Straight Dope Message Board

[Elendil's Heir]

God save the Queen, because her personal flag when she's in Australia is remarkably ugly: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%2...ustralian_Flag

What's your nomination?

[Nancarrow]

Gosh. That's very... busy, isn't it?

I find the Japanese Naval Ensign to be rather unpleasant.

[Bearflag70]

Sacramento, California

[Terminus Est]

Bangladesh

[cher3]

I can sympathize with the emotions behind displaying the POW/MIA flag, but it is not an asset to the scenery:

http://www.flagladyohio.com/store/images/powmia.jpg

[Bearflag70]

Most state flags (scroll down) especially:

1. All the "blue field with a logo or seal" flags:

Connecticut
Delaware
Idaho
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New York
Oklahoma
Oregon - except this one's cool because it has a beaver on the back
Pennsylvania
South Carolina - not so bad
South Dakota
Utah
vermont
Virginia

2. Dishonorable Mention

Hawaii
Iowa

[swampbear]

Bearflag 70 that site has the wrong flag for the state of Georgia. An understandable mistake since in the past seven years there have been three different flags. Right now this is Georgia's flag du jour. It shall remain until the General zoo Assembly gets another wild hair to mess around with it.

[amarinth]

City Flags are often not that attractive.

Mesa AZ - is it a business card or a flag?

[Creaky]

The Maryland state flag, flag of my home state, is in my opinion very unpleasant. Way too busy and overstimulating. My dad has become an artist in his dotage and does paintings based on life in the Maryland Chesapeake region, where images of our state flag often figure prominently. He vehemently disagrees with me, as he loves the intricacies and colors. Yuck, I say. Observe:

http://www.joson.com/states/images/marylandlg.GIF

[Ms. Pumpkin]

This is Maine's flag. Fairly boring, except the thing in the middle that looks like an injured dog? That's supposed to be a moose.

[Hypno-Toad]

Originally Posted by Creaky

The Maryland state flag, flag of my home state, is in my opinion very unpleasant. Way too busy and overstimulating. My dad has become an artist in his dotage and does paintings based on life in the Maryland Chesapeake region, where images of our state flag often figure prominently. He vehemently disagrees with me, as he loves the intricacies and colors. Yuck, I say. Observe:

http://www.joson.com/states/images/marylandlg.GIF

The Maryland state flag is striking and beautiful. And it looks great when used in any heraldic manner.

[Hippy Hollow]

Originally Posted by Hypno-Toad

The Maryland state flag is striking and beautiful. And it looks great when used in any heraldic manner.

Agreed.

I didn't find the national flags mentioned upthread too bad. The American city flags, though, embarrassed the hell out of me.

Sacramento... what the fuck is going on there?

Fort Worth's flag deserves to be burned. Daily.

[OneCentStamp]

Originally Posted by Creaky

The Maryland state flag, flag of my home state, is in my opinion very unpleasant. Way too busy and overstimulating. My dad has become an artist in his dotage and does paintings based on life in the Maryland Chesapeake region, where images of our state flag often figure prominently. He vehemently disagrees with me, as he loves the intricacies and colors. Yuck, I say. Observe:

http://www.joson.com/states/images/marylandlg.GIF

Hey man, bite your tongue.

How can you dis the Maryland flag?!? What about the Calverts, and the Cecils...and the...the Cecil Calvert...and the emblem of the house of...whatever. Where's your state spirit?

(but I really do like the flag)

[Creaky]

Hypno-Toad and OneCentStamp, sorry, guys. I know to some the Maryland flag is all good, especially if you're into the heraldic thing, but to me it just looks like an ADHD attack on a pillowcase. State spirit I reckon I'm lacking.

[Elendil's Heir]

Related threads re: national flags, http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...d.php?t=336065, and city flags, http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...d.php?t=335241.

[Beware of Doug]

Originally Posted by OneCentStamp

How can you dis the Maryland flag?!? What about the Calverts, and the Cecils...and the...the Cecil Calvert...and the emblem of the house of...whatever.

