Posted in A Random Thought on February 17, 2022|
As an avid reader, and as someone who reads a lot of different series, I would like publishers to bring back the following features in books:
Just a random thought or idea for publishers to consider. What do you think?
Posted in A Random Thought, Thoughtful Quotes on April 24, 2021|
The Bookman’s Page Through The YearsAs many of you know I have been writing this blog for more than 10 years. Producing a daily blog can be difficult, however, once you begin to develop a voice, gain some confidence with your writing, topics and subjects begin to emerge. I thought it might be interesting to share my posts from this date, April 24th over the last 10 years. It appears that I did not post any essays, commentaries or book reviews on this date throughout the years. Most of the posts are just quotes, definitions, and random thoughts, but are worth considering.
April 24, 2010:
Robert B. Parker’s submission letter to a publisher. “Would you care to publish this? Sincerely, Robert B. Parker.”
And… this is why Robert Parker is my favorite author.
April 24, 2011 – Easter Sunday:
We have just completed our Lenten journey…and Jesus Christ has Risen Today! As we celebrate this day with family and friends, I think back to some of my Lenten reflections and am truly inspired by a quote of Pope Benedict XVI: “In synthesis, the Lenten journey, in which we are invited to contemplate the Mystery of the Cross, is meant to reproduce within us “the pattern of his death” (Ph 3: 10), so as to effect a deep conversion in our lives; that we may be transformed by the action of the Holy Spirit, like St. Paul on the road to Damascus; that we may firmly orient our existence according to the will of God; that we may be freed of our egoism, overcoming the instinct to dominate others and opening us to the love of Christ. The Lenten period is a favorable time to recognize our weakness and to accept, through a sincere inventory of our life, the renewing Grace of the Sacrament of Penance, and walk resolutely towards Christ.”
April 24, 2012:
Today’s Quote: “Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” – Sam Ewing
April 24, 2013:
Today’s Quote: “I am a kind of paranoid in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.” – J. D. Salinger
Today’ Word: Laborious adj. Hard-working; industrious. Marked by or requiring long, hard work. “It was a laborious project, but they still kept it under budget.”
Random Thought: Is a man full of wonder a wonderful man?
April 24, 2014:
Today’s Quote: “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”– Henry David Thoreau
Random Thought: From a procrastination standpoint, yesterday was wildly successful…
April 24, 2015:
Today’s Quote: “Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success”. – Swami Sivananda
Today’s Word: Ambiguous adj. Open to more than one interpretation: “An ambiguous reply.” Doubtful or uncertain. “Ambiguous results.”
Random Thought: I stay up late every night and realize it’s a bad idea every morning…
April 24, 2016:
Today’s Quote: “Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out of it alive.” – Elbert Hubbard
Today’s Word: Missive n. A written message; a letter. “He received a missive from his company manager.”
Random Thought: It occurred to me if you are what you eat…then I need to eat a skinny, physically fit person…
April 24, 2017:
Today’s Quote: “The only way not to think about money is to have a great deal of it.” – Edith Wharton
Today’s Word: Altruism n. Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness. (also ‘Altruistic’). “Despite his miserly demeanor, his life is driven by Altruism.” “Altruistic motives.”
Random Thought: Seriously, username or password incorrect…at least tell me which one it is…
April 24, 2018:
Today’s Quote: “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F. Kennedy
Today’s Word: Feckless adj. 1. Careless and irresponsible. “The kids were feckless during spring break.” 2. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective – unlikely to be successful. “It was a feckless attempt to make the company a success.”
Random Thought: Passwords have now become almost impossible to construct: “Sorry your password must contain a capital letter, two numbers, a symbol, an inspiring message, a spell, and a gang sign…”
April 24, 2019:
Today’s Quote: “God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say thank you?” – William Arthur Ward
Today’s Word: Diminutive adj. Extremely small in size; tiny. A very small person or thing. “Although diminutive in stature, they were a formidable opponent;” “A diminutive report.”
Random Thought: A skinny friend of mine told me yesterday at the mall, that he exercised because he really liked to eat; he thought of himself as an undercover fat guy…
April 24, 2020:
Today’s Quote: “To have passed through life and never experienced solitude is to have never known oneself. To have never known oneself is to have never known anyone.” – Joseph Krutch
April 24, 2021:
Today’s post…you are reading it my friends. It is nothing real interesting. I really did not start writing daily essays, and commentaries and social points of view until well into 2020. I may post some of those I think are my best in a future post. Thank you to everyone, who takes the time to read my thoughts, and stream-of-consciousness ramblings every day.
