really sure what this group does. They are also known as the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-speaking Countries, if that helps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Caucasus University Association</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sM-JRdAeF_HltDQSTfZD0GX2UwzHN4GJolEzoFoiQ-GpTAGrFodV-sF-dkxai9JSp9qIXezbRJQYLfJ3oiJcXYk0SxXhd-xeCsEP1orI7dac9w6TBL4L6Y0nM8qfB4X3ucVG0McI7Qs/s1600/cauc+univ.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="339" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sM-JRdAeF_HltDQSTfZD0GX2UwzHN4GJolEzoFoiQ-GpTAGrFodV-sF-dkxai9JSp9qIXezbRJQYLfJ3oiJcXYk0SxXhd-xeCsEP1orI7dac9w6TBL4L6Y0nM8qfB4X3ucVG0McI7Qs/s320/cauc+univ.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because PowerPoint.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This group seems to be pretty much what it says. It’s an organization for universities in the Caucasus region. Um, except for the ones in Cyprus. And then there’s the University of the Incarnate Word, in San Antonio, Texas. Ah well, never mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">> US city flags</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/regional-flags-mideast.html">< Regional flags - Mideast</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Countries</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-49383445801231138722018-06-10T05:40:00.001-07:002018-07-22T10:53:08.537-07:00Regional Flags - Mideast<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some of this stuff I really like. Some of it I don’t. Some of it is just plain weird. Let’s get started …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Arab League</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYnY2ayjxCLdaBLFuH9wRo969P6sD4ot2IeYcTRjJmSt9eTF9ZR7BCkEX_ar_cm9WVNZxOtOJv9UXIH77eP9xLL4bcMrePyH6qoK5Ei7nvPs_1GB7IVRP4urOQybIjaHRt8xl0QZTj7c/s1600/league.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="432" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYnY2ayjxCLdaBLFuH9wRo969P6sD4ot2IeYcTRjJmSt9eTF9ZR7BCkEX_ar_cm9WVNZxOtOJv9UXIH77eP9xLL4bcMrePyH6qoK5Ei7nvPs_1GB7IVRP4urOQybIjaHRt8xl0QZTj7c/s320/league.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one ‘s got two things going for it that are rather unique to the Mideast. The first is the color green, the color of Islam. The second is the calligraphic Arabic script, which can seem almost like abstract art.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one actually covers a little more ground than just the Mideast. Its 22 members go as far west as Morocco and as far south as the Comoros. Indeed, this is the prime group for Arab states, dating all the way back to 1945. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Arab Satellite Communications Organization</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcuUq4Cot_kzukkQYFFQgnJT1huQEKxVCQQXhXlNz8iJRsLf_o5rC07gdiE6h0EfsciUtM1OEssEvL1XXqHu-aBO1ElvIXEYhcbthlZm8xNDcxyBTlG5M6KpS0DT7Nl4myKWhaqQXG4U/s1600/arabsat.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="334" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcuUq4Cot_kzukkQYFFQgnJT1huQEKxVCQQXhXlNz8iJRsLf_o5rC07gdiE6h0EfsciUtM1OEssEvL1XXqHu-aBO1ElvIXEYhcbthlZm8xNDcxyBTlG5M6KpS0DT7Nl4myKWhaqQXG4U/s320/arabsat.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cool symbol. I’m surprised nobody else ever came up with that before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This org was started by the Arab League, back in 1976, to “deliver satellite-based, public and private telecommunications services to the Arab States, in accordance with International Standards.” They launched their 1st satellite in 1985, and actually have 6 of them up there right now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Economic Cooperation Organization</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBLW7jbojgdAEDoHUxJEJFIyxlQOZWHWptEGnGpF3YpcTMwEP300vHi6Mna2fIw2yGpxcvKbRXGq6TilnjoTF4Gptd9g355uI0oH5fNbOqf1G3GFuBLaM0LTYCijMKJm8CtkC6rO3_EU/s1600/eco.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="336" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBLW7jbojgdAEDoHUxJEJFIyxlQOZWHWptEGnGpF3YpcTMwEP300vHi6Mna2fIw2yGpxcvKbRXGq6TilnjoTF4Gptd9g355uI0oH5fNbOqf1G3GFuBLaM0LTYCijMKJm8CtkC6rO3_EU/s320/eco.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another cool symbol. I especially like what they did with the acronym.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ECO is a bit of a grab bag. On the one hand, we’ve got a bunch of Turkic countries – Turkey, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan … But then we’ve also got Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It sounds like they do the regular trade and development stuff. Unfortunately (and as Wikipedia puts it), “The organisation faces many challenges. Most importantly, the member states are lacking appropriate infrastructure and institutions which the Organization is primarily seeking to develop, to make full use of the available resources in the region and provide sustainable development for the member nations.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I do like their flag though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Multinational Force & Observers</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSGkubgdo8Xn4mR2G6o4c38S4QxvgE3RVsKeD7VKPdL9hjgclRVl6xV4cHSytqe4x3fi91XsFDOmPepl5ts2eNJEGirNCZMQ4l3YQb1ohlwhSHTQtJyvfEGkhrSt-5unsg9voDCe1Ct0/s1600/multinat.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSGkubgdo8Xn4mR2G6o4c38S4QxvgE3RVsKeD7VKPdL9hjgclRVl6xV4cHSytqe4x3fi91XsFDOmPepl5ts2eNJEGirNCZMQ4l3YQb1ohlwhSHTQtJyvfEGkhrSt-5unsg9voDCe1Ct0/s320/multinat.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dunkin Donuts orange, right? Not a color you see every day. Along with the nice symbol, though, it does work pretty well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m sure you’ve heard of these guys. They basically keep the peace in the Sinai, between Egypt and Israel. It is not a UN organization, but was put together by the US and is manned by friendly, civic-minded folks from Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Norway, the UK and a few others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Arab Women Foundation</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXcOZG_49yY1cdPYQX2bkkO5dc6nVPrLbdoDewnO7VF03x4ApHbiEglCCvI49y-bNYBNBy3CLDXddAi9AvxChdgEShdsf40ZmidxCDvR5z9ZHfx-pUUBEt1zwc51NDG-QxjMhMVtDkyM/s1600/women.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="432" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXcOZG_49yY1cdPYQX2bkkO5dc6nVPrLbdoDewnO7VF03x4ApHbiEglCCvI49y-bNYBNBy3CLDXddAi9AvxChdgEShdsf40ZmidxCDvR5z9ZHfx-pUUBEt1zwc51NDG-QxjMhMVtDkyM/s320/women.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another interesting color. I am seriously wondering about that symbol though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">FOTW says it’s a “stylized female figure.” Okay, I can make out the head. I’m really wondering about the rest of it though. Geez, is that supposed to be a breast? And what’s with the little diamond?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to their website:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Arab Women Foundation an [sic] Arab non-governmental organization for research and programs that aims [sic]to increase Arab women’s rolesin [sic] the social, political and economic fields; expand women’s participation in senior positions; andempower [sic] women to reach leadership [sic].</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And, no, that was not a result of Google Translate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Council of Arab Economic Unity</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9om6rl7UJ_9M4iR_DviwNO0P1hfVjtDgyZUPrekW38aQGHZHlycLG562JWMw-N9oMQzH1Db7yTqKxzCxl3Yd6oxI4HhUHBlRf6MwsUs__xX0Tyhzc_ji7Hz4Oug7tFlF-mZeTNfwGZ0/s1600/hands.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="339" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9om6rl7UJ_9M4iR_DviwNO0P1hfVjtDgyZUPrekW38aQGHZHlycLG562JWMw-N9oMQzH1Db7yTqKxzCxl3Yd6oxI4HhUHBlRf6MwsUs__xX0Tyhzc_ji7Hz4Oug7tFlF-mZeTNfwGZ0/s320/hands.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This, on the other hand, is just pretty darn boring. Extra points for the cliché of hands shaking, as well the rather chunky version of same. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This outfit seems like an economic version of the Arab League. It dates back to 1957, and counts 18 members.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufRKgnWuB_iSMStOVjqS0ptO5itX3wUEqD4HZPm3V5S9cFgP-pyxcHc-yKKrvXUTvmtJ-xaEMYydo1_tZY8xLStfKmN9vmOTVtBbZ2RUXdd6VkycLoMQnNs9afESmkS3fUWXIufnBXIM/s1600/isesco.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="338" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufRKgnWuB_iSMStOVjqS0ptO5itX3wUEqD4HZPm3V5S9cFgP-pyxcHc-yKKrvXUTvmtJ-xaEMYydo1_tZY8xLStfKmN9vmOTVtBbZ2RUXdd6VkycLoMQnNs9afESmkS3fUWXIufnBXIM/s320/isesco.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Can’t get more boring and generic that this now, can we?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I guess you could call this a cultural version of the Arab League. Education, science, culture… that kinda stuff. Honestly, it’s all a little vague.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That cube in the middle? It’s the Kaabah, the main shrine in Mecca and, according to Islam, the holiest place on Earth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/regional-flags-asia.html">> Regional flags - Asia</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/regional-flags-africa.html">< Regional flags - Africa</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-47601240383717235972018-06-01T17:59:00.003-07:002018-07-22T10:54:01.329-07:00Regional Flags - Africa<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Africa’s a bit like the Americas – vexilollogically speaking that is. There’s some good stuff, some bad stuff, and some stuff that is definitely a little of both.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>African Union</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60rfSX4TzB6Z7xhCv-AJ12ru_u9df2IarFfDEnNc5uwZyOvCpgQqPDAl87s03ESyVcdWQn1aPahGMYL-Fch1RUgRwGcPE0EcZ64rnuj-wIrvvi23jP0jxbEL7zM6cOnNsuv2wqret11s/s1600/afr+union.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60rfSX4TzB6Z7xhCv-AJ12ru_u9df2IarFfDEnNc5uwZyOvCpgQqPDAl87s03ESyVcdWQn1aPahGMYL-Fch1RUgRwGcPE0EcZ64rnuj-wIrvvi23jP0jxbEL7zM6cOnNsuv2wqret11s/s320/afr+union.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cool! I like the color. I like the large, simple symbols. I like how there’s a fair amount going on, but it’s very contained and not busy at all. And I adore the outline of Africa against the rays of the sun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interestingly, this is one of the few international flags that resulted from a competition. It was designed by Ethiopian-American artist Yadesa Bojia. He won $7,000!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BTW, the African Union is the 21st Century replacement for the old OAS, the Organization of African States. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Indian Ocean Commission</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryUjiN0aJ5nqwuGi58Vu9R1KhRVV48BMB1MfB9Z0n8zv0yu85esk7vDelbtkIAwb87ik-0dJpb3TPCwcz1N7q0hwbvYdRO0_Ij2zX_wjGwrYBClW3lY35QZ7DKEu9fnjAROqi4YPlUa0/s1600/ioc.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="336" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryUjiN0aJ5nqwuGi58Vu9R1KhRVV48BMB1MfB9Z0n8zv0yu85esk7vDelbtkIAwb87ik-0dJpb3TPCwcz1N7q0hwbvYdRO0_Ij2zX_wjGwrYBClW3lY35QZ7DKEu9fnjAROqi4YPlUa0/s320/ioc.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ooh, I like that cool symbol. Not sure exactly what it means … </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The flag would probably look even better if they cut down on all that text. If you can’t just eliminate it entirely, why not just use an acronym?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You may be wondering why this one’s here in this post. I mean, the Indian Ocean’s a pretty big place, right? And, last I checked, it bordered, not only Africa, but Asia, Australia, and the Middle East as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That said, the IOC (wait, that’s already taken, isn’t it?) is actually a pretty select group. It includes a mere 5 members – Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius, and France (who owns Reunion). How about if we call it the Southwest Indian Ocean Commission? You know, SWIOC.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>East African Community</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-yvapWMVZni28xP4crVDIgNL1tzwOxauFuwXZx5sC3kQQsxtA6T4w9CvsEBGYGKV6kmviVFRRZSgcPK-5ujulpUAJUMsqkNEauJCjNJfiw9oCg7sT95C75hzZW8k8SCZknLixdx6qko/s1600/eac.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-yvapWMVZni28xP4crVDIgNL1tzwOxauFuwXZx5sC3kQQsxtA6T4w9CvsEBGYGKV6kmviVFRRZSgcPK-5ujulpUAJUMsqkNEauJCjNJfiw9oCg7sT95C75hzZW8k8SCZknLixdx6qko/s320/eac.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interesting. Possibly a little too interesting, actually … Maybe if they just got rid of all that frou-frou in the middle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As you’ve probably already guessed, all those colorful stripes reflect the flags of the EAC’s different members (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda). Except for all that blue, which makes it looks like Botswana is a member (don’t worry, they’re not):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOO3k9-CV6N5oahUTwiwCHFj56GZ7_vvxDoXC4jdjZntlzQEVArlnhxU-ZUKBjwhYb51ugpRRcVaTWm2NA3p01VK70avYyBtpqYek-kQRpOV6gatgWlzXRtQUhOivor-Q-brVdWwUrQdo/s1600/botswana.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOO3k9-CV6N5oahUTwiwCHFj56GZ7_vvxDoXC4jdjZntlzQEVArlnhxU-ZUKBjwhYb51ugpRRcVaTWm2NA3p01VK70avYyBtpqYek-kQRpOV6gatgWlzXRtQUhOivor-Q-brVdWwUrQdo/s1600/botswana.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, it sure is a lot better than what they had before:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFA_53uxAZBUBgG0f7ieB73nhFtqDsvZL7hHxL_g4t1qMtRHKSScsfYgZikIoraBF306unILcVC1KuWt130I7PZ1P6nn2ofEGy8fWak6q-94Ek-wm7o3rmvmrokmaDhreR8c0o2tRgoM/s1600/old+eac.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="325" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFA_53uxAZBUBgG0f7ieB73nhFtqDsvZL7hHxL_g4t1qMtRHKSScsfYgZikIoraBF306unILcVC1KuWt130I7PZ1P6nn2ofEGy8fWak6q-94Ek-wm7o3rmvmrokmaDhreR8c0o2tRgoM/s320/old+eac.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Community of Sahel-Saharan States</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6o7wiTgdlc0MPuBjoi25TT0yOtQ-AObyZYXHueijQcE9fNQRaYaeB5mdaQxpLlEdS_i64Xfw0sHgiuFhHghxcHVI1oNQ9TUsvxsabc_eIcpK5cegXp8R_IU3puR7mWuA2Z7BQWuQ_b4/s1600/sahel.