I think I'm getting Carpal Tunnel in my elbow.

      I know what you're thinking, what does this have to do with media?! Well. Let me explain. I got into a wreck yesterday, and have been dealing with it ever since. I was talking and said, "My rental car doesn't even come with power locks or windows." Danelle then said, "We are so spoiled." Then it hit me, I used to be ecstatic just to have a vehicle, now I'm whining because it doesn't have electronic locks and windows? I was griping about how we're too dependent on technology earlier this semester, then I do it myself without realizing it! I told my friend Sofia, "I didn't even know they still made these types of cars."
      It's amazing to me that power locks and windows are a norm for people now, when five years ago it wouldn't have been the case. People have gotten so dependent, even on a little thing like power locks and windows in a car, that it takes us by surprise when we have to put effort into rolling down a window or unlocking the doors for passengers. Has media contributed to this? What do you think? I think there is a link between the two. Even the officer's car was nicer than mine, and had electronics all inside the dashboard and there he had a laptop hooked up to all of it. I know how it all works, but it still boggles my mind when I'm in the situation and have to experience each step first hand.
      Every step of the process was done electronically. The accident information is put into a report on a computer by the officer. I can then access the information from the report online, and pay the ticket online, or anything else regarding that online. I can then reserve a rental car online, talk to a representative on the phone with a number I found online, and then go in person to pick up the car. I even found the best guy to fix it online. Reviews online helped with that. All of this was done via media and technology. I think I have 3 papers from the accident, the rest is electronic.

http://www.mojopages.com/biz/motorsports-auto-body/garland/tx/75042/39717967

That is the link to the best auto body shop I have ever come in contact with. Amazing owner.

Screaming Lights

      While driving down the road tonight, I was looking on both sides of it. I realized that there are so many places here I have yet to discover, and things I want to do. I love to find new places to shop, little mom and pop stores, and little companies. The problem is, everything is buried behind everything else. There are only a number of stores, restaurants, cafes, and shops that line the streets. Shopping centers are buried behind other shopping centers, and more shopping centers. There is so much cement that I cannot see it all.

      I noticed that is the big difference between a smaller town like Lubbock, Texas, and the Dallas, Texas area. Buildings and places in Lubbock are spaced out, easy to see, and mostly easy to find. Here in Dallas it is a maze of buildings and logos. I honestly, would hate to live in New York. I love media so much, but there gets a point for me where too much becomes noise and nothing but noise. I love the variety of new places here to experience, but I feel like I can't find them all on the same medium, so I have to look different places.

       For instance, is every business in the phone book yellow pages? The answer is no, trust me. After searching the entire yellow pages for a certain business, I go to the internet. Limited information is there, and definitely not much of it for mom and pop places.

      This lead me to thinking that smaller businesses need a bigger role in the social media and media worlds in general. Perhaps if they had a few tweaks to their Web site, a nicer Facebook page, more publicity somehow, that they could still compete with bigger businesses. So many small businesses do not have any kind of advertising. If someone sees Jimmy Johns, they just say, "Knock Knock, Jimmy Johns!" People know who that is, for the most part. I think businesses should invest in media, especially catchy jingles. There is nothing worse than getting a jingle in your head and it sticking there all day. However, it does stay with you when the subject arises!

       So, the bottom line about my babbling is this: I think smaller businesses should invest more in new media and social media, and there should be an easier way to figure out what all there is to do in a town with so much noise. There are so many advertisements on buildings shooting out at people when they drive by, it doesn't give the ones buried behind them much of a shot.

The Speed of New Media

       So, today I'm slightly bitter. Let me explain. Everyone might know a guy by the name of, oh, let's say Robert Pattinson? Yeah, that's right, the Twilight guy, Edward Cullen. Here is a picture to jog your memory:

      Ok, now that I've shown you and you remember, and have possibly fainted, let me tell you a fun fact. He was in Lubbock, Texas last night. I graduated from Texas Tech in December 2009, so apparently I left before celebrities like this started hanging out at the local bar called Cricket's. It is just hard to imagine he was actually there, a place I have eaten at and drank at many times. It's almost surreal.

      Media has done this to us. It has made the super speed of information through wires and satellites possible. If this had happened even in the 90s, the information would not have spread as fast. As soon as he was spotted, you better believe that people had their cell phones and cameras pulled out. Pictures were taken, videos recorded, Facebook and Twitter statuses updated. The media took hold of the information within the hour. Of course, he is just a person like anyone else, but because of his celebrity status, he can turn a rinky-dink bar into a popular place where police are called for crowd control.  Well, let's just face it, celebrities like him don't usually just travel to places like Lubbock, Texas. And if they do, they don't go out in public. However,  'ole Rob pulled a new one on the world last night. Severely upset and bitter, I wasn't a part of it. I just wish I had a friend there to text me as soon as it happened, I would have taken a red eye flight asap. Maybe I need more friends that go to bars frequently.