Michael T. Miyoshi's Blog, page 15

Do Not Disturb the Android

If you are having trouble with your phone, it may not want to be disturbed.

I have just entered the 21st century and I have found it to be exciting. Imagine. Listening to books in my car. Books that I checked out from the library. Books that I checked out from the library that are stored on my phone! This century is amazing!

I know. It is strange thinking about entering the century when the century is already two decades old. One fifth of the way through. Crazy. But still, that is the ...

Self-Publishing Means Self-Promotion

In this new world where anybody can write a blog or publish a book, self-publishing means self-promotion.

I hate self-promotion. It is not that I cannot build myself up or brag on myself. I can. We all can. I just do not like to do it. I do not like to point to myself and say, “Look at how great I am.” Part of that is because I do not think I am that great. (Still trying to make it to mediocre.) And part of that is because it is much easier for me to point out my flaws than my accomplis...

I Admire Stephen King

Stephen King
(original size: 556×707)
by FlickreviewR
Licensed under CC BY 2.0

I admire Stephen King. So much so that I want to be like Stephen King. Wait. That’s not quite right. I want to write like Stephen King. No. That’s not quite right either. I want to be as successful as Stephen King. No. I guess I was right the first time. I admire Stephen King. At least in some ways.

Even though I admire Stephen King, I do not want to be like Stephen King. I do not want to write like him...

Ode to Print

I never thought it would give me so much joy
To be holding a book that others might enjoy
I finally realized the fruits of labor in my hand.
Then again I never thought that any book of mine
Would ever even have a cover or a spine
I finally realized it with print on demand.

I never understood the power of the paper
To see it all in print, The Ice Cream Caper
I never realized the heft was all it took.
But people like to read when the book is in their hand
Whether a best seller or just some book ...

Faith versus Common Sense

Contrary to what Doris (Maureen O’Hara’s character in Miracle on 34th Street) says, faith is not believing in something regardless of what common sense says.

I think it odd that the common notion about faith versus common sense is taken from a movie. Actually, I do not know whether the notion comes from the movie or the movie just voices the notion. But it does not really matter. All that matters is that the notion is not correct. At least not when it comes to faith in God.

When it comes to...

My D.B. Cooper Story

(#ad) click

It seems that everybody has a D.B. Cooper story. Or at least a theory. If you have not already guessed, so do I.

If you do not know who D.B. Cooper is, he is the proverbial one who got away. He is the one who in 1971 hijacked a Boeing 727, got $200,000 in twenty-dollar bills, jumped out with the money, and was never found again. Oh sure, somebody found some bills. Nine years after he got away. There is, of course, more to the story, but those are a few of the main facts.

I hav...

Atticus – Writing Software

Keith Ferrin, a writer friend of mine, told me about Atticus, and now I am going to tell my readers (both real and imaginary) about it.

Atticus is a piece of writing software. You can either download it onto pretty much any computer running any operating system (OS), but even if you have some OS that it does not support, you can always just use an internet browser to get access to your writing projects. It might seem a bit pricey (~$150), but it is well worth the cost. Especially since it is...

Fantasy Football Lesson

I am not somebody who thinks that there is a sign in everything, but I do believe that I can learn from anything. Including fantasy football.

Fantasy football is a fun thing to do with colleagues. We play our league just for bragging rights. Which does not mean that we are not serious about it. Quite the contrary. We like to trash talk and give each other digs about the latest win or loss. Or about the over- or under-performance of this or that player. Or about the playing or not playing...

Amidst the Christmas Mirth

As we sit amidst the Christmas mirth
Let us not forget the dear Savior’s birth
The day when God the Son was born
The day we celebrate as Christmas morn.
Though the gifts we give are not like the gold
Or the frankincense or myrrh of old
We should still give like the wise men three
Everything we have to Thee.

We know we cannot out give You
Whether our gifts are many or few.
But we can love God and love others
We can call all, our sisters and brothers
Yes, we can answer the call from You
To kee...

Saying, “Thanks”

Sometimes we just need to say, “Thank you.”

I started writing this blog post with the thought of needing a new reply to the greeting: “Have a nice day.” I used to always say, “Thanks. I will.” Which is a force of will thing. A choice. I choose to have a nice day. I will make it a nice day. The problem with that response is not the thought behind it though. The problem is that I have used it for too long.

Now, there is nothing wrong with having a set routine. We all have set routines in...