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="368" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6o7wiTgdlc0MPuBjoi25TT0yOtQ-AObyZYXHueijQcE9fNQRaYaeB5mdaQxpLlEdS_i64Xfw0sHgiuFhHghxcHVI1oNQ9TUsvxsabc_eIcpK5cegXp8R_IU3puR7mWuA2Z7BQWuQ_b4/s320/sahel.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, this one is kinda cool too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the same time, though, that sure is a lotta stars. Oh, sure, they stand for all the members, you’re thinking … Except that they don’t. CEN-SAD (yup, that’s their acronym – from the French) has 29 members. Original members, then? Nope – there were 6 of those.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, as for those colors … They’re definitely different. I can say that for ‘em. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything on where they came from. Which made me start thinking … Mardi Gras?!?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Economic Community of West African States</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozECIa04OTDJvagL_CJAqZA8jVyu-_BiCDEZqGZ4JmNEE1_5dqMM1oaumOv5gnx_MJv_1actmzcIxhV8hjnuTz20mMaIoTnjimdxiQ_mKKoPmuyKr95_uhAtkb8d172OAbn5PRw8MCrk/s1600/ecowas.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="336" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozECIa04OTDJvagL_CJAqZA8jVyu-_BiCDEZqGZ4JmNEE1_5dqMM1oaumOv5gnx_MJv_1actmzcIxhV8hjnuTz20mMaIoTnjimdxiQ_mKKoPmuyKr95_uhAtkb8d172OAbn5PRw8MCrk/s320/ecowas.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, the rest of these are not going to have any redeeming factors whatsoever. Let’s start out with this baby, which is both washed out, represents an odd color combo, and is rather out of date.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ECOWAS (AKA CEDEAO – the French & Portuguese equivalent) is an economic union of 15 countries in … are you ready for this? … west Africa! BTW, there are two sub-divisions within ECOWAS/CEDEAO, UEMOA (Frenchies) and WAMZ (Anglos).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Union of Arab Maghreb</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNyFLA87DbFr2ME13-VskqIg6hrCD4IMguJDxsvvuq4tlwoMw99Na-17Bh9m3J60o0Z7dFN8Ih979xvseXfBMPZl_nYPHJHpIj1zP5B6N26wEoVkbFWjHQ9pKNzatjSuGK3DxHcxWpD4/s1600/maghreb.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="337" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNyFLA87DbFr2ME13-VskqIg6hrCD4IMguJDxsvvuq4tlwoMw99Na-17Bh9m3J60o0Z7dFN8Ih979xvseXfBMPZl_nYPHJHpIj1zP5B6N26wEoVkbFWjHQ9pKNzatjSuGK3DxHcxWpD4/s320/maghreb.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ditto – actually worse, to tell you the truth. And in case you’re wondering what that odd shape is in the middle, well it’s just the 5 countries that make up the UMA, from Mauritania up and over to Libya.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I actually rather prefer their previous flag:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpRaHZBRTHoYIyV213xkSMqJBU9IxCLmsTdRbfi1LcGJvm1A_lkKSkzp28d22_kni0CDFQ8V4GQhMt9h0Xx-icX4jk8Q8IRaafb6xIusLaeEwdKmgMXcUXvouJeyIrwagWovTmf8cUcQ/s1600/old+maghreb.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpRaHZBRTHoYIyV213xkSMqJBU9IxCLmsTdRbfi1LcGJvm1A_lkKSkzp28d22_kni0CDFQ8V4GQhMt9h0Xx-icX4jk8Q8IRaafb6xIusLaeEwdKmgMXcUXvouJeyIrwagWovTmf8cUcQ/s320/old+maghreb.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Love the description of the org from Wikipedia:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Union has been unable to achieve tangible progress on its goals …. No high level meetings have taken place since 3 July 2008 and commentators regard the Union as largely dormant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pan-African Parliament</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdywyIfqBu9kTTixZPD2JtFqABIaVgnKmKANGT7z5N2-wCWt8cFALZwBza3r-D9cDZ-o8nHm6PB79borYxyvxgqiOE4mbF4amZyju-_x5bgVY1TZ7dnh0a-4j3t1TTAmBc0sfy_WpDdc/s1600/parlo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="335" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdywyIfqBu9kTTixZPD2JtFqABIaVgnKmKANGT7z5N2-wCWt8cFALZwBza3r-D9cDZ-o8nHm6PB79borYxyvxgqiOE4mbF4amZyju-_x5bgVY1TZ7dnh0a-4j3t1TTAmBc0sfy_WpDdc/s320/parlo.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then there’s this. It’s like it’s barely there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The PAP is actually the legislative branch of the African Union (see above, for their rather nice flag). You’d think they coulda come up with something a little more exciting here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Common Market for Eastern & Southern Africa</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Sb6M5LyDxj1t2aYJqGjJNJzdScXi8wMiY1LFLgRBs6oLYllNvYCkB_XF0WMgfH38y-FHK1weeBDH0LQ_NvSO7d8y62ORubrkxRF-iQHE0ZDKcGnRNa2OAOm737uKiNUqtxoC6qHopTM/s1600/comesa.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Sb6M5LyDxj1t2aYJqGjJNJzdScXi8wMiY1LFLgRBs6oLYllNvYCkB_XF0WMgfH38y-FHK1weeBDH0LQ_NvSO7d8y62ORubrkxRF-iQHE0ZDKcGnRNa2OAOm737uKiNUqtxoC6qHopTM/s320/comesa.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This, on the other hand, does have blue in its favor, but is still pretty much just a total snoozer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s the previous flag, which kinda looks like somebody had an accident involving some condiment packets:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TUDZg7cF-VpBQ968Jowuw5PLcadDpk0DvYK47m717S4rV0Ci1o0Yc96h0h-w2ydULJ5SS-FEffpoTBJorxtC53DTEAuHIMPhWHWFyDYNDLtdE7FrkNu-xSJyEISmtLMoOJ-oaSlCdP4/s1600/old+camesa.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TUDZg7cF-VpBQ968Jowuw5PLcadDpk0DvYK47m717S4rV0Ci1o0Yc96h0h-w2ydULJ5SS-FEffpoTBJorxtC53DTEAuHIMPhWHWFyDYNDLtdE7FrkNu-xSJyEISmtLMoOJ-oaSlCdP4/s320/old+camesa.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyr9VDNM35xdGEgu6mzK2EeZoiqVY_RG7I_hymU4c3mUY53BkWq-agW9EdI_-bJJHvFE0G4-ViS7o-4t8Jf-nDbHuIsOUP0yAE0s-7CQcnt9rUwaxcWndws8rF6YrEzGucPe3H5mEWs3Q/s1600/cemac.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyr9VDNM35xdGEgu6mzK2EeZoiqVY_RG7I_hymU4c3mUY53BkWq-agW9EdI_-bJJHvFE0G4-ViS7o-4t8Jf-nDbHuIsOUP0yAE0s-7CQcnt9rUwaxcWndws8rF6YrEzGucPe3H5mEWs3Q/s320/cemac.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whoa! This one’s gonna get your attention. You know, there just aren’t enough yellow flags out there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CEMAC is from the French. I guess the English equivalent would be EAMCOCA. Other acronyms from other languages include UDEAC and UAEAC. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CEMAC/UDEAS/UAEAC/whatever was formed from the ECCAS and AEC, with a little help from UNECA, REPAC, FOMAX, MARAC, the RECs, the CDC, and the ECOSOC. It’s actually now known as ECCAS, as well as the CEEAC.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am not making any of this up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>African and Malagasy Union</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7at8Yc5r7xOuzvuueJMm8-NTlmem69IcVl3_Tuu920RvL_5z9UPtDDP2-Uui7sfTikSu3O1vjB5Br67pGxnQdWnwisLMyQ17eD-xXs59CDcmBWDQ3A9RnXMd7ArRJB8COdU0xo5Bu60/s1600/malagasy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="327" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7at8Yc5r7xOuzvuueJMm8-NTlmem69IcVl3_Tuu920RvL_5z9UPtDDP2-Uui7sfTikSu3O1vjB5Br67pGxnQdWnwisLMyQ17eD-xXs59CDcmBWDQ3A9RnXMd7ArRJB8COdU0xo5Bu60/s320/malagasy.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whoa! It’s bright. I’ll give it that. Maybe a little too bright, if you know what I mean.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This organization is defunct. It has passed on. This organization is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker! It’s a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! It's kicked the bucket, it's shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-ORGANIZATION.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before that, though, it was basically the French-speaking countries of Africa. I take it they got together to practice their <i>parlez vous</i>. Interestingly, they left the Malagasy part (i.e., Madagascar) off of their flag.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>African Development Bank</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbFgvDRLCQdsX-argMrFjCIOmQqDweDwLzGnNb_xChvu14ojB6PAqS5hQ8Rikw9vDSQbAL8Lal5Ru02Uymvl5trpU8vw9HRMzruUEDdRHjqIliQpQ58Z535Q8_al1bxDD4PinnoreeaA/s1600/adb.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="337" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbFgvDRLCQdsX-argMrFjCIOmQqDweDwLzGnNb_xChvu14ojB6PAqS5hQ8Rikw9vDSQbAL8Lal5Ru02Uymvl5trpU8vw9HRMzruUEDdRHjqIliQpQ58Z535Q8_al1bxDD4PinnoreeaA/s320/adb.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s like they sewed two flags together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one sounds a tad boring. Their mission is to:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">fight poverty and improve living conditions on the continent through promoting the investment of public and private capital in projects and programs that are likely to contribute to the economic and social development of the region (Wikipedia)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I do love their motto though – “Building today, a better Africa tomorrow.” I’m guessing other candidates in the running but falling a few votes short included “Building a better Africa today, for tomorrow” and “Building a better Africa tomorrow, today.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>South African Development Community</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKNpBoOZvoDCsXAeRjfSwJ_05gxxS6XOZy5o9umXV9klcXQm63lRF2QPATPVrolQXBC7ui9XuJztPj2iTYwAazoJEAQxzNg87dFVfglsZ1IGqNBWoA4icMj4HW668YEVDx1MJ0XHDCWM/s1600/sadc.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKNpBoOZvoDCsXAeRjfSwJ_05gxxS6XOZy5o9umXV9klcXQm63lRF2QPATPVrolQXBC7ui9XuJztPj2iTYwAazoJEAQxzNg87dFVfglsZ1IGqNBWoA4icMj4HW668YEVDx1MJ0XHDCWM/s320/sadc.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Holy cow! <i>This </i>is different. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s also one of the most amateurish flags I’ve ever seen. Was this put together for Greek Week? Some Girl Scout troop?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The SADC’s mission is to “promote collective self-reliance and the forging of closer links among its member states to create genuine and equitable regional co-operation.” It was formed in 1980 and was originally directed against the apartheid regimes in Rhodesia and South Africa. Ionically, these two countries are now members.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let me end this post with the organization’s former flag:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfYUQfY5aO1FTTCMrJA9ZwB8jgShv-t0eFcW0Gr9SpcjRXrJSpVWv8_WX6fkrvigZou6-jN9lXxFbL54ZIkIPESFZtHzNdVXGuOX2nkFyElnRHoEX1PQvYTm8gUWPus3jIOh87YzsPy4/s1600/old+sadc.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="444" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfYUQfY5aO1FTTCMrJA9ZwB8jgShv-t0eFcW0Gr9SpcjRXrJSpVWv8_WX6fkrvigZou6-jN9lXxFbL54ZIkIPESFZtHzNdVXGuOX2nkFyElnRHoEX1PQvYTm8gUWPus3jIOh87YzsPy4/s320/old+sadc.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Same crazy symbol (well, actually with one extra C – for “Coordination Conference”), but at least there’s enough color contrast this time that you can actually make it out.</span><br />
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More links:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/regional-flags-mideast.html">> Regional flags - Mideast</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/regional-flags-europe-bad.html">< Regional flags - Europe (bad)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html">Site intro</a></li>
</ul>
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Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-33598918506461439052018-05-25T17:04:00.001-07:002018-07-22T10:54:41.605-07:00Regional Flags – Europe (Bad)<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, as you’ve probably guessed, there is some bad out there with all that good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>International Sava River Basin Commission</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZsnPQjJ7YHaLmPbrgCUDHk5gQreUbdLWrhhndKm1_uh6kwLZ7dK3t14bBJALmlHkSgnHSgIR7cWY1Ofd1M50S5ECBUcdF09o6pNxspMRx5LlVvFhCM8fRdZGbSXoU5Qwb7plOoZovY8/s1600/sava.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="444" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZsnPQjJ7YHaLmPbrgCUDHk5gQreUbdLWrhhndKm1_uh6kwLZ7dK3t14bBJALmlHkSgnHSgIR7cWY1Ofd1M50S5ECBUcdF09o6pNxspMRx5LlVvFhCM8fRdZGbSXoU5Qwb7plOoZovY8/s320/sava.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Boy, snoozerama, huh? Take a couple of boxes, a little blue stripe, and lots of text; plop it on a bedsheet; and call it a day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is one of several river commissions in Europe (all of whom have much better flags, might I say). The Sava? It’s a river (duh) that cuts through the old Yugoslavia and empties into the Danube</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Baltic Assembly</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-UfaTP45RiFKlDx5v3nkodNJU2Qb8csxhhFHqWmMozK4iGXZ7WKyZ7pjvRi9jjnPSALRSHZ2U7euLsr52Zh4GxhbSoYtS8P4zu-6XwEnlpNbbT929Z3dhs52f5683wEmkvono8tbPZ4/s1600/baltic.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="443" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-UfaTP45RiFKlDx5v3nkodNJU2Qb8csxhhFHqWmMozK4iGXZ7WKyZ7pjvRi9jjnPSALRSHZ2U7euLsr52Zh4GxhbSoYtS8P4zu-6XwEnlpNbbT929Z3dhs52f5683wEmkvono8tbPZ4/s320/baltic.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Believe it or not, there is such a thing as too much white space. Also, what is that thing?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why, it’s a … a … er …”blue, stylized, three-contour trefoil” (<a href="https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/bal-assm.html">Flags of the World</a>). What is a “a blue, stylized, three-contour trefoil”? Well, it’s a … “a blue, stylized, three-contour trefoil.” Couldn’t find much of anything else on this one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Assembly seems to be just an excuse for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to get together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>European Bank for Reconstruction and Development</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8Xwt2MIAyZOQe3OnoxP5zYl5EksXOZ4gOKplcx4sDv0_B8IjJcRrgByMayLSAw8K6tS2dOYp6_BEWQXotI79pRuYtgCDDtKCci4g1yRn0Yk5ZnE2r12xg8KOQy50ptKKAl2IvvReltc/s1600/ebrd.