A Prayer for Ukraine ~ Sunday

Dear Readers,
My weekend posts on The Bookman’s Page are typically limited to just one brief Thoughtful Quote. However, this Sunday, I thought I would share a prayer I wrote at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  As we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we need to keep in mind that the people of Ukraine need our support and prayers every day.  Featured below is my daily prayer for the people of Ukraine.

A Prayer for Ukraine

“Father in heaven, we pray fervently for the people of Ukraine. They need your protection now more than ever. We ask that the people of Ukraine may be safe, and secure and that they would know not only peace on earth but your true and unwavering peace. Help our country and the NATO countries stand against Vladimir Putin. Guide these nations to bring an end to the invasion and destruction of Ukraine.”

— Michael J. O’Leary 2022 —

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Social Point of View ~ Voting

Tuesday, November 8th, 2022

On Tuesday, November 8th, each of us who are registered voters has a right and obligation to cast our vote in the midterm elections for candidates that we believe best represent the will of the people.  It has been proven in the courts and through numerous recounts that our election process in America is secure, fair, and free of fraud.  To that end, elections should be treated with respect by honoring the results — elections represent the key to our Democracy.

President Biden recently stated in a speech regarding voting:

“Democracy itself is at stake in the upcoming election.  All Americans, regardless of party, need to meet this moment of national and generational importance. Nothing is guaranteed about democracy in America.  Every generation has had to defend it, protect it, preserve it, choose it. For that’s what democracy is. It’s a choice, a decision of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

He further added that the midterm elections will determine whether democracy will endure:

“What we’re doing now is going to determine whether democracy will long endure and… whether the American system that prizes the individual bends toward justice and depends on the rule of law, whether that system will prevail. This is the struggle we’re now in, a struggle for democracy, a struggle for decency and dignity, a struggle for prosperity and progress, a struggle for the very soul of America itself.”

President Biden also listed the fundamental values and beliefs that unite us as Americans:

First, “we believe the vote in America is sacred, to be honored, not denied; respected, not dismissed; counted, not ignored. A vote is not a partisan tool, to be counted when it helps your candidates and tossed aside when it doesn’t.”
Second, “we…stand against political violence and voter intimidation.” “We don’t settle our differences…with a riot, a mob, or a bullet, or a hammer. We settle them peacefully at the ballot box.”
Third, “we believe in democracy…. History and common sense tell us that liberty, opportunity, and justice thrive in a democracy, not in an autocracy.”

We have the power, it’s our choice, it’s our decision, the fate of the nation, the fate of the soul of America lies where it always does, with the people, in our hands, in our heart, in our ballot — so be sure to vote on Tuesday!

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Social Point of View – Censorship

Banned Books Week – Censorship

The American Library Association (ALA) condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information. Every year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles a list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. The lists are based on information from media stories and voluntary reports sent to OIF from communities across the U.S.

Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 729 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2021.  It is important to note, that because something is banned on the premise that content is considered sexually explicit, derogatory, profane, or degrading that it is true — it is simply censorship — which denies readers access to information.  Of the 1597 books that were targeted, here are the most challenged, along with the reasons cited for censoring the books:

1. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
   Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, and because it was considered to have sexually explicit images
2. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
3. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
4. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
   Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for depictions of abuse and because it was considered to be sexually explicit
5. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, violence, and because it was thought to promote an anti-police message and indoctrination of a social agenda
6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references and use of a derogatory term
7. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
   Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and degrading to women
8. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
   Reasons: Banned and challenged because it depicts child sexual abuse and was considered sexually explicit
9. This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
   Reasons: Banned, challenged, relocated, and restricted for providing sexual education and LGBTQIA+ content.
10. Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin
    Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit.

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♦ Portions of this post were excerpted from the ala website and ala graphics.

