OK, twenty points to whomever can tell me what happened to my template and how to fix it. Please explain it clearly, as if you're talking to someone as net-stupid as me.
Thank you.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
On Bad Decisions in TV
Why in the world would Sci Fi viewers want to watch wrestling five nights a week - in place of popular shows that get cancelled?
Why would modern single-camera sitcoms need a fucking laugh track? Seriously! Who would actually film Jeffery Tambor and John Lithgow with one camera, direct them to hold for laughs as if there's a live audience, and then digitally add the laughs later? Why, God, Why?
Why would modern single-camera sitcoms need a fucking laugh track? Seriously! Who would actually film Jeffery Tambor and John Lithgow with one camera, direct them to hold for laughs as if there's a live audience, and then digitally add the laughs later? Why, God, Why?
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
On Church and State
Amanda made a good comment and I feel I need to clarify some things from my last post ("On Faith-Based Discrimination").
Although my post focused mostly on the rights of employees at religious institutions, it was intended to deal aslo, perhaps even more so, with tax and other financial issues.
The separation of church and state is fundamental to our particular republic. Although initially it was installed to protect worshipers, it seems to protect those who choose not to worship just as much. Aside from a few extremists, I think most Americans agree that government has no business in religion and religion has no business in government. That having been said, I think that sometimes the faithful and the non-faithful use the doctrine as a device to change our laws.
As far as the First Amendment is concerned, the People (our government) recognize the valuable service churches and other ministries provide to a community. As the first American municipalities were growing, it became obvious that the church needed some help making ends meet. While operating solely on contributions, the church was trying to keep houses of worship open and running while simultaneously providing care for the poor, the hungry, the sick and the homeless. Tax exemption developed out of this need. Lawyers tended to work gratis; hospitals provided free care to clergy; many special conditions were set up to help churches and religious institutions continue providing their services.
In the 21st century, these laws, rules and exceptions remain. But here's the rub: in many cases these exceptions are being given to large, national, mutli-facted businesses and industries simply because the name on the owner's document is that of a church. Hospital chains, bookstore chains, nursing chains, publishers, funeral home chains, etc. There are churches which own a few or more of all of these services and businesses. But, while many of these businesses work on a for-profit basis, they remain under the non-profit, ministerial exception.
Here's my concern: Is the spirit of tax exemption and ministerial exception being bastardized to give unfair advantages to companies with holy names? Was the intention really meant to cover a theme park in Florida ("The Holy Land Experience")? Was it really there to help bookstores sell more Bibles, CDs, DVDs, and Precious Moments figurines (Bereans)? Was it meant to underwrite a powerful publisher which brings in over $100 million a year (Word)? Was it meant to be an umbrella to cover political action groups and lobbyists (The Christian Coalition, The Moral Majority)? Many of these institutions, while stemming initially from a single church's cadre of services have become massive, national money-makers - not to mention carrying large influence throughout the country. What is it that makes them deserve the advantage of no sales tax, no property tax and exceptions to basic civil and labor laws? That it's all in the name of God?
Even churches are, in my opinion, pushing the envelope. While the majority of chruches across America remain smaller in size and sphere of influence, there is a growing number of mega-churches springing up all over. These are massive complexes which include multiple auditoriums, gymnasiums, schools, bookstores, gift shops, coffee bars, recording studios, video editing suites and more. These are congregations that number in the thousands and even the tens of thousands. They employ a small army of bookkeepers, custodians, secretaries, ministers, musicians, artists, social-workers, etc. The largest bunch actually have multi-million dollar annual budgets. And their campuses are the size of small colleges or army bases. When does their provision stop being a community service and become a standard business service like doctors, lawyers and such? Why should Cedar Creek be able to buy their coffee tax-free while Starbucks has to add the cost? Is the coffee sold at the church really broadening the congregation's spiritual growth?
These are hard questions and the line will not be easily drawn. Nonethless, I believe it's our responsibility to manage our society carefully so these questions must be asked. The next time you hear Jars of Clay on the radio followed by Phil Collins, remember that the former's publisher gets the ASCAP return tax free while the latter's must pay all taxes. Does that really make sense?