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="335" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8Xwt2MIAyZOQe3OnoxP5zYl5EksXOZ4gOKplcx4sDv0_B8IjJcRrgByMayLSAw8K6tS2dOYp6_BEWQXotI79pRuYtgCDDtKCci4g1yRn0Yk5ZnE2r12xg8KOQy50ptKKAl2IvvReltc/s320/ebrd.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What it be? Two O’s? An O and a C?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sadly, it’s just two links of a chain, symbolizing unity or slavery or something. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The EBRD? It’s an investment bank that loans out dough to support market economies. It was created in 1991 to support former Eastern Bloc countries, but has since expanded pretty much all over the place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Assembly of European Regions</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShYuw9hxW9kj0krs0Wx1KbN8eaUC9n8-3ahHRLFbFufrKr66ysa5_MJiF4Dqlw0RtQvAyc_n7VzXNiyGgdExAsDwCZKmYXI6sy2QYtdBHIJou4HaTla3E-jrfgcS-O9ykVjRd103I3Bc/s1600/aer.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="337" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShYuw9hxW9kj0krs0Wx1KbN8eaUC9n8-3ahHRLFbFufrKr66ysa5_MJiF4Dqlw0RtQvAyc_n7VzXNiyGgdExAsDwCZKmYXI6sy2QYtdBHIJou4HaTla3E-jrfgcS-O9ykVjRd103I3Bc/s320/aer.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">22 words! In five different languages! It’s a new European record!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember the <a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/regional-flags-europe-good.html">Adriatic Ionian Euroregion</a>? This is their parent organization. Those languages? French, English, German, Spanish, and Italian.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Liaison Committee of Social Military Organisations</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFWIIFZ1RtSWnVhKLxGWSBm1kvphCD3uGE4-fq9587GcFvbg2ZuZIp8qCuuSaPU6aBQth9ziJI5WkLS6uVNVQ-CC8hGAR7UjCiSROydIe6IQDeUjZBwQ2CPXxhd6UYiFtEofVBj9U4Hw/s1600/clims.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFWIIFZ1RtSWnVhKLxGWSBm1kvphCD3uGE4-fq9587GcFvbg2ZuZIp8qCuuSaPU6aBQth9ziJI5WkLS6uVNVQ-CC8hGAR7UjCiSROydIe6IQDeUjZBwQ2CPXxhd6UYiFtEofVBj9U4Hw/s320/clims.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The 1970s called. They want their flag back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah, this is pretty cheesy. The shadows, that shiny metallic reflection thing, those stars swooping out of the frame, the date …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CLIMS (the LCSMO, in English) is “an international body gathering of military social services whose objective consists in developing bi- or multilateral youth exchanges and family vacations between the Ministries of Defence of the member countries.” What that all means is beyond me. Buncha military types throwin’ a party while on vacation?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Nordic Council</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfh00blJIDDEuenblHgzKUZYbgcCiT7yd-aVgXucxn0WLfHd8A44RkTiHQv6TK4dVxQvGWk_BBia53NWdnycJn7STxIKahtErk5X-2-6kJ_K7MIDuuJM4iRB8lkCl3eaZmjftpiZh5kY/s1600/nordic.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfh00blJIDDEuenblHgzKUZYbgcCiT7yd-aVgXucxn0WLfHd8A44RkTiHQv6TK4dVxQvGWk_BBia53NWdnycJn7STxIKahtErk5X-2-6kJ_K7MIDuuJM4iRB8lkCl3eaZmjftpiZh5kY/s1600/nordic.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think these guys may have confused themselves with some airline. Seriously. Eastern? Piedmont? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I guess this group is the blonde-haired, blue-eyed equivalent of the Baltic Assembly (remember them?). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, that’s a swan. One of those 4-winged Scandinavian swans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Actually, the wings stand for the four founding members, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. There are a couple more these days, but a swan with that many wings would just look weird.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM)</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakigms1e2BWdF6651Zq8gpbaIWEC3sIFaaGMuxPHuEMuzwJO8rFjhEeq3g8BgRsEOi0whfkBpUUg5LkQ4RveTeOC_TMSXMgJun-_ajFHabHglRQHrLNmZDnrgE_SXRIZOtaqMnJMA17U/s1600/guam.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakigms1e2BWdF6651Zq8gpbaIWEC3sIFaaGMuxPHuEMuzwJO8rFjhEeq3g8BgRsEOi0whfkBpUUg5LkQ4RveTeOC_TMSXMgJun-_ajFHabHglRQHrLNmZDnrgE_SXRIZOtaqMnJMA17U/s320/guam.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Um, wouldn’t that be ODED? I mean, GUAM’s a little snappier, but I think it’s already taken.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, okay. There are four members in this club – Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. Ergo, GUAM. But, really, why not MAUG, or GUMA, or MUGA, or AMUG, or UGMA … </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>European Stork City Organisation</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9iIvnR2Yq5pLRXHIRF4u6b7wfdEqWJighVH6fIxBf3TZNngtxtjjn6YqmLXz6o9pYQztQcBe62fVfMzt8XsUBk7_gKnzWYT7J4RnWS2pmwEqRgaYOS510iW_Cpe_TVpHSQXAdNzSLa4/s1600/storks.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9iIvnR2Yq5pLRXHIRF4u6b7wfdEqWJighVH6fIxBf3TZNngtxtjjn6YqmLXz6o9pYQztQcBe62fVfMzt8XsUBk7_gKnzWYT7J4RnWS2pmwEqRgaYOS510iW_Cpe_TVpHSQXAdNzSLa4/s320/storks.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, it’s an odd flag. But, I mean, really, <i>storks</i>? Stork <i>cities</i>?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sure enough, ESCO is “an international organisation, joining European towns and cities, which have a stork in their coat of arms.” Honestly? I mean, that’s a thing?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Members include:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>Busk (Ukraine)</li>
<li>Demene (Latvia)</li>
<li>Komarovce (Slovakia)</li>
<li>Kongaz (Moldova)</li>
<li>Luka nad Jihlavou (Czech Republic)</li>
<li>Ramygala (Lithuania)</li>
<li>Taujenai (Lithuania)</li>
<li>Staicele (Latvia)</li>
<li>Stolin (Belarus)</li>
<li>Storkow (Germany)</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, do they actually get together? What do they do? What do they talk about? Storks?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>European Wind Energy Association</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcwdTnWCZV8TiuaeKYpysa0tbQh0HuoY1BvSiCd5qKYmHOAJ13_15TYSdVCT0yzKG5cCHr3ngReJjKqDZut0pmwSfHLBvTeCfBk0Gjyst_pRCrA3Rg42rbfThYRc545Ibmd93qDjjfJU/s1600/ewea.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="334" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcwdTnWCZV8TiuaeKYpysa0tbQh0HuoY1BvSiCd5qKYmHOAJ13_15TYSdVCT0yzKG5cCHr3ngReJjKqDZut0pmwSfHLBvTeCfBk0Gjyst_pRCrA3Rg42rbfThYRc545Ibmd93qDjjfJU/s320/ewea.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alright, I get it. But, really, isn’t that a little weird? Odd? Creepy? Disturbing?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Actually, EWEA is now Wind Europe. Doesn’t look like they’ve changed their flag though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Office or Democratic Institutions and Human Rights</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkPA7yKLtyojCQ9jiSJlBuA1WIDC5DsWOapGLBiPuz9x1l2g696XlyGMfr9CZG_yRGzWFIdPccboJbM2h2v_i5IcJ8oCb9ehR_p_vu9P52DWO2sceyTJ1wwUUNgPHOhTm7L4LaxLxuPs/s1600/eye+tree.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="337" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkPA7yKLtyojCQ9jiSJlBuA1WIDC5DsWOapGLBiPuz9x1l2g696XlyGMfr9CZG_yRGzWFIdPccboJbM2h2v_i5IcJ8oCb9ehR_p_vu9P52DWO2sceyTJ1wwUUNgPHOhTm7L4LaxLxuPs/s320/eye+tree.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Continuing our eye theme ... Holy cow! It’s a tree of eyes! Run for your lives! Tree of eyes! Tree of eyes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As you can tell from the lower left corner of the flag, ODIHR is an arm of the OSCE. In particular, it is tasked “with the ‘human dimension’ of security.” Whatever that might be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Yeniche</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2ZexG5p49jSwLzkUzcf58SXBCaWmjAaWJ3c3xcapClxjNzjfD_OQsXk_RSBrwTGPuntlrESkveL2jmiPIykVdkcaOBFskZRgNErcSSlQvaPCmYJ0GCpoVU1MdCVS9z9uCCVp52GpumU/s1600/yeniche.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="326" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2ZexG5p49jSwLzkUzcf58SXBCaWmjAaWJ3c3xcapClxjNzjfD_OQsXk_RSBrwTGPuntlrESkveL2jmiPIykVdkcaOBFskZRgNErcSSlQvaPCmYJ0GCpoVU1MdCVS9z9uCCVp52GpumU/s320/yeniche.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also known as the Yenish, the Yeniche people are basically Irish Travelers. Their flag appears to have a fire, a wagon, a basket, and an accordion on it. Sure, why not?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/regional-flags-africa.html">> Regional Flags - Africa</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/regional-flags-europe-good.html">< Regional Flags - Europe (Good)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-372567865339919862018-05-18T16:05:00.001-07:002018-07-22T10:55:20.281-07:00Regional Flags – Europe (Good)<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hard to believe, but at least one continent had enough good designs that they merited their own post. How could that possibly be? Read on …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>European Union</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCpyCRvEiyoymft7sAcVD01JHXd4Yc8a0SFLYyy-8CmSgaNf1RcaIrYNgUjbWiQNB63LKYeVcUtLt4Nu1TOhzS3d1zK6DdBXXnZJrNpFmOU-4RryfxmnI54P_y7eAGS8sMWXUvb64pGw/s1600/eu.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCpyCRvEiyoymft7sAcVD01JHXd4Yc8a0SFLYyy-8CmSgaNf1RcaIrYNgUjbWiQNB63LKYeVcUtLt4Nu1TOhzS3d1zK6DdBXXnZJrNpFmOU-4RryfxmnI54P_y7eAGS8sMWXUvb64pGw/s320/eu.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think we’re all pretty familiar with this one (and the organization behind it). You gotta admit, though – it truly is a classic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ever wondered how it came about though? It was actually designed by an employee, one Arsène Heitz (who did something with railroads). He seemed to have stuffed the ballot box a little, though, having submitted <i>dozens</i> of possible designs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Slavic Union</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGxfYn_GUTe2-MxIUIOTc4bsza6NEVpsvmZf_2XqyGQRSh628MwRTIta61rrZByZxa1vAG1C6S7mLr2NqUFLDF1EEyy8tW0WUgPKyXjtIPXOSQHAjtQ3UXWf2bRkfpyd84WaLxjbwKCY/s1600/slav+union.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGxfYn_GUTe2-MxIUIOTc4bsza6NEVpsvmZf_2XqyGQRSh628MwRTIta61rrZByZxa1vAG1C6S7mLr2NqUFLDF1EEyy8tW0WUgPKyXjtIPXOSQHAjtQ3UXWf2bRkfpyd84WaLxjbwKCY/s1600/slav+union.gif" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I actually like this one because of its echoes of the EU design. Just enough to be different though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To be quite honest, this is actually a slightly older version. The new one is, unfortunately, very square and, with the addition of a few more flags, rather busy as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, I have no idea what this organization is about. Their website is on Tripod (!?!?) and looks like it was done by a 12 year old … back in 1997 … in an afternoon. By the way, do not confuse these folks with a neo-Nazi party of the same name in Russia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Central European Free Trade Agreement</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9QxgqviyPdcd6pZnDfbxQujkFtykH9YHXt0HjMjcA5Sme_g77Y45q5n8lZFR56Yg3jkd_0-af44P3V65MMu0et0QNsmpoK7lxeSzq0kSUanignFOCdL0xayNuUuiiHlBPLE3VgKuy8o/s1600/cefta.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="326" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9QxgqviyPdcd6pZnDfbxQujkFtykH9YHXt0HjMjcA5Sme_g77Y45q5n8lZFR56Yg3jkd_0-af44P3V65MMu0et0QNsmpoK7lxeSzq0kSUanignFOCdL0xayNuUuiiHlBPLE3VgKuy8o/s320/cefta.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I can see echoes in this one as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Indeed, CEFTA is a trade agreement of non-EU countries. As such, it’s an org that is constantly losing members, as anyone the EU lets in is gone in a heartbeat. So, whereas CEFTA used to include Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, it’s now limited to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As for that rather interesting design? Sorry, couldn’t find a thing on it. Would love to know though. I’m pretty sure it means <i>something</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Paneuropa Union</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIDHCMPzBx6AcDY8hZ0XU10naTWpUdkG2eVdoAx9iKwDJwqvPcmJHyoOH8W6jz-jdCjRnRRlylnZptQEDo7qYc5TDw_Vu4yYBCO0uEGkApQtjqS2mAaXQKhZOygoLXDut1R00MfH4Gm4/s1600/paneuro+union.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIDHCMPzBx6AcDY8hZ0XU10naTWpUdkG2eVdoAx9iKwDJwqvPcmJHyoOH8W6jz-jdCjRnRRlylnZptQEDo7qYc5TDw_Vu4yYBCO0uEGkApQtjqS2mAaXQKhZOygoLXDut1R00MfH4Gm4/s320/paneuro+union.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Continuing our EU theme, this baby was actually in the running for the EU flag, but its cross was objected to by Turkey. I think you can see its influence in the final design though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The PU (I may be the only one who calls it that) was founded back in 1923, by one Count Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi. Its members have included notables such as Albert Einstein, Fridtjof Nansen, Thomas Mann, Aristide Briand, Konrad Adenauer, Sigmund Freud, Benedetto Croce, Georges Pompidou, and Winston Churchill. It was, at one time, led by Otto, the Habsburg heir.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Adriatic Ionian Euroregion</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRockPdVymf0mNVm2oQCwoSZBeQ8fHIZnT8FPxwhKo-lCgE-XjFQ-eUZFdIgeEDZ_imgq7UinB4H4Am9DMrcwPzkU5D8tLC4qTGscOJ7j6zx49Ldxv_r0vWF7WTCP1rawHPZ9pwq5qMrQ/s1600/aie.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="432" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRockPdVymf0mNVm2oQCwoSZBeQ8fHIZnT8FPxwhKo-lCgE-XjFQ-eUZFdIgeEDZ_imgq7UinB4H4Am9DMrcwPzkU5D8tLC4qTGscOJ7j6zx49Ldxv_r0vWF7WTCP1rawHPZ9pwq5qMrQ/s320/aie.