My Inbox Overfloweth

The inbox for my Yahoo! account has taken the aspect of the legendary Sargasso Sea, and all manner of detritus has accumulated in it. When I looked at it earlier this morning, I had amassed some 1800 emails in there, most of which were either headlines from The New York Times or ads or coupons or reminders to pay some bill or other. Little to be saved, much to be discarded.

And so, the trashing process has begun. I whittled the number of emails down to 1612 a few minutes ago, with only 15 surviving the cut. At that rate, it will take me somewhere around ten days to get it back to some kind of shape, although that shape will probably still be portly. Like owner like inbox.

The accumulation of virtual trash is one of the hazards of modern life. A series of magnets click on and off a number of times, and another piece of nothing blows up against your virtual shoes. Newsletters, offers, reports, threats, invitations, come ons, blow offs, all drift in like snowflakes until there's a great pile against the door and nobody's going anywhere until spring.

Unless, of course, you have a shovel. Then, you start shoveling.

Or maybe I'll just see you in the spring.