Matthew's Blog
Paper, Pencil, And a Cup of Coffee
I enjoy playing with my various mind-mapping software programs, my reminder lists, my calendar system and my organizational management software—all which are synchronized via the cloud between all of my devices. However, when I need my best focus (usually with goal...
Branded Hashtags
Do you see that little jet emoji at the end of the #TopGun hashtag in the photograph above? That custom emoji creates what’s called a branded hashtag, and it’s what large corporations will use to draw a little extra attention to that hashtag. I remember the first time...
Depp, Heard, LawTube, And Digital Trust Networks
This past month, I’ve watched some of the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard defamation trial on YouTube. I’ve seen enough of the testimony to form an opinion of the case, but as I believe the only meaningful opinion that counts is that of the jurors, I won’t be opining here on...
Reading Prefaces
Here’s a quote from the Preface to Fowler’s Modern English Usage (the link is to the most recent edition, with the new title Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage): The mystery remains: why has this schoolmasterly, quixotic, idiosyncratic, and somewhat...
The Dangerous “Fun” of The Writers Conferences
I love going to writers conferences. There are usually composed of a lot of smart, interesting people talking about a lot of smart interesting things. They are an intellectual playground of the highest order, and they are a high point on my yearly schedule....
One of My Reference Books
One of the books I am currently reading right now (or, more accurately, referencing) is Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest, by Ella Clark, initially published in 1953. It’s one of the books I have at home on the subject of Pacific Northwest Native American...
An Interesting Fact About Ravens
The raven is a symbol and a character (through the power of artificial intelligence and quantum computing) in the novel I’m writing. Because of this, I find myself running across interesting facts during my research on ravens. Here’s one: Did you know that a flock of...
Expanding my Writer’s Digital Platform
Over the past year and a half, I’ve blogged every day. It’s been a very good experience and it has been especially valuable in creating a daily writing and creative habit. However, in terms of expanding my digital platform as a writer, the return on investment hasn’t...
Trust is A Vector
Trust—both digital and in-real-life (IRL)—is a vector. It has both directionality and magnitude. Johnny trust Sally more than Sally trusts Johnny. The regional hospital trusts the State Health Department more than the State Health Department trusts the regional...