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, here’s something a little non-EU for a change. In fact, this one’s a little out there, vexillologically-speaking that is. I mean, those two blues are pretty unusual, not to mention very close in hue (most flags go for a little more color contrast). And that drawing is very modern, and also rather thin and light. The whole thing really works though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The AIE? Well, their website uses the snappy tagline “THE LARGEST NETWORK OF REGIONAL AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN THE MACROREGIONAL AREA” (and, yes, that in all caps). It goes on to say that the organization promotes “trans-national and inter-regional cooperation” among 29 members, most of whom are “NUTS2.” Excuse me? (Oh, that’s “the first level below State, in conformity with the European Community nomenclature NUTS, and with the administrative organization of each country.")</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>European Southern Observatory</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKB4JFn07UosmTsXWS879jQPUAbAz2AdWYe4nhPHRUh0kPD7vCQDQCSOWHdlkxnbp-KGEx5jPs53ucz_4coazxsQTb5loXY6NHjj1PW-pVF1rhOokH7YRAu3ZEP_90qpGeDOMs74_W6Vc/s1600/eso.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKB4JFn07UosmTsXWS879jQPUAbAz2AdWYe4nhPHRUh0kPD7vCQDQCSOWHdlkxnbp-KGEx5jPs53ucz_4coazxsQTb5loXY6NHjj1PW-pVF1rhOokH7YRAu3ZEP_90qpGeDOMs74_W6Vc/s320/eso.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just to show that Europeans can even make what is basically an acronym look good. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ESO is basically a partnership between Europe and Chile so that European astronomer types can gaze at the stars from the crystal clear Chilean desert.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe313ek30h9C63r1uNiuTNUt7hMP3UIpC9V-cntVV9fb9xB4FHljQUtCZKVUxHWdcFGg072kZvFuqPwCMsBDWUBPju4oSe-1_eRi0AlFM6UMMT3_vE0K_QC07vbOaJhMuppOIdPnH5MTI/s1600/osce.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="340" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe313ek30h9C63r1uNiuTNUt7hMP3UIpC9V-cntVV9fb9xB4FHljQUtCZKVUxHWdcFGg072kZvFuqPwCMsBDWUBPju4oSe-1_eRi0AlFM6UMMT3_vE0K_QC07vbOaJhMuppOIdPnH5MTI/s320/osce.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Flags that do a good job with dopey, old acronyms are just so rare that I had to include another one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The OSCE is pretty big time. With 56 members in Europe and actually all over the globe, it’s the biggest regional security org there is. It’s into the usual do-gooder stuff – arms control, promotion of human rights, freedom of the press, fair elections, conflict prevention, crisis management, post-conflict rehabilitation …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span></div>
<ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/regional-flags-europe-bad.html">> Regional Flags - Europe (Bad)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/regional-flags-americas.html">< Regional Flags - the Americas</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
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Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-74442234143282647852018-05-11T17:20:00.002-07:002018-07-22T10:56:46.071-07:00Regional Flags - the Americas<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We expect bad stuff. We also appreciate it when there’s some good stuff as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Americas, on the other hand, represent an odd combination of good flags, bad flags, and flags that I can’t tell whether they’re good <i>or </i>bad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We’ll start with the good ones …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Organization of Eastern Caribbean States</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGbwbOflpXDIbw9ELLQqN_LhElJhc3gAqjuRivCboNxJATOXdjHVBIPq-bYwCQFSBkH7jd8ZB0-IsUVi0vEu9tSoZoWwiQPcXgbh7TNahZ_f2KAmyC6eBFIkM4cCBOe2m3tO6rRE13n8/s1600/oeac.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGbwbOflpXDIbw9ELLQqN_LhElJhc3gAqjuRivCboNxJATOXdjHVBIPq-bYwCQFSBkH7jd8ZB0-IsUVi0vEu9tSoZoWwiQPcXgbh7TNahZ_f2KAmyC6eBFIkM4cCBOe2m3tO6rRE13n8/s320/oeac.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is my new favorite flag – clever, distinct, and thoroughly modern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Indeed, it seems to have been designed by some branding agency, the Present Image Design Limited, a “Total Identity Development and Image Management Company,” based in St. Lucia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I guess you could think of the OECS as the EU of the Leeward and the Windward Islands. Or the Lesser Antilles. Or … the Eastern Caribbean!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Union of South American Nations</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiygGhfdr-2K7yI40k9eGzWgIbY9em7GdLRyEPlu6BozP7GupEWZsnTxGnLgcZRUXiieju5dQRyba8CCcSh7rz4xCUdvGAxh21BLDg465rjD0YHoA-x_gxYRgciT9892lA1sfG9AYK44/s1600/usan.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiygGhfdr-2K7yI40k9eGzWgIbY9em7GdLRyEPlu6BozP7GupEWZsnTxGnLgcZRUXiieju5dQRyba8CCcSh7rz4xCUdvGAxh21BLDg465rjD0YHoA-x_gxYRgciT9892lA1sfG9AYK44/s320/usan.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey, that’s different. And notice how it looks a little (not a lot, mind you) like the continent itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">USAN? It’s supposed to be something of an EU for South America. BTW, it’s actually more commonly referred to by its Spanish acronym, UNASUR.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Association of Caribbean States</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIZ5d7CZvprOBoBvx6WJHxe44QMpptkrhLxftpFU3woWqEPR38KXNuOzstjeR0gngiW-8CU_Du6O1uelgDhPnPnhnStNUSaeaoMbDZYKX65nDhV-mJtG8DSqXMsSetiFlErj9hD_IeK4/s1600/acs.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="361" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIZ5d7CZvprOBoBvx6WJHxe44QMpptkrhLxftpFU3woWqEPR38KXNuOzstjeR0gngiW-8CU_Du6O1uelgDhPnPnhnStNUSaeaoMbDZYKX65nDhV-mJtG8DSqXMsSetiFlErj9hD_IeK4/s320/acs.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I like it – even though it looks like it might possibly fly outside a bank. I’m also not totally sure about the symbol. I can make out a C for Caribbean, some waves maybe … but that’s about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ACS is sort of like an EU for the whole Caribbean. Now, I don’t know how that all works with the OECS and UNASUR. And I’m afraid this map is not gonna help me anytime soon either:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkauntYofRbulxmcKSZbFeD30YR-ziwj23St8JxY_JukM_MLP4baLAIKtuUpKG8wikjetH5Z2YNtvDzEQEcF-vSFrXnLClVwdmOlq4lLT38_hHQB0VvF9vgJWCcEUeCNP3Tz-B8G4qFM/s1600/crazy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="370" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkauntYofRbulxmcKSZbFeD30YR-ziwj23St8JxY_JukM_MLP4baLAIKtuUpKG8wikjetH5Z2YNtvDzEQEcF-vSFrXnLClVwdmOlq4lLT38_hHQB0VvF9vgJWCcEUeCNP3Tz-B8G4qFM/s320/crazy.png" width="317" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks anyway, Wikipedia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Andean Community of Nations</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHnG2ddRWnR362TERr5abZcmZsGqI_A66bxo-9TqSU-yHcPs0918xw6KMoRwUXTCSG1yFbSNTX3ke-poGLd9MdI5L7-aq2kHOR-Dy0KuiH4fMoSpPSlx9rmSBXarqbnRNLFdzFAUKw58/s1600/acn+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="350" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHnG2ddRWnR362TERr5abZcmZsGqI_A66bxo-9TqSU-yHcPs0918xw6KMoRwUXTCSG1yFbSNTX3ke-poGLd9MdI5L7-aq2kHOR-Dy0KuiH4fMoSpPSlx9rmSBXarqbnRNLFdzFAUKw58/s320/acn+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, so I like the rainbow, and the little steps (which are a typical Incan pattern) and the simplicity … You know, it actually might be a little too simple. Maybe if they had just blown the symbol up a little:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DYYzssLkE9yMQChjgvJjyWlMwBxmColEO-5fedxSoftFbGh4q_Gx1t-xTeUSpzYUGAZzU-ynn_TQWRAjRchu-JXO192cT0tI-gBBoK6TIDk-clKZDiitB_HnzFmGXVY_m0mx0dwGhyQ/s1600/acn+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="347" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DYYzssLkE9yMQChjgvJjyWlMwBxmColEO-5fedxSoftFbGh4q_Gx1t-xTeUSpzYUGAZzU-ynn_TQWRAjRchu-JXO192cT0tI-gBBoK6TIDk-clKZDiitB_HnzFmGXVY_m0mx0dwGhyQ/s320/acn+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The organization itself, I’m guessing, is some sort of EU for the countries that lie along the Andes? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey, I get partial credit for this one at least. The org includes Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, but leaves out Chile and Argentina. Gee, sorry guys.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Amazonian Parliament</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4v3BRpGG66IEMQ3Hi5X-zco_3AZPLugwPhCMvu6aWcrqbxvMhhZq0czu84r6dFBlM3X0gXYLsAWKdEdlYydsYi7p79hwmSXz4Xzr4nPFkXZyocy6CDyr2T-8ftXoaCG9j1zKTssARVig/s1600/amazon.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="338" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4v3BRpGG66IEMQ3Hi5X-zco_3AZPLugwPhCMvu6aWcrqbxvMhhZq0czu84r6dFBlM3X0gXYLsAWKdEdlYydsYi7p79hwmSXz4Xzr4nPFkXZyocy6CDyr2T-8ftXoaCG9j1zKTssARVig/s320/amazon.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Same thing here. I get the hands, and the trees … And, once again, I like the simplicity – but wonder if it might be a little too simple. Also, I’m thinking this might be a lumber company, or maybe some government’s forestry service, or something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, the 8 green triangles are supposed to represent the 8 members of the organization – Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Which I get. Together, they’re supposed to represent a tree. Which I am totally not getting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I honestly have no idea what these guys actually do, as I couldn’t find anything about them in English. Let’s just assume they’re like an EU for the countries of the Amazonian basin. Sure, why not?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSFAXKHHzaH_Qxh47an5Kt-lPhx8gjyxOUR_raDKMpjMrSqZjWDsdKA-zeeuXrpVoGH-ZWj0JSzB5CFPI1yBSIyrM4rZkJRRX5ke4XIgnhDoh-iBwZlDlSzk5ISkE2GG8fuZ5xHAYqEY/s1600/alba.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="398" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSFAXKHHzaH_Qxh47an5Kt-lPhx8gjyxOUR_raDKMpjMrSqZjWDsdKA-zeeuXrpVoGH-ZWj0JSzB5CFPI1yBSIyrM4rZkJRRX5ke4XIgnhDoh-iBwZlDlSzk5ISkE2GG8fuZ5xHAYqEY/s320/alba.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I kinda feel like a broken record here … Interesting, cool, clever – but, at the same time, way too subtle. If we could just make those lines just a little bit thicker.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, we’ve got another EU wannabe here, but also with a little bit of a twist. Turns out this is a socialist version, having been founded by the late Hugo Chavez. It usually goes by its Spanish acronym, ALBA, which also happens to be Spanish for “dawn.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Union Latinoamericana</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1R0ehCuV4NcHRiKUmnyARbuZiJ2ndol4rj8RAH2J4ePcnR7yycrpsStVueplIlDqYzK6e0etpO84Btml1Lzorpz32pSGskl3yDVcCyPJUomKHi76dxOrfrRYLa4RAdvDuGkn-f8aBnnE/s1600/union.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="332" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1R0ehCuV4NcHRiKUmnyARbuZiJ2ndol4rj8RAH2J4ePcnR7yycrpsStVueplIlDqYzK6e0etpO84Btml1Lzorpz32pSGskl3yDVcCyPJUomKHi76dxOrfrRYLa4RAdvDuGkn-f8aBnnE/s320/union.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, this one is <i>definitely </i>a little different. And I certainly can’t accuse it of soft-pedaling things either. I can, however, accuse it of looking a whole lot like it was designed by Joan Miro. I mean, what are those things?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/int-ulat.html">Flags of the World</a> says the red shapes are supposed to look like Central and South America. The 16 stars on the left represent the 16 countries of Central and South America that speak Spanish. The 2 stars in the upper right represent the 2 non-Spanish speaking countries, Brazil and Haiti. The little spermatozoa in the lower left? FOTW says that it represents a “blue disk with a white shape on it.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another mystery organization. I’m guessing it’s not a defunct organization of Hispanic fraternities, as Wikipedia would have me believe. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>International Organization of Creole People</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8VQ_RBi_3Ir8HrKISBvHw4_V5GkDFKlq9OilcTgWpg_1VSp91ZsSzNqcrUKAVa2NShmMZ8x7ZR-qe4gbdxoCzvlO4IJOYSbDrm07kavWnWkM_KSM5GS4UDMSsICACsX1UfYtOS6ViBg/s1600/creole.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="378" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8VQ_RBi_3Ir8HrKISBvHw4_V5GkDFKlq9OilcTgWpg_1VSp91ZsSzNqcrUKAVa2NShmMZ8x7ZR-qe4gbdxoCzvlO4IJOYSbDrm07kavWnWkM_KSM5GS4UDMSsICACsX1UfYtOS6ViBg/s320/creole.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, the overall design is definitely like that of a real flag. And those certainly are some interesting and unusual colors. In fact, they might be a little too interesting and unusual. I mean, honestly, all I can think of is strawberry and chocolate shakes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Those two colors are actually supposed to represent different skin colors. In addition, we’ve also got the following, for the stripes:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>Red – native American heritage</li>
<li>White – European heritage</li>
<li>Black – African heritage</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This org is </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a Creole version of the EU. It appears to be mostly a cultural organization, with members from pretty much all over the Caribbean and the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>American Police Community</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3n_rJKc5StD4RFmOLSVjqQvcgmePAh1yiaEdr9jEYBRpgYG2sQgXC6jSwzxmHwnhCWPVEeO0xg0t6TfpLz_BNyeS51n5SgDI7WShDCZ7mBuB7rIRgy7xhXmzAX9lGfzj7NkGleuDISSg/s1600/police.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3n_rJKc5StD4RFmOLSVjqQvcgmePAh1yiaEdr9jEYBRpgYG2sQgXC6jSwzxmHwnhCWPVEeO0xg0t6TfpLz_BNyeS51n5SgDI7WShDCZ7mBuB7rIRgy7xhXmzAX9lGfzj7NkGleuDISSg/s320/police.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of interesting colors, this one makes me think of the very old-fashioned cocktail called a grasshopper. Minty green is not, however, the color you would probably want on your flag. We’re also going to have to take off some points for making the center of the flag pretty much indecipherable from more than 10 feet away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This organization is also known as the Police Community of the Americas, and as AMERIPOL. As you can tell by that last moniker, this is something of a Western Hemisphere version of INTERPOL.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Caribbean Community and Common Market</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlO144YWdA_EUwuy2limrFHoKQ4wXKisSkSJy9sl0TuLDOl8NlZFA2NKT2D4H2ZEm-lUFwYZAV0HaB16cqeMSO-TOx-4vsxwYYWlQKqJc4BKuTDbN96xOiwkcpSZjSznsMzyISkvFpkw/s1600/cc.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlO144YWdA_EUwuy2limrFHoKQ4wXKisSkSJy9sl0TuLDOl8NlZFA2NKT2D4H2ZEm-lUFwYZAV0HaB16cqeMSO-TOx-4vsxwYYWlQKqJc4BKuTDbN96xOiwkcpSZjSznsMzyISkvFpkw/s320/cc.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yup, we’re surely into the bad ones now. Indeed, this baby appears to be what some high school football team might run out behind right before the kick-off. Go Central Catholic … er, Cook County … um, Columbus Central!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There’s actually some symbolism going on with this one:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>Dark blue – sea</li>
