Two days ago, my wife and I were sitting in our living room talking. I don't even remember what we were talking about. Sometime profound and life-changing, no doubt. But then she asked me, out of the blue, "Do you want to see my blinkies?"
Well, sure! I'd love to see your blinkies anytime!
Of course, I was a bit disappointed to find out it didn't involve the bedroom. But I will tell you, when you hear a person use the term "blinkie" about five times in under a minute, it can be quite hysterical. Just try it sometime!
Don't know what a blinkie is? Well, neither did I. But, apparently in the forums she frequents, they are all the rage. In a nutshell, they are like miniture digital bumper stickers you include on the bottom of your sig line or e-mail message. (They are not, I learned, a slang term for a certain part of the female anatomy.)
But these little images aren't just static images. They...as I'm sure you guessed by now...blink! Like a tiny neon sign, proclaiming some adorable, or thought-provoking, or silly, or just matter-of-fact statement.
So last night, my wife showed me all the blinkies that she likes. She even found a few for me, such as one that proclaimed myself to be a Brownie Addict. (Now wait...before you think anything weird, we're talking about chocolate here, not Girl Scout wannabees.) Another proudly announced that I not only saw the Lord of the Rings movies (all three in the special extended version, by the way), but I actually read the books. (I will admit, that is somewhat of a lie. I mean, I tried to read them, but never got more than halfway through the first book. So, ultimately, I listened to the complete series in audiobook format.)
What's the point to all this? Well. I don't know. But, apparently they are important. Possibly revolutionizing the way we communicate on the computer. We may even end up with blinkie wars in much the same way we have bumper sticker wars. You know, like how someone has a bumper sticker that says "Visualize World Peace" and pretty soon, someone comes up with another than says "Visualize Whirled Peas". Or, like the Icthus (which is the little fish symbol Chrisitians put on their cars), then with the Darwinized Icthus (the fish with legs), and finally, the larger Icthus eating up the Darwinized Icthus.
Anyhow, with something so important, I couldn't just ignore the topic. I figure I need to get out the word. Blinkies are the "in thing". If you're not on board, you'll be a nobody. So, display them proudly, and then ask someone you love, "Do you want to see my blinkies?"
