Marketing to two different groups

2944-46 Sheridan Avenue
Originally uploaded by Dream Operator

Living in St. Louis City for 4 years now I have come across the expected suburban dwellers reaction and arguments against living in the city and I normally take the high road focusing on the positives of the city instead of pointing out the inherent deficiencies of a suburban environment.

I realize that I can't win them all but I have been faced with a unique challenge in my discussions with lifelong city residents. I owe them a lot of respect for sticking it out and maintaining their places their neighborhoods in the face of such turmoil but to me its seems like some have lost that twinkle in their eye that if they were not so stubborn or if they had the economic incentive they would move out to so and so because of ...

The normal logical process does always get through as they have forlorn reasoning for something more visceral, a discongruence from the city that is today wishing for a more nostalgic past.

I love our historic and built structures but I would greatly miss the diversity that comes with modern life and something that is akin to a modern city today.

I believe that there has to be a better way of bringing together old and new residents through community building I just haven't discovered the ideal solution yet.

Why I Am Wary of Business and Religion Mixing

What Would Jesus Tow?
Originally uploaded by magnetbox

I understand the need to create an advertising platform full of platitudes which differentiates your business from competitors, most people I suspect understand that these companies are engaged in maximizing profits and this is just another way to generate interest in their brand.

I am not so sure about another sort of tie in which utilizes Christian symbolism or code words to promote a similar message. Locally an in the news this week US Fidelis uses prominent Christian symbolism with a halo in their logo, other companies in commercials advise “Open everyday but Sunday” used by a local store in St. Louis and I believe more famous Chick-Fil-A whose only location I am still aware of is in Brady Commons at Mizzou.

If a business owner wishes to personally adhere to a higher order in their business practices then I applaud them for it. However I find it somewhat misleading and in to advertise it as if Jesus is your CEO, more often than not this symbolism is designed to lure customers in the exact same manner as Liberty Mutual telling you “Responsibility that’s our policy” All of it is just marketing banality not designed at all to provide any superior product or service and instead may mask deeper problems within the organization.

A meeting with the Bob's

So I'm at our neighborhood meeting tonight frustratingly listening to my alderperson defending her counterparts 11th hour spending of over $400 thousand dollars, when strangely she hasn't spent a dime in 3 years. No suprise that I get the impression of scorn in how dare we as constituents question their decsions, but what really troubles me is her argument for these appropriations. "The experts tell us what is needed."

Therein lies the problem and the ever famous reference to Office Space, if for example the street divison knows which streets are in most urgent need of repairs and are ultimately responsible for the repairs why are they not appropriated the money directly to do it themselves.

Whatever passes for job justification I guess.

A visit to Oak Park

DSC_1970
Originally uploaded by RpDannan

Sorry about being so negligent in failing to post timely, promise I'll work on it.

Last weekend Sara and I were visiting some friends in Chicago and took the opportunity to visit Oak Park Il, a suburb of Chicago with proximity to the city to that of Shrewsbury or Maplewood.

Many of the homes were designed or influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright as he spent a considerable amount of time here.

Beyond the obvious that these tree lined streets held the promise for so many Americans of what they envisioned as their American Dream the real takeaway was to protect that which should be protect and allow development where it should be developed.

I'm still not sold on superblocking and anything other than true organic development and I have yet to see a successful outcome otherwise.

Ok I get it

Missouri (pronounced with an E) has a serious urban versus rural divide which has stymied cooperation and growth in an economically depressed region. Although the state has 2 large metropolitan regions we are disproportionately governed by decisions reflecting a rural interest and a sense of us vs. them animosity that continues to plague any chance of success in the 21st century.

Missouri is long overdue for a serious conversation what are the root causes of this animosity and how can we bridge the gap between operating as a two state system. Time is running precariously thin as we are already starting to see glimpses of how our society will be shaped by the future and just now realizing our current structure is to costly and to inefficient to continue in its present form.

People will continue to migrate to where jobs are located, this trend has negatively been affecting rural regions for some time and will continue to accelerate as metropolitan regions further increase their share of growth and development. Coupled with rising energy costs, lack of available/affordable transportation, rural semi-rural areas adjacent to metropolitan regions will continue to diminish regardless how many bridges are built and roads put in.

We as Missouri's need to be honest with ourselves if we want our state to thrive. We now longer as a society need so many people involved in agricultural processes additionally what we have lost in manufacturing will not return because someone can do it as proficiently for cheaper than we can. This will not change and to fight against the tide of globalization while hanging onto fragments of outmoded idealized cultural references will diminish us all.

We should not neglect our rural regions but we need to stop spoon feeding trite notions that our politicians are so found of metastasizing. Missouri has real growth opportunities in the green economy and much of this development will occur in our rural regions coupled with new advances in biotech we can certainly become a model for other states to follow and funding must increase to those sectors that seek to develop our potential resources. Political correctness must also cease and common issues much also be pushed into the forefront to get a win win for all Missourians. A good start would be to spend some political capital on reworking the USF.

To all of Missouri's citizens who do not refer to themselves as residents of a metropolitan region I ask that you reinterpret the notion that what is good for the city is detrimental to me because inversely what is bad for the city can also be bad for you too. We need to create viable growth engines that propel our state in the 21st century and to inhibit this potential due to qualms of distribution only slices our pie in ever decreasing magnitude.

St. Patrick's Day parade this weekend

St. Patrick
Originally uploaded by RpDannan

Here in St. Louis there are two parades the big downtown St. Patrick's day parade, and then on the 17th the Hibernians do their own parade in Dogtown which is one of the traditional Irish settlements in St. Louis.

I have never been able to make the Hibernian parade because I like most people work and I am still not sure why they feel the need to have their own separate parade. Not that I am against it I think the more the merrier just curious why the division.

I also don't buy the argument that it is because it takes place in Dogtown IMHO the original Irish were mostly settled in Near north St. Louis and I don't see any parades around there probably would have a few surprised looks if there were though now.

One of my goals this year is to get to know the history of St. Louis with a focus on North St. Louis there is so much to discover and it is terribly divisive that we operate in a north south mentality.

Anyways looking forward to getting a lot more photos this weekend, not running in the race but will try next year.

Do Your Duty

I Voted
Originally uploaded by annnna.

What do you see when you picture the future of your area?

I have a hard enough time trying to visualize where I am going to hang a picture let alone dream up a master plan for the future of St. Louis. (many rest on the floor against the walls).

The funny thing is the little things are what are what really matters.

Just cleaning up litter, keeping your house exterior looking good keeping an eye out for suspicious behavior (and then reporting it) all lead to big improvements.

The only thing is that this does a lot but will still not get us over the hump we need to truly become a great city. For that we need transformational leadership, diligent leadership, accountable leadership.

Tomorrow in the City we are having primary elections an important function that many of us as citizens overlook.

If your registered few are the excuses for not participating; if you can't bother to make an appearance at your local gym, you should respectfully abstain from any future derogatory statements as to how your government functions.

We are never going to get the leaders of tomorrow if we do not elect them today. I for one I am a little tired of never getting a callback from my local officials tomorrow is my chance to remedy it.