<li>Light blue – sky</li>
<li>Yellow – sun</li>
<li>Green – tropical vegetation (though it doesn’t appear that there’s all that much of that)</li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Forgive me if you’ve heard this before, but the CC is basically another EU-y sort of thing. It’s commonly known as CARICOM.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Community of Latin American and Caribbean States<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWu9wwurCfV8HIomzSbHQUEQ8ZPNrqejf1ZDZHeuNDn9cVDLMrDZ4Fy9nbzN0aEWk10AXgnwdU9UaSjipmWQpMc54RrPlu7x9OpN3697SpyI8S54bTGOh8M6WF2Lt0hIjumX6KjPNxZA/s1600/celac.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="336" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWu9wwurCfV8HIomzSbHQUEQ8ZPNrqejf1ZDZHeuNDn9cVDLMrDZ4Fy9nbzN0aEWk10AXgnwdU9UaSjipmWQpMc54RrPlu7x9OpN3697SpyI8S54bTGOh8M6WF2Lt0hIjumX6KjPNxZA/s320/celac.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wait, isn’t that a medical condition?<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No, it is not. In fact – and according to its website – it’s an “intergovernmental mechanism for dialogue and political agreement.” Love those.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Central American Integration System</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sounds kinda like a software company. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And, boy, is that flag weak. Those are some of the worst color choices I’ve seen in quite awhile. Also, points off for the super boring map, as well as the odd, hypnotic circles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I would explain this one, but I have a feeling you already know what I’m gonna say here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pan American Air Forces Cooperation System</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVtjqQE0VWx_d4rgyUcFeaAvTA_0gWXFutjb_4-altoi_dHQ1j92vQvRri5dvnvpeRq5TJmdaDTWi3Lo5IW2j_ncgGrZPgVDA2boKTjNb1KeD05kpGCzpCsIrtEWYFUDyEC0szq1-KLc/s1600/air.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="337" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVtjqQE0VWx_d4rgyUcFeaAvTA_0gWXFutjb_4-altoi_dHQ1j92vQvRri5dvnvpeRq5TJmdaDTWi3Lo5IW2j_ncgGrZPgVDA2boKTjNb1KeD05kpGCzpCsIrtEWYFUDyEC0szq1-KLc/s320/air.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whoa, what a snoozer. Text that is impossible to read, way too much white, pretty weak colors … And what is that thing in the middle? A flying globe? In the shape of a football?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But at least we have a new theme here. Yup, flying footballs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Conference of American Armies</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRo4R1cWort0gRRS0nobV4fZaI4y-8frqMApNYpjy-0-aft_t9pkAHb8Bw7MKbzyA-azC3ZfoLnBrGJOuq0hnMFux0Rqr4ZtGQJRyN_d7aqu6addmCvCTL_Vk9JtR-KTx0T2vjNE449A/s1600/army.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="335" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRo4R1cWort0gRRS0nobV4fZaI4y-8frqMApNYpjy-0-aft_t9pkAHb8Bw7MKbzyA-azC3ZfoLnBrGJOuq0hnMFux0Rqr4ZtGQJRyN_d7aqu6addmCvCTL_Vk9JtR-KTx0T2vjNE449A/s320/army.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ah, I see someone’s pretty handy with PowerPoint. Probably knocked this out from the time the co-workers were organizing to go out to lunch and the time they actually left.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More military guys. Or, as their website so aptly puts in, “a Military Organization of an international nature.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span></div>
<ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/regional-flags-europe-good.html">> Regional flags - Europe (good)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">< International flags</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Countries</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">US states</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-28031876377146075392018-05-05T10:00:00.001-07:002018-07-22T10:57:17.085-07:00International Flags<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These things may be the most boring flags of all. Nine times
out of 10, they’re white, with lots of text and maybe some totally meaningless
symbol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Minimalist</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As Gertrude Stein once said of Oakland, CA, with these
flags, there’s no there there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honestly, these things are so bland and meh that
they barely register.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eurasian Economic Union<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJ76fr58waBvJdAXRdT4vtx4tcuYcpIY4ZPrl-uCsqmpZESePdBQuQO81t5va1n5oB8eKFmuD620W0gEfn9ZR-vQleYpjW90tujE7u-q1cDiFCYBcdiGKV6Wlkc4djd4ZYkB2lwr7Zt8/s1600/eurasian+econ+comm.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="336" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJ76fr58waBvJdAXRdT4vtx4tcuYcpIY4ZPrl-uCsqmpZESePdBQuQO81t5va1n5oB8eKFmuD620W0gEfn9ZR-vQleYpjW90tujE7u-q1cDiFCYBcdiGKV6Wlkc4djd4ZYkB2lwr7Zt8/s320/eurasian+econ+comm.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s it? It looks like two different-colored smudges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The EEU? Apart from sharing an acronym with the European
Economic Union, this EEU looks like a weak attempt to recreate the Commonwealth
of Independent States. In particular, it includes Russia, Belarus, Armenia,
Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Tellingly, it was first proposed by primo Kazakh
nut job and president Nursultan Nazarbayev.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Supposedly, someone won $1,250 for coming up with this baby.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Intra-Parliamentary Union<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7cXFjwCjWUbOTIeRFaNJ96RWp352867hCIBvBtg-x8NXGtfG_y3BC2J9gKJ52keoHqftnX2_Y_YjDpgFIQJu-mX4FYAxvBlDajd5NtcLiiWWcUGgUyRUfmno-e5OcEFHses83gRKpDY/s1600/intra-par+union.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="333" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7cXFjwCjWUbOTIeRFaNJ96RWp352867hCIBvBtg-x8NXGtfG_y3BC2J9gKJ52keoHqftnX2_Y_YjDpgFIQJu-mX4FYAxvBlDajd5NtcLiiWWcUGgUyRUfmno-e5OcEFHses83gRKpDY/s320/intra-par+union.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A wreath, a temple, and a date. Wow, talk about being coy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, this might be okay if this was an organization that
anyone had ever heard out before. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Never heard of the IPU? Here, I’ll let them
toot their own horn:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are a unique organization made up of national parliaments
from around the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We protect and
build global democracy through political dialogue and concrete action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are a vibrant and growing group. We currently have 178
Member Parliaments and 12 Associate Members. We work closely with the United
Nations and other partner organizations whose goals we share. Today, we are the
organization that most closely reflects world public opinion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Actually, this group may be legit. It was the first “permanent
international political organization and provided the origins for multilateral
cooperation between nations today,” and predates the League of Nation and the
UN. Its 2 founders would both win the Nobel Prize.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Color Contrast</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ergo, lack of it being a bad thing. I devoted a <a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/01/international-bad-color-contrast.html">wholepost</a> to country flags with this particular diagnosis. International flags,
though, seem to make a specialty of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
International Energy Agency<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu24qYMiz5JtrKpfpeI2szrwZJBs59B3ORn1mGrjJhyphenhyphen8nAMd22foYri4v8CHt4bMK_f_LFBezkDaSBli79XL1S_DKS2mKkhAVkGnUc1qglH_hY0JYwvs1tPUOxJuTGT0eFiooDs8zm1F0/s1600/iea.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="336" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu24qYMiz5JtrKpfpeI2szrwZJBs59B3ORn1mGrjJhyphenhyphen8nAMd22foYri4v8CHt4bMK_f_LFBezkDaSBli79XL1S_DKS2mKkhAVkGnUc1qglH_hY0JYwvs1tPUOxJuTGT0eFiooDs8zm1F0/s320/iea.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is so light I can’t imagine anyone could even read it
from 10 yards away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The IEA is a very tony 1<sup>st</sup> world kind of club. It
was developed in response to the Oil Crisis of the ‘70s, and seems to be
involved in all sorts of energy-related stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">World Canals Conference</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7Y7AmbbzRUerX8UG-wFPYkGb0PnqX8waHygTEb7RNgsOTrOM6pzUZRFVkyMCuUU7LEq7Go5q-2dOC6vYQHqMvRFd1v9mIfwgQsCJghUyEDgNR8OOVYayTvGs9GnUQxMUHhwlByWqrjo/s1600/world+canals+conf.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7Y7AmbbzRUerX8UG-wFPYkGb0PnqX8waHygTEb7RNgsOTrOM6pzUZRFVkyMCuUU7LEq7Go5q-2dOC6vYQHqMvRFd1v9mIfwgQsCJghUyEDgNR8OOVYayTvGs9GnUQxMUHhwlByWqrjo/s320/world+canals+conf.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here we have the other end of the spectrum. Not only is
this super busy, but white text on an extremely light blue background makes
parts of this flag completely invisible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The WCC is an event sponsored by Inland Waterways
International, and brings together “hundreds of canal enthusiasts,
professionals and scholars from around the world, to exchange good practices on
canals, including the protection of historic canals or features, revitalization
of canal systems, harbour sites, canal trails and amenities.” As someone who
has biked the C&O and plan to bike the Lehigh Canal, I salute these folks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Busy, busy, busy</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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International Space Station<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBy9SAO11QBrXSYIVp7uE2u7KdhxrEmImKLIW2-rRXE0gxv2LnV8GmG8X6kL6ZouncpM5aus64j3z7e2KBm7o07whIY74JlIAxNbzpW2iXrjb_E8uTUe7kCulnOKkR6GJGiqnIxV-bIHw/s1600/iss.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBy9SAO11QBrXSYIVp7uE2u7KdhxrEmImKLIW2-rRXE0gxv2LnV8GmG8X6kL6ZouncpM5aus64j3z7e2KBm7o07whIY74JlIAxNbzpW2iXrjb_E8uTUe7kCulnOKkR6GJGiqnIxV-bIHw/s320/iss.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Continuing our busy theme ... This looks more like a
refrigerator magnet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think we’re all familiar with the ISS. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">think</i> it’s still out there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Corporate Letterhead</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now we’re talkin’. This is what I associate with
international flags. Boring white backgrounds, lots of text … Heck, these
aren’t flags. Stationery maybe. Definitely not flags though.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">International Finance Corporation</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCd1KmECC9G1LBwdHy7LnZELx5X4l3CKklFFxv5ns8QutbXV26znycKQ_487hAiF6A6XU-JAvFK7HJ-nnkDYXdYNfJcneJfDwv4cHnQhjhAAG0Tdc8EUbV4uEAlAM8ju1E95lSK3WLITA/s1600/ifc.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="338" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCd1KmECC9G1LBwdHy7LnZELx5X4l3CKklFFxv5ns8QutbXV26znycKQ_487hAiF6A6XU-JAvFK7HJ-nnkDYXdYNfJcneJfDwv4cHnQhjhAAG0Tdc8EUbV4uEAlAM8ju1E95lSK3WLITA/s320/ifc.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Word count: 7. Colors: 2.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The IFC? Whoa, I think you’ve heard of these boys. No, not
the cable channel. The Intrafraternity Conference? Not exactly. Arm of evil
organization that rules the world? Yup, that’s the one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Iter</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDkaCwpUtW-nP84zVGGWvTMA84spJ162cbqvYwRevuY1ysjqryETdkIEtyRFL84C99cuYmZkpjeKEYUvieyhqtWlFrY3UpIXFKf5IdwdwEs-ZUIgRyy7aksm4J6veEXa5QZDMlHXGeUA/s1600/iter.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="335" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDkaCwpUtW-nP84zVGGWvTMA84spJ162cbqvYwRevuY1ysjqryETdkIEtyRFL84C99cuYmZkpjeKEYUvieyhqtWlFrY3UpIXFKf5IdwdwEs-ZUIgRyy7aksm4J6veEXa5QZDMlHXGeUA/s320/iter.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Word count: 8. Colors: 2.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Iter? Iter?!?! What the hell is an “iter”? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unbelievably, it’s not an acronym. In fact, it’s Latin, for
“the way.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Equally unbelievably, this is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> a cult. Instead, it’s “one of the most ambitious energy
projects in the world today. In southern France, 35 nations are collaborating
to build the world's largest tokamak.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, what the hell is a “tokamak”? Well, according to their
website, it’s a “a toroidal apparatus for producing controlled fusion reactions
