Okay, I want to know how I can become a Terrorist Target? I mean, if the Old MacDonald’s Petting Zoo, the Amish Country Popcorn factory, the Mule Day Parade and the Sweetwater Flea Market, just to name a few, can be designate as Terrorist Targets, and get bucks because of the designation, then I see no reason why I can’t collect my share of the Homeland Security Pie.

According to a New York Times article, the above mentioned targets are listed in the National Asset Database which is used by Homeland Security to allocate hundreds of millions of our tax dollars in the forevermore fight against the Evil Terrorist. What I want to know is, how do I get on that list? I mean, if Indiana has more targets listed than even New York or California, then how hard can it be for someone like me to get added to the list?

Qualifications, that’s what I need. Let’s see? I’m over 50. That should get me somewhere. It gets me discounts at the local store so why not a listing as a Terrorist Target? And, I’m a writer. Everyone knows those Evil Terrorists hate writers. Look how they feel about Salman Rushdie? Maybe if I wrote something nasty about Islam or fundamentalist Christians or Israel I, too, could become a Terrorist Target and get on the list.

Oh, oh, I think I’m on to something here. Maybe I could include cartoons! Get a little riot going in the vicinity of my house. Death threats. Bomb scares. That would do it for sure. New Mexico is ranked 17th on the list with 1348 Terrorist Targets. I’m sure there wouldn’t be a problem adding little old me to the list. 1348, 1349, a couple mil here or there. No biggie.

And all in all, it’s got to pay better than writing, with a lot less work to boot.

What is it with libraries all of a sudden? I mean, aren’t they suppose to be the last bastion of free expression in America? Sure, there is often a great deal of pressure put on libraries to ban books, give over details to the gov on what folks are reading, that sort of fascist crap all too common today, but when the libraries themselves begin to make weird, fascistic rules, well, ya gotta wonder.

First the Porter County, Indiana library system forbids homeless kids from taking out books and now Gwinnett County near Atlanta, Georgia has eliminated funds for Spanish language fiction! In a county where 1 in 6 of the 700,000 residents is Latino, this has, as you might imagine, upset a few folks.

According to Brett Taylor, a library board member offended by the move (thankfully, someone is) claims it was made after a number of small-minded racists, er, that is, residents of the county, complained about taxpayer money being used to buy books that, oh my the sheer horror, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS might find entertaining!

Here’s a link if you have the stomach to read it. Read their lips: No more Spanish novels

Well, I’ve heard of banning books in a library but banning folks from getting books from a library? Now that’s a curious one. But such did happen in Porter County, Indiana. Seems that library officials, annoyed over the non-return of four grand worth of books and A/V materials checked out to temporary shelter residents over the last four or five years, decided that the children of said residents could no longer check stuff out. Here’s the story from the Chicago Sun-Times if you care to read it: Library bans homeless kids from checking out books.

Now, the part of this that gives me hope for the younger generation is that a kid shamed the officials into changing their mind. According to Michael Schaub of Bookslut (by way of the GOB), library officials were dissuaded from the evil ways by 11 year old Taylor Knoblock.

Eleven-year-old Taylor Knoblock led the charge, taking his brother, Jacob, 9, and sister, Rachel, 6, and a wagon with him.

‘I read in the paper that the public library wouldn’t let kids from the homeless shelter check out books anymore,’ Taylor said. ‘I didn’t like that idea, so I started to collect books for Spring Valley to have their own library….

‘I feel sad for people that don’t have the same stuff as I do,’ said Taylor, who by early afternoon had collected about 50 books and 20 videotapes.

Sort of makes ya feel all warm and fuzzy, don’t it? Here is the follow-up story from the Sun-Times: Library yields: Homeless kids can get books.