Cheap domestic whiskey, once upon a time.

And the flag looks like bad 1960s op art, or mediocre 1970s vinyl wallpaper.

Originally Posted by Nancarrow

I find the Japanese Naval Ensign to be rather unpleasant.

It makes me want to scramble for the nearest deck gun.

[Bearflag70]

Originally Posted by Hippy Hollow

Sacramento... what the fuck is going on there?

It's a depiction of the Sacrametno River, best i can tell.

[commasense]

Originally Posted by Creaky

The Maryland state flag, flag of my home state, is in my opinion very unpleasant. Way too busy and overstimulating. My dad has become an artist in his dotage and does paintings based on life in the Maryland Chesapeake region, where images of our state flag often figure prominently. He vehemently disagrees with me, as he loves the intricacies and colors. Yuck, I say. Observe:

http://www.joson.com/states/images/marylandlg.GIF

Dear Creaky,

This is to inform you have I have written to the governor to initiate proceedings to revoke your citizenship of the Free State of Maryland for your slanderous and potentially treasonous statements about the most attractive state flag in the U.S. If you are willing to recant and submit to a six-month rehabilitation program, you may be able to avoid immediate (and not very gentle) ejection from the state.

In the meantime, I'm nominating your father for a special award and sending him a note sympathizing with him about the unfortunate views of his wayward child. I suppose there's one in every family.

Signed,

Commasense

And Beware of Doug: Beware of Me! I'm watching you!


But seriously folks, the Maryland flag is the only heraldically-based state flag. I think it's the most distinctive and attractive of all of them. More than you ever wanted to know about Maryland's flag.

Originally Posted by Maryland's Secretary of State

George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore, adopted a coat of arms that included a shield with alternating quadrants featuring the yellow-and-black colors of his paternal family and the red-and-white colors of his maternal family, the Crosslands.

(Note where it says "The Maryland flag has been described as the perfect state flag.")

I have to second bearflag70: I hate all those damn "state seal on a blue field" flags. Stupid and unimaginative. In fact, now that I look at them all, the only really decent state flags (after Maryland, of course) are:

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Colorado
D.C.
New Mexico (a very close second in beauty to Maryland)
Ohio (the only non-rectangular flag)
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Puerto Rico

The rest are crap, especially the ones with the state's name in big ugly block letters (I'm looking at you AR, CA, IA, KS, MT, OK, OR, and WI.)

[Terminus Est]

New Mexico's current flag is really, really good. Its original flag, on the other hand, was very, very bad.

[I Love Me, Vol. I]

Originally Posted by Hippy Hollow

The American city flags, though, embarrassed the hell out of me.

Sacramento... what the fuck is going on there?

Fort Worth's flag deserves to be burned. Daily.

Some of those city flags were just ridiculous. Many looked like bad 3-color letterhead from the 70's.

But the Sacramento Flag... It's in a class by itself.




We have a winner, I think.

[Foldup Rabbit]

There was a website a while ago that ranked all the flags of the world on how busy or colourful or whatever they were. Anyone remember where that was?

[Creaky]

Commasense, I now count myself sufficiently chastised and suddenly repentant, as I have a natural fear of any sort of rehab. I have reconsidered and would also implore you not to rattle the Hon. Marty O's cage as he and I already do not get along since a little incident last year at the Seven-11 in Towson. As the current family black sheep, I will seize this opportunity to begin mending my ways.

And my daddy thanks you in advance.

Dude, that was an awesome post and it made my morning. Things are tense at work lately and it was delightful to start the day with not only genuine laugh, but one well-written. I am printing your post and will give it to my dad. I'd like to email it straightaway, but he and my mom are dyed-in-the-wool Luddites so no computer at their house.

[CalMeacham]

the New Jersety state flag is topped with a horse's head, to remind you of the presence of the Mafia:

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/kids/stateflag.asp

[BiblioCat]

Originally Posted by Creaky

... and would also implore you not to rattle the Hon. Marty O's cage as he and I already do not get along since a little incident last year at the Seven-11 in Towson.

