Real Sex in the City

Driving to work this morning on Highway 40, I saw something- well disturbing.

I must start off by saying, in the broad sense of the term, I am a free-thinking liberal mind.
I am also not easily offended. But I am proud of my city therefore the following billboard bothered me.

"CASINOS. STRIPCLUBS.
THEN US."
24 hour Hardee's Drive Thru

And there was a large image of a hamburger.

Sick, St. Louis.

Our city is already surrounded by a slue of casino billboards, and liquor ads. This whole "drink liquor and be a big winner"- is, in my opinion, quite an oxymoron.

We are known as an alcohol city, and a quarter of our city does smell like yeast and hops.

We were also given the honor of "The Most Dangerous City In the U.S" this last year, so we are looking good.

So while we already have two termed "vices" beaming down upon our fair city- leave it to Hardees to add another two to that list.

GLUTTONY!

and drumroll.....

THE SELLING OF SEX!!!

Why Hardee's, why? Yes we have casinos. And yes, there are some dark shadows across the river where you can see women in thongs dance. But do we need it advertised on our skyline?

I would hope St. Louis could be applauded for something better than gambling, sex, and consuming over 60 grams of fat after 3:00 AM.

For a good time of gambling, strippers, liquor, crime and fastfood- look no further than the good 'ole Gateway to the West.

Dinosaur in the City

I was disappointed to learn last night that Carrie Bradshaw does not text! She may be wearing this season's handbag and the newest edition of Manolos... but being with the times does not extend to all areas.

You would think this Manhattanite with her busy professional writing career, love life, shopping trips, nights out with the girls, and time for personal upkeep- that this would be the profile of a texter. But no.

She admits in the movie that she is neither privy to they ways of texting, nor managing her own website, (not to mention blocking emails from a certain "someone." )

Carrie Bradshaw= NY's last single dinosaur?

Perhaps her "over 40" status is the culprit? Did she miss the SMS window?

Now Samantha on the otherhand, is, as SITC fans know, wise in the ways of the bedroom, and now seemingly in the new media world. Equipped with her iPhone, she works wirelessly, jetsetting from LA to the Big Apple, managing her tanned model boyfriend. She is a walking, talking business- and an endorser the new technology.

"Meanwhile in lower Manhattan," Carrie admits she does not know how to use the iPhone...

and therefor I have concluded that she most likely has dial-up.

Holy Bunches of Oats!

My city is being infiltrated by Honey Bunches of Oats.

There are people on nearly every downtown street corner wearing Honey Bunches of Oats garb and passing out mini boxes of cereal to each passerby. They are adorned in silly hats and always yelling something about honey, or bunches, or oats. I even saw one on an overpass this morning closer to my house...is this even safe?

Ok, so you may say- well this is not new. But I did find one way their tactic was new-
Honey Bunches of Oats segways.

Yes segways.

What is the one thing that could make these tactic more cheesy- they are parading around in segways. I guess they really are "trying to feed America."

After trying a couple pieces, would I buy them? No.
And is there now more litter about the streets? Yes.

But hopefully the St. Louis bums are getting their daily allowance of iron and fiber.

Yawn, I am exhausted with Facebook

I am sick and tired of hearing about/ talking about/ applauding Facebook.

One day in college, I begrudgingly signed up for an account. I was a puppet to my friends who all swore by it and they basically moved my fingers about the keyboard signing me up- for what would change my life forever- in what way- TBD.

I will admit, like the first time trying a drug- I was nervous...nervous about my safety, my health, my world being affected by this big monster that was Facebook. It was unchartered territory and it was also known as the gateway drug to Myspace- the heroin of the social networking world.

With a .edu email address, a few "favorite movies" and a pic- I was a Facebooker- whether I liked it or not.

Deep breaths.

I will admit, it felt good at first, I was receiving and making friend requests, left and right. I was feeling pretty good shopping my friends' lists (the peer pressurers) and finding that I too knew all these people. You get some superficial feeling of popularity as your friends first fill up one page, then soon after are filling up 10. Wow. Then you can select and display your top friends and put them out there for the whole world to see!

TOP FRIENDS-This was a lot of power.

This was also a lot of power that sounded more appetizing than homework.

Procrastination took on a new form over campuses nationwide- without a doubt. Peering in dormrooms, that signature blue box could be seen on many a computer screens.

Everyone seemed to be succumbing to the drug that was Facebook.

S0 here I am now, six years later.

I have been through my "Facebook" time. I had my fill and am full, and exhausted of it. I saw it break up relationships, I saw it form them. I think I even saw it cure cancer one day, but then I think the next, it caused it.

At the media firm where I work, we recommend Facebook accounts to some of our clients, like schools and institutions- with whom we are strategic partners. As a recovering Facebooker, I place my tongue in my cheek and force out the recommendation- because I honestly shudder when I think I am spreading the word of the devil.

So why is my account still active, live and public?

Good question.

It does, GASP, keep me in touch with a few certain people, (people I don't often text on a daily basis)... it is a great way to send and receive photos from friends as well.

Now an also latent member of Myspace, my profiles are often filled up with dumb "club opening" bulletins and nonsense. When I do log in- (once in a blue moon if not less frequently) I am reminded every time that these sites are a thing of my past- and I am reminded of how I wasted time even entering my password.

I am soon to say Goodbye Facebook, ciao per sempre.

I don't think I will miss it, as I am now LinkedIn.

Hello World

My name is Lauren and I have a confession to make.

I am a serial texter.

Thinking back, it is difficult and bizarre to remember a time when texting was not around. Just what did I do before? It sounds frightening to say, but I don't know if I could have a relationship with someone that didn't text- or didn't have unlimited texts at that!

I was walking to work the other day with some colleagues who were joking about how they text each other to charge each other money (granted the recipient opens it).

I thought...

People still pay-per-text? I have become that person that assumes that others text as often as I do. Am I alone in my texting world?

New media continues to enter our world in new ways every day it seems. Are there people that are resisting it?

Ludites?

I understand that for older people this new technology may be too much of a whirlwind for them. For those older generations that were around when color tv was invented, let's not assume they are hopping on the technology train... but as for younger people?

Am I foolish to assume that the youth all are adapting and bringing these new forms of media into their lives?

Perhaps.

Back to my confession...

With my serial texting behavior- am I dehumanizing my life? This is a fear I have in my world. Am I hearing voices less, talking less, and only improving my shorthand communication in type?

That is not who I am! As someone who "connects" with others, have I drifted and untied the ties to a real connecting world- the world full of interpersonal relationships and experiences that can't be communicated through T9?

If so, S.O.S.!!!

Maybe the world that still pays-per-text knows something that I don't. Maybe they know how to say NO to a world troubled by impersonal communication.

I need to think about this.

I will text you later with what I find.