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L.A.C.K. & Censoround
November 30, 2001
Bush defends policies, Harry Potter banned
President Bush defended his administrations tactics in investigating the September 11 attacks by saying that terrorists "must never again be allowed to use our freedoms against us." So he'll be taking away everyone's freedom. That'll show 'em!
Meanwhile, here's a poorly written article about Seventh Day Adventists in Australia banning J.K. Rowling, but not J.R.R. Tolkien.
[TT] Yahoo! News
[TT] Yahoo! News via LISNews.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:46:31 PM
November 29, 2001
Ulysses, CIPA, more Ashcroft
First off, a bowdlerized version of James Joyce's Ulysses has been banned by a British judge because it contains words that didn't exist when Joyce wrote it. Seriously.
The Supreme Court hears arguments for and against the Child Internet Protection Act (not the Child Online Protection Act, as the article states.) Thanks to LISNews.com for the latter two articles.
Next, it's time for a recurring bit here at L.A.C.K. since day one of this weblog, a little segment I like to call: John Ashcroft is Evil! In today's J.A.I.E., we discover criticism of the attorney general is growing, and from the right wing to boot. Meanwhile, Slate's Jacob Weisberg analyzes some of the Bush administrations security actions taken since September 11.
Finally, some site & professional news: L.A.C.K. is now a part of the alt.librarian webring, while I have joined futurelib's mailing list. Also, in addition to our special John Ashcroft section, I've collected all the Harry Potter news I've posted and put it in a section called Harry Potter Porn, after the most popular search term in my referral logs.
[TT] Yahoo! News via LISNews.com
[TT] News.com via LISNews.com
[TT] Washington Post
[TT] Slate
[EDITOR'S NOTE] The John Ashcroft and Harry Potter sections don't exist anymore.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:52:00 PM
November 28, 2001
New Library Juice issue on Ashcroft
The new Library Juice is available, with lots of good stuff about what an evil prick John Ashcroft is, as well as this story about how closely the Secret Service is watching you.
[TT] Independent Weekly via Library Juice
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:56:43 PM
November 27, 2001
Blinders on computers
From TJ comes the news that a library in a town in New Jersey may buy blinders for their internet-accessible computers.
I saw this at NewBreed Librarian and even though Bar Codes for Jesus is something completely irrelevant to this web page, I can't avoid posting it. It's miraculous! (And if you're short on bar codes for your loaves of bread and packages of frozen fish...)
[TT] Daily Record via Library Geek
[TT] via NewBreed Librarian
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:59:11 PM
November 26, 2001
Hatch on Ashcroft
You know you've crossed the line when Orrin Hatch wants you to justify yourself.
[TT] Washington Post
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:02:36 PM
November 21, 2001
Thanksgiving
It's Thanksgiving break in the U.S., so I'm going to eat a lot of cranberry-based dishes and spew chunks after watching the Detroit Lions lose. L.A.C.K. is back on Monday!
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:10:09 AM
November 20, 2001
Information problems, USA PATRIOT Act
Rising Fears That What We Do Know Can Hurt Us: a little knowledge is, of course, a dangerous thing. (You've seen this article everywhere: now read it here!)
Meanwhile, the American Library Association chimes in on the USA PATRIOT Act, which makes freedom illegal!
Meanwhile, December 15 is Library Night at the United Center. Documented librarians showing up to the Atlanta Hawks-Chicago Bulls game that night will get discounted tickets. This is because on Bulls game nights, the United Center is the quietest building in the city.
[TT] Los Angeles Times via everywhere else
[TT] ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:49:12 PM
November 19, 2001
Sorcerer's Stone box office
Box Office Alchemy: Harry Potter Turns Three Days Into a Record $93.5 Million.
[TT] Washington Post
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:51:56 PM
November 16, 2001
'Harry Potter' Day 2001
Today's the day, and to celebrate (and to hope that it doesn't suck), here's a link I found at LISNews.com to kidSPEAK, a free speech and pro-Harry Potter site for kids put up by American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression and Brigham's Ice Cream.
The always insightful SFGate.com columnist Mark Morford offers his analysis of the religious controversy over Harry Potter. (After proclaiming Tolkien to be better, of course.)
And, of course, here are some of the reviews for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:[TT] via LISNews.com
[TT] SFGate.com
[TT] Guardian Unlimited Film
[TT] via Movie Review Query Engine
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:53:58 PM
November 15, 2001
Harry Potter-related site hits
And now, a less heavy posting: As mentioned earlier this week, Harry Potter has been very, very good to the L.A.C.K. website. As of this writing, 58 people have found this while doing Harry Potter related searches. With the movie coming out tomorrow (and site readership dropping soon thereafter), I want to share this info. Then I'll stop being geeky and go back to being bookish and indignant.
Hits from variations on "anti-Harry Potter" total 32, all via Google. Depending on which variation one uses, one would find L.A.C.K. ranked between 10th & 20th on this term.
Just plain "Harry Potter" (all, strangely enough, searched upon using Netscape) delivered 14 hits. Again, the site ranking varies within the 20s range.