in hot plasma.” But of course.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">World Economic Forum</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaHcH6P8Nt_J8fFtuaXteaa6jjY9bmJFKVTTuVsULIMtU5ADJHT38vfDuTwWgLaLDzqUSMf0lMX3xbd8g_G7TwmvQuOHJE7e7duS_pAwGmtDwkAXLwNSQxV5wUPKfPkqcSN8VJMsL9zI/s1600/world+econ+forum.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="337" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaHcH6P8Nt_J8fFtuaXteaa6jjY9bmJFKVTTuVsULIMtU5ADJHT38vfDuTwWgLaLDzqUSMf0lMX3xbd8g_G7TwmvQuOHJE7e7duS_pAwGmtDwkAXLwNSQxV5wUPKfPkqcSN8VJMsL9zI/s320/world+econ+forum.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Word count: 11. Colors: 2.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And all in upper case. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ohmigod, these are the Davos people. These really <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are</i> the people who rule the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, honestly, I have to ask … Is there a correlation between
the boringness of your flag and the degree to which you dominate the world? If
so, I’d like to propose the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtbisPMqKu__-zXcY1uHH3_g6kuYsic_WB2q58CFcPx1gLRpZErZivv4H9jPC1sQJ2oLK0hHjcTtnnM2y-S4HjpNTOQtmDAk5PYIMkxfV1YbhNE11cQQT2_KK6PJi21FnJQoAxjNcDuY/s1600/cpa.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="337" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtbisPMqKu__-zXcY1uHH3_g6kuYsic_WB2q58CFcPx1gLRpZErZivv4H9jPC1sQJ2oLK0hHjcTtnnM2y-S4HjpNTOQtmDAk5PYIMkxfV1YbhNE11cQQT2_KK6PJi21FnJQoAxjNcDuY/s320/cpa.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What is it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That “totally meaningless symbol” I mentioned at the
beginning of this post? That would be these. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6f1ChHq-SUNayNQYfm8Vsf6Ke3eVQcD928udUochAuOUZk0jcN7RbFBUXipoXyGmsrHnOE1n7vsG46yOyEcSihfQKn0gpwEyHR91C7VtUamP-Hdnc9bbs_pLlBE2rocYDuZYwTR0F1I/s1600/g77.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="337" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6f1ChHq-SUNayNQYfm8Vsf6Ke3eVQcD928udUochAuOUZk0jcN7RbFBUXipoXyGmsrHnOE1n7vsG46yOyEcSihfQKn0gpwEyHR91C7VtUamP-Hdnc9bbs_pLlBE2rocYDuZYwTR0F1I/s320/g77.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I’m seeing a G? And a 7?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And another 7?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sure enough, this is the flag of the G77 Information Trade
Network. Who? What? Well, typing that into Google (at least that G77 bit), gets
me the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>G77 pill (a narcotic)</li>
<li>G77 command not found (a computer error)</li>
<li>G77 countries</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And that last one leads me to the actual organization
itself. And all </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> is is a group of
developing nations. It’s usually known as the Group of 77. Though it actually
started with that number of members, they’ve pretty much doubled since then.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOftTGu_G55_GG_Ceoxuk_JJPB_YV3Al6dXaEcUNV7IZ2JfRYEMLSdijsCbyRd-WMR-uWmtS8vrn2BACHEEk6Rk4BarqYvkCVi_lbx7ldjgoGB1BBsXtLJqyE4Ed_ig4sO_jxitwPvzJ8/s1600/oii.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="394" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOftTGu_G55_GG_Ceoxuk_JJPB_YV3Al6dXaEcUNV7IZ2JfRYEMLSdijsCbyRd-WMR-uWmtS8vrn2BACHEEk6Rk4BarqYvkCVi_lbx7ldjgoGB1BBsXtLJqyE4Ed_ig4sO_jxitwPvzJ8/s320/oii.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I see an O, and an I … and 2 other I’s … and …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey, it must be the OIII – you know, the O triple I? The
Organization of International something something?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Actually, it’s the Organization of World Heritage Cities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The OWHC is “an international non-profit, non-governmental
organization of 250 cities in which sites of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO_World_Heritage" title="UNESCO World Heritage"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">UNESCO World Heritage</span></a> list are
located.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I haven’t a clue what the flag is supposed to represent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Weird</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This next set doesn’t have anything in particular in common
except for just plain weirdness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">United Nations International Research and Training Institute
for the Advancement of Women<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrHpm8w3PSJMjFiCFYrxfZ2zadXMU3ndaGlFTj8Js0wA6Ks4MXXYzryVj1M1__NX9LRAZC4SXclD5H2HWvBtdSU0QZROSyOrD9D2RpuQW4EWGxTcRhlpamDmRaa-ShDQIa2FJwJRsLuY/s1600/instraw.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrHpm8w3PSJMjFiCFYrxfZ2zadXMU3ndaGlFTj8Js0wA6Ks4MXXYzryVj1M1__NX9LRAZC4SXclD5H2HWvBtdSU0QZROSyOrD9D2RpuQW4EWGxTcRhlpamDmRaa-ShDQIa2FJwJRsLuY/s1600/instraw.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ah, yes, the UNIRTIAW. Catchy that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">INSTRAW though? Honestly, I have no idea how they got <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Au
francais?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to Wikipedia, these folks have:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">been the leading United Nations body of the research,
knowledge management and capacity development of gender equality and women's
empowerment. The Institute's participatory and innovative approaches to
research have produced gender disaggregated data and research results that have
served to better inform the design of training and capacity-building programmes
and to strengthen stakeholder capacity to address and effectively integrate
gender perspectives in all policies, programmes and projects. UN-INSTRAW works
in partnership with governments, the United Nations System, civil society and
academia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Catchy, no?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">International Railwaymen’s Sport Union<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wMR1aJwONaZNkJ-9LGiV9IraaYfhRM68ONG_1fffRdhdsmgme4OeuGQ2Or8rsG-1bg6elio5BjcvBxf0yblkIPaOciTGaxIbaZv-ai0T1uKGwq4TSgxghZlzv-wO3G0DO-082SHK4F4/s1600/usic.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wMR1aJwONaZNkJ-9LGiV9IraaYfhRM68ONG_1fffRdhdsmgme4OeuGQ2Or8rsG-1bg6elio5BjcvBxf0yblkIPaOciTGaxIbaZv-ai0T1uKGwq4TSgxghZlzv-wO3G0DO-082SHK4F4/s1600/usic.PNG" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Is he train surfing? Isn’t that dangerous?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The organization? Their website very helpfully tells us that
the USIC (they take their acronym from the French version of the name) is “an
international railways sporting association with members from various countries.”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Red Crescent Society<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cGOima3BojdNEEyPYNCSFy_mI_5SVLTIqi0scaMCnIhqOB23sCCygBYbIMS-HfWwGbCq36VpkKCLPTNFMAGNqhbL4xSX1SSUZatLw12Llw_9Xk0D2Sxz93ssAPO0wiSUQSfix0Cq5pY/s1600/red+cres.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cGOima3BojdNEEyPYNCSFy_mI_5SVLTIqi0scaMCnIhqOB23sCCygBYbIMS-HfWwGbCq36VpkKCLPTNFMAGNqhbL4xSX1SSUZatLw12Llw_9Xk0D2Sxz93ssAPO0wiSUQSfix0Cq5pY/s1600/red+cres.PNG" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This flag is for the Iranian version of Red Cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s supposed to be a lion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">World Anti-Doping Agency<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGT6MegMR3NnrLeQMzDLI0-5LJqUFCjyoW68PZsu7kOPlmhvNl0jeRYzACYzPDmXIBpYoltPCJD2OOPdOJUjax6M8X0QR6didQ-s2mIYHk94gQGU1cPpaP069sI45o6T7aL_md2VPvrxg/s1600/anti+dope.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="336" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGT6MegMR3NnrLeQMzDLI0-5LJqUFCjyoW68PZsu7kOPlmhvNl0jeRYzACYzPDmXIBpYoltPCJD2OOPdOJUjax6M8X0QR6didQ-s2mIYHk94gQGU1cPpaP069sI45o6T7aL_md2VPvrxg/s320/anti+dope.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cucumbers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Green seeds?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oddly, the second guess is correct. Why green seeds? Haven’t
a clue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think we’re all familiar with the WADA, especially with
the Winter Olympics coming up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Good</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It seems only fair that I put in one here that I actually
like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">St John Ambulance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSmKMRx4yVJcpXCCAp8k7ev4SZLGlt46VCDqykWZMY_2eqb7uu8Q4yhPoIhTQ-lASxviya00C44AHu3RI9bifAQIZ3_z_ECBknYlLaNSFOTl5_8KaXDy22cpn8Pl-mIdonLyS8-Njgog/s1600/st+john.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="323" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSmKMRx4yVJcpXCCAp8k7ev4SZLGlt46VCDqykWZMY_2eqb7uu8Q4yhPoIhTQ-lASxviya00C44AHu3RI9bifAQIZ3_z_ECBknYlLaNSFOTl5_8KaXDy22cpn8Pl-mIdonLyS8-Njgog/s320/st+john.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, though, this group sounds more like a rock
band from the late 60s. In actuality, they’re an organization that promotes
first aid training and the provision of ambulance and other services in local
communities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span></div>
<ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/regional-flags-americas.html">> Regional flags - the Americas</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/04/doppelgangers-stars-things.html">< Doppelgangers - Stars & Things</a></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html">Countries</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">States</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-78616475931795000272018-04-27T17:00:00.002-07:002018-07-22T11:00:43.495-07:00Doppelgangers – Stars & Things<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week, we’re covering whatever’s left that didn’t fit in any of our other categories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Australia / New Zealand </b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnC3jq28NrY6jPMSxpG0u4fpSnuzhFwL7Ox-118KvTv5E1NfAHuBYYUcjoCgO8FlQaPPIsH7oygOU_8Pt0f1ZVMxE2VCsa__p2O2-zEM3j47LucnkSSD7J3n0ujhwsT2J_8HaNMRC9iyo/s1600/aus.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="432" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnC3jq28NrY6jPMSxpG0u4fpSnuzhFwL7Ox-118KvTv5E1NfAHuBYYUcjoCgO8FlQaPPIsH7oygOU_8Pt0f1ZVMxE2VCsa__p2O2-zEM3j47LucnkSSD7J3n0ujhwsT2J_8HaNMRC9iyo/s320/aus.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszTe1Tvf-siefmOLFaIJ5BbMFZumcZ_BU4tlWQLeof2Te1cilcl9yBPHC3tGWfTRpEcCFTLwpm-sMcKrySjzGHkRlhiD2brZdXJ-CxA8Szvr6HR5885BKo46QaaQl9vVCl_e_L6BX_E8/s1600/nz.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="432" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszTe1Tvf-siefmOLFaIJ5BbMFZumcZ_BU4tlWQLeof2Te1cilcl9yBPHC3tGWfTRpEcCFTLwpm-sMcKrySjzGHkRlhiD2brZdXJ-CxA8Szvr6HR5885BKo46QaaQl9vVCl_e_L6BX_E8/s320/nz.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, Australia’s the one with the white stars, and New Zealand’s the one with the red ones. How could anyone ever possibly confuse them?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Truth be told, even the Aussies and Kiwis know there’s a problem. There have been tons of committees and resolutions and work groups and so on in both countries to come up with </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">something a little different.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s my favorite proposal from the Land Down Under:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcenLVxS3Slk9fSK2n5bt7NJhXIUCO9okdz3fhOeERVSotFe6ehqPcNkdeZlPov85Y9xB4Uxp7D8S6YXqg1PJ0mOzYhtv9jhCk5KVdyZYaJkiraL3bKqI5b0wSZaqYSq-ZGvoUCZOjsw/s1600/aus+new.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcenLVxS3Slk9fSK2n5bt7NJhXIUCO9okdz3fhOeERVSotFe6ehqPcNkdeZlPov85Y9xB4Uxp7D8S6YXqg1PJ0mOzYhtv9jhCk5KVdyZYaJkiraL3bKqI5b0wSZaqYSq-ZGvoUCZOjsw/s1600/aus+new.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And for Kiwiland:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBu6KLx2to8RvIaFR-TTWWiePS1Q0TPRCiahRnZ56cmZsvqNL8pbq8etcADDqjuOY7l1R9JNeVFJcCOMo28Uc2arnv9jijRxoyExx5tgzNU5_Cpi_mTj_8jsfYDAnWeMlvMkzgYLo6eAI/s1600/nz+new.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="433" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBu6KLx2to8RvIaFR-TTWWiePS1Q0TPRCiahRnZ56cmZsvqNL8pbq8etcADDqjuOY7l1R9JNeVFJcCOMo28Uc2arnv9jijRxoyExx5tgzNU5_Cpi_mTj_8jsfYDAnWeMlvMkzgYLo6eAI/s320/nz+new.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s a silver fern there, by the way. According to Wikipedia, it’s “a species of medium-sized tree fern, endemic to New Zealand. It is a symbol commonly associated with the country both overseas and by New Zealanders themselves.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Curacao / Nauru</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggCskM67nv0lNE3xOVEnVEd1CA8jRA23amfxo2_tpkMtgM0_JvDxQLYgC1e7y3YQb1necli8X_h4DXV5gSXb2C6dqoWt4HkpiLFW4ab2jAQSn7cJOPvf3upGa40HrXx5loDCY2kDeWvs/s1600/cur.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggCskM67nv0lNE3xOVEnVEd1CA8jRA23amfxo2_tpkMtgM0_JvDxQLYgC1e7y3YQb1necli8X_h4DXV5gSXb2C6dqoWt4HkpiLFW4ab2jAQSn7cJOPvf3upGa40HrXx5loDCY2kDeWvs/s320/cur.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHa7NvdqK7u1WZObtzSPVqosZckFchOtCXSVC-TkXOmfsIE1D41ewlPcYjzEZ3k0SyegM6EulPU1of-d1XfWjBIynInnebKFRGO_3-S1jmNcpoosKeWG_-JG_DBC2FRI4il8GTmAgeprM/s1600/nauru.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="432" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHa7NvdqK7u1WZObtzSPVqosZckFchOtCXSVC-TkXOmfsIE1D41ewlPcYjzEZ3k0SyegM6EulPU1of-d1XfWjBIynInnebKFRGO_3-S1jmNcpoosKeWG_-JG_DBC2FRI4il8GTmAgeprM/s320/nauru.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More stars! Now, here, Curacao’s the one with two stars, Nauru’s the one with just one. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The yellow stripe in the Nauruan flag represents the equator. The one in the Curacaoan flag does not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Bahrain / Qatar</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYl02IJ3W3XPgCglrllz-cvUYCFXY_j3aTHYR_pp5rnftYav_ZE1m0eUqAVMEetwpZFp0fVfugR7f1YdS7nJaCMZQH2ZbWlV4twe-wNdoPH4JIbHKmqRteTSOZ7_nnGFM-WcX1gBfois/s1600/bah.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="372" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYl02IJ3W3XPgCglrllz-cvUYCFXY_j3aTHYR_pp5rnftYav_ZE1m0eUqAVMEetwpZFp0fVfugR7f1YdS7nJaCMZQH2ZbWlV4twe-wNdoPH4JIbHKmqRteTSOZ7_nnGFM-WcX1gBfois/s320/bah.PNG" width="320" /></a></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53xpDqEsSiwbDO7yLff-fmBbPY7qyh79Z7EzsvZ9ZDqJvQGEQ-6BpIKcT6vAvmQMI0RQjVogWBLawc6PW7r1vVZFfiIn5GPdxPNRmghw3rGCkTrSfoP8kj8M6_RtczM6oES8aWS8IPPM/s1600/qat.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="565" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53xpDqEsSiwbDO7yLff-fmBbPY7qyh79Z7EzsvZ9ZDqJvQGEQ-6BpIKcT6vAvmQMI0RQjVogWBLawc6PW7r1vVZFfiIn5GPdxPNRmghw3rGCkTrSfoP8kj8M6_RtczM6oES8aWS8IPPM/s320/qat.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bahrain’s the shorter one with the bright red. Qatar’s is the longer one with the … oh, I don’t know … let’s call it maroon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interesting story that. Officially, it’s the blood of some such group of martyrs. Historically, it was the color of jujube, a species of date. It may also simply be what happens when bright red is out too long in the hot desert sun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s actually not too surprising that these two are so similar. They’re right next to each other in the Arabian Sea, and “the histories of the two states have overlapped and occasionally collided since the 18th century” (Flags of the World).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSQ2bxIrLZFCo_Lz9v3uwwviBUUxr6iyGoREuNYfRL7i1tktu_ojpOuPnqcHlMP1UUOWhdFQ49Dluw3EvClgyX8DauivkoCB941030gU6GvxU4TzTg0U8dLfVhj7rW-xpsDLElKRJtZo/s1600/jujube.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSQ2bxIrLZFCo_Lz9v3uwwviBUUxr6iyGoREuNYfRL7i1tktu_ojpOuPnqcHlMP1UUOWhdFQ49Dluw3EvClgyX8DauivkoCB941030gU6GvxU4TzTg0U8dLfVhj7rW-xpsDLElKRJtZo/s1600/jujube.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jujubes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span></div>
