Mistake to solution

 Sticky notes were created when a guy made a weak glue. Listerine began as a chemical to sterilize and treat wounds. A person who isn't creative will think of such things as an unwanted mistake. But if you think about any mistake the right way, it has some sort of application, maybe to a problem you weren't trying to solve.

A24 films

 I wanted to watch Everything Everywhere All At Once, but I don't trust A24. I will never watch another one of those movies unless they make a rated PG film, because that would be an American Rated R. 

Hereditary had bare breasts and a decapitation. Midsommar was an assault on my eyes. I should have left after the pie scene. Lighthouse and The Green Knight had handjobs, to put it mildly. Okay, in Lighthouse, it's a solo job, but I didn't want to see it.

That sheep movie, eew, didn't want to even know. Maybe when their multiverse movie comes out on video I'll watch it. Right now, I'm too afraid it'll have some scene where they flash someone's junk.

B movies

The first Sonic the hedgehog film cut a lot of corners. It eliminated all the extra characters and set the story on earth, getting a lot more bang for their buck. It worked enough to merit a sequel. Godzilla, likewise, spends half the film with ordinary people, a lot of times not even delving into disaster film territory, or even the main plot. Adding humor or a romance is a good way to fill time. It saves a ton of money, and still works enough to earn a profit. How can you pare down your project to its bare essentials and accomplish your goals with half the money?

Accents

 I find it hard to feel sorry for people with British accents. Even in the face of their greatest hardships and adversity, they can always have their accents to fall back upon.

Caffeine

 Although I think the poor suffer when you throw away food, I throw away caffeine without guilt. It's not really good for anyone. I dump out leftover coffee and soda. It's better than drinking it.

Sims

 I heard that Sim city was inspired by the making of Raid on Bungling Bay. I tried playing that game. Sure it resembles sim city, but all the fun appears to have happened on the developer side. It's not really fun to play.

Credit reporting

 "I'm not going to pay you until you delete this from my credit report." Well look. We never would have heard a peep from you if you hadn't seen it there. The whole purpose of credit reporting is figuring out how well someone can pay back loaned money. I personally try to avoid borrowing at all if I can help it. If you give me an ultimatum about not paying if we don't delete the report, just think about other companies, or the company you gave the ultimatum to. What if you pull this stunt every time you borrow money, not paying until you get reported?

Someone is probably going to argue with me, saying they had an unfair situation with this or that company. Well, you're the exception. A lot of calls I get are not like that.

Phone voice

 People on the web think I'm a horrible person because I'm a bill collector. What they don't know is that I'm a lot nicer on the phone than I am online. I sound a lot more caring on the phone, I do more stuff to help people than you think. I don't know these people that well, so I tell them I hope their surgery turns out well, and stuff, even though they might actually be scum, and might not merit it. I don't really know, they could be nice.

Apple spam calls

 My parents keep getting spam robo calls from Apple, allegedly. They have no apple devices at all. These people call all day and all night. 

One time I pushed a button to speak to a representative, and this creepy Indian guy said "I'm going to keep on calling, I'm going to keep on calling..." In a sing song voice. I asked why, and it got even creepier. "Because it gives me pleasure!"

Lesson about water filters

 I bought a Pur filter because my tap water looked gray. When I removed the thing at the end of the faucet, I discovered I suddenly had amazing water pressure, and a piece of metal had been blocking the flow. The thing was also rusty. It pays to replace these things once and awhile. I would have saved money just buying a replacement faucet thing.

America's myopia

 Americans spend so much time on Facebook, staring at little tiny screens, that their vision has gone bad and they can't tell what a woman is anymore. Instead of getting glasses, they bully people who say they have vision problems, and argue that their foggy vision is accurate.

Art tip

 If you wrinkle your paper trying to erase something, first of all, the paper is too thin. But you can still save it. If you get a burnisher or a bone folder or a cap of a marker or pen, carefully smooth out the wrinkles on one side, making sure the back end rests on a clean surface. Turn the paper over and smooth out the back. This should hopefully restore the paper for use again instead of being something to throw away.

Art supplies

 It turns out that those yellow binder dividers from the school supply aisle has a thicker consistency than the cheap art paper in sketchbooks that they sell in grocery stores.  It's yellow, but it holds ink and markers better than the sketchbook.

For that matter, the high quality poundage they use on all that junk you get in the mail is better than those sketchbooks. Those spaces that the bulk mailer "intentionally left blank" can be used as premium art surface.

