http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=541 The NewsBiscuit Community en-US Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:09:25 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/search.php http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=541#post-1474 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:19:44 +0000 sleeprun 1474@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ <p>"We first noticed this propensity in our research on Twitter, where 89% of the pictures tweeted from the British Isles contained sheep in otherwise empty pastures. The remainder of the pictures were of empty pints on extreme close-ups of sidewalks outside pubs. We expected those."</p> <p>"No we do not think this is a fetish of some kind. However, as Bostonians we don't think anything is a fetish, except The Lives of the Saints."</p> <p>"The composition of these pictures is distinctive. In 60%, of the 89%, the sheep are grazing, facing away from the photographer. In the remainder the sheep are facing the photographer. Typically, there is a lone tree in the picture as well. Often a hedge or fence. Never any people. We've been told that's very British." </p> <p>"Obsession is such a psychiatric term, we prefer to describe this as 'sheep-appreciative.' This likely something tribal, totemic. Although a totem pole of sheep probably wouldn't work. Of course, a Stonehedge of sheep seems doable." </p> <p>The Danish embassy, vigorously protested the findings saying (translated)"We like sheep a lot too!" However, a similar analysis found cows and haystacks in the Danish Twitpics. </p> <p>The Australians were contacted by this reporter for comment but since they were on the beach sand got in their smartphones so they could not reply. An unscientific sample of my new Australian hitchhiker friend yielded: "Sheep? Sure! If it can go on the barbie, it's a national icon!" </p>