Although my post focused mostly on the rights of employees at religious institutions, it was intended to deal aslo, perhaps even more so, with tax and other financial issues.
The separation of church and state is fundamental to our particular republic. Although initially it was installed to protect worshipers, it seems to protect those who choose not to worship just as much. Aside from a few extremists, I think most Americans agree that government has no business in religion and religion has no business in government. That having been said, I think that sometimes the faithful and the non-faithful use the doctrine as a device to change our laws.
As far as the First Amendment is concerned, the People (our government) recognize the valuable service churches and other ministries provide to a community. As the first American municipalities were growing, it became obvious that the church needed some help making ends meet. While operating solely on contributions, the church was trying to keep houses of worship open and running while simultaneously providing care for the poor, the hungry, the sick and the homeless. Tax exemption developed out of this need. Lawyers tended to work gratis; hospitals provided free care to clergy; many special conditions were set up to help churches and religious institutions continue providing their services.
In the 21st century, these laws, rules and exceptions remain. But here's the rub: in many cases these exceptions are being given to large, national, mutli-facted businesses and industries simply because the name on the owner's document is that of a church. Hospital chains, bookstore chains, nursing chains, publishers, funeral home chains, etc. There are churches which own a few or more of all of these services and businesses. But, while many of these businesses work on a for-profit basis, they remain under the non-profit, ministerial exception.
Here's my concern: Is the spirit of tax exemption and ministerial exception being bastardized to give unfair advantages to companies with holy names? Was the intention really meant to cover a theme park in Florida ("The Holy Land Experience")? Was it really there to help bookstores sell more Bibles, CDs, DVDs, and Precious Moments figurines (Bereans)? Was it meant to underwrite a powerful publisher which brings in over $100 million a year (Word)? Was it meant to be an umbrella to cover political action groups and lobbyists (The Christian Coalition, The Moral Majority)? Many of these institutions, while stemming initially from a single church's cadre of services have become massive, national money-makers - not to mention carrying large influence throughout the country. What is it that makes them deserve the advantage of no sales tax, no property tax and exceptions to basic civil and labor laws? That it's all in the name of God?
Even churches are, in my opinion, pushing the envelope. While the majority of chruches across America remain smaller in size and sphere of influence, there is a growing number of mega-churches springing up all over. These are massive complexes which include multiple auditoriums, gymnasiums, schools, bookstores, gift shops, coffee bars, recording studios, video editing suites and more. These are congregations that number in the thousands and even the tens of thousands. They employ a small army of bookkeepers, custodians, secretaries, ministers, musicians, artists, social-workers, etc. The largest bunch actually have multi-million dollar annual budgets. And their campuses are the size of small colleges or army bases. When does their provision stop being a community service and become a standard business service like doctors, lawyers and such? Why should Cedar Creek be able to buy their coffee tax-free while Starbucks has to add the cost? Is the coffee sold at the church really broadening the congregation's spiritual growth?
These are hard questions and the line will not be easily drawn. Nonethless, I believe it's our responsibility to manage our society carefully so these questions must be asked. The next time you hear Jars of Clay on the radio followed by Phil Collins, remember that the former's publisher gets the ASCAP return tax free while the latter's must pay all taxes. Does that really make sense?
Monday, October 09, 2006
On Faith-Based Discrimination
Sounds juicy, huh?
The NY Times published an article today -
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/business/09religious.html?ex=1318046400&en=52db2f8f5c943ba8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
- covering many cases over the last few years when Americans were unable to sue their employers because of the First Ammendment. Stories covered in the article include:
1) A middle-aged novice in a Catholic diocese who contracted breast cancer and was asked to leave by the Mother Superior because, "I don't think we can take care of her" - causing the novice to lose her health coverage in the process.
2) A nun who achieved the role of Chaplain at a university and then was demoted due to her gender.
3) A Methodist Minister who had served his congregation for 30 years who was forced to leave solely because he turned 70 even though his congregation fought to keep him.
4) Teachers at a religious school who are not allowed to unionize.
5) Hospital workers for one of the largest private hospital chains who are not allowed to unionize and are expected to show signs of deep faith.
