Posts Tagged ‘NYT’
Misinterpreted Emoticons
An interesting episode reported on by the New York Times that serves as a reminder to be careful when sending messages digitally.
Emoticons can produce another layer of confusion, however: they don’t always read the same way across different technical interfaces. “In the text function of my BlackBerry there is a sidebar menu of emoticons (how ridiculous is that?) that shows the yellow smiley faces, except they are also crying and raging, and winking and blowing kisses, etc.,” Dr. Bates wrote. “I sent a fairly new acquaintance a ‘big hug’ emoticon — which, for the record, was ironic. But anyway, on his iPhone it came up with the symbols, not the smiley face, which don’t look anything like a big hug. From his perspective they look like a view of, er, splayed lady parts: ({}).“He then ran around his lab showing colleagues excitedly what I had just sent him. Half (mostly men) concurred with his interpretation, and the others (mostly women) didn’t and probably thought he was kind of a desperate perv.”
From http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/fashion/emoticons-move-to-the-business-world-cultural-studies.html
Personal Eco-Concierges
In lieu of all the environmental sustainability messages that are being put across, an interesting new profession has sprung up, as the New York Times reported. Personal Eco-Concierges who will help you make decisions that are eco-friendly, do the tough research and save you time.
It’s an interesting concept and I think it’s a good substitute for those who truly wouldn’t have been eco-friendly otherwise. Obviously it’s preferable if we are all eco-friendly. But hey, who would mind a little bit of help?
From http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/us/personal-eco-concierges-ease-challenges-of-going-green.html
They will run your errands by bicycle, recommend a spa that gives vegan manicures or buy organic clothes for you and your dog. They will even book you a dream vacation and buy the appropriate carbon offsets.
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The Story behind Football Shirt Swapping
For IGCSE Media Students, Norbert Elias’s The Civilizing Process comes to mind. 
The United States had lost to Brazil, 1-0, in the 2003 Confederations Cup, but when the final whistle blew that night in Lyon, France, the American defender Gregg Berhalter walked off the field with a memento from a tough night.
In his hand, Berhalter carried the jersey he had exchanged with a bucktoothed Brazilian midfielder who would become known worldwide, Ronaldinho.
When Berhalter recalled that night recently, it was with a heavy helping of wistfulness — and not for losing the ball that led to the game’s only goal. A few days after the game, at a hotel in Paris, where Ronaldinho was then the well-known star for Paris St.-Germain, Berhalter sent his dirty clothes out to be cleaned. Into the bag, he absentmindedly tossed the iconic yellow and green Brazil jersey.
“Needless to say, it never came back from the laundry,” Berhalter said with a knowing smile. “I wasn’t too smart.”
The exchanging of jerseys at the end of a soccer match is a longtime ritual that is well established in the sport, even as it has evolved. With each swap — like the ones that take place after games in this World Cup — there is usually a story.
Often the tales are personal, speaking to a player’s standing in the game or marking a chapter in his career.
As for the jerseys themselves, sometimes they are washed, sometimes not. Sometimes they end up being given away, auctioned off, framed for display in a player’s home, boxed up in storage, or — as Berhalter learned — who knows where?
“It’s just a sign of respect,” said Clint Mathis, who scored for the United States in the 2002 World Cup. “You’re out there trying to kick each other and kill each other, but when the game’s said and done, it’s back to being friends.”
