http://wtvr.com/2015/01/06/new-virginia-is-for-lovers-sign-at-dulles-is-one-of-105-to-come-this-year/
These have started appearing...
Seen one on I-495 Outer Loop and also I-85...
Mapmikey
Quote from: Mapmikey on April 20, 2015, 09:25:03 AMMapmikey
This sort of thing infuriates me. Not only do you have a signature that is appended to every post you make,
the same treatment is given to your username. >:|
Quote from: Carl Miller on April 20, 2015, 09:30:32 AM
Quote from: Mapmikey on April 20, 2015, 09:25:03 AMMapmikey
This sort of thing infuriates me. Not only do you have a signature that is appended to every post you make, the same treatment is given to your username. >:|
?
I intentionally type 'mapmikey' at the end of nearly all my posts. But not this one...
Quote from: Carl Miller on April 20, 2015, 09:30:32 AM
This sort of thing infuriates me. Not only do you have a signature that is appended to every post you make, the same treatment is given to your username. >:|
A friendly suggestion -
get over it.
Mapmikey is a valued member of this forum, especially for his extensive knowledge of the highway network of Virginia.
Quote from: Mapmikey on April 20, 2015, 09:25:03 AM
These have started appearing...
Seen one on I-495 Outer Loop and also I-85...
Mapmikey
I do not like them, even though they are supposed to "look new."
Much prefer the "traditional" cardinal in a dogwood tree on a blue background.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on April 20, 2015, 03:02:01 PM
Much prefer the "traditional" cardinal in a dogwood tree on a blue background.
Here's a dissenting view from a bird lover who thinks cardinals are waaaay overdone among the state birds (http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/05/state_bird_improvements_replace_cardinals_and_robins_with_warblers_and_hawks.html) (he much prefers warblers and raptors). The traditional Virginia welcome sign at the American Legion bridge is what set off his rant.
I don't mind the new welcome signs, though the "Virginia is for Lovers" slogan is being re-flogged to death, and I wouldn't be surprised if people tire of it and the next Governor changes the welcome signs again.
Quote from: Carl Miller on April 20, 2015, 09:30:32 AM
Quote from: Mapmikey on April 20, 2015, 09:25:03 AMMapmikey
This sort of thing infuriates me. Not only do you have a signature that is appended to every post you make, the same treatment is given to your username. >:|
Carl, please be a bit more mindful of comments towards others. Mapmikey's posting style is in full tolerance to the forum rules, so he's doing nothing wrong. Thanks!
Quote from: cpzilliacus on April 20, 2015, 03:02:01 PM
Much prefer the "traditional" cardinal in a dogwood tree on a blue background.
Agreed, I've seen pictures of the new Virginia welcome signs and I flat out don't like them.
Count me as another vote for the cardinal welcome sign. These are pretty terrible looking.
I don't like it. I didn't like it when they added the slogan to the standard issue license plate a couple years ago either.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on April 20, 2015, 03:00:18 PM
Quote from: Carl Miller on April 20, 2015, 09:30:32 AM
This sort of thing infuriates me. Not only do you have a signature that is appended to every post you make, the same treatment is given to your username. >:|
A friendly suggestion - get over it.
Mapmikey is a valued member of this forum, especially for his extensive knowledge of the highway network of Virginia.
Appreciate the defense... I don't know what the hubbub is about. Most people sign their name at the ends of e-mails even though many times it is clear by the sender e-mail address who it is from...
Quote from: cpzilliacus on April 20, 2015, 03:00:18 PMA friendly suggestion - get over it.
Quote from: Zeffy on April 20, 2015, 03:44:47 PMCarl, please be a bit more mindful of comments towards others. Mapmikey's posting style is in full tolerance to the forum rules, so he's doing nothing wrong. Thanks!