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Remembering David McCullough

I would be remiss if I did not pay tribute to one of my favorite historians, David McCullough, who died this past Sunday, August 7th, 2022 at the age of 89. He was a historian and public intellectual whose biographies of Harry Truman and John Adams won Pulitzer Prizes. His best-selling stories of American accomplishment were complemented by his work as a public television host and narrator for popular movies and documentaries, including Ken Burns’ The Civil War.

For writers of nonfiction, there are subjects, and then there are stories. McCullough always told stories. All of his books presented a style that contained a lot of facts and subjects but was always presented in an easy-to-read conversational style — providing us with great historical stories. I have been very fortunate to have read and enjoyed the majority of his books. Listed below is a chronology of David McCullough’s works, if you haven’t read any of his books, I suggest you treat yourself to some wonderful historical reading.  He simply makes history come alive.

David McCullough Books in Order of Publication

The Johnstown Flood (1968) > The story of the Johnston Flood, one of America’s greatest disasters
The Great Bridge (1972) > The epic story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge
The Path Between the Seas (1977) > The story of the creation of the Panama Canal
Mornings on Horseback (1981) > The story of Theodore Roosevelt
Truman (1992) Hardcover > A Biography
John Adams (2001) > A Biography
1776 (2005) > The story of the American Revolution, and Revolutionary War
Shineth (2010) > The story of Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Arcadia Conference
The Greater Journey (2011) > The story of famous Americans in Paris during the 19th Century
The Wright Brothers (2015) > A Biography
The American Spirit (2017) > The story of America, who we are, and what we stand for
The Pioneers (2019) > The story of the American pioneers to the Northwest Territory

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♦ Portions of this post were adapted from Wikipedia, the NPR website, and google graphics.

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Political & Social Point of View

The Big Lie!

Six Ways to Sunday is a well-known idiom. For most people, it means “in every possible way, with every alternative examined”. This idiom can be applied to the argument that the 2020 Presidential Election was stolen, rigged, or fixed.

If you were following the news after the 2020 election with each stolen/rigged claim, and with each case brought to the courts they were systematically rebuked, debunked, disproven, and dismissed — the claims were disproven — ‘Six Ways to Sunday’. The 2020 election was a free, fair, legitimate democratic election.

However, former President Trump, most Republicans on both the national and local level, and the media on the right continued to promote the Big Lie that resulted in an attack on the U.S. Capitol. (The Big Lie continues to be perpetuated today.)

The U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol has painstakingly laid out “facts” in a systematic order —  about the origins of the Big Lie; who perpetuated it; and what it led up to — a Capitol attack on January 6, inspired by Donald Trump’s false claims.

John Adams — The Nature of Facts and of Power

The House Select Committee has interviewed over 1,000 witnesses who have corroborated the “facts” behind the Big Lie and the attack on the Capitol.  History has shown, as well as proven, that facts always eventually rise to the surface.

Author, David McCullough writes in his biography of John Adams, that when John Adams was asked to defend the British soldiers involved in the Boston massacre, he eloquently said the following about facts when he addressed the jury:

“Facts are stubborn things.”… “and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictums of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”

Adams also had the following to say about men who want to cling to power or their position at all costs:

“No man has yet produced any revelation from heaven in his favor; any divine communication to govern his fellow men.  Nature throws us all into the world equal and alike…”

“The preservation of liberty depends upon the intellectual and moral character of the people.  As long as knowledge and virtue are diffused generally among the body of a nation, it is impossible they should be enslaved.”

” Ambition is one of the more ungovernable passions of the human heart.  The love of power is insatiable and uncontrollable…

“There is danger from all men.  The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger public liberty.”

In my humble opinion, we as a nation would be wise to follow the facts laid out by the Congressional Committee and the words so eloquently stated by John Adams over 200 years ago.