MJO 2021
Posted in A Random Thought on February 19, 2021|
As many of you know, I have been writing this blog for more than 10 years. For a number of years I made two separate posts one on my blog, The Bookman’s Page, and then a post on my Facebook page. About a year ago, I stopped doing dual posts and concentrated on writing my daily blog, linking it to my Facebook page, for those that might want to read my blog.
Today, I thought it might be interesting to look at what I was thinking 10 years ago, by looking at my post for February 19, 2011:
February 19, 2011
My Hundred BooksA thousand books my library
Contains;
And all are primed, it seems to me
With brains.
Mine are so few I scratch in thought
My head;
For just a hundred of the lot
I’ve read.
A hundred books, but of the best,
I can
With wisdom savour and digest
And scan.
Yet when afar from kin and kith
In nooks
Of quietness I’m happy with
Sweet books.
So as nine hundred at me stare
In vain,
My lack I’m wistfully aware
Of brain;
Yet as my leave of living ends,
With looks
Of love I view a hundred friends,
My books.
As you can see, not much has changed in ten years, I was writing about books then and now…may I continue to keep writing about what I enjoy in life…
* Content for some of this post was obtained from a previous blog posting on The Bookman’s Page.
Posted in A Random Thought, A Short Essay on December 22, 2020|
Writing is an art, and like all art, the more you practice it, the better it becomes…hopefully. I write a lot about writing because, at heart, I am a frustrated writer…maybe not so much a writer but a writing hack. I write because I read and as Stephan King once said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
Much has been written about the art of writing, numerous authors have offered their thoughts on the subject and I have blogged on several occasions about writing, ( The Craft Called Writing and Writing Style ). Today’s post offers just a few perspectives on writing from some renowned writers.
“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. ’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” ― Mark Twain
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”―
“Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.” ― William Faulkner
“A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” ― Thomas Mann
E.B. White, who has written essays and co-authored the book, The Elements of Style on the subject of writing provides the following insight for becoming a writer:
“Write in a way that comes easily and naturally to you, using words and phrases that come readily to hand. But do not assume that because you have acted naturally your product is without flaw.
The use of language begins with imitation. The infant imitates the sounds made by its parents; the child imitates first the spoken language, then the stuff of books. The imitative life continues long after the writer is secure in the language, for it is almost impossible to avoid imitating what one admires. Never imitate consciously, but do not worry about being an imitator; take pains instead to admire what is good. Then when you write in a way that comes naturally, you will echo the halloos that bear repeating.”
My sentiments on writing are stated explicitly by the late science fiction author, Octavia E. Butler:
“You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.”
I haven’t reached the better stuff yet, but I am certainly trying to be persistent…
Posted in A Random Thought, Social Points of View on December 9, 2020|
The Importance of Libraries & LibrariansLibraries are essential in a free society providing citizens access to diverse information and knowledge. In our digital age, they are needed more than ever before. If you have a library card you’ll be able to borrow a print or electronic book, use free internet service, or attend classes or activities on a variety of topics and issues. Most importantly, libraries are the places where you can expect smart and clear answers to even the most difficult questions. You can also experience knowledgeable assistance and guidance from library staff and librarians. Graphic novelist and fiction writer, Neil Gaiman perfectly describes what’s happening in digital times: “Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one.”
The internet provides everyone the opportunity to visit a library without leaving home. It’s just a matter of opening your local library’s website, to have access to search the entire collection of print and digital books. In most cases, you can borrow an ebook with just several clicks, search online informational databases as well as ask the librarian an online question — information at your fingertips.
“To build up a library is to create a life. It’s never just a random collection of books.”– Author, Carlos María Domínguez
“Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities.” – Librarian, R. David Lankes
“Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future.”– Author, Ray Bradbury
“People can lose their lives in libraries. They ought to be warned.”– Author, Saul Bellow
“Books cannot be killed by fire. People die but books never die.” — President. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Wherever you heading in life, your direction will be good if there is a library along the way.
Posted in A Random Thought, Poetry on December 8, 2020|
Last week we had our first snowfall with accumulation. Looking out the window in the early evening, I was reminded of Robert Frost’s wonderful poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Take a few minutes and listen to the reading of the poem read by voice-over artist, Peter Dickson.
Posted in A Random Thought, Social Points of View, Something To think About on November 7, 2020|
“The time to read is any time: no apparatus, (before e-books) no appointment of time and place, is necessary. It is the only art which can be practiced at any hour of the day or night, whenever the time and inclination comes, that is your time for reading; in joy or sorrow, health or illness.” ~ George Holbrook Jackson, British journalist, writer, and publisher
The older I get, the more truth I see in the statement: “So Many Books, So Little Time”. There are just so many books to explore, to learn from, to think about, and to enjoy…thank goodness.