:angry:
I don't like either the signs or the slogan. The slogan has been around for years and I've never liked it, though if I had been a bit older during the 1970s I would have appreciated the humor value of Virginia using that slogan right as Maryland was using "Maryland Is for Crabs."
Am I the only one that thinks of gay marriage when I saw that? I know it sounds silly (and maybe immature) to think of that but that's what I seriously thought the governor was trying to promote for his state.
I don't really like it. Virginia can be known for other things than "being for lovers".
Here is the origin of the phrase (from http://www.virginia.org/virginiaisforlovers/):
Quote
The phrase came from a creative team headed by George Woltz of Martin & Woltz Inc., the Richmond advertising agency that won the Virginia State Travel Service account in 1968. According to Martin, a $100-a-week copywriter named Robin McLaughlin came up with an advertising concept that read, "Virginia is for history lovers." For a beach-oriented ad, the headline would have read, "Virginia is for beach lovers"; for a mountains ad, "Virginia is for mountain lovers," and so on. Martin thought the approach might be too limiting. Woltz agreed, and the agency dropped the modifier and made it simply "Virginia is for Lovers." The first ad mentioning the new slogan ran in the March 1969 issue of "Modern Bride."
Mapmikey
Quote from: SignGeek101 on April 20, 2015, 08:53:13 PM
Am I the only one that thinks of gay marriage when I saw that? I know it sounds silly (and maybe immature) to think of that but that's what I seriously thought the governor was trying to promote for his state.
I don't really like it. Virginia can be known for other things than "being for lovers".
The slogan dates to 1968, and I can remember it being used on maps and tourist booklets/brochures since my childhood.
To be fair, i actually like it. To me it kinda has a retro appeal due to how basic it is overall. I mean it isn't as vibrant as the WV welcome sign for example.
Though I agree the cardinal is "overused", I prefer the cardinal signs to these new ones.
Funny thing–without digging up the details, I know the vaunted cardinal is an invasive here. A 1950s bird-identification record my favorite radio station played mentioned the cardinal being new to the Northeast.
How long has it been "native" to Virginia?
Quote from: Pete from Boston on April 20, 2015, 11:45:42 PM
Funny thing–without digging up the details, I know the vaunted cardinal is an invasive here. A 1950s bird-identification record my favorite radio station played mentioned the cardinal being new to the Northeast.
How long has it been "native" to Virginia?
Virginia made it the state bird in 1950 so I assume quite a while.
Mapmikey
I think the sign could have been designed better. For what it's worth, West Virginia's redesign is top notch - that was, until the current sitting governor saw it fit to replace "Wild and Wonderful" with "Open For Business" (reversed after the state became a laughingstock).
The state would go a long ways in removing the "RADAR DETECTORS ILLEGAL" and the aircraft enforcement crap that supersedes the welcome sign!
Mapmikey
Guys, stop intentionally doing you know what.... Only warning.
Quote from: froggie on April 20, 2015, 10:36:06 PM
Though I agree the cardinal is "overused", I prefer the cardinal signs to these new ones.
I much prefer the cardinal on a few dogwood branches, with a blue background.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on April 21, 2015, 12:04:41 PM
Quote from: froggie on April 20, 2015, 10:36:06 PM
Though I agree the cardinal is "overused", I prefer the cardinal signs to these new ones.
I much prefer the cardinal on a few dogwood branches, with a blue background.
As if it weren't bad enough that they put the black background on the new signs, so they had to add the slogan too. That has DOUBLE-FAIL written all over it!
The cardinal has been on Virginia Welcome signs back to at least the mid 1950s. At the Virginia State Library today I found this photo of US 301 entering from North Carolina in the Feb 1955 Virginia Highways Bulletin:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vahighways.com%2F301welcomesign-feb55.jpg&hash=fd7526f18b10317d016d6357f55ddd882d15dda7)
Mapmikey
The problem with "Virginia is for Lovers" is that it unfortunately reminds me of Loving v. Virginia, which is probably not exactly what the Virginia tourism board wants me to associate with their state...