Oh, come on. Now you have to tell us the rest of the story!

- BiblioCat, who likes the Maryland state flag.

[Hypno-Toad]

If you like the Maryland state flag, Here is the flag for Montgomery County Maryland, my home county and here is the flag for my home town, Rockville.

I have both of them on my wall as well as the Maryland flag.

[OneCentStamp]

Originally Posted by Hypno-Toad

If you like the Maryland state flag, Here is the flag for Montgomery County Maryland, my home county and here is the flag for my home town, Rockville.

I have both of them on my wall as well as the Maryland flag.

Hey, I'm from Montgomery County (Gaithersburg HS Class of 1991). That county flag looks like one of the banners the English troops flew in Braveheart.

[Hypno-Toad]

Originally Posted by OneCentStamp

Hey, I'm from Montgomery County (Gaithersburg HS Class of 1991). That county flag looks like one of the banners the English troops flew in Braveheart.

The blue and red quarters are similar to the heraldry of the Plantangenets.

(Wootton '88' FYI)

[August West]

Check out the Milwaukee city flag on that site. It's basically an attempt to include any possible point of interest within 25 miles of Milwaukee all jammed on there. It's actually a perfect symbol for the city.

Milwaukee should change it's slogan to " We try too hard"

[minlokwat]

Another proud Marylander to join the semi hijack in defense of our state flag.

I remember when I was in the Navy and there was a display of all 50 state flags. Overwhelmingly, the majority of state flags are hum-drum, nondescript bed sheets with a run of the mill center piece on a drab blue background.

The one that sticks out and rises above the rest happens to be that of Maryland, My Maryland (state song sung to the tune of O' Christmas Tree).

Take that suckers.

And while we're at it: Go Terps!

[Sunspace]

Re: city flags... is it Birmingham Alabama, or Communist Canada?

[Hypno-Toad]

Originally Posted by Sunspace

Re: city flags... is it Birmingham Alabama, or Communist Canada?

If it's Birmingham, would they be called "Redniks?"

[Zsofia]

I hope you're referring to Flags of the World Given Letter Grades, which I absolutely love. The Faulkland Islands gets a D- - "Worst UK colonial flag. Has a sheep on it. Actually, if you look closely, you can see that the sheep is riding on top of an island, which is riding on top of a ship. Also the stupid slogan is in English, and is a platitude."

[Zsofia]

Sorry, that was a reply to Foldup Rabbit on the website that rates national flags.

[Lionne]

I like the St. Petersburg, FL city flag.
The flag of my hometown of Worcester, MA is nasty. Looks like a bad drawing of someone's heart.

[Hung Mung]

I didn't know Nashville had a flag until now. I wish I was still ignorant.

[Hypno-Toad]

Originally Posted by Hung Mung

I didn't know Nashville had a flag until now. I wish I was still ignorant.

I sort of like the compass-rose motif and the edge stripes. It's the Indian doing his "Poor Yorick" speech that bites.

[OneCentStamp]

Originally Posted by Hypno-Toad

I sort of like the compass-rose motif and the edge stripes. It's the Indian doing his "Poor Yorick" speech that bites.

The fleur-de-lis also merits a big

[Hypno-Toad]

Originally Posted by OneCentStamp

The fleur-de-lis also merits a big

I think the Fleur de lis represents the early explorations of the area by the French. I think they founded Nashville.

[Scuba_Ben]

Originally Posted by commasense

But seriously folks, the Maryland flag is the only heraldically-based state flag.

The Washington DC flag is also based in heraldry, in this case the escution from the Washington family arms.

[RTFirefly]

Another vote here for "the Maryland flag is a loud, garish clash of colors." Black, yellow, red, and white, all in one small rectangle. Two of the flag's four quadrants look like a checkered racing flag. Yeck.

When I was six years old, my family moved from MD to VA. Instantly liked the VA flag much better. Still do.

True, there are a lot of state flags with that same basic design - logo of some sort on a dark blue background - but simplicity works.

