Boredom Busters

All Aboard the Meme Express – Thursday, July 31, 2008

Today, on the last day of the month of July, we mark the end of Anti-Boredom Month.

“Boredom is the root of all evil –
the despairing refusal to be oneself. “
Soren Kierkegaard
Danish philosopher
(1813 – 1855)

“Boredom is rage spread thin.”
Paul Tillich
German theologian
(1886 – 1965)

“Boredom: the desire for desires.”
Leo Tolstoy
Russian novelist
(1828 – 1910)

Today, our Meme Express prompt is all about boredom busters.

How did you occupy yourself this month?

What did you do for fun and intrigue?

Did you visit an exciting place?

Who is the most intriguing person you know? Why?

How do you bust boredom?

You are free to use the image and quotation/s or not. See what excites your own imagination!

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. (Be sure to include a link to the Meme Express. Grab our train graphic from the sidebar for your link, if you want.)

Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

Of course, if this prompt seems to stump you, you are free to peruse the archives of the Meme Express and publish a blog post on an earlier prompt.

Wild Thing

All Aboard the Meme Express – Wednesday, July 30, 2008

On this date in 1966, the Number-One song on the Billboard music charts was “Wild Thing,” by The Troggs.

Wild Thing

Wild thing...you make my heart sing...
You make everything
Groovy.
I said wild thing...

Wild thing, I think I love you,
But I wanna know for sure.
Come on, hold me tight.
I love you

Wild thing...you make my heart sing...
You make everything
Groovy
I said wild thing...

Wild thing, I think you move me,
But I wanna know for sure.
So come on, hold me tight.

You move me.

Click here to listen to this song on YouTube.

Today, our Meme Express prompt is fairly simple:

wild thing

Perhaps you will write about the song or a memory it evokes.

Maybe you will muse upon Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are.

You might even recall Charlie’s Sheen’s character, Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn, in Major League (1989). Click here to see the most pertinent scene for this prompt.

It’s up to you!

You are free to use the image and lyrics or not. Be as wild as you want. It’s Wild Thing Day at the Meme Express.

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. (Be sure to include a link to the Meme Express. Grab our train graphic from the sidebar for your link, if you want.)

Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

Of course, if this prompt seems to stump you, you are free to peruse the archives of the Meme Express and publish a blog post on an earlier prompt.

Writer's Choice - Choose Your Weapons

All Aboard the Meme Express – Tuesday, July 29, 2008

“The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice.”
George Eliot
British Author
(1819 – 1880)

Life is all about choices. Today, the Meme Express offers a Writer’s Choice. Post whatever you like today.

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. (Be sure to include a link to the Meme Express. Grab our train graphic from the sidebar for your link, if you want.)

Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

You are free to use the image and quote. . . or not. After all, it’s your choice today!

Of course, if this prompt seems to stump you, you are free to peruse the archives of the Meme Express and publish a blog post on an earlier prompt.

Garfield

All Aboard the Meme Express – Monday, July 28, 2008

Happy Birthday to Jim Davis, creator of Garfield. American cartoonist Davis (Garfield) was born on July 28, 1945.

Today, the Meme Express prompt is all about Garfield, the lasagna-loving, Monday-morning-hating, sarcastic feline.

As you create your own blog post, you might choose to reflect on your favorite comic strip. Or you might write about Garfield, his owner Jon Arbuckle and Odie the dog.

Do you love Garfield . . . . or not?

Did you know . . . the Garfield comic strip first appeared on June 19, 1978?

Do you have a cat? Have you ever known a cat like Garfield?

Do you love cats . . . or not?

What’s your favorite lasagna recipe?

Do you like naps as much as Garfield does?

How about writing a film review of the Garfield movie?
(Here's how. Click here to read "How to Write a Movie Review.")

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. (Be sure to include a link to the Meme Express. Grab our train graphic from the sidebar for your link, if you want.)

Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

You are free to use the images and quote. . . or not.

Of course, if this prompt seems to stump you, you are free to peruse the archives of the Meme Express and publish a blog post on an earlier prompt.

Parents Day

All Aboard the Meme Express – Sunday, July 27, 2008

Today is Parents Day, a holiday devoted to honoring mothers and fathers everywhere. Marking this occasion, the Meme Express prompt is all about parents.

What special memories do you have of your own parents?

How about posting a tribute to a parent?

Why not recount a humorous anecdote from your own childhood?

Are you a parent?

Want to tell a funny story about your parenting experience?

Got any helpful advice for parents-to-be?

Would you like to share a funny family photo or two?

