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Matt and I went out to the Pink Flamingo Bowl on Washington Ave. last week, and were pretty impressed with what we found:

The place is pretty cool inside, with pink flamingos of various shapes and sizes adorning the walls, the bar, and several other places throughout the place - but somehow, Joe Edwards has managed to cover his new venture with pink flamingos - the very symbol of kitsch, and at the same time avoid a kitschy environment. The place is kind of classy, but relaxed feeling, and definitely aimed at the loft residents, people working downtown, and those with the common sense to avoid the overpriced bars closer to the stadium.

There’s 12 lanes of bowling with projection tvs (usually watching cartoon network when I pass by on my way to work) and surprisingly, the price of a game is about the same as any other bowling alley in town. Of course, you can rent out the lanes for an hour at a time as well (which on the weekend, wouldn’t be a bad idea, this place is usually PACKED Friday and Saturday).

Instead of the usual bowling alley fare, they have a pretty nice selection of sandwiches, appetizers, and pizza (at a fraction of the usual grease) and a well stocked (if upscale priced) bar. In addition to a pretty nice, moderately priced beer selection, they have an ever-changing selection of cocktails, and a list of aged rums as well. Of course, for me the crowning jewel at the bar was that they carry Lucid brand Absinthe (yes, real absinthe. Yes, it’s legal now. Yes, it’s actually real, google it if you don’t believe me), served in the french style at $9 a pop - now that’s a drink I don’t mind shoveling out some change for.

In all, it’s a pretty nice place if your downtown, and don’t mind spending a bit of money (but if you don’t want to lay down too much cash, they’ve got decent prices on pitchers of all your favorite st. louis beers as well). And as much as I’m downtown, I have a feeling this is going to become a new favorite spot of mine. (Hey, if it’s too pricey, they’ve also opened a new location of The Tin Can just down the street on Locust, and who can argue with that place?)

I’ve been on Facebook for a few years now, but I just recently realized that all this time, I wasn’t part of the St. Louis, MO network - only the Webster University one.  I figured that since I’m about to graduate in May, I should probably join the St. Louis group - although perhaps in spirit, I will not be staying at Webster University come this May.

In any case, after browsing the main page for St. Louis, I came across something odd.“Yuwie - ‘Social Networking with a Twist” was posted by someone on the city’s wall. And after a terribly made, low quality video explaining how you might in some unlikely case make 50 cents a month by signing up everyone you’ve ever met (and anyone within your range online), I was LMAO.   If the url http://2url.us/2594  doesn’t seem sketchy enough, the terrible video of a guy explaining how to get 50 cents for every 1,000 page views (with income like that, Highway 61 couldn’t afford to park downtown for more than an hour) was too much. 

Sort of like running headlong into a brick wall, with a sign hung on it that says ‘break this for a penny!’  In any case, it’s sort of reassuring to know that even in this day and age, some of the people out to steal your time and money (or in this case, probably just sell your information to advertisers)  are willing to be so obvious about it, that you’re basically asking for it if you fall for the pitch.

Tonight, I had the pleasure of seeing Body Worlds 3 at the Science Center for the second time. After my first visit, during which I awkwardly tried to sketch some of the pieces (do I even refer to them as that? I guess it’s better than calling them corpses) I agreed with many of my friends in one respect - as interesting as it was, I probably wasn’t going to come back.

The first time I went, the place was crowded, photography wasn’t allowed, and although the people monitoring the exhibit repeatedly told people that they were free to move about, and that they weren’t in a line, I nonetheless received several dirty looks from people in the crowd who seemed to think that they were. On top of all that, the frat-boy idiots who entered ahead of me seemed more interested in giggling and pointing at the genitals of each person (loudly at that) than in actually looking at anything.

Why would I possibly want a second round at that? Well tonight, the Science Center hosted a special event - Body Worlds Artists Night! The admission was reduced, there were far less people meandering about the exhibit, and the good people at the Science Center encouraged all mediums to be brought and used - As I sat down (in the optional chairs they provided) to sketch out one of my favorites, the star warrior (a winking corpse with alternating bands of skin, exposed muscles, and bones) I found myself in the company of people using charcoal, pens, pencils, and even some setting up portable easels and painting. Live nude models patrolled the grounds as well, stopping and posing near the sculptures for 25 minute intervals, allowing people to compare the inner, and outer structure of the human body - not to mention the surreal spectacle of a bunch of naked people striking bizarre poses next to skinless corpses.

The best part is, that due to the success of the exhibit, the Science Center will be hosting a second Artists Night, on Tuesday February 19 from 7pm until 9pm. Tonight, I just walked in (and thanks to my art teacher, got in free) but if you want to reserve tickets ahead of time, you can here. Whether you’re a seasoned artist, a beginner, an amateur, or just someone looking for something different to do on a Tuesday night, this was a great time - although, as the last of us filed out of the building, I couldn’t help but notice how creepy that display is at night.

For all those looking for a last minute Wednesday night activity, Legacy Books and Café in the Loop is hosting a (presumably free) showing of No Volverán - The Venezuelan Revolution Now! Tonight at 7pm. After the screening, a panel (including Webster University’s resident socialist political science professor Dan Hellinger) discussion will follow.

However, for those not interested in an evening of modern socialist theory, swing by meetup.com to find out what else might be happening in the city tonight.