The following are other search terms, and the ranking at which the engines places L.A.C.K.:
Harry Potter backlash: 3rd
Harry Potter craze: 10th in one search engine, 1st in another
evil Harry Potter children stop: 8th
Harry Potter and the antichrist: 14th (this is my favorite)
Harry Potter banned stores: 5th
Harry Potter + Belfast: 5th
Harry Potter porn: 13th (2 unique hits for this one)
Harry Potter church: 12th
Ban Harry Potter: 9th
virtual Harry Potter: 15th
Harry Potter sucks: 6th
J K Rowling and criticism: 6th
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:01:13 PM
November 14, 2001
"...watch what they say, watch what they do."
Taking advantage of the country's sense of insecurity in light of the September terrorist attacks, the U.S. government is implementing a number of "security measures" that add up to a unconstitutional restriction on the rights of all Americans. The argument President Bush, Attorney General John Ashcroft, and other likeminded individuals are putting forth is that Americans must be willing to sacrifice some of their freedoms in order to have a secure homeland.
So, are you willing to have your computer taken away from you because you're looking at sites that can be construed as "anti-American?" Is my criticism of the new anti-terrorism acts making me a criminal? Is reading my criticism making you a criminal?
In his address to the nation on September 11, President Bush said the terrorists attacked the U.S. because it is "the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world." Yet we're facing the dismantling of the rights that make us free in the name of protecting our freedom. Some victory over adversity.
White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer summed up the government's attitude best: "all Americans ... need to watch what they say, watch what they do."
The new issue of Library Juice discusses the FBI's plan to tap the internet and other filtering issues.
[TT] Jamie Anderson
[TT] CNN.com
[TT] White House Presidential News & Speeches
[TT] Library Juice
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:03:41 PM
November 13, 2001
Early Sorcerer's Stone reviews
There have been nine searches on "anti-Harry Potter" that have brought people to L.A.C.K. Welcome to you all, and I hope you find what you're looking for!
Incidentally, the reviews for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone are beginning to trickle in. So far, there are raves from Ebert & Roeper and a pan from David Ansen.
[TT] Ebert & Roeper & Newsweek
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:08:40 PM
November 12, 2001
Censorship stories, Alabama evolution sticker
And now Bibliothekara Verderben Zicklein, L.A.C.K. translated into German! I mention this only because it showed up on my referral logs. Could an Italian visitor be far behind?
Library Staff Censorship Stories may prove to be an interesting website in the future, and by all means, contribute if you have a story.
Meanwhile, the National Coalition Against Censorship has a database of stories about the stifling of free speech since September 11.
There seems to be some difficulties in designing software that recognizes pornographic attachments sent via emails.
And down in Alabama, a controversial sticker on textbooks featuring the theory of evolution is not coming off any time soon.
[TT] via Library Underground
[TT] National Coalition Against Censorship
[TT] CNN.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:11:02 PM
November 9, 2001
SSSCA, anti-Harry Potter site
Lately, I've been feeling an ever-growing annoyance with Blogger (that other people seem to be sharing). Finally, when I went to post the following two stories, their server crapped out yet again. So I figured to hell with it and just redesigned the site so that it's off their server and back onto Conk's.
Stop Policeware is a good resource for information on the Security Systems Standards and Certification Act, which Declan McCullagh wrote about in an article for Wired.
Meanwhile, this anti-Harry Potter site features a brilliant graphic on the front page. It's mentioned in a great article about the Harry Potter backlash that also features what has got to be the quote of the year: "Harry Potter conditions children to think of witchcraft as harmless and even fun. That way, when the real antichrist arrives on the scene, they will be preconditioned to accept him."
[TT] via Wired
[TT] Chicago Tribune
[EDITOR'S NOTE] Blogger eventually improved, and has gotten quite good since being bought by Google. Although for a site the size of Censoround, it's still wonky when you try to republish the entire site.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:14:24 PM
November 7, 2001
Harry Potter: tool of Satan
What with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's [Philosopher's] Stone coming to theaters on November 16, it's time to take a look at all the evil Harry has spawned unto the world:
Harry Potter Banned from Toy Stores
Why: "...the toys are different because the content is sorcery and magical powers which are not part of the Christian belief."
Shalt thou read Harry Potter?
Why not: "...they do encourage people to think about different forms of spirituality."
Belfast Firm's Ban On Harry Potter
Why: "We don't want to encourage children to go down the road of the occult."
Bewitching 'Potter' Books Spells Challenge for Schools
Why: "If we are to bring the lies of the occult into the schools to deceive our children surely the word of God needs to be put on the shelves also."
US School Bans Harry Potter Books
Why: "It puts every power ahead of God and that is not our religion."
Harry Potter's Got It Wrong: Witch
Why: "Warner Bros. claims the film is an accurate portrayal of things that happen in witchcraft, yet woodcuts from the 16th and 17th centuries show broomsticks being ridden with the brush part in the front."
Of course, some good has come out of this:
Church puts faith in Harry Potter
Why: "It is very easy to compare Jesus and Harry Potter."
Except for that whole cross thing.
[TT] Internet Movie Database
[TT] Ananova
[TT] St. Petersburg Times
[TT] Irish Times
[TT] Florida Times-Union
[TT] Ananova
[TT] People
[TT] Sunday Times
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:18:16 PM
November 2, 2001
Libraries rejecting filters
More and more libraries are risking their federal aid and rejecting internet filters. Here's a good reason why.
[TT] SFGate.com
[TT] Ben Edelman
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:24:43 PM
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