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. (Be sure to include a link to the Meme Express. Grab our train graphic from the sidebar for your link, if you want.)

Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

You are free to use the images . . . or not. Make your entry your own! Have fun with it.

Of course, if this prompt seems to stump you, you are free to peruse the archives of the Meme Express and publish a blog post on an earlier prompt.

Seasons or Seasoning

All Aboard the Meme Express – Saturday, July 25, 2008

“Variety's the very spice of life,
that gives it all its flavour.”
William Cowper
British poet
(1731 – 1800)

Here’s the Meme Express prompt for today:

seasons

or

seasoning

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. (Be sure to include a link to the Meme Express. Grab our train graphic from the sidebar for your link, if you want.)

Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

You are free to use any or all of the images and the quote. . . or not. Pepper your article with your own flavoring.

Of course, if this prompt seems to stump you, you are free to peruse the archives of the Meme Express and publish a blog post on an earlier prompt.

Book Bug

All Aboard the Meme Express – Friday, July 25, 2008

Grab a book, and head for the beach! The Meme Express prompt for today is all about the book bug!

What is the book bug? Has it caught you yet?

What are you reading this summer?

How many books do you have going right now?

Have you read anything that you loved? Hated?

Have you been inspired by anything you have read lately?

What is your favorite book of all time?

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. (Be sure to include a link to the Meme Express. Grab our train graphic from the sidebar for your link, if you want.)

Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

You are free to use the images. . . or not. Let your own creativity and inspiration be your guide!

Of course, if this prompt seems to stump you, you are free to peruse the archives of the Meme Express and publish a blog post on an earlier prompt.

Popeye and Vegetables

All Aboard the Meme Express – Thursday, July 24, 2008

On July 24, 2008, Popeye the Sailor Man announced the source of his super-human strength, spinach.

The Meme Express prompt for today is all about vegetables.

What is your favorite vegetable?
What vegetables do you loathe?
Do you have any funny or unusual memories about vegetables?
How about wonderful vegetable recipes to share?
Or . . . what is the source of your own super-human strength?

"I do not like broccoli.
I haven't liked it since I was a little kid,
and my mother made me eat it.
I'm President of the United States,
and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli."
George H.W. Bush
America's 41st President

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. (Be sure to include a link to the Meme Express. Grab our train graphic from the sidebar for your link, if you want.)

Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

Use the images and quotation . . . or not. Take your pick!

Got the Point?

All Aboard the Meme Express – Tuesday, July 23, 2008

Here is the Meme Express prompt for today:

Got the point?

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. (Be sure to include a link to the Meme Express. Grab our train graphic from the sidebar for your link, if you want.)

Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

Use the image. . . or not. You are sharp enough to take this in any direction you like! Just pick up your quill . . . and begin writing! Or grab your camera and point it at something that intrigues you.

Do Manners Matter?

All Aboard the Meme Express – Monday, July 21, 2008

Poster art from Hennessy Leroyle’s
Other People’s Money
Illustrated by E. O. Towne
(c1900, public domain)

Amy Vanderbilt (1908 - 1974), the maven of manners and author of Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette, was born on July 22, 1908, in New York City. Vanderbilt has been noted for several pithy phrasings on politeness, including the following:

“Good manners have much to do with the emotions.
To make them ring true, one must feel them,
not merely exhibit them.”

“Do not speak of repulsive matters at table.”

"Everyone knows that a man can always marry
even if he reaches 102, is penniless,
and has all his faculties gone.
There is always some woman
willing to take a chance on him."

“Parents must get across the idea that
‘I love you always,
but sometimes I do not love your behavior.’”

“One face to the world,
another at home
makes for misery.”

Our Meme Express prompt today is all about etiquette, manners, protoco, societal standards, cultural mores and proper behavior:

Do manners matter?

Is etiquette essential?

Why or why not?

Have you ever experienced embarrassment over etiquette?

What’s the worst faux-pas you have ever found?

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

Use the images, quotations and questions . . . or not. These are just thought-provokers . . . to get you started.

Moon-Walking and More

All Aboard the Meme Express – Monday, July 21, 2008

Today marks the birthday of several prominent individuals, both past and present. (Click here to find out who was born on this date.)

One birthday celebrant today is American comedian Robin Williams, who was born on July 21, 1952. Here’s an oft-quoted quip from this birthday boy:

“If you can remember the sixties, you weren’t there.”

On July 21, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the surface of the moon. Armstrong said:

“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Our Meme Express prompt today is threefold. Take your pick:

Moon-Walking

Spaced Out

Taking Steps

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

Use the images and quotations. . . or not. These are just thought-provokers . . . to get you started.