Posted in A Random Thought, Poetry, Something To think About on October 28, 2020|
It is nearing the end of October, harvest time is complete, we now spend our time celebrating all that Mother Earth has provided to us through the spring and summer. We enjoy her bounty and look forward with anticipation to November and giving special thanks on Thanksgiving Day. One of my favorite poems that expresses this feeling of bounty and thankfulness is the poem When the Frost is on the Punkin by James Whitcomb Riley
(Keep in mind: Poetry is meant to be read aloud. Read the poem aloud, and reflect on the images that come to mind. Then, listen to the poem being read by Brian Lowry featured at the bottom of the page, while watching the images that appear on the screen. Hopefully, both experiences will convey the fall messages and mood of Riley’s poem.)
When the Frost is on the Punkin
BY JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock,
And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens,
And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best,
With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.
They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here—
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin’ of the bees;
But the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.
The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,
And the raspin’ of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn;
The stubble in the furries—kindo’ lonesome-like, but still
A-preachin’ sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;
The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover over-head!—
O, it sets my hart a-clickin’ like the tickin’ of a clock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!
Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps
Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps;
And your cider-makin’ ’s over, and your wimmern-folks is through
With their mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too! …
I don’t know how to tell it—but ef sich a thing could be
As the Angels wantin’ boardin’, and they’d call around on me—
I’d want to ’commodate ’em—all the whole-indurin’ flock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!
Listen to: When the Frost is on the Punkin ~ read by Brian Lowry
Posted in A Random Thought, Social Points of View on October 27, 2020|
Author, Robin Wall Kimmer is a mother, scientist, professor, and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. As an indigenous person of the Potawatomi Nation, she offers many insightful perspectives about gifts and gift-giving in her book, Braiding Sweetgrass. Her insights certainly made me realize that we truly have lost the meaning of giving and receiving gifts in our world today. Her words of wisdom presented below are simple as well as mystical. However, our world and culture make it difficult to put her words into practice because we are so conditioned with our approach to giving and receiving gifts. We tend to look upon gifts and gift-giving as a commodity, a transaction as opposed to the act of giving and receiving gifts not only from one another but also from our environment — the earth, the trees, the plants, the creatures, and all the elements that make up our world.
Oklahoma Tall Grass Prairie Sunrise
“A gift comes to you through no action of your own, free, having moved toward you without your beckoning. It is not a reward; you cannot earn it, or call it to you, or even deserve it. And yet it appears. Your only role is to be open-eyed and present.”
“We are showered every day with gifts, but they are not meant for us to keep. Their life is in their movement, the inhale and exhale of our shared breath. Our work and our joy is passing along the gift and to trust what we put out into the universe will always come back.”
“… the fundamental nature of gifts; they move, and their value increases with their passage. The fields made a gift of berries to us and we made a gift of them to our father. The more something is shared, the greater its value becomes.”
“Many of our ancient teachings counsel that whatever we have been given is supposed to be given away again.”
Posted in A Random Thought, Something To think About on October 22, 2020|
As an old guy, I long for the simpler times, when we didn’t have so many choices. Growing up I can remember that a hamburger was a hamburger with mustard and/or ketchup and pickles, or sometimes with a slice of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and maybe a slice of onion. Yes, I long for the simpler days.
I suppose McDonald’s’ changed the way Americans eat hamburgers; although they did start out offering just a simple burger or cheeseburger. I can remember walking up to a McDonalds’ order window (this was before there were drive-thru windows or inside ordering) and you could order a hamburger (a single patty of meat, mustard, ketchup, pickle, and onion), a bag of fries, and a small coke—total price of the order, 45¢. Those days are gone; the hamburgers today look a lot different and costs a lot more.
In today’s world, it’s hard to even recognize the lowly hamburger…its buried under mountains of sauces, vegetables, bacon, and in some cases the ever-popular guacamole. To that end, one of the fast-food chains 
has created the ultimate new burger calling it: The Most American Thickburger. This enormous creation consists of a one-third pound of Black Angus Beef, a Grilled Hot Dog split in two, a slice of American Cheese, and a layer of Lay’s Kettle Cooked Potato Chips. Seriously, they have taken several traditional American food items and turned them into a heart-attack waiting to be eaten. I know there are worse burgers out there, but this one is pretty gruesome.
I realize that in the scope of human events, it doesn’t matter how our burgers look or how they are prepared. But as for me, I still prefer just a simple burger with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and ketchup…no apologizes, I’m just an old guy longing for simpler times.
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