Wut u doin?

It is 2009 and it seems like the topic dominating the headlines is texting. Everywhere I look I see a story about how texting is the most popular form of communication these days. There are stories about "sexting" and the dangers of texting while driving, $5000 phone bills among other things...You can't go to the mall or a public place without seeing someone walking blindly hammering their thumbs on their keypad. I wonder how often these people run into other people or walls. You'd think it would be mostly kids but it seems to be people of all ages. It seems that at any given time with a large group of people, more than 50% are looking at their phones or crackberries.

It is amazing how quickly we become slaves to our addictions of convenience. If you want to communicate one thought almost instantly to someone not close enough to hear you, texting is the way to go. It has almost replaced my phone conversations altogether. It blows my mind how I'd rather have a text marathon of 100 texts as opposed to a 5 minute conversation. I think the biggest reason is that texting allows you to multitask and do other things while you are communicating with someone. I can clean my room, I can cook dinner, do laundry without having to carry on a full conversation. Texting involves about one thought every 2-3 minutes. If you can't string together one relevant thought at that frequency, a cellphone in any context might not be a good idea for you. Consider me one of the converted, I have the unlimited texting plan with something like 1200 combined sent and received texts on my last bill. It seems ludicrous to even comtemplate that many texts. I don't even know that many people really. I am definitely not a text zombie though, I always stop walking to text. We're all like Pavlov's dogs trained to hear that familiar sound of an incoming text. Have you ever been in a room with a bunch of people when someone gets a text? Everyone wants to look at their phone (and most people do) even if their phone makes a totally different noise when receiving a text. It is hilarious.

"Sexting" is the act of talking dirty over text and is one of the fastest growing fads these days. The story I read claimed that it is especially big with grade 7 to grade 12 kids. Texting naughty messages to each other in class is the "in" thing to do. I think most classrooms ban cell phones now, but they frowned on passing notes way back when and we still managed to do that relatively undetected. Kids will find a way to do what they want, there is very little way around that. As far as adults go it's not my cup of tea but if it appeals to you, fill your boots my friend.

If you text while driving you are just an idiot. That is what red lights are for. Smarten up and stop endangering other people on the road. Anytime I see someone swaying back and forth between the lines they invariably are texting on their phones or drunk. I imagine it is only a matter of time before I see a drunk driver drunk texting, I just hope when it happens they are not about to crash into me. I'm as capable as anyone at steering with my knees doing 130km/h while texting, yet I have to sense to know isn't a good idea.

So do us all a favor my fellow texters, practice safe texting whether it be when out in public, in your car or while "sexting" (is it just me or does that sound sketchy and gross?).

I'll finish up this entry with some quotes from the site Texts from Last Night:

(636): maybe after you take off her top her face will be hotter

(937): I sometimes forget that turkeys are alive even when its not Thanksgiving.

(979): I never said you were fat, just too fat for ME

(513): theyre just this beautiful family of functioning alcoholics. i want them to adopt me.

(850): I'm gonna die fat and alone and all they will find is pizza crusts

(773): My landlord doesn't knock anymore when he shows the apt... So i just had sex in front of a family.
(1-773): didn't stop?
(773): naw, they were rude, not me.

(505): He's the biggest piece of shit to ever exist. He's not even wearing shoes.

(319): The karaoke bar doesnt have electric avenue. Ill just have to pick another song and sing the lyrics to electric avenue

(815): I asked my mother if she peed on that chair, she said "not bad" There is no good level of pee on a chair.

Stay thirsty my friends.