George Washington owes $300,000 in library late fees

By GottaLaff

The Father of Our Country stiffed a public library? What kind of example will this set for the kiddies? First he chops down a cherry tree, now this?

What next, we find out his teeth were his own and he hated wigs? What's happening to this great country of ours?! Say it ain't so!

Oh no. I just had a thought. The Tea Baggers. Just think of the chopped liver they'll make with this:

A New York library is pretty sure that long-deceased President George Washington owes about $300,000 in late fees.

Staff at the New York Society Library discovered papers recently that showed Washington in 1789 borrowed the 12th volume of the "Commons Debates" and a copy of "Law of Nations," yet never returned either tome.

Next thing you know, we'll see signs at Tea Tantrum rallies that say, "Washington's team didn't pay fines! Why should we?

The New York Daily News has more.

Library of Congress will acquire all Twitter messages

By GottaLaff

"The Library of Congress will acquire all public tweets", the Library of Congress publicly tweeted :

A Library spokesman later expounded on the new archive in a blog post, writing that its primary function will be to assist researchers and educators.

Well, if it's going to assist researchers...

This is a learning opportunity, said the Library spokesman, who failed to tweet his thoughts:

"I'm no Ph.D., but it boggles my mind to think what we might be able to learn about ourselves and the world around us from this wealth of data," wrote the spokesman, Matt Raymond. "And I'm certain we'll learn things that none of us now can possibly conceive."

Like teenagers filling us in on what they're about to eat? Like Jim Carrey splitting up with Jenny McCarthy?

Like Keith Olbermann yummily zapping Glenn Beck?




I guess there are some tweets that are educational.

Here comes the Big H. However:

The acquisition could pose concerns for privacy advocates, who could argue that too much private information will soon become part of the public domain.

If privacy becomes as optional as choosing to publicly tweet or Direct Message (a private, e-mailed tweet), Library, we have a problem.

50-100 library books censored by curse-cleansing vandal

By GottaLaff

Who the #!$% gives a %@#* if there are words like %#@! and $#%@! badly enough to deface the books themselves:

Maury County Library director Elizabeth Potts said dozens of books have been discovered with blue ink marks where profanities used to be, including what she referred to as an "f-word" in the "9/11 Commission Report," The Daily Herald, Columbia, Tenn., reported Tuesday.

That %@#!# 9/11 Commission. They really need to watch their language.

Employees estimated 50-100 books have been targeted by the language-cleansing vandal.

"It bothers me because nobody is holding a gun to their head making them read these books," Potts said. "If they don't like them, they should just return them."

"This person is evidently offended by these words," she said. "I'm more offended by (the suspect)."

The "suspect" must belong to the same ilk who condemns premarital sex and then realizes their daughter was knocked up by a guy named Levi.

The library is now putting up signs asking people not to cross out words in their books.

I understand the sign says something like, "WTF do you think you're doing? Put the @#$#! pens away or get the %@&*! out.

Extending Patriot Act: Under Obama, feds can still snoop library files

By GottaLaff

There are times I disagree with President Obama. This is one of them:

The Obama administration supports extending three key provisions of the Patriot Act that are due to expire at the end of the year, the Justice Department told Congress in a letter made public Tuesday.

Lawmakers and civil rights groups had been pressing the Democratic administration to say whether it wants to preserve the post-Sept. 11 law's authority to access business records, as well as monitor so-called "lone wolf" terrorists and conduct roving wiretaps.

The provision on business records was long criticized by rights groups as giving the government access to citizens' library records, and a coalition of liberal and conservative groups complained that the Patriot Act gives the government too much authority to snoop into Americans' private lives. [...]

In a letter to lawmakers, Justice Department officials said the administration supports extending the three expiring provisions of the law, although they are willing to consider additional privacy protections as long as they don't weaken the effectiveness of the law. [...]

Leahy responded with a statement saying it is important for the administration and Congress to "work together to ensure that we protect both our national security and our civil liberties."

The committee has scheduled a hearing next week on the Patriot Act. [...]

Michelle Richardson of the American Civil Liberties Union called the administration's position "a mixed bag," and said that the group hopes the next version of the Patriot Act will have important safeguards on other issues, particularly the collecting of international communications, and a specific bar on surveillance of protected First Amendment activities like peaceful protests or religious assembly.

"We're heartened they're saying they're willing to work with Congress," Richardson said, adding that is "definitely a sea change from what we've seen in the past."

Maybe this won't be quite as bad as it sounds. Maybe.

Illinois Obama license plate sales break record

I think it's pretty cool that they've raiser over $70k for state libraries.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Special Illinois license plates featuring Barack Obama have set a record, and officials expect sales to keep going strong.

Illinois sold more than 1,800 of the Obama license plates during a 60-day period this spring. The secretary of state's office says the previous record was 800 plates featuring the Illinois Police Association.

The plates were official but temporary. They've expired now, but the state is still selling them solely as memorabilia.

A spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White says the $50 plates are now attracting buyers from around the country and as far away as Germany.

If you want one, you can get them here.