All of this is legal and constantly happening due to the First Ammendment ("Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.") In particular, these businesses are protected by ministerial exception, sometimes called the church autonomy doctrine. It turns out that judges across the U. S. will not touch these cases with a ten-foot cross. There's a particualr case discussed in the article in which a judge did just that but he died 3 weeks later, opening the door for the writer of the dissenting opinion to overturn his decision.
Now, this is a delicate area. Certainly a church should be free to hire ministers who hold to the church's tenets of faith. Obviously, a Christian school teacher should be expected to be (and behave like) a Christian. But what about secretaries at the schools? What about nurses at religious, non-profit hospitals? What about (wait for it ... wait for it ...) security personnel at faith-based prisons?
In most cases that are actually brought to court, the complainant is losing a job, health benefits, and pension. In the article, these people are losing their jobs due to their age, gender, and health status. Imagine what would happen if WalMart fired a clerk because she'd blown the whistle on sexual harrassment (that was well-known throughout the store). She'd win in an instant. Every lawyer would run screaming. But that's exactly what happened to Lynette M. Petruska. She notified her superiors of a case of sexual misconduct by a senior official, resisted efforts to cover up the case, and opposed proposals to weaken the sexual harrassment policies. What's worse, when she was let go, her supervisor informed her that she was being let go solely because of her gender (she was the first female chaplain at the university) and not because of any religious doctrine.
You know that whole slippery slope thing? I hate it as an argument. Nonetheless, I do have images of an icy incline up ahead. For a long time, judges have used their discretion to decide whether a certain institution (church, school, hospital, prison) is "religious enough" to be protected under ministerial exception. Recently, those guidelines were softened allowing the entrance of tons of nominally religious universities and hospitals (Yale was a divinity school for Christ's sake!).
Do you see where we're going? Schools, hospitals and, more recently in FL, prisons that have had to abide by standard anti-discrimination laws are now possibly eligible for loosened standards. What if hospitals could fire Muslim orderlies? Or if a university could get rid of that nefarious theology professor because he doesn't hold to all the fundamental tenets of the school's faith? (Remember, we're not talking about the little Christian middle school down the road, we're possibly talking about many well-known and secular-seeming colleges and universities.)
What if the cafeteria staff at the new faith-based prison in Gainesville, FL were not allowed to be members of the union that guarantees them decent pay, hours, and benefits?
I have long been convinced that freedom of religion, the spirit of it at least, was intended to keep individuals from being persecuted for their faith. I honestly have a problem with churches and denominations (which are, let's face, international organizations - companies which traffic in hundreds of millions of dollars) being able to function completely tax-free and outside of our legal system. We always say proudly that our president is not above the law (yes, I sense the irony - I'm actually forcing down the bile right now) yet, we allow our clergy to be just that!
I hope, as our democracy keeps maturing, that we're able to get a grip on this difficult and passion-filled issue. The irony, of course, is that we'd expect the instituions of faith and morality to do right by their employees.
The NY Times published an article today -
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/business/09religious.html?ex=1318046400&en=52db2f8f5c943ba8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
- covering many cases over the last few years when Americans were unable to sue their employers because of the First Ammendment. Stories covered in the article include:
1) A middle-aged novice in a Catholic diocese who contracted breast cancer and was asked to leave by the Mother Superior because, "I don't think we can take care of her" - causing the novice to lose her health coverage in the process.
2) A nun who achieved the role of Chaplain at a university and then was demoted due to her gender.
3) A Methodist Minister who had served his congregation for 30 years who was forced to leave solely because he turned 70 even though his congregation fought to keep him.
4) Teachers at a religious school who are not allowed to unionize.
5) Hospital workers for one of the largest private hospital chains who are not allowed to unionize and are expected to show signs of deep faith.
All of this is legal and constantly happening due to the First Ammendment ("Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.") In particular, these businesses are protected by ministerial exception, sometimes called the church autonomy doctrine. It turns out that judges across the U. S. will not touch these cases with a ten-foot cross. There's a particualr case discussed in the article in which a judge did just that but he died 3 weeks later, opening the door for the writer of the dissenting opinion to overturn his decision.
Now, this is a delicate area. Certainly a church should be free to hire ministers who hold to the church's tenets of faith. Obviously, a Christian school teacher should be expected to be (and behave like) a Christian. But what about secretaries at the schools? What about nurses at religious, non-profit hospitals? What about (wait for it ... wait for it ...) security personnel at faith-based prisons?
