This is because of the Barack Obama thing, which is this

God I love that picture, my thoughts on this are on the blog before this one so read that if you wish.

The topic of hand gestures has arisen again over this rather "different" image

Notice the hand gesture in the top right?  

If you thought that there was some evil, sinister meaning behind this gesture, you are not alon, i thought it did as well for a bit.

It is called a "corna" (Yes, i did look it up...)

Here are a couple of other images i found:

In the Mediterranean, this gesture of considered vulgar.  The University of Texas likes to think of it as the symbol for "Hook 'em Horns."  Others opine that it is a bastardization of the sign for "loved" used by deaf people.  One meaning I did not know was that it is used by many as a symbol of infidelity.  When held up behind someone's head, it means that he is a "cuckold."  To some, it is used to ward off evil.  It's a superstitious attempt to avoid bad luck or to combat the "evil eye."

I am just going to quote this next part verbatim, because it demonstrates the perception of the sign today:

"President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone shocked the country when, visiting Naples during an outbreak of cholera, shook the hands of the patients with one hand, and with the other, behind the back, made the corna. This act was well documented, as all journalists and photographers were right behind him, a fact that had escaped President Leone's mind in that moment. The gesture was interpreted especially as offensive for the patients."

And, yes, to some it is perceived as a sign of the devil, or the worship of Satan, probably due, in part, to the fact that Anton LaVey, who founded the Church of Satan, used it quite often as a "Satanic salute in the 1960s."  By no means did he create the gesture, and it has been documented in literature that existed long before Mr. LaVey's Church of Satan was formed.  (Bram Stoker's Dracula, for example).

None of these interpretations really seem to apply here, as it is portrayed in the "Thank You" graphic.  Instead, as it is used here, there is a connection to music that, for many means nothing more than "metal fist, fist of rock, or "Rock on!"  A member of Ronnie James Dio is credited with making this gesture quite popular in heavy metal.  He learned the gesture from his grandmother, who "used it to ward off the evil eye."  He chose that gesture, because he wanted to differentiate himself from Ozzy Osborne, who's chosen gesture was the peace sign.  From wiki:  "The horns became famous in metal concerts very soon after Black Sabbath's first tour with Dio."

Odds and Ends:

In addition to the University of Texas, the sign is ued at Northwestern State University, the University of South Florida, and New Mexico.

And in baseball, as Mr. J confirmed, it is used to signify "two outs."

WOW.

I had no idea hand gestures could be so complicated.  With the fist pound and the devil horns, with all their different contextual meanings, I am relieved, at this point to have at least one gesture whose meaning is perfectly clear:

 

 

And, no, that was not directed at ANYONE.

It's just a gesture over which there is absolutely no debate, so I decided to use it.

When I first sat down and decided to look into the symbol, I confess that I believed that it was associated with something dark (although I knew it was used in heavy metal).  I truly had no idea there was so much more to it.  So, yeah, I did learn something new today, and that doesn't suck.  But now, oh how I wish I could have found a picture of that gesture that Monica and Ross used on Friends.  That was classic!!!! 

At least it's better than "high fives."  Try to use that one with me, and I will stab you with a dirty spork.  It's just not cool, and anyone who uses it needs to be isolated from the rest of us.  And maybe even sterilized.

Normally, I will let the rumors pass, and they will eventually die down. However, this one seems to just hang around as though it has a life of its own. It has finally gotten to the point I have decided to address it here and now.

I am okay with Blue.

I have no problems with Blue.

I actually like Blue.

I love the Blue Man Group.

I love that Complex concert, especially "Up To The Roof."

I love songs about the colour blue

Bluebird - Buffalo Springfield
Blues for Baby and Me - Elton John
Bell Bottom Blues - Derek and the Dominoes
Blue - Eiffel 65
Watergate Blues - Tom T Hall
Early Morning Blues and Greens - The Monkees
Yer Blues - The Beatles
Blue Hotel - Chris Isaac
Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain - Willie Nelson
White Freight Liner Blues - Newgrass Revival
Whoa! Baby, Everyday I Wake Up With the Blues - Tony Rice

Did I miss any?

Blue is cool and tempreature gauges prove it

I like blue collar comedy (not big on blue humor)

I was not too crazy about Blue Meanies, but they were no match for Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band...

Blue's Clues is a favorite with the wee tots...

The smurfs are all blue and they make me smile, even more so in robot chicken

I like tongue colouring sweets, mainly the blue ones

I am good with all blue, except for one small thing

This...

I Hate it, why does it exist?

It antagonises me every minute i am alive with it's happy go lucky reset

Frigging irritating creation, surely they should just disallow this from happening in the first place.

AND WHATS WITH THE MASSIVE NUMBER? YOU THINK I GET THAT?!?!

SERIOUSLY! I am putting together a computer tomorrow morning, and if this screen says hello, you may hear of nuclear war in little watford england.

I hate war, but it's the answer on these computers, where is chuck norris when you need him?

In other thoughts, I think the blue screen of death could appear in like some sort of Sci-fi film, like, maybe a second tron or something. Who knows?

We should declare war on blue screens of death because we can, lucky of bill gates to get out of the way at such a convenient time...

Have a nice-blue-screen-of-death-free-day

Kai