- Sleep
- Drink coffee
- Write
- Read.
- Watch old episodes of Star Trek that I have watched so often that I have virtually memorized the dialogue…
Ask a foolish question…
March 21, 2024
Do not trust those who believe themselves too much
March 16, 2024
Who is the most confident person you know?
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance”)
Continue ReadingI’m not the “doubting one,” but…
March 9, 2024
Daily writing prompt
What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?
My middle name is actually Thomas. I chose to use “M Thomas” as a pen name out of respect for my father, who taught me how to write. As a professional communications writer, he was responsible for lots of public documents for the NYS DMV, including traffic safety reports, driver manuals, press releases from the Governor, all sorts of “my boss will feel the need to edit this, so I will deliberately leave behind something for him to do so as he doesn’t screw up the entire thing” document.
I may or may not have adopted this strategy in my own professional work (I certainly adopted the attitude…)
Another reason is because I had a baby brother named Thomas. He passed away before reaching five months old when I was not quite 11. It had a major impact on me as a child (and indeed as the adult and as the father I am).
I have no sons. It bothers me that I may be the last Thomas in our family. For a while, anyway.
What I am still not used to is…
March 6, 2024
What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.
“Where are you from?”
I never understood why this question might rankle some people…until I moved to Japan.
I’ve been in Japan since 1999. “Where are you from?” was one of the first questions people asked me at the time, when I was teaching in junior and senior high schools.
No problem, I thought. I’m from Upstate.
“I’m from New York.”
Nods of understanding. “Ohhh, the Big Apple.”
Uh, no. Upstate.
“New York is a state?”
🤦♂️
Aristotle had something to say about this…
March 1, 2024
Do you believe in fate/destiny?
Every choice closes off one path and opens another…
From the Thought Police files…
February 25, 2024
If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?
I would not ban any words from any language, ever. I am not a Language Nazi.
People should learn that words have power, words hurt, and words heal. People should learn when to say or write what to whom, when and where. Banning language does not prevent people from using language, and in fact simply adds to language power.
Only Nazis ban language. Think for yourself. Grow up!
Booooooring
February 22, 2024
What bores you?
What doesn’t?
OK, I guess I’ll play along…
- Boring people
- People who talk a lot but say very little
- Morning “news”
- Talk shows
- Game shows
- Most TV, to be quite honest
- Pop music. Of any era.
- Dancing
- Politicians
- Business people
- Pointless paperwork
- Activities that require no thought or skill
- Card games (seriously…sorry, I just don’t get the attraction)
- Long lists about boring things (hey!)
Daily writing = this is necessary
February 21, 2024
Coffee. Hot and keep it coming.
This is the prompt that never ends…
February 13, 2024
“I’ll take ‘Barely Surviving’ for $100, Alec.”
Easy question. Easy answer.
February 7, 2024
LIfe.
I need a break from life.
Just let me hide in a cabin in the mountains with coffee and WIFI and a laptop for writing.
That’s it.
M Thomas Apple Author Page 