Great song idea

 Why does $#!# fall down from the sky, every time, you walk by? Just like me, you're too clumsy, la la la

Veetle shop

 I tried calling the print shop next to Fric N Frac a few times for a job.  Or maybe it was Gemaco? Anyway, a guy with a Yiddish accent told me "We're just a veedle shop." 

Veedle shop, veedle shop of horrors, veedle shop veedle shop of terrors oh oh oh oh no

Crazy people assignments

 Assignment 613: Always wear long flowing garments and long neckties while cooking over a hot stove. It adds to the fun.

Assignment 614: Print out a checklist of locking up information, including alarm passwords, and place it somewhere easy to find when you leave on that vacation. Like, for example, on the outside of your front door.

Assignment 615: Always drive around with a full can of gasoline, propane, kerosene, paint thinner and fireworks in your trunk, especially on the fourth of July. It will be spectacular when you get rear ended.

Assignment 594: Invite everyone in the neighborhood to your house for a party...to scrub your patio furniture, dust your house, do your dishes and clean the floors. It'll be fun. No refreshments or anything, just them, cleaning your house.

Assignment 595: Whenever you drive somewhere, and you know for a fact that a street should cut through to a certain area, but instead you get lost, make note of that street. Take a special trip to that particular intersection with a bullhorn, condemning it in the name of God for not going in the direction you want it to. Declare that the entire street will be cast down into hell for misdirecting you, even if there are people living there, and employees working in a McDonald's on the corner.

Assignment 596: Adding short and curlies to anything makes it sell better.

Assignment 597: Gather all your family heirlooms and valuables together in one place and urinate all over them.

Assignment 598: When driving, make sure you avoid hitting children. Instead aim for their toys, crunching their little dolls, sports equipment and remote control cars beneath your wheels.

Assignment 599: Produce a line of lingerie that has storage pockets for cookies, muffins and Twinkies.

One thing I suspect

 I am now seriously wondering about something: When scammers are unable to successfully hack your account, do they get revenge by reporting you to the Facebook police? It would make a lot of sense, explaining why the flagged post is inoffensive, and why Facebook is hesitant to explain. The scammer may have lied and said you were bullying them or something.

I actually have a case for my suspicion: I got placed in Facebook jail within a week of receiving an email report saying that someone tried to log into my account with the wrong password.

Blood magic

 When fictional characters cut the palm of their hand to contribute blood to a spell, that's just TV laziness. It's easier to squeeze a blood pack when it's in your palm. My friend pointed out that this would be a really painful method, and it wouldn't heal easily.

Assignments for the crazy

 Assignment 605: Get together a bunch of your most elaborate outfits, ones with medals, fancy buttons and ornate trim to a cut-rate dry cleaner. Demand perfection.

Assignment 606: Store everything in bleeding blue tissue paper. You'll thank me later.

Assignment 607: Store everything in resealable sandwich bags. For bulkier items, like winter coats, suits and dresses, cut them into sandwich sized chunks and store like you do everything else.

Assignment 608: A clever way to store large items is by taking a tarp or big piece of plastic, throw the item inside with a silica packet, and carefully lay the top sheet over it.

Assignment 609: To keep screens from rusting, brush both sides with kerosene and set on fire until dry.

Assignment 610: Make a pair of work gloves and cleaning rags from brand new cashmere sweaters.

Assignment 611: Dress up in your fanciest clothing and dig around one those places where it's spray painted green on the ground.  Bring a little picnic lunch with you and enjoy the sewage.

Assignment 612: Save money on packing materials. Pop a bunch of greasy buttered popcorn and use it to fill the boxes containing your priceless heirlooms. It also makes a great snack, no matter how long it's been in storage, or how dusty those old books and pictures were.

I've become one of those people

 Before covid, I really didn't mess with Facebook too much. At work, "those people" got in trouble for having their phone out on the call center floor. Client information and stuff can be captured on a phone's camera, so it's grounds for termination. I kept my phone in my pocket but never touched it through my shift, had it on vibrate. I'd run into the break room if someone called me.

I really didn't go on Facebook all day like some people. The temptation was there because we could use it on our computer for skip tracing, but I kept myself busy with other stuff. I brought in books, doodled in between calls, something that didn't involve client information. 

After covid, though, I had to use my phone to log into my computer, for security, so the temptation is there. What makes it worse is having nobody live to talk with except customers. I realize that I've become just as bad as those girls that sneak on Facebook when the boss isn't looking. Being in Facebook jail probably is the best thing for me and my job.

Uber and Lyft

 I used to think I wouldn't mind picking up some extra bucks by driving people around, but someone I know already thinks of me as their personal Uber, and she always tells me how to drive. It's very frustrating. I don't think I'd enjoy more people like that.

