Geography...Of the National Kind.

I am a keen follower of all things National Geographic, I hope to one day have a photograph so awesome that they might like to publish it for me...

I got my July copy in the post this afternoon, and came across a very interesting article that I really want to share with everyone (nerd). well, two things actually...

"say it with parentheses"... I'm talking about text talk and emoticons (key-board made characters). Something I am sure most of us do automatically these days, what, with our mobile phones and everyone has really easy access to internet and email and all.

Ubiquitous today, the cute and clever icons were actually born long before the digital age. In 1881 the American magazine "Puck" ran a piece entitled "Typographical Art" in which four facial expressions - melancholy, indifference, astonishment, and joy were depicted with key strokes.

Ok, so the world gets it, people these days don't think twice before adding a :-) or :D but it's all well and good. However, in Japan they have hundreds of emoticons already installed into the latest mobile phones. Apparently, according to professor Scott Fahlman says "(with a :-) are only a modest threat to literacy and civilization in general".... we'll see about that when the next generation can even use the emotions in their face and have to use cards with text talk expressions on them.

Here are some of the examples of emoticons I am talking about:

Generally speaking in the Eastern Hemisphere the focus is more on the eyes and in the western ones they require a tilt of the head to read... (well not really but you get the gist)


Happy : Eastern Hemisphere = (^_^)

Happy : Western Hemisphere = :-)

_

Sad : Eastern Hemisphere = (;_;)

Sad : Western Hemisphere = :-(

_

Surprised : Eastern Hemisphere = (*o*)

Surprised : Western Hemisphere = :-o

_

Winking : Eastern Hemisphere = (^_~)

Winking : Western Hemisphere = ;-)

(but then the Eastern Hemisphere have loads more cute ones which I love)

Blushing = (*^.^*)

Embarrassed = (^^;)

Apologetic = m(_ _)m

and to conclude for this part:

ZOMG, exclamation mark, exclamation mark, smiley face...


Oh aye and the second thing... sorry to burst everyone's bubble about the five second rule. You know what I am talking about, picture the scenario, you've made your favorite tasty treat, and you accidentally drop in on the floor "ah! 5 second rule" you pick it up and carry on eating... well, Professor Paul Dawson shows us in his research that salmonella and other bacteria can live up to four weeks on dry surfaces and transfer to food immediately on contact...

Damn.


Peace. xx