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♦ Portions of this post were adapted from the John Adams biography and google graphics.
MJO – 2022

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A Social Point of View – by Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker was a famed American critic, short story writer, poet, and satirist. She is revered for her wisdom and wit. Parker had a troubled childhood, but she broke the shackles of her past and gained recognition for her literary publications in The New Yorker and as the charter member of the literary ‘Algonquin Round Table’. When the circle parted ways, she moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in screenwriting. She also earned two Academy Award nominations for her prolific writing. However, her involvement in left-wing politics led her to Hollywood’s blacklist. Nevertheless, her literary works, thoughts, opinions, and writings have endured. Many of her thoughts, sayings, words, and quotes are still relevant in today’s world.  Featured below, is her reflection on fascism…

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♦ Portions of this post were excerpted from quotes from the famous person’s website.

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Words Added to the Dictionary

New Words Added to the Dictionary: Part IV

Today’s post is the final installment of new words added to the English dictionary each year. I hope you have found these words from politics, psychology, pop culture, or current slang, engaging, enlightening, and in some instances amusing.

Advancing Technology Words

1. Cryptocurrency (noun): An electronic, encrypted currency. (“It’s easy to use cryptocurrency to handle online commerce and purchases.”)
2. Cybersafety (noun): Staying safe when using the Internet. (“Practice cybersafety by never giving out personal account information or any of your passwords.”)
3. Droning (adjective, noun, verb): Using a pilotless aircraft to conduct remote military operations. (“The droning mission resulted in maximum damage with zero civilian deaths, making it a tactical success.”)
4. E-bike (noun): A bicycle with an electric motor. (“I can get to school much faster on my e-bike than on my regular bike.”)
5. E-waste (noun, second meaning): Unnecessary or low-quality electronic content. (“All the e-waste in my inbox goes straight to the spam folder.”)
6. Nomophobia (noun): The fear of being too far away from a mobile phone or mobile phone services. (“You’d think that my cousin has nomophobia since she never puts her phone down.”)
7. Screen time (noun): The amount of time a user is exposed to television, phone, tablet, or gaming device screen. (“Studies show that reducing screen time for young children leads to stronger cognitive connections later in life.”)
8. Segway (noun): Type of a two-wheeled motorized vehicle in which the driver steers while standing. (“The Segway tour would enable us to see the city in a shorter amount of time than if we walked.”)

New Insults in the 21st Century

1. Crudball (noun): An unpleasant person. (“My neighbor is being a crudball by complaining about every part of my yard.”)
2. Dorkus (noun): A foolish or clumsy person. (“You look like a dorkus when you dance like that!”)
3. Jerkweed (noun): An obnoxious person. (“Stop teasing me; you’re such a jerkweed!”)
4. Jerkface (noun): An irritating person. (“I hope my annoying coworker doesn’t come to the party. He can be a jerkface in social situations.”)
5. Noob (noun): An inexperienced beginner. Originally from online and gaming contexts, short for “newbie.” (“Don’t act like a noob at this meeting; I want people to think we’re professional.”)
6. Schmucko (noun): A stupid person. (“I have a question but I’m afraid I’ll look like a schmucko for not knowing the answer.”)
7. Snowflake: A person who expects to be treated as if their needs are unique and special. Often synonymous with oversensitive. (“That show is funny, not offensive. Don’t be such a snowflake.”)
8. Weak sauce (adjective): Pathetic, bad. Opposite of awesomesauce. (“That throw was weak sauce! Try to make it into the end zone!”)

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♦ Portions of this post were excerpted from reference your dictionary website and google graphics.

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Additional Words Added to the Dictionary

New Words Added to the Dictionary: Part III

This is my third installment of new words added to the English dictionary each year.  As I have previously mentioned, these words came from politics, psychology, pop culture, or current slang.  In today’s post, I want to share some additional words that have been recently added over the last couple of years.  As always, I hope that you will find these words educational, interesting, and amusing.