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<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">> International Flags</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/04/doppelgangers-central-america.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">< Doppelgangers - Central America</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Good country flags</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
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Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-61068503793215691352018-04-21T08:04:00.001-07:002018-07-22T11:01:57.605-07:00Doppelgangers – Central America<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Same story as <a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/04/doppelgangers-northwest-south-america.html">last week</a>. Central America, when it broke free from Spain, was originally a single country. It favored three horizontal stripes of blue, white, and blue. As did all of these guys …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Nicaragua</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtOpuFzjjPWrJ-DZS7halbQG4uiaABzXGJhysDcGbVULHs1a_oA0w0ExwzjVSvZi_-k3tPxXOMfOnDNkaeR-lv_H8Y5R-Zl9RijhES-4BJybPgBoTquwA41qFASmr6DLAIK-pho3p1Ik/s1600/nic.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="369" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtOpuFzjjPWrJ-DZS7halbQG4uiaABzXGJhysDcGbVULHs1a_oA0w0ExwzjVSvZi_-k3tPxXOMfOnDNkaeR-lv_H8Y5R-Zl9RijhES-4BJybPgBoTquwA41qFASmr6DLAIK-pho3p1Ik/s320/nic.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m including this one first as it’s the closest to the flag of that original Central American nation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>El Salvador</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Sz49nVKXsc06GnFBzSWKa0fXuUW2A9t4aDTLhVh8xYzdzuvetnIJWB-eQ4JubssNyWBNq1D9aDw3UZ8b_mM9CpTgnum2EkXIyR_sBCIBwvZIATkeCH5X9jQFqJTqExqNf3JYWh3IkHM/s1600/sal.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="394" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Sz49nVKXsc06GnFBzSWKa0fXuUW2A9t4aDTLhVh8xYzdzuvetnIJWB-eQ4JubssNyWBNq1D9aDw3UZ8b_mM9CpTgnum2EkXIyR_sBCIBwvZIATkeCH5X9jQFqJTqExqNf3JYWh3IkHM/s320/sal.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s it? Really? Wow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know, El Salvador used to have something quite distinct:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJ3weEmX-4_F_jxuAH63QIXIcDMbH0x9GD_DarI2xJyynSwEqCQOrZ1QF_LM1Hv9yo-qu4wJ9yC8tCqQspn90ZAUXxnlwyUJmVGOVZESIVseRJ6xAx6mM75gP0yAM5-b6m1xkRC7Nuvo/s1600/sal+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="441" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJ3weEmX-4_F_jxuAH63QIXIcDMbH0x9GD_DarI2xJyynSwEqCQOrZ1QF_LM1Hv9yo-qu4wJ9yC8tCqQspn90ZAUXxnlwyUJmVGOVZESIVseRJ6xAx6mM75gP0yAM5-b6m1xkRC7Nuvo/s320/sal+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why did they have to change?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Honduras</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjWVc7PkSLkrhOkLWwzjbFKpuqMx5oP4_3gt7QAb1DfTkhhOmO5S_jS5iI3aLC5KMkXPJsghp1OakQ_58ZQUt3agCEawxF6qLC2cWDfoUZ5aoT1QFxm_vTUykxtReelivKguSsx0C_Pg/s1600/hon+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="442" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjWVc7PkSLkrhOkLWwzjbFKpuqMx5oP4_3gt7QAb1DfTkhhOmO5S_jS5iI3aLC5KMkXPJsghp1OakQ_58ZQUt3agCEawxF6qLC2cWDfoUZ5aoT1QFxm_vTUykxtReelivKguSsx0C_Pg/s320/hon+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, it’s longer and has some stars on it. Guess that’ll just have to do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That said, there’s something about this one that always drove me crazy … Why are the stars so widely separated? Here’s my redo:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKT6FKbTrcJ8OGm_LzliMe3klEeBwhHvTDgGybTchCCBbNF5mLk7asoamQtVaVmscAR4VWF41nOS4lOrVM_px_x6msrMxMntbvLIl-_He3kP1Kthyphenhyphenhi1Lf-GOYd_lsLnXWrehADuymNss/s1600/hon+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="441" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKT6FKbTrcJ8OGm_LzliMe3klEeBwhHvTDgGybTchCCBbNF5mLk7asoamQtVaVmscAR4VWF41nOS4lOrVM_px_x6msrMxMntbvLIl-_He3kP1Kthyphenhyphenhi1Lf-GOYd_lsLnXWrehADuymNss/s320/hon+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Heck, you could even make the whole thing shorter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Guatemala</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTX-oUFhiyiBSx4JQTH0cq9Xgg36RzxqyO0eP6F5Ca01Kj-ZCimB17qB97j998smLujbOV_x5vvcShLjAWjXNH6Y9fEwLV4l3AsTQVahntH36jCc94DeTtwfsbR2c5kUM_nCT6-l-7MfQ/s1600/guat.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="355" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTX-oUFhiyiBSx4JQTH0cq9Xgg36RzxqyO0eP6F5Ca01Kj-ZCimB17qB97j998smLujbOV_x5vvcShLjAWjXNH6Y9fEwLV4l3AsTQVahntH36jCc94DeTtwfsbR2c5kUM_nCT6-l-7MfQ/s320/guat.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey, horizontal stripes! Well played, Guatemala, well played.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Alternates</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, how about this one:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeTREWvOPMgLKdDJIlghdI4PEtWGGDlkHlwr8zDtBWGAsVdudCALgac8fmt8O_udZ9UDdQKCVRZtt3tShgL1JFBctgar1ksbFvX8XK2LnEdlFNh1lunlFRPSL8CNC0Zd3_SMqqNfwWMA/s1600/new+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="394" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeTREWvOPMgLKdDJIlghdI4PEtWGGDlkHlwr8zDtBWGAsVdudCALgac8fmt8O_udZ9UDdQKCVRZtt3tShgL1JFBctgar1ksbFvX8XK2LnEdlFNh1lunlFRPSL8CNC0Zd3_SMqqNfwWMA/s320/new+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or this:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9EFA3kn1gLvAGjKnT9NWvJ1eVILJWfoQdfxOTbNLTTxTY7TFZMi9r2yVe7P7VrrzxrAR4j1zlM7SUam_f8l02arpqqVbG79TxrLcF-3PdNSNe09qMGyHpL0FZlTpbH4V48T4b2QTqwxI/s1600/new+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="374" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9EFA3kn1gLvAGjKnT9NWvJ1eVILJWfoQdfxOTbNLTTxTY7TFZMi9r2yVe7P7VrrzxrAR4j1zlM7SUam_f8l02arpqqVbG79TxrLcF-3PdNSNe09qMGyHpL0FZlTpbH4V48T4b2QTqwxI/s320/new+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/04/doppelgangers-stars-things.html">> Doppelgangers - Stars & Things</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/04/doppelgangers-northwest-south-america.html">< Doppelgangers - Northwest South America</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Good country flags</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
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Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-21653948943339768722018-04-13T15:43:00.003-07:002018-07-22T11:02:49.184-07:00Doppelgangers – Northwest South America<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These really aren’t pan-anything flags. I guess you could call them regional flags. Truth be told, it’s more like a breakup, with all sides laying claim to the kids and the house.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let me explain … Back when the Western hemisphere was mostly owned by Spain, the northwest part of South America was a single colony, called New Granada. They tried to make a go of it as the brand-new nation of Gran Colombia, but that soon broke up into 3 separate entities – all of which tried to lay claim to the same flag.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Colombia</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxQT8aemwBg62ngzRB1kUnrkM0b5iSxtpBz69hY45kgHVammnMz6n-_g2yKIjzOaXGULD4KCKCLP_jRacKOTuZWhld94dmXNpmBvdR5kbl0Y-1guY85ItfqzPVs3KJBWpr_5p1cz3lm0/s1600/col.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxQT8aemwBg62ngzRB1kUnrkM0b5iSxtpBz69hY45kgHVammnMz6n-_g2yKIjzOaXGULD4KCKCLP_jRacKOTuZWhld94dmXNpmBvdR5kbl0Y-1guY85ItfqzPVs3KJBWpr_5p1cz3lm0/s320/col.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the cleanest version, so I’m showing it first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ecuador</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oXV7noQBVc6p7tBhEtCulGcCzV6jv2mXUdiUfHj0Wj9yShMshvRwx-B4OiZp-mt1sdJ9JMQYE4BcKqdYckbkZl6qrckEz-dlveX2us3QpWM0IS4ZPjq3Mi45to4Xi-Hv-TjcfWwtrzo/s1600/ecuador.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oXV7noQBVc6p7tBhEtCulGcCzV6jv2mXUdiUfHj0Wj9yShMshvRwx-B4OiZp-mt1sdJ9JMQYE4BcKqdYckbkZl6qrckEz-dlveX2us3QpWM0IS4ZPjq3Mi45to4Xi-Hv-TjcfWwtrzo/s320/ecuador.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Same deal, but with a picture, some flags, and a really big bird.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, it sure beats what they came up with in 1797:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8QA25MZnBmfKhiFx8PA_t6bzUYLt0IUaNto7UduDNmbKUKwb6Y3g8xxUVRVgfmkHd1vCpjIN8Y-36508EtfgqrZmUn5YyZCKgbi1j3U8Yl4_aoD2bqRvGD-te7zIDcGpnfdqkCiaeJk/s1600/ecu+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="445" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8QA25MZnBmfKhiFx8PA_t6bzUYLt0IUaNto7UduDNmbKUKwb6Y3g8xxUVRVgfmkHd1vCpjIN8Y-36508EtfgqrZmUn5YyZCKgbi1j3U8Yl4_aoD2bqRvGD-te7zIDcGpnfdqkCiaeJk/s320/ecu+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Venezuela</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodLFkAQSSUB6ahCVGWApk5pcP3wTSq5qhxTjg-5esNkLDnMW4HnTRbNcmBUpbAnTVYA5Y6AVHTuXpDePeyRuInSOyYqfIru0RJSXyDKFopVYNKwt2gXyFtbyDa5DDxy1jd2E6RYaujEE/s1600/ven.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodLFkAQSSUB6ahCVGWApk5pcP3wTSq5qhxTjg-5esNkLDnMW4HnTRbNcmBUpbAnTVYA5Y6AVHTuXpDePeyRuInSOyYqfIru0RJSXyDKFopVYNKwt2gXyFtbyDa5DDxy1jd2E6RYaujEE/s320/ven.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, so, even stripes, stars, and a little doohickey in the upper right-hand corner. <i>Et voila!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Alternates</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interestingly, each of these countries sported some very different looks earlier in their histories. Here, for example, is Colombia’s:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRelzeKCpj1RJ9TmQvdpjDkhrPHwHLrads3-Z5BkIwU5sfzd_AjrABO0uH_Wx8OCj3oCxm4GlhsQe2M04VudAzELz2LrWc8LgOowj5lpkGOK7KbFRLXrNtRgSOqRZWlg_2pgmf6IQGAlQ/s1600/col+vert.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRelzeKCpj1RJ9TmQvdpjDkhrPHwHLrads3-Z5BkIwU5sfzd_AjrABO0uH_Wx8OCj3oCxm4GlhsQe2M04VudAzELz2LrWc8LgOowj5lpkGOK7KbFRLXrNtRgSOqRZWlg_2pgmf6IQGAlQ/s1600/col+vert.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And Ecuador’s:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79x68GLfIlxpCJGi-6Uc9j0sK8A2MZQ5bd1cPtgh4eNnx8UqxYpx6xEPfDKEexkTFqpTdSwYqBZJ9XRazU2ErM0-6gak1A8ZaRHbpg7g961-evDJ0RO1LCEp6TXGmOPmFECC6jnmNUt8/s1600/ecu+vert.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="338" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79x68GLfIlxpCJGi-6Uc9j0sK8A2MZQ5bd1cPtgh4eNnx8UqxYpx6xEPfDKEexkTFqpTdSwYqBZJ9XRazU2ErM0-6gak1A8ZaRHbpg7g961-evDJ0RO1LCEp6TXGmOPmFECC6jnmNUt8/s320/ecu+vert.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And Venezuela’s:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinT0bt2Wap_UqkMlOg8dXtj2pdbkNSdFQbVwixmtE27gJOm5gZMmJ3jCf2vWME3VWIE8fGdJhpQQUe_X_jdymYqKHtnD1I1GgKow5oECd0xtIh48tXEJ2ofEuKRrzrO08r6WqodH6zDK0/s1600/ven+belg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="327" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinT0bt2Wap_UqkMlOg8dXtj2pdbkNSdFQbVwixmtE27gJOm5gZMmJ3jCf2vWME3VWIE8fGdJhpQQUe_X_jdymYqKHtnD1I1GgKow5oECd0xtIh48tXEJ2ofEuKRrzrO08r6WqodH6zDK0/s320/ven+belg.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seeing as these are all pretty unique .... Let's go with them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/04/doppelgangers-central-america.html">> Doppelgangers - Central America</a></span></li>
