Wednesday
(0)Flying swans are the logo of the UK's presidency of the EU over the next six months. Apparently, the UK officials are proud to point out that it is the first time an EU presidency has had an animated logo. I mean, how amazing is that? Watch out Jacques!
The idea is a metaphor for leadership, teamwork and efficiency, which is particularly appropriate for the EU, given the system of rotating leadership. Migrating birds fly in a V formation. This is highly efficient, because all the birds in the formation, except for the leader, are in the slipstream of another bird. Periodically the leading bird drops back and another bird moves up to take its place.
What a load of bollocks! We are talking about a bunch of bureaucrats and appratchiks desparately (at least I can hope) trying to recover their footing which was temporarily disrupted by the recent referenda on the EU constitution. But not everyone thinks the logo is ridiculous, for example the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds likes it:
One of the concerns being tackled in the UK's EU and G8 presidencies, was climate change, which could potentially prevent Whooper and Bewick's swans wintering in this country.
I am having trouble keeping a straight face here. But seriously, how about streching the metaphor a bit and hope it might be the EU swan song...?
http://andrewiandodge.com/wp-trackback.php/3231 ... funny that Our Little Tone's logo is the same as that of The Bruges Group. Of course nobody has pointed out that the swans are obviously flying as fast as they can to avoid being biometrically scanned ...
Posted by Julian Taylor at July 6, 2005 02:09 AM
Swans. Lovely. Y'know, from far away they may look pretty, but up close, they're big, nastily-dispositioned, disagreeable birds...
*thinks a moment* Thenagain, mebbe they ARE appropriate.
Posted by Monsyne Dragon at July 6, 2005 04:53 AM
Is it still true that only the King (or Queen ) can kill a swan? If so this is a perfect symbol of government privilege those who are not allowed to kill swans can just bow down to those have that right.
This is of interest to me because in 1945, while waiting to return to the US, my late father and some of his comrades held a diner at Stratford on Avon and served roast swan, he always was kind of proud of the fact that they got away with it.
Posted by Taylor at July 6, 2005 05:28 AM
It's appropriate if you make a few semantical 'adjustments'. The EU leader is out front, and takes the blame for the rampant corruption of that organization. When that persons credibility is no longer sufficient to propel the EU through the people's resistance, that leader falls back and is replaced by another, indistinguishable in form but not as beaten down by public sentiment. They do this while raining feces down on hapless citizens.
Goe, would elaborate but needs sleep.
Posted by goemagog at July 6, 2005 07:52 AM
I wonder how much some twat in a black polo neck got for designing that one? Why in the name of arse does the G8 meeting need a logo?
Posted by John K at July 6, 2005 01:47 PM
Quite a good logo I think, a giant V sign in the sky. Certainly the gesture that I want to show the EU most of the time.
Posted by chris at July 6, 2005 02:23 PM
Taylor. No. All swans belong to the monarch. That's all. I don't know why. But wherever there is a swan in Britain, it enjoys royal protection.
Posted by Verity at July 6, 2005 03:00 PM
But wherever there is a swan in Britain, it enjoys royal protection.
Except from a certain wellknown Cambridge college .. they enjoy right to kill a swan or two every so often for feastdays. Also presumably no swan is safe from Prince Phillip's shotgun. Come to think of it, neither is Our Little Tone ...
Posted by Julian Taylor at July 6, 2005 04:52 PM
Flying swans: Flying the coop? (playing Saint Saens in the background, which Pavlova made famous with her dying swan dance)
Posted by Fausta at July 6, 2005 05:33 PM
goemagog wrote:
It's appropriate if you make a few semantical 'adjustments'. The EU leader is out front, and takes the blame for the rampant corruption of that organization.
Actually, the EU leader blames and persecutes the journalists who try to expose the rampant corruption of the EU. :-|
Posted by Ted Schuerzinger at July 6, 2005 07:10 PM