In most cases that are actually brought to court, the complainant is losing a job, health benefits, and pension. In the article, these people are losing their jobs due to their age, gender, and health status. Imagine what would happen if WalMart fired a clerk because she'd blown the whistle on sexual harrassment (that was well-known throughout the store). She'd win in an instant. Every lawyer would run screaming. But that's exactly what happened to Lynette M. Petruska. She notified her superiors of a case of sexual misconduct by a senior official, resisted efforts to cover up the case, and opposed proposals to weaken the sexual harrassment policies. What's worse, when she was let go, her supervisor informed her that she was being let go solely because of her gender (she was the first female chaplain at the university) and not because of any religious doctrine.
You know that whole slippery slope thing? I hate it as an argument. Nonetheless, I do have images of an icy incline up ahead. For a long time, judges have used their discretion to decide whether a certain institution (church, school, hospital, prison) is "religious enough" to be protected under ministerial exception. Recently, those guidelines were softened allowing the entrance of tons of nominally religious universities and hospitals (Yale was a divinity school for Christ's sake!).
Do you see where we're going? Schools, hospitals and, more recently in FL, prisons that have had to abide by standard anti-discrimination laws are now possibly eligible for loosened standards. What if hospitals could fire Muslim orderlies? Or if a university could get rid of that nefarious theology professor because he doesn't hold to all the fundamental tenets of the school's faith? (Remember, we're not talking about the little Christian middle school down the road, we're possibly talking about many well-known and secular-seeming colleges and universities.)
What if the cafeteria staff at the new faith-based prison in Gainesville, FL were not allowed to be members of the union that guarantees them decent pay, hours, and benefits?
I have long been convinced that freedom of religion, the spirit of it at least, was intended to keep individuals from being persecuted for their faith. I honestly have a problem with churches and denominations (which are, let's face, international organizations - companies which traffic in hundreds of millions of dollars) being able to function completely tax-free and outside of our legal system. We always say proudly that our president is not above the law (yes, I sense the irony - I'm actually forcing down the bile right now) yet, we allow our clergy to be just that!
I hope, as our democracy keeps maturing, that we're able to get a grip on this difficult and passion-filled issue. The irony, of course, is that we'd expect the instituions of faith and morality to do right by their employees.
Friday, October 06, 2006
On More TV
Since I don't seem to be inspired to say anything (the Foley thing's been done to death) I thought I'd elaborate on all the television I'm watching.
Heroes: A great premise - an assorted bunch of people each discovering they're capable of something beyond normal human capacity (flying, teleporting, invincible, etc.). There's a man trying to understand them and another man trying to rid the world of them. NBC's spending a lot of money so it looks good and the cast is good enough. The dialogue is a little sophomoric, but I'm hooked enough to want to know what's going to happen.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Easily the best new show of the season. Aaron Sorkin (Sports Night, The West Wing) created it so there's lots of great characters and lots of fast-paced, witty dialogue. Basically, a SNL type show loses its long-time producer/writer so a team (Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry) that had left the show four years ago is brought back in. Wackiness ensues. Lots of fun.
Eureka: A summer show on Sci Fi - its first ten has already ended. Eureka is a company town peopled by the smartest minds in America. Nothing is normal - the local mechanic is a physicist, the school is full of over-achievers - you get the idea. The show isn't ground-breaking but it's fun enough.
Stargate SG1: The Sci Fi Channel has pulled the plug after ten years. The first ten of Season 10 have run and now we have to wait until March (!) to see the last ten. A fun show based on the movie with Kurt Russell and James Spader. This has become one of my favorites - I love it.
Stargate Atlantis: A spin-off from SG1 that began two seasons ago. A great cast, fun writing, and good production. This season in particular has been excellent.
Battlestar Galactica: Holy Shit! This ain't your father's Galactica! Easily the best show on TV right now. Great writing, great acting, great characters, great universe, huge stakes, lots of tension, great production values. It's impossible to dislike this show. The new season begins tonight!!!!!!
