The Junk Drawer of Your Mind

(Originally published at Medium.com, June 6, 2013.)

You know the “junk drawer” in your home? Oh, c’mon, everybody has one – it’s generally in the kitchen, but could be the office (actually my desk has one, too) or garage. Wherever yours is, it likely contains the little odds-and-ends that come in handy and are a pain to find if they were in their rightful place. Utility scissors, scotch tape, a couple of tacks, matches, zip ties, a small hammer, batteries, rubber bands … sound familiar?

I just realized that I also create a daily “junk document.” Yep, this very article began with thought fragments on a junk document.

Do you open a new page in your word processor and just start dumping things onto it? I do. Generally first thing in the morning as I peruse news headlines, or as the coffee kicks in; but I can be half way through my day before anything of interest pops up that I’m not immediately sure where to store, expand on, or disseminate.

I may not know what I’m going to do with the information or thoughts; but they’re more than mildly interesting and too important to be fleeting. (And all of my thoughts are fleeting these days, if I don’t write them down!)

Lead by Example – Except in the News

Or … When can you call yourself a “writer”?

Lead by example, right? Argh, are we in for some bad grammar from our kids and grandkids! Quick, delete the news links from your computer!

Why? By reading what passes for journalism these days, our children are definitely getting the wrong impression – that typos and bad grammar are A-OK. How can our schools combat illiteracy with what passes for news articles every day on the Internet?

When I was a kid … oh, quit rolling your eyes. I know that’s a disdainful cliché, but it’s appropriate! BTW, while typing that sentence, the Microsoft grammar tool urged me to change “it’s” meaning “it is” – which is proper – to “its.” See what I mean?

So … when I was in school …

Facebook – A Shiny Trojan Horse

A lifestyle comment ...


I thoroughly dislike Facebook. There. I said it aloud. And I know I’m not alone. Maybe I should start a Facebook Healing Program: “Hi. My name is LinDee and I’m a recovering Facebook member.”

I can’t say I’ve ever been a Facebook fanatic. I used to be a private person and my sole purpose for joining was to connect with others on a business level. But its uses for many people are multi-level, appealing to every aspect of life. And I do mean every.

 

Have you ever visited FB’s various policy and information pages? They’re very enlightening. Right from the beginning they tell us (and we ignore the connotation): “We are building Facebook to make the world more open and transparent. …” (www.facebook.com/principles.php)

“The world” – as in governments and enforcement agencies that are supposed to protect us, yes; but the world, as in each individual, should NOT be transparent to the point of vulnerability to the mass villains!

Dishing on the Newsletter Sign-up Marketing Ploy

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Sound familiar? It’s a safe bet that you’ve encountered a similar request online at some point. To enter a contest, register for a webinar or other event, or even just to gather some research information, you often must “enter your email address” AND “you will receive our newsletter.”

I completely understand the marketing ploy behind this irritating request. But if you’re like me, chances are you already receive their newsletter, which is how you learned of the event or intriguing opportunity.

Entering your email address to validate the entry or registration is a necessary evil; and I’ll bet your next thought is, “I already receive their newsletter; if I do this I wonder if I’ll receive multiple issues?” (And you may not even want the one you currently receive).

Shock Jock Writers – Oh Yes, They Exist!

Shock-jock writers. Who are they? Think about it. We all know the name of the radio jock generally considered the epitome of the original broadcast shock-jocks. His name rhymes with “learn.” (I refuse to give him credit here – he offends me on so many levels.) If you haven’t a clue to my reference that’s OK; you’re not missing anything.

Somewhere underneath the vitriol diatribe, shock-jocks may have a valid point. But they apparently don’t feel comfortable enough with their normal personable charm (said with tongue in cheek) to attract your attention, so their agendas are punctuated with profanity and/or adjectives meant to disgust, berate, or shockingly suggest sexual exploitation.

Well, guess what? The world of authorship has its own breed of shock-jocks. What I’d like to offer is the viewpoint that if you’re a good writer, you don’t need tricks or trash-talk (fiction and erotica excluded) to make your points and gain a following.

But it’s true; but he said …

You know, I admit, off the cuff, I’m just a mediocre writer. If I don’t edit my writing several times, the original text is ripe with flaws like misplaced phrases and redundancies—similar to the news articles that are now shoved down our throats every day.

Once upon a time in a fairytale world journalists were writers of note, highly regarded for not only their style, but their writing acumen—realizing of course, most were edited prior to publication.

My morning routine is to grab a cuppa joe and check out today’s Yahoo! news. And every day I shake my head over the mediocre writing—sometimes to the point of overshadowing my interest in whatever report or rumor I’m trying to read.

Today’s pet peeve? When hurried, a writer resorts to familiar words … over, and over, and over again.