Twas the night before the night before Christmas... Commercial Video Killed The Air Space above Shanghai

It was the night before the night before Christmas
and all through the house
several creatures were stirring
including a flatulent mother in law
as I sat re-reading Joyce's 'Araby' in an old text book compilation of English literature that somehow stuck with Yan through all these years
Yan, sitting next to me, suddenly jumped up and exclaimed "我的天what the hell is that?"
As I peered out our fabulous 14th floor wrap around window that overlooks the exhaust choked city of Shanghai ...
I saw something that I had never seen before
Flying directly over Huashan Park was a dark mass that on one side emitted an array of flashing lights
Was it a Bird? A Plane? a UFO, yes finally they have come! but wait, no
Dasher, Dancer!, Prancer and Vixe, Not really
It's a
It's a goddamn flying television!
A floating Flatscreen, an electronic sign machine high in the sky, A video blimp
Yikes
Not only are commercial video screens installed in taxis, in front of and in elevators, on boats and buildings, bathrooms, behind counters, and everywhere else in between in this advertisement soaked city BUT
now they are, up high in the sky
Air rights for sale!
I suppose it was inevitable... but what next?
One day will we open a shower tap and bathe in a stream of video-ified water?
OK
The future is now and now again
and 'public space' in every direction is being filled in
meter by meter with advertisements
And as the video Blimp flashed 'a unidentifiable array of white smiley faces and products into the Shanghai night , I heard it exclaim
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Happy (hopefully videoless skies) 2009!