I am happy to usher in a new age. An age of maturity. An age of financial security. An age where every man, woman and child of tech square can enjoy cool refreshment and scintillating conversation, comforted by the knowledge that their drink is subsidized by a large American corporation.

If companies can sponsor everything from half-time football shows to school curricula to national parks, why can't they sponsor GSB? We are reaping the rewards already. A new bottle opener was purchased thanks to our good friends at Preparation-H. Snacks and small pastries will be provided by the Martha Stewart company. The dog hair on the couch was cleaned because of support from Chrysler.

The cynics might say "well, these companies aren't helping us because of the goodness of their hearts. They want something". Shame on you! Shame! All they ask for in return is "product placement". You've seen it in movies - a character drinks some Coke, or swallows some Tylenol. The movie gets a little extra money and the companies get more brand name recognition. It's a win-win!

So, don't worry about floating ointment tubes in the ice bucket, the Martha clones uttering "It's a good thing", or the small Neon sedan ("Hi!") near the magazine rack. It's a win-win!

 G   I   R   L      S    C   O   U    T      B    E   N   E   F   I   T

7th floor playroom, 5:30