<ul></ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/04/doppelgangers-pan-african-ii.html">< Doppelgangers - Pan-African II</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good country flags</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US states</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-8159711998412694492018-04-06T17:10:00.000-07:002018-07-22T11:05:27.555-07:00Doppelgangers – Pan-African II<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ready for some real craziness? Yes, we do have the same colors as <a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/03/doppelgangers-pan-african-i.html">last week</a>. This week, though, we’re going horizontal!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ethiopia</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXA4_fyEQZLJ-_BRLwSO089lk2o0mZkMtTn60aYpEjQ6hC7RGH7zENz3R0A7ElyX4Z3RUjjkLEbWUZeE51NE8jmCWFAjUIQhNt28IhhkySa4HleOyD8QzWKT2-H0pnUACQnOb8wzNVWM/s1600/eth.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="432" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXA4_fyEQZLJ-_BRLwSO089lk2o0mZkMtTn60aYpEjQ6hC7RGH7zENz3R0A7ElyX4Z3RUjjkLEbWUZeE51NE8jmCWFAjUIQhNt28IhhkySa4HleOyD8QzWKT2-H0pnUACQnOb8wzNVWM/s320/eth.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, the vertical idea was kind of already taken – by Ethiopia, the original source of the pan-African colors, no less.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ghana</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CeCaKIEavxGMA6D3Cg6lY65wZoXtEdMKk-1jc5qFx8l9LhC_v8VZdNNDVlk8o67FedJLGcNWktwwIxyi2CyOOxvIh455oVPqr4t8F2aMkzfCwhJLYja3HaDTnEvtMzAhmDJ2oPEU9BA/s1600/ghana.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CeCaKIEavxGMA6D3Cg6lY65wZoXtEdMKk-1jc5qFx8l9LhC_v8VZdNNDVlk8o67FedJLGcNWktwwIxyi2CyOOxvIh455oVPqr4t8F2aMkzfCwhJLYja3HaDTnEvtMzAhmDJ2oPEU9BA/s320/ghana.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, flip it upside down, add a star, and call it a day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That black star is something of a pan-African symbol too, by the way. It comes from a shipping line established by African-American black nationalist Marcus Garvey. It also appears in the flags of Guinea-Bissau and Sao Tome & Principe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Bolivia</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaj9f1Dk99CqzlZo-nnWg7ULzNbbEDbD0qzh3GpdYUoJmO0jquasaiTnxA6zkL5mGviou67KyiNJbXbYN227odBe8GQZpjKQwKTB6v26gIYNSfLcTpsJcT78Tm2rRJU9euUMw9hDIidBg/s1600/bol.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaj9f1Dk99CqzlZo-nnWg7ULzNbbEDbD0qzh3GpdYUoJmO0jquasaiTnxA6zkL5mGviou67KyiNJbXbYN227odBe8GQZpjKQwKTB6v26gIYNSfLcTpsJcT78Tm2rRJU9euUMw9hDIidBg/s1600/bol.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alright, how did these guys get in here? As you may know, Bolivia is in South America, not Africa. And, no, they were not copying Ethiopia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Lithuania</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJG-MaPQL5Y-fY-iejgMvsHblPzvtz-OnKhOCLhRc6dBQwcdQEcLxrNzgotLn4O89YdwexYKB7lORKjKk0ybRkYZEuqwS4pI3zdCPwXvNg8zWzIqHMecX18X8i0FTYc1X30ZezY8M3Xew/s1600/lith.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="360" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJG-MaPQL5Y-fY-iejgMvsHblPzvtz-OnKhOCLhRc6dBQwcdQEcLxrNzgotLn4O89YdwexYKB7lORKjKk0ybRkYZEuqwS4pI3zdCPwXvNg8zWzIqHMecX18X8i0FTYc1X30ZezY8M3Xew/s320/lith.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, at least they mixed up the order of the stripes. I’ll give ‘em credit for that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Myanmar</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYFkkMmpmqQtIxDpnzdNEdJdRBfU_ASh8Fb5cpxwzeA1lqSDI7hJN9NB3cfRavqfmwI6W4GWMo4jLWbzjrP3E957N4aWfbHQdZrc1lNpbWkaPLKvxxaaZrrFM4PwaKDJTX1yqBRnmhTg/s1600/myanmar.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYFkkMmpmqQtIxDpnzdNEdJdRBfU_ASh8Fb5cpxwzeA1lqSDI7hJN9NB3cfRavqfmwI6W4GWMo4jLWbzjrP3E957N4aWfbHQdZrc1lNpbWkaPLKvxxaaZrrFM4PwaKDJTX1yqBRnmhTg/s320/myanmar.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Is it me, or did they just take the Lithuanian flag, put in the washer a few hundred times, then cut a big pointy hole in it? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not sure what was wrong with the old flag:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvEFJCI6T0yL0y0s45FMC4fikmcWvQ1hPFsAjo1VXKKYA1N-waVmwF_qq4FgYxKJvBUT6mDh6M7ZFGhvlwHTarhXq6w5MfqqhQHWoYmcQL8DvNkRJM9uAY0v4BOKU_JLnsZNuQXDlP-4/s1600/burma.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="388" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvEFJCI6T0yL0y0s45FMC4fikmcWvQ1hPFsAjo1VXKKYA1N-waVmwF_qq4FgYxKJvBUT6mDh6M7ZFGhvlwHTarhXq6w5MfqqhQHWoYmcQL8DvNkRJM9uAY0v4BOKU_JLnsZNuQXDlP-4/s320/burma.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/04/doppelgangers-northwest-south-america.html">< - Doppelgangers - Northwest South America</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/03/doppelgangers-pan-african-i.html">< - Doppelgangers - Pan-African I</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good country flags</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US state flags</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-62407330019927372692018-03-30T14:27:00.001-07:002018-07-22T11:06:00.482-07:00Doppelgangers – Pan-African I<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Red, yellow, and green are known as the pan-African colors. They come from the flag of Ethiopia, the only country in Africa to largely keep its independence during the colonial era. Given that, these colors became very popular when the many former European colonies started gaining their independence after World War II. A little too popular, if you ask me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Guinea</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKLsZIW3PiwlWfRcy6fMZ0NGbZrmRs9LDUYzDE0JSKl9vpPd7cCINcQtxtxukt3rnnnWQ5P-pBW3UkII39AN0argEJp6Gb4VZ8lcbW0MEcEAUJJk1Tq2hffMXuxD8N6T__mEpHXlPQ74/s1600/guinea.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKLsZIW3PiwlWfRcy6fMZ0NGbZrmRs9LDUYzDE0JSKl9vpPd7cCINcQtxtxukt3rnnnWQ5P-pBW3UkII39AN0argEJp6Gb4VZ8lcbW0MEcEAUJJk1Tq2hffMXuxD8N6T__mEpHXlPQ74/s320/guinea.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Guinea was a former French colony, and elected to simply swap the colors of the tricolore with the pan-African ones. Easy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Mali </b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Tee33gxgseTZ0W_Trq5uCO2eIqL2THRvDzp93raQfWrXI-YptiLnQcpLVwT3DGD1RsCaRQfBHPbwjBDhwONxqYT81PZ66XK55_73Wi1EvxBfoXV5QWO-lAb-Rw33DK6r_vD0OpRHyHY/s1600/mali.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Tee33gxgseTZ0W_Trq5uCO2eIqL2THRvDzp93raQfWrXI-YptiLnQcpLVwT3DGD1RsCaRQfBHPbwjBDhwONxqYT81PZ66XK55_73Wi1EvxBfoXV5QWO-lAb-Rw33DK6r_vD0OpRHyHY/s320/mali.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay. I see Mali’s simply taken Guinea’s flag and flipped it around. Creative!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Senegal</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQSF36Mcvi8eCYrLmCk8Da_Eu6Rm1sjNNLwPrlHg1X7Cn044IolatlHlQxdYuvh84ovxJerWoW4bCkWCzk1NL1FR5XlbwIzTJM878FvsGs00jARm0duf8GhFz1Kx_dH4NVLS-n1CCaUM/s1600/senegal.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQSF36Mcvi8eCYrLmCk8Da_Eu6Rm1sjNNLwPrlHg1X7Cn044IolatlHlQxdYuvh84ovxJerWoW4bCkWCzk1NL1FR5XlbwIzTJM878FvsGs00jARm0duf8GhFz1Kx_dH4NVLS-n1CCaUM/s320/senegal.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ooh, look – this one has a little star!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Cameroon</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nITV_fYWAwpSVHXzg_AxfCC3huHrpj58-43z65Q8LHNI6ae9k4S7fa8pql1vSMAqy5OeuguHQkA5y4B4FfZ6yia5gpS8Pj86toDa-AC_CVbjdi92eAURS9ypwBu1GZrmUmV0h9QyQuM/s1600/cameroon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="324" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nITV_fYWAwpSVHXzg_AxfCC3huHrpj58-43z65Q8LHNI6ae9k4S7fa8pql1vSMAqy5OeuguHQkA5y4B4FfZ6yia5gpS8Pj86toDa-AC_CVbjdi92eAURS9ypwBu1GZrmUmV0h9QyQuM/s320/cameroon.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And now for something completely different ... Yup, we’ve got a star, plus we switched the colors all around. Yeah baby!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/04/doppelgangers-pan-african-ii.html">> Doppelgangers - Pan-African II</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/03/doppelgangers-pan-arab-ii.html">< Doppelgangers - Pan-Arab II</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good country flags</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US state flags</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
<br />Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108780622789261125.post-8829147788501114502018-03-23T15:55:00.001-07:002018-07-22T11:06:27.509-07:00Doppelgangers - Pan-Arab II<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Red, white, and black are the traditional colors of the German Empire:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuh8ez_M_Qxtk3ZA6Q7PTW_6GtVSM4C_McOemrmZ1pcT3pY8rM5eL823HRUvKU1aSsH4KOfSQc1LK3xaBPxpvbn2rNQNYXEYEv0qT4jGsWsltJvu-tQsRtLybFF8xuVMN7aEZpfXJM8r8/s1600/germ.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="334" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuh8ez_M_Qxtk3ZA6Q7PTW_6GtVSM4C_McOemrmZ1pcT3pY8rM5eL823HRUvKU1aSsH4KOfSQc1LK3xaBPxpvbn2rNQNYXEYEv0qT4jGsWsltJvu-tQsRtLybFF8xuVMN7aEZpfXJM8r8/s320/germ.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oddly, though, all the countries in this post are Arab, just like <a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/03/doppelgangers-pan-arab-i.html">last week</a>. These flags can all be traced back to 1952, when Egypt overthrew their king in favor of a republic. That, in turn, would inspire a whole slew of imitators.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Yemen</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgZb9ageXLFasWxnCMi9BOwzSiVAtMNkos3sRb0O6arDdETg0aBTjUeBTbhFwLdAOtWoc6HCcM51eLhE6FVpOuH9ncuNSG23-9aMC5SpE8X9vAyXJ47Kl295jcI0-x1YeJ1musGF6c3c/s1600/yemen.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="335" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgZb9ageXLFasWxnCMi9BOwzSiVAtMNkos3sRb0O6arDdETg0aBTjUeBTbhFwLdAOtWoc6HCcM51eLhE6FVpOuH9ncuNSG23-9aMC5SpE8X9vAyXJ47Kl295jcI0-x1YeJ1musGF6c3c/s320/yemen.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yemen represents the purest (read, “most boring”) expression of this motif.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Iraq</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BMQnzyIVEQv813isT5pwwk9_BMh6DGW5-YBhwMlolhrSN8YIK4ss9raw4NtJ_mcbmCVFrBgIa3n-ehgJWb0gPa67lxQGjby1Yytmu5TME9PR86HCZR-8QrZLicoe2HJTVxsm-e3iJ4I/s1600/iraq.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="334" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BMQnzyIVEQv813isT5pwwk9_BMh6DGW5-YBhwMlolhrSN8YIK4ss9raw4NtJ_mcbmCVFrBgIa3n-ehgJWb0gPa67lxQGjby1Yytmu5TME9PR86HCZR-8QrZLicoe2HJTVxsm-e3iJ4I/s320/iraq.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I see Iraq has livened things up by throwing some words on there. I’m guessing these say something like – oh, I don’t know – “Iraq.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, shows what I know. This one actually says <i>allahu akhbar</i> – “God is great.” Huh. Never heard that one before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Syria</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpM4mRjraAnsJURdCXQtCbU6Uu1irx1zlASRSE_JLqU8DYb74Yd1PMbvkYWDrHpEst_74vMsmZxB0wGzvHoKQPndbpmUjkPNVUdfb__f8tLMSR6tUi7dKDWiSve_PbnVIT_71Br0WAow/s1600/syria.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="336" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpM4mRjraAnsJURdCXQtCbU6Uu1irx1zlASRSE_JLqU8DYb74Yd1PMbvkYWDrHpEst_74vMsmZxB0wGzvHoKQPndbpmUjkPNVUdfb__f8tLMSR6tUi7dKDWiSve_PbnVIT_71Br0WAow/s320/syria.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And this one has some little stars (apologies to Doctor Seuss and his <i>Red Fish, Blue Fish</i>). Two of them, to be exact.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wondering where they came from? Interesting story … Turns out Syria and Egypt were once united, from 1958 to 1962. Egypt (see below) has moved on. Syria? Still pining away, I guess.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even more interestingly, this was the original flag in this whole set. As you can see, it actually combined the same original colors as in the flags from last week. It’s only when Egypt moved on that green became less central.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Egypt</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlk0nYPBMULhcTphQ8zPF7gHlgWnWkLTZyobxlTnD6FdOxfkHe-qCyhVk7z93N-wsKib2YlMLhyphenhyphenBz6uKmtC7YhLqTdwB-dL0lAQKnV3DJkxDMi0aulm-dG-csgk34A-iM3lfcA9bGdW14/s1600/egypt.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="337" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlk0nYPBMULhcTphQ8zPF7gHlgWnWkLTZyobxlTnD6FdOxfkHe-qCyhVk7z93N-wsKib2YlMLhyphenhyphenBz6uKmtC7YhLqTdwB-dL0lAQKnV3DJkxDMi0aulm-dG-csgk34A-iM3lfcA9bGdW14/s320/egypt.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Egypt has livened things up with the ol’ “eagle of Saladdin.” The ol’ whuh? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, Saladdin was this Arab dude from the Crusades. He, like, beat up on a bunch of Christians. That’s his shield and stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Alternates</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, anybody up for mixing things up a little (though I'm thinking that might be frowned upon in the Arab world)? How about these two ideas:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vXpc_EvGenvh0CFVAoQCytUx0AA8R-7zObRMDL_0krPy3HgXPoujPrTD-7uq3iGU2bNFf9NaFo9BZlk8iJR0dqXBmbDYjWDImnabFPnjEtkXL_1LDPT2N6XbdhbnDfxBACAVYmD-06M/s1600/alt+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="337" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vXpc_EvGenvh0CFVAoQCytUx0AA8R-7zObRMDL_0krPy3HgXPoujPrTD-7uq3iGU2bNFf9NaFo9BZlk8iJR0dqXBmbDYjWDImnabFPnjEtkXL_1LDPT2N6XbdhbnDfxBACAVYmD-06M/s320/alt+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqj5_03ZwSRSYtW-vxxmK9nOscy2pOM2-ISW3DN8inS8ManvTBxeYDYSob7yv6RzGXF6lmAJ1zb83hbp_DhWMi8snUZ5Gpnb9VNLi9233PzXx-2eslMUyuMOd1cry2QJqLB5-SsS8ySgI/s1600/alt+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="331" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqj5_03ZwSRSYtW-vxxmK9nOscy2pOM2-ISW3DN8inS8ManvTBxeYDYSob7yv6RzGXF6lmAJ1zb83hbp_DhWMi8snUZ5Gpnb9VNLi9233PzXx-2eslMUyuMOd1cry2QJqLB5-SsS8ySgI/s320/alt+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Feel free to throw some stars or eagles or writing on either of them.</span><br />
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More links:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/03/doppelgangers-pan-african-i.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> Doppelgangers - Pan-African I</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/03/doppelgangers-pan-arab-i.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">< Doppelgangers - Pan-Arab I</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/12/international-flags-good.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good country flags</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/06/us-municipal-flags-intro.html">US cities</a></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2018/05/international-flags.html">International</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/us-states-good.html">US state flags</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://realfunwithflags.blogspot.com/2017/10/introduction.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Site intro</span></a></li>
</ul>
<br />Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0