Fiends list

One thing I don't miss too much. I don't really have good friends on Facebook. I have a bunch of people who share posts that get me angry. Or annoyed. We don't talk that much in a meaningful way.

Also, I made some religious posts, and some of my so-called "friends" appear to have blocked all my posts from their feed. This one girl used to get super worried when I talked about my drafty apartment, but anymore she doesn't seem to care what I post, so I think she's just plain hid all my posts from her feed. So it's like I'm all alone and isolated with a hundred friends on my list.

I have my pastor and other people of the Christian faith on my friend list, but when a non Christian picks on me, none of them step in to say anything. They just let me get bullied online.

Another thing, worse than that: Pod people kept coming in and making spoof accounts with my friends' pictures. It gets to the point where you don't know what is real anymore.

People ghost me a lot too. I never liked that.

Furthermore, there are people on Facebook who I would like, had I not seen their political and religious viewpoints on my feed. It's like that episode on Gilligan's island where everyone can read minds and hates each other.

Facebook jail

Facebook is arbitrary about what they consider an offensive post.

 http://phantasmocheesefactory.blogspot.com/2022/04/brainstorming-prompt.html

 I posted this to a group I manage and got put on thirty day probation. No explanation. I don't know if the people who run Facebook blocked me because the MASH novel says controversial things about Jesus and they think the book is great, and censored me because of that, or misunderstood my post and thought I approved of the book. Did they think I enjoyed the racist stereotypes in the book? I don't.

Did they think I was suggesting breakage of copyright laws, possibly ones belonging to Facebook? No, but now that you mention it, circumventing copyright laws is part of brainstorming, and if you do it right, it's perfectly legal. On the topic of MASH, nobody broke copyright laws, so I am left scratching my head.

 Did I get censored for that, or was it simply because I used "war protest film" in a sentence?

 I clicked the link that said there was a problem with the site, but they stuck to their guns, determined to punish me for reasons I do not fully understand. In fact, I believe my innocent question why was considered a new violation. 

I wrote a questionable Christopher Walken quote in response to someone's post before this. If they banned me for that, I would have understood, but that was a reply to a thing about his birthday, on my feed, far away from the group post I got banned for.

Also, the post that got flagged was in a group I set up, and I'd made a few posts there about not using Facebook to stimulate creativity, you know, not joining the hive mind. That may have set them off.

 Okay, I know that Facebook is not a constitutional right. It's a luxury, it's an internet clubhouse like any other site, and they make their own rules. But this is no way to run a website. Especially one of the world's most popular.

Brainstorming prompt

Try not using Facebook for an entire month. Focus on being creative instead of following the hive mind.

Crazy People Assignments

626: If you're in Facebook jail, someone on your friend list was responsible. Go through all the names, accusing each of being a double crossing backstabber until one of them confesses.

Assignment 619: Save time on your chores by dragging that large dripping trash bag through every room of your house as you empty the cans.

Assignment 620: Violate policy on a bunch of websites so you get blocked out, then share your username and password on public websites and forums. You can remove your personal information, but where's the fun in that?

Assignment 621: Keep some "go-to" foods stocked up in your house, in the event of entertaining guests or prisoners. A box of saltines, for example, can make a great pizza if you coat it with barbecue or marinara sauce and cheese and microwave it awhile.

Assignment 622: Take care of all your errands in one drive. If your relative needs picking up at the airport around 2pm, don't worry, you can still get the pet to the veterinarian, go to the doctor appointment and attend that two hour work seminar and still pick them up at midnight from that airport lobby.

Assignment 623: Save time and effort with bookkeeping. Instead of making a list of your credit card numbers, make photocopies of the cards and fold them into origami shapes to give to random strangers.

Assignment 624: Get in on the cryptocurrency bandwagon. Print up a bunch of billfold sized copies of "Doge Shiba" memes and use them in stores for purchasing. If they don't accept it, try harder.

Assignment 603: Sort all your credit card receipts into three envelopes, marked "business," "personal," and "other." File them away somewhere where you can't find them again.

Assignment 604: Keep everything up to date by starting a new check register every time you buy something.

Brainstorming prompt

MASH began as an unfunny, very offensive novel, which later became an unfunny Vietnam war protest film, then a popular television comedy. What can you change to a new medium and give an improved spin? If you read the novel, you know what I'm talking about. The TV show was a definite improvement, getting rid of a lot of that racism and irreligious stuff. Think about what kinds of things you can improve.