Bones: In it's second season. A forensics expert and a FBI agent join forces to solve crimes. It's a little more intersting than that. The crimes are good, the actors are fun. Occasionally the dialogue can get a little sappy and the soundtrack can sometimes be over-bearing, but for the most part it's a solid show that I look forward to.
Scrubs: How does NBC sleep at night? Here they have the best sticom on TV (one camera, no audience) since Arrested Development left and they do everything they can to bury it. The current season has yet to begin. Great characters and really fun writing.
How I Met Your Mother: Started watching for Alyson Hannigan. Have always liked Jason Seagel. It's a one camera show (which, for some bullshit reason NBC hobbles with a laugh track) about a man 20 years from now telling his kids how he met their mother. It's not the best TV but I like it enough to spend a half hour a week on. I'm incredibly envious of Neil Patrick Harris's carreer.
Veronica Mars: We'll be watching the premiere of season 3 today. If you haven't seen it get on it. Smart, funny, tough, well-written. A solid replacement for Buffy and Angel fans. Feels like Joss even though it isn't.
Lost: HOLY SHIT! Watched the premiere of season 3 last night. HOLY SHIT!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!
Smallville: A guilty pleasure. A genre show based on Superman's life as a teen in Smallville. Decent characters, decent writing, decent production values. So why keep coming back? Two words: Kristin Kreunk! (or, if you prefer the other, Tom Welling)
The Office: So funny! Steve Carrell is a genius. Ricky Gervais (the creator of the British version) is a genius. The whole cast and writing team are geniuses. The water cooler is a genius.
Dead Like Me: A fun show cancelled from Showtime a few years back. Quirky characters, wonderful writing. Check it out if you want something different form the normal network fare.
The 4400: Just got started. Great premise. Very promising. (After 40 years of occasional disappearances, 4400 people are suddenly deposited on the bank of a lake in Seattle with no memeroy of what's happened to them.)
Farscape: Haven't started. Very excited.
Babylon 5: Haven't started. Very excited.
The X-Files: Believe it or not, I've never seen one episode. Staring today. VERY excited.
Heroes: A great premise - an assorted bunch of people each discovering they're capable of something beyond normal human capacity (flying, teleporting, invincible, etc.). There's a man trying to understand them and another man trying to rid the world of them. NBC's spending a lot of money so it looks good and the cast is good enough. The dialogue is a little sophomoric, but I'm hooked enough to want to know what's going to happen.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Easily the best new show of the season. Aaron Sorkin (Sports Night, The West Wing) created it so there's lots of great characters and lots of fast-paced, witty dialogue. Basically, a SNL type show loses its long-time producer/writer so a team (Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry) that had left the show four years ago is brought back in. Wackiness ensues. Lots of fun.
Eureka: A summer show on Sci Fi - its first ten has already ended. Eureka is a company town peopled by the smartest minds in America. Nothing is normal - the local mechanic is a physicist, the school is full of over-achievers - you get the idea. The show isn't ground-breaking but it's fun enough.
Stargate SG1: The Sci Fi Channel has pulled the plug after ten years. The first ten of Season 10 have run and now we have to wait until March (!) to see the last ten. A fun show based on the movie with Kurt Russell and James Spader. This has become one of my favorites - I love it.
Stargate Atlantis: A spin-off from SG1 that began two seasons ago. A great cast, fun writing, and good production. This season in particular has been excellent.
Battlestar Galactica: Holy Shit! This ain't your father's Galactica! Easily the best show on TV right now. Great writing, great acting, great characters, great universe, huge stakes, lots of tension, great production values. It's impossible to dislike this show. The new season begins tonight!!!!!!
Bones: In it's second season. A forensics expert and a FBI agent join forces to solve crimes. It's a little more intersting than that. The crimes are good, the actors are fun. Occasionally the dialogue can get a little sappy and the soundtrack can sometimes be over-bearing, but for the most part it's a solid show that I look forward to.
Scrubs: How does NBC sleep at night? Here they have the best sticom on TV (one camera, no audience) since Arrested Development left and they do everything they can to bury it. The current season has yet to begin. Great characters and really fun writing.