"Call me."

All Aboard the Meme Express – Sunday, July 20, 2008

The Party Line
By Norman Rockwell
(1919)

Our Meme Express prompt today is:

“Call me.”

Did you just receive a phone call from a long-lost relative or friend?
Is there someone you have been meaning to call?

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

Use the image and questions . . . or not. These are just thought-provokers . . . to get you started.

Sailing

All Aboard the Meme Express – Saturday, July 19, 2008

“John Bull, The Leviathan of the Ocean”
(London: W. Holland, Dec. 12, 1798)
Public Domain

Our Meme Express prompt today is all about sailing.

See where the wind takes you!

Are you a sailor?
Do you love the open seas?
What is imPORTant to you?
Have you ever skippered a boat or ship?
What is your favorite SEASon?
Do you enjoy traveling by ocean liner?
Have you ever been on a cruise?
Are we all in the same BOAT somehow?

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

Use the image and the questions . . . or not. These are just thought-provokers . . . to get you started.

True or false?

All Aboard the Meme Express – Friday, July 18, 2008

“A liar will not be believed,
even when he speaks the truth.”
Aesop
(620 – 560 BC)

“No man has a good enough memory
to be a successful liar.”
Abraham Lincoln
(1809 – 1865)

“To thine own self be true,
and it must follow, as the night the day,
thou canst not then be false to any man.”
William Shakespeare
(1564 – 1616)

Our Meme Express prompt today is right here:

con artists
deceivers
dissemblers
fabricators
falsifiers
fibbers
frauds
liars
perjurers
prevaricators
swindlers

Take your pick! Use any or all of these synonyms . . . or others, as you address this subject.

Has someone lied to you lately?
Have you been conned?
Did you catch someone in a fib or falsehood?
Perhaps you have attempted to dissemble or deceive.

Here’s your chance to let truth shine! On the other hand, you may wish to create some fiction of your own, based on this prompt. Maybe you will make up a quiz or test, with true-or-false answers. Have fun with this one.

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

Use the image and the words . . . or not. These are just thought-provokers . . . to get you started.

Comical Kids

All Aboard the Meme Express – Thursday, July 17, 2008

Happy birthday to a comical cartoonist, Lyonel Feininger (1871 - 1956). Lyonel C. A. Feininger, German-American cartoonist (The Kin-der-Kids and Wee Willie Winkie's World) was born on July 17, 1871.

Recognizing this birthdate in toon history, our Meme Express prompt today is all about comical kids.

Have you recently taken a vacation or other special outing with children?

What funny things have your favorite kids done or said lately?

Do you have any funny memories from your own childhood?

How about funny photos of youngsters you know and love?

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog.

Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

Use the cartoons and questions . . . or not. These are just thought-provokers . . . to get you started.

Family Reunions

All Aboard the Meme Express – Wednesday, July 16, 2008

“Important families are like potatoes.
The best parts are underground.”
Francis Bacon

“Happiness is
having a large, loving, caring,
close-knit family
in another city.”
George Burns

“Accidents will occur
in the best regulated families.”
Charles Dickens

"In every conceivable manner,
the family is link to our past,
bridge to our future.”
Alex Haley

Remember the 2006 film, Madea’s Family Reunion? (Stars included Tyler Perry, Blair Underwood, Lynn Whitfield, Maya Angelou and Cicely Tyson.)

Today, our Meme Express prompt is all about family reunions.

Have you ever attended a family reunion?

Where was it?

Who came?

What was the best part?

What was the worst part?

Did anything unusual or funny happen?

Post your poem, story, song, photo or other entry on your blog. Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry. (Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!)

Use the photo, questions and quotation . . . or not. It’s up to you. Maybe these items will simply inspire you to write about your own family reunion, or just about your family.

Best Books

All Aboard the Meme Express – Tuesday, July 15, 2008

“There are three schoolmasters
for everybody that will employ them –
the senses, intelligent companions, and books.”

Henry Ward Beecher
American Clergyman
(1813 – 1887)

Today, our Meme Express prompt is all about bibliophiles, books, bookworms and reading.

What are you reading this summer?

What is the best book you have ever read? How many times have you read it?

What was your favorite book as a child? Why?

If you could write your own book, what would you call it?

What would it be about?

Use your imagination, and have fun with this one. Add the artwork to your post, or don’t. Include the Henry Ward Beecher quotation or not. It’s all up to you.

Post your poem, photo or other entry on your blog. Then come back here, and post a comment with a link to your own entry.

Need help making an active link? See Super-Simple Linking. Feel free to bookmark it for future reference!