GARBAGE BRAIN

trash bin

Emptying the Garbage.

I often spend the previous week thinking about what I will write for this Monday blog. I take a few notes, look up a couple of sources and let things marinate. By Saturday I have a pretty clear idea of what I will write. On Sunday I write the beginning, the end and reshape the middle. It’s kind of fun. However, during these pandemic months I am having trouble focusing. Random thoughts appear, then are carried away, only to show up in an altered state. I’m sure this situation will correct itself after I empty the garbage, so come along with me as I sort through the bins.

Clickbait
I am a sucker for Clickbait despite whatever awful things might happen to my computer as a result.  A slide show of Twenty Celebrities Who Have Aged Horribly? I’m on it! Ten Flattering Hairstyles for Older Women? Sign me up! This morning I clicked through a slide show about an octopus a family rescued who returned to the beach the next day “to thank his rescuers.” I would like to see a citation (ala Adam Ruins Everything) that an “octopus thank you” is possible.

Who can resist cat videos? My favorites this week are a cat trying to pet a bird and Ricky Gervais playing with his foster cat. Dogs make good subjects, too–especially the “guilty dog” videos.

Words and Phrases I Would Like to Eliminate From TV News
“Let’s unpack this argument.”

“That’s a good question.”

And by the way…..
“Less” does not mean “Fewer.”

“Literally” is seldom used correctly.

Television Advertisements I Can Do Without
Any ad for prescription medication (without the dire warnings, there would be no narrative at all).

Television Advertisements I Love
The Progressive Insurance ads about teaching homeowners not to act like their parents.  My favorites:  teaching men not to groan when they sit down; asking homeowners if it’s really necessary to hang a cute sign on the wall that says:  “Live, Laugh, Love.”  And finally:  “You woke up early?  Nobody cares.”

 

Have a good week and don’t forget to empty the garbage!

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About Alexis

Alexis Rankin Popik, author of Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate, is an award-winning short story writer whose work has appeared in The Berkshire Review and Potpourri Magazine. She has penned numerous articles about local history that have been published in Connecticut Explored and the University of Connecticut School of Law and The Hartford Seminary publications. A former union organizer, Popik traveled the country educating shipyard workers about health and safety and founded a labor-management health plan before turning to writing fiction full-time. She lives with her husband in New England.
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