Current Pop Culture Words

1. Bechdel test (noun): Evaluates a movie or show’s representation of women based on conversational criteria from the work. (“I love that movie, but it doesn’t pass the Bechdel test because the women only talk to each other about men.”)
2. EGOT (noun): Status term for a person who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award. (“John Legend is the most recent EGOT winner after he won an Emmy for ‘Jesus Christ, Superstar.’”)
3.  Jedi (adjective, noun): A skilled, religious warrior from the fictional universe of Star Wars. (“I can tell what you’re thinking, like I have Jedi mind powers.”)
4. Lightsaber (noun): A sword-like weapon with a strong beam of light from the fictional universe of Star Wars. (“Luke and Darth Vader engaged in a lightsaber duel until Luke was cornered.”)
5. MacGyver (verb): Using everyday items to create a tool that gets you out of a tricky situation. Named for Richard Dean Anderson’s character in the 1985 television show MacGyver. (“It’s okay, I MacGyvered my side window back together with duct tape and a popsicle stick.”)

Business Words and Their Meanings

1. Bicycle-sharing (adjective): Self-service rental business in which customers can rent shared bicycles for a short period of time. (“The new bicycle-sharing company has reduced local street traffic.”)
2. Cannabusiness (noun): Companies involved with the production and sale of cannabis or cannabis-related products. (“Recent marijuana legislation has made it easier to open a cannabusiness in town.”)
3. Gamification (noun): Making a low-interest activity more entertaining by adding game features such as point values, level goals, and prizes. (“The training materials included gamification options to increase participation.”)
4. Gig economy (noun): Economic activity in which jobs are completed by freelance or temporary workers. Also known as “on-demand economy” (“Knowing how to work remotely is important in today’s gig economy.”)
5. Haircut (noun): A somewhat substantial financial loss. (“We really took a haircut in the fourth quarter, but we’ll make up the deficit next year.”)
6. Mentionitis (noun): Continually mentioning a topic to the point of annoying a listener. (“Craig’s got a bad case of mentionitis when it comes to his crush on Vanessa.”)
7. Onboarding (noun): The process of bringing a new employee up to speed with a company’s norms and organization. (“When Tyler finished his onboarding, he’ll be able to take customer phone calls without a supervisor present.”)
8. Schmoozefest (noun): A professional or social event in which the goal is to make connections between people. (“The conference is going to be a huge schmoozefest where everyone networks and no one attends the seminars.”)
9. Solopreneur (noun): A person who starts and runs a business alone. Combination of solo and entrepreneur. (“Even though a solopreneur works on their own, making connections with other business owners is important.”)

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♦ Portions of this post were excerpted from reference your dictionary website and google graphics.

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More Modern Words Added to the Dictionary

New Words Added to the Dictionary: Part II

Yesterday, I shared a post concerning new words added to the English dictionary each year.  I explained that these words came from politics, psychology, pop culture, or current slang.  In today’s post, I want to share some additional words that have been recently added over the last couple of years.  As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I hope that you will find these words educational, interesting, and amusing.

Psychology Words

1. Confirmation bias (noun): One’s tendency to interpret new information to confirm their pre-existing biases and beliefs. (“Don’t let confirmation bias prevent you from reading news articles objectively.”)
2. Hoarding disorder (noun): Psychological disorder in which patients experience a compulsion to collect and keep items, and extreme distress when parting with their items. (“A person with hoarding disorder may not be able to move through their home due to the accumulation of personal possessions.”)
3. Neurodivergent (adjective): Describes a difference in mental or neurological functioning from typical or expected activity; usually used to designate a person with an autism spectrum disorder. (“A neurodivergent child may prefer watching movies with the lights on and the sound on a lower setting.”)
4. Safe space (noun): A physical or emotional place where people can exist without fear of discrimination or judgment. (“This therapy session is a safe space for you to talk about your feelings.”)
5. Savant syndrome (noun): A syndrome in which an individual with an intellectual disability or developmental delay exhibits advanced or unusual skill and/or memory. (“Savant syndrome enables Brian to make large calculations very quickly.”)