I don't like the new signs. Maybe the fact that the welcome sign has a black background and the "SPEED LIMIT ENFORCED BY AIRCRAFT/RADAR DETECTORS ILLEGAL" signs immediately after the welcome signs also have a black background has something to do with it. Seems like a waste of money to replace all those perfectly fine signs with the cardinals.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 21, 2015, 09:31:28 PM
The problem with "Virginia is for Lovers" is that it unfortunately reminds me of Loving v. Virginia, which is probably not exactly what the Virginia tourism board wants me to associate with their state...
You are going waaaaaaay back, aintcha?
I went to bed last night and had nightmares about that Virginia welcome sign. What a disgraceful way to welcome people into such a beautiful state.
Quote from: Mapmikey on April 21, 2015, 07:22:25 PM
The cardinal has been on Virginia Welcome signs back to at least the mid 1950s. At the Virginia State Library today I found this photo of US 301 entering from North Carolina in the Feb 1955 Virginia Highways Bulletin:
That's a great picture and I love the sign - complete with the Seal of Virginia (
Sic Semper Tyrannis), the cardinal, blooming dogwood and (implied) strict speed limit enforcement.
By the standards of 1955, I am pretty certain that U.S. 301 through Emporia was already a very busy highway. Was Emporia a speed trap then?
I don't know about the speed trap aspect of Emporia then. I assume any place with an actual downtown probably was.
Traffic was definitely busy. 301 was multilaned from Emporia to VA 35 during the 1955-57 timeframe.
Mapmikey
Quote from: Mapmikey on April 22, 2015, 12:28:03 PM
Traffic was definitely busy.
Unfortunately, VDOT does not appear to have any of the VDH traffic count books for the Commonwealth online from that far back.
Quote from: SteveG1988 on April 20, 2015, 09:20:12 AM
http://wtvr.com/2015/01/06/new-virginia-is-for-lovers-sign-at-dulles-is-one-of-105-to-come-this-year/
Anyone else read this as 'Virginia is for Losers'? Once you leave that space open for a letter, anything can be inserted there!
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 22, 2015, 02:26:31 PM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on April 20, 2015, 09:20:12 AM
http://wtvr.com/2015/01/06/new-virginia-is-for-lovers-sign-at-dulles-is-one-of-105-to-come-this-year/
Anyone else read this as 'Virginia is for Losers'? Once you leave that space open for a letter, anything can be inserted there!
Good point. Even if you can't (legally) edit a welcome sign, you certainly can mock the slogan on your own license plates. The Supreme Court says so.
"Loners" would work too, though with less impact. Maybe two-letter inserts, such as "Loggers"?
I haven't seen such edits, but then the slogan used to be reserved for specialty plates, which presumably were purchased only by people who liked the slogan.
Quote from: hbelkins on April 20, 2015, 09:44:53 PM
Quote from: SignGeek101 on April 20, 2015, 08:53:13 PM
Am I the only one that thinks of gay marriage when I saw that? I know it sounds silly (and maybe immature) to think of that but that's what I seriously thought the governor was trying to promote for his state.
I don't really like it. Virginia can be known for other things than "being for lovers".
The slogan dates to 1968, and I can remember it being used on maps and tourist booklets/brochures since my childhood.
My older sister was a student at William and Mary in the early 1970s, and I remember the slogan being heavily used during that timeframe.
Makes me feel like I'm entering Worcester, Mass., which, as the "heart of the Commonwealth," has a red heart symbol in their official seal and pretty much everything else.
I liked the older version. CT's welcome signs are a joke. It's so simple with no design. I like New York's new welcome signs.
Oh... when you said "CT's welcome signs are a joke" the first thing I thought of was New York's FOUR large welcome signs at major entries, three of which remind you of various kinds of tourism they have there, complete with a web address in large letters on each one so you can look it all up right there while driving.