[Hung Mung]

Originally Posted by Hypno-Toad

I think the Fleur de lis represents the early explorations of the area by the French. I think they founded Nashville.

Not exactly founded, but the French were prominent hunters and traders in the area. There was a trading post run by a Frenchman named Charleville near a salt lick north of town (approximately in the area of the current Bicentennial Mall). It later became known as French Lick. Another French Hunter named Demonbreun was living in the area when the Robertson settlers arrived.

More than you ever wanted/needed to know, eh?

[Creaky]

Originally Posted by BiblioCat

Oh, come on. Now you have to tell us the rest of the story!

- BiblioCat, who likes the Maryland state flag.

Usually I stay away from mentioning politics, especially my own, on the Straight Dope. This anecdote is not designed to foment any nastiness or arguments. Just telling it like it was from the perspective of a Crabby Republican Broad. What happened wasn't very dramatic but my blood pressure shoots up just thinking about it.

I need to let it go.

I'm line at the Seven-11 on Joppa Road in Towson by the RCM&D Building. It's like 9 in the morning and I want my coffee. I'm the only one at the counter and just as I'm ready to pay, this dude comes up behind me and REACHES ACROSS ME LIKE I'M NOT EVEN THERE and puts his newspaper down. Furthermore, the poor misguided woman behind the counter starts to flutter and gush and WAITS ON HIM FIRST.

"That's Martin O'Malley! Let him go first!" She says as he REACHES OVER ME AGAIN and hands her the money.

"Oh, really?" I say, knowing he's still behind me. "So I guess I'll just get out of his way, because, you know, he's in such a hurry and, like, SO MUCH more important. I wouldn't vote for him in a million years."

Mr. O'Malley didn't say anything because, you know, the opinion of one Ehrlich supporter wasn't going to matter, but I was satisfied to turn around and receive an annoyed look. Yeah, you heard me, you SOB. I know you did. I didn't say that part out loud.

And bleah, like he really cared.

Still steaming, I went home that afternoon and called his campaign headquarters and told them I thought Martin O'Malley was a disgusting creep (careful to use the phrase "I think" because then it's not slander or something... remember, Martin's a lawyer....) and I'd never vote for him in a million years. Obviously I liked to say the part about the million years.

Now this is what I know:

I'm childish. I have anger issues. Mr. O'Malley really couldn't have cared less. What I said had no effect on the results of the gubernatoral election.

But I did it anyway.

So... maybe it's not so much that Mr. O'Malley and I don't get along, but that I don't get along with him. Soon I'll be lobbying for the local chapter of a national mental health advocacy organization in Annapolis. I know the Governor won't remember me. In this case that is good.

Clean slate. I'm going to hold my temper and be nice to Mr. O'Malley and his friends because I am absolutely capable of putting personal feelings aside in a professional setting. For the greater good. To help many.

To keep from ending up on the evening news because I threw a pie at the governor. That'd make a dandy statement for mental health advocacy.

[mobo85]

Another great flag (and state arm)-based thread: Colombia's Coat of Arms looks like Nintendo animation

[Foldup Rabbit]

Originally Posted by Zsofia

I hope you're referring to Flags of the World Given Letter Grades, which I absolutely love. The Faulkland Islands gets a D- - "Worst UK colonial flag. Has a sheep on it. Actually, if you look closely, you can see that the sheep is riding on top of an island, which is riding on top of a ship. Also the stupid slogan is in English, and is a platitude."

Yes! That was exactly it. I've been trying to locate this site forever; it's hilaious!

[commasense]

Originally Posted by RTFirefly

True, there are a lot of state flags with that same basic design - logo of some sort on a dark blue background - but simplicity works.

A state seal is not a logo! A logo is a graphically simple, easily identifiable symbol, like the sun symbol on the New Mexico flag. State seals are complex, detailed illustrations with multiple elements. At a distance, it's almost impossible to tell one state seal flag from another.

As the North American Vexillogical Association says:

Originally Posted by NAVA

A flag’s purpose is to represent a place, organization, or person, generally on a rectangular piece of cloth, to be seen at a distance, often moving, and reproduced in quantity and in many sizes.