Modern Identity Words

1. Gender nonconforming (adjective): Exhibiting behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits that do not correspond with the traits typically associated with one’s assigned sex. (“I consider myself gender nonconforming because I don’t like wearing dresses or keeping my hair long.”)
2. Inclusive (adjective): An effort to include all participants, regardless of ability, gender identification, race, age, or other attributes. (“We want our workplace to be an inclusive, nondiscriminatory place.”)
3. Latin@/Latinx (noun, adjective): A person of descent from a Latin American country. Term is gender neutral, as opposed to the male “Latino” and female “Latina.” (“The candidate depends on votes from the Latinx population to stay in the lead.”)
4. Misgendered (adjective): A person who was assigned the incorrect gender at birth. (“Using the incorrect pronoun to address a misgendered person can be hurtful and offensive.”)
5. They (singular pronoun): Gender-neutral third-person singular objective pronoun. Corresponds to the subjective pronoun “them.” (“Every person should choose the book they prefer.”)
6. Zir/hir (pronoun): Gender-neutral third-person singular objective pronoun. Corresponds to the subjective pronoun “ze.” (“Have you asked Skylar about zir new house?”)

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♦ Portions of this post were excerpted from reference your dictionary website and google graphics.

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Modern Words Added to the Dictionary

New Words Added to the Dictionary: Part I

Every year, new words are added to the English dictionary. These words can come from politics, psychology, pop culture, or current slang. In today’s post, and over the next couple of days, I want to share some modern words that have been recently added to the dictionary over the past few years. I hope you will find these words as educational, interesting, and amusing as I did.

21st Century Colloquialisms

1. Angst (verb): To agonize; to fret. Usually with about, over. (“I’m angsting about that phone call.”)
2. Awesomesauce (adjective): Very good or wonderful. (“This concert is awesomesauce!”)
3. Bae (noun): Term of endearment for a boyfriend or girlfriend. (“I love you so much, bae.”)
4. Chillax (verb): To calm down and take it easy. Combination of chill and relax. (“Stop worrying about work and chillax for a minute.”)
5. Easy-breezy (adjective): Relaxed, casual, informal. (“Baking a three-ingredient cake is easy-breezy.”)
6. Inspo (noun): An item or idea that inspires someone. Short for inspiration. (“I made a fitness inspo board to motivate me to exercise.”)
7. On-brand (adjective): Typical behavior for a brand, company, or individual personality. (“That Hawaiian shirt is so on-brand for you.”)
8. Spit take (noun): A comical reaction to a comment that involves the listener spitting out their drink. (“That joke almost made me spit take!”)
9. Stan (noun, verb): An enthusiastic, sometimes obsessive, fan of a trend, celebrity, or couple. Used as a combination of stalker and fan; from Eminem’s 2000 song “Stan.” (I used to stan Bella and Edward from Twilight, but now I’m stanning Bella and Jacob.”)
10. Swellegant (adjective): Stylish and fashionable. A combination of swell and elegant. (“Wearing a tux makes you look swellegant.”)

New Political Words

1. Apology tour (noun): A series of public appearances in which a public figure apologizes for misdeeds in order to restore their public image. (“The actor recently departed on an apology tour to fan conventions and public forums.”)
2. Anti-suffragism (noun): The political movement dedicated to preventing the extension of women’s right to vote. (“A new element of misogyny involves a strong belief in anti-suffragism.”)
3. Caucus (noun, verb): A closed meeting between people in the same political party to decide who to nominate for president. (“The Iowa caucus is the first event of the presidential primary election cycle.”)
4. Chop-chop (noun, second meaning): Nigerian expression that describes political bribery and corruption, particularly when involving misappropriation of funds. (“The senator was found guilty for the massive chop-chop that involved his campaign finance violations.”)
5. Deep state (noun): The theory that a secret, interconnected government organization runs the entire political agenda. (“I think the deep state is to blame for the delay in my tax return.”)
6. Omnishambles (noun): A political situation that has been mismanaged or miscalculated, resulting in chaos. (“The new initiative proposal has turned out to be an omnishambles thanks to the press secretary’s mistakes.”)

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♦ Portions of this post were excerpted from reference your dictionary website and google graphics.

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