Saturday, March 11, 2006

Signs Of The Times, Part 1

Or How Technology Is Changing The Way We Live:

Saying goodbye to James on the sub-concourse of Tottenham Court Road tube station on Thursday evening, where in the past someone might have put their thumb and little finger to their ear to mime "I'll call you", he mimes typing on a keyboard.

It's a brave new world, alright.

10 comments:

James Henry said...

I'm glad you got the meaning of that - afterwards, I was a bit concerned it might look like I was trying to cast a spell.

patroclus said...

Strange as it may seem, I'd never seen anyone do that before. Afterwards I thought "oo, technology creating new subconscious hand gestures! How very zeitgeisty!"

Because that's the kind of dreadfully pretentious thought I like to have while on the Central Line.

That's the red one.

Johanna said...

hm, people I know do that all the time (even me, oh dear!) - but have you ever seen someone miming TEXTING by twiddling their thumb around? I have, and that's where I really start to worry.

patroclus said...

Wow, no, I've never seen that either. Howard Rheingold would have a field day.

Clearly I'm too old now for all this newfangled modern malarky.

*Patroclus retires to bed with mug of ovaltine and the Telegraph crossword*

Anonymous said...

I have friends who have to do the actions of typing while relaying the content of emails they have sent. Have done for at least six years. (Not sure if for comic effect or not). This is separate from the actions one does while looking for something, like scissors... which I have started to do, to my own perturbation

Anonymous said...

woah... when did pictures start appearing next to people's comments?? I think I might have to go for the ovaltine option myself.

patroclus said...

Err, entropy - since, like, *ever*? Well, since at least 2004, anyway. Can you give me a hand with this 10 across?

As well as "casting a spell", the "typing" hand gesture could also theoretically be construed as "playing the piano". As if you were saying "I'm going home now to play a sonata".

Thanks for the Albums I Forgot I Owned suggestion, by the way. I have another one of those to come - but fortunately the next one doesn't have any dissolute waywardness in it.

Anonymous said...

Well I don't normally comment from a shiny new(ish) computer, and the usual one doesn't know what all your profile pics look like, apparently.

Still stuck on 10 across? Cryptic or straightforward?

patroclus said...

Sorry E, I realised afterwards that I probably came across as quite rude there. Not at all my intention.

Mm, shiny new computers. I had one of those once. Now it's full of crumbs and pesto.

Mm, pesto.

Anonymous said...

*waves airily at patroclus in manner of Chico from A White Merc With Fins, intended to suggest no offence taken*