Flags flap. Flags drape. Flags must be seen from a distance. Under these circumstances, only simple designs make effective flags. Furthermore, complicated flags cost more to make, which often can limit how widely they are used.

Creaky, Marty O got back to me and says he remembers you very well from from the 7-11 incident. State troopers have been keeping an eye on you ever since. After reading about your views on the flag, he was all for an extraordinary rendition on the spot, to Afghanistan or Mississippi, or some other remote location.

But I persuaded him that you really had changed and were back on the right path. He reluctantly agreed to leave you alone, and I made him promise that when you see him about the mental heath stuff he'll pretend not to recognize you or remember the newspaper incident.

You owe me one!

[RTFirefly]

Originally Posted by Creaky

To keep from ending up on the evening news because I threw a pie at the governor. That'd make a dandy statement for mental health advocacy.

Oh, I dunno - you could explain afterwards how a pie was a much safer and healthier outlet for your hostility than, say, a handgun.

That was simply a jerky thing for O'Malley to do. It won't stop me from being glad that Gov. Slots is gone, but it was still an assholish way for O'Malley to act.

[TroubleAgain]

Originally Posted by LunaV

I like the St. Petersburg, FL city flag.

Really? I think both it and the Tampa flag are kind of embarrassing.

[Sunrazor]

Originally Posted by commasense

I have to second bearflag70: I hate all those damn "state seal on a blue field" flags. Stupid and unimaginative. In fact, now that I look at them all, the only really decent state flags (after Maryland, of course) are: <snip> Colorado <snip>

There flares up, on a regular basis, a bit of a dogfight in the Colorado General Assembly between a faction that wants to change the state flag to include the fucking mountains and a faction that does not. Guess which faction is made up mostly of newcomers?

[commasense]

Originally Posted by Bearflag70

Sacramento, California

Ya know, IMO, the worst thing about Sacramento's flag is the writing at the bottom, made even worse by the inexplicable lack of spaces between the words. But if you remove the text, it's a fairly interesting graphic design, even if it's rather non-traditional for a flag.

Although curved lines on flags (other than circles) are rather rate, I'm not opposed in principle to more modern design styles. The risk is that you'll verge into the corporate logo look that Josh Parsons (creator of the flag grading site in Zsofia's link) complains about. I'm pretty sure that he'd hate almost all the city flags on the NAVA page in amarinth's link. Although many of them are original (some bizarrely so, like Tampa), almost all violate several of his guidelines. Most of them are irredeemably awful, and were clearly designed by people with no clue about what a flag is supposed to be.

The NAVA survey got two things right: the Washington, DC, flag is clearly the best of the lot, and the Pocatello, ID, flag is the worst. But Pocatello has a lot more competition. Some of the ones at the top of the list are pretty hideous. The three bridges in the Des Moines flag don't do anything for me, and the blue logo in the Irving, TX, design is obtuse and way too corporate, although I like the basic white/red field. , I'm not exempting my home town, Baltimore, which screws up the Calvert barred pattern with a shield with a fiddly outline of Baltimore's Washington Monument on it.

Even Denver's highly rated design seems like it could be improved. Although it follows NAVA's five guidelines, it's a little too simple and unsubtle, IMHO. I think a little less symmetry would help it. Portland is interesting and original, but I think the white lines separating the other colors make it too busy. (Yes, a strange statement from a fan of Maryland's flag. But I never claimed I was consistent.)

BTW, here's NAVA's 2001 survey of U.S. and Canadian state and provincial flags. I'm disappointed that Maryland is only fourth, but not surprised that New Mexico is number one. (Some days I rate it higher than Maryland's flag, too, but don't tell anyone.) I don't like Quebec's flag, though. IMO, it belongs much further down the list. Texas is okay, but definitely not better than Maryland!

[usar_jag]

I'm surprised that no one has singled out the Flag of Oregon.

The only question with that flag is which is uglier: the obverse or the reverse.