Ouch.
Silly, maybe... hypocritical, I think not. I've been on sowal.com lots of times. Usually I just check the events calendar or the for sale ads, but this time I had a story I wanted to share with the locals. I'm a storyteller. I like telling the story to my friends and family. Many people find it interesting. Of course I know that anyone can join the sowal site, but I was just saying for the record that it wasn't my intention to elicit the attention of the tabloids. However, I was one of over a hundred people there that night, not including all the passersby before they arrived and after they left. They dined and drank at many of Seaside's restaurants last weekend. Hundreds of people saw them. Many of them have returned home and are now sharing their story with their friends and family, their My Space pages, their personal blogs, their local message boards. Like it or not, having Jessica in town was news. It may or not be news of interest to you, but news nonetheless. Actually, I think it's hypocritical to ask what's the big deal only to watch the thread closely to see what the big deal actually is, and it's hypocritical to click on the thread, read through all the details, and then criticize someone for sharing those details. Oh, and while I'm at it, it's hypocritical to not want a reporter from US Weekly to get some news about Seaside and the fun some celebrities were having here because when Seaside graced the cover of Architectural Digest and Coastal Living in the last couple months, few if any reacted so strongly, pleading don't let our secret out. Of course, they and other celebrities have come here to get away, but the nature of celebrity these days is such that no matter where they go they are likely to be greeted, photographed, maybe even followed, and while we most certainly should respect their personal space, and hope that others will too, they know and often welcome the attention of fans and passersby. Would they have had such a good time that night if no one paid them any attention? No. Tony Romo was choosing the music and singing along, engaging the crowd and welcoming their attention. And since many of the comments on this thread and its sister thread on the public board have hit a nerve, I'll add, don't knock the twenty somethings crowd that was there to drink, dance, and catch a glimpse. This is a resort town, still pretty quiet and reserved, but a resort town nonetheless, so we all in someway or another rely on the tourists and locals alike to help us make a living. Most of us on these message boards and in this area are restaurant or shop owners, artists, architects, builders, or realtors. I think it would be great if more celebrities came to visit, and shop, and maybe even buy a gulf front lot and build a beautiful new home. The cellphone photo taking, blogging, tabloid gossip site surfing, generation of hipsters who actually care about what Jessica Simpson was wearing that night are the same twentysomethings that and rent, and shop, and dine, and wait tables, and work retail that help keep this place alive and well. Do we so fear tabloid publicity that we have to insult one another? Or should we maybe be thinking about how we can continue to make this an incredible place to live and work while still welcoming all who come here with the intentions of having a good time, celebrities, and regular folk alike and respect the stories they share whether we agree with them or not?
incredible.
Oh, and I'm not as well versed in the art of adding variations on smiley face to color my posts. Will try. 
but I guess you learn to read beyond them.