How I Met Your Mother: Started watching for Alyson Hannigan. Have always liked Jason Seagel. It's a one camera show (which, for some bullshit reason NBC hobbles with a laugh track) about a man 20 years from now telling his kids how he met their mother. It's not the best TV but I like it enough to spend a half hour a week on. I'm incredibly envious of Neil Patrick Harris's carreer.
Veronica Mars: We'll be watching the premiere of season 3 today. If you haven't seen it get on it. Smart, funny, tough, well-written. A solid replacement for Buffy and Angel fans. Feels like Joss even though it isn't.
Lost: HOLY SHIT! Watched the premiere of season 3 last night. HOLY SHIT!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!
Smallville: A guilty pleasure. A genre show based on Superman's life as a teen in Smallville. Decent characters, decent writing, decent production values. So why keep coming back? Two words: Kristin Kreunk! (or, if you prefer the other, Tom Welling)
The Office: So funny! Steve Carrell is a genius. Ricky Gervais (the creator of the British version) is a genius. The whole cast and writing team are geniuses. The water cooler is a genius.
Dead Like Me: A fun show cancelled from Showtime a few years back. Quirky characters, wonderful writing. Check it out if you want something different form the normal network fare.
The 4400: Just got started. Great premise. Very promising. (After 40 years of occasional disappearances, 4400 people are suddenly deposited on the bank of a lake in Seattle with no memeroy of what's happened to them.)
Farscape: Haven't started. Very excited.
Babylon 5: Haven't started. Very excited.
The X-Files: Believe it or not, I've never seen one episode. Staring today. VERY excited.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
On TV
Here's the list:
New this season - Heroes, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Eureka
Continuing this season - Stargate SG1, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Gallactica, Bones, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, Veronica Mars, Lost, Smallville, The Office
On DVD - Dead Like Me, The 4400, Farscape, Babylon 5, The X-Files
Will watch again on DVD or DVR - Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Wonderfalls
Dear God!
New this season - Heroes, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Eureka
Continuing this season - Stargate SG1, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Gallactica, Bones, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, Veronica Mars, Lost, Smallville, The Office
On DVD - Dead Like Me, The 4400, Farscape, Babylon 5, The X-Files
Will watch again on DVD or DVR - Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Wonderfalls
Dear God!
On Banned Books
The American Library Association ( http://www.ala.org/ ) posts a list every year of the top 100 books that have been challenged. These books have been successfully banned in local libraries or school libraries. Here's the List:
1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
8. Forever by Judy Blume
9. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
10. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
11. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
12. My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
14. The Giver by Lois Lowry
15. It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
17. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
18. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
19. Sex by Madonna
20. Earth's Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
21. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
22. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
23. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
24. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
25. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
26. The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
27. The Witches by Roald Dahl
28. The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
29. Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
30. The Goats by Brock Cole
31. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
32. Blubber by Judy Blume
33. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
34. Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
35. We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
36. Final Exit by Derek Humphry
37. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
38. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
39. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
40. What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
42. Beloved by Toni Morrison
43. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
44. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
45. Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
46. Deenie by Judy Blume
47. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
48. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
49. The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
50. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
51. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
52. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
53. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
54. Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
55. Cujo by Stephen King
56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
57. The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
58. Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
59. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
61. What's Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
62. Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
63. Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
64. Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
65. Fade by Robert Cormier
66. Guess What? by Mem Fox
67. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
68. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
69. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
70. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
71. Native Son by Richard Wright
72. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies by Nancy Friday
73. Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
74. Jack by A.M. Homes
75. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
76. Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
77. Carrie by Stephen King
78. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
79. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
80. Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
81. Family Secrets by Norma Klein
82. Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
83. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
84. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
85. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
86. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
87. Private Parts by Howard Stern
88. Where's Waldo? by Martin Hanford
89. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
90. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
91. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
92. Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
93. Sex Education by Jenny Davis
94. The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
95. Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
96. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
97. View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
98. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
99. The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
100. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
When Thomas Jefferson left thousands of books to the Library of Congress and Ben Franklin struggled to create publically accessible stores of books in major communities, they were creating one of the great American bastions of socialist power. By allowing common people to read and remain informed, they provided the people with a staggering amount of power. In these days of neo-cons and backwardly-mobile science classes, I feel it's important to keep an eye on those books which members of our community deem unfit.
Some things to notice:
Many of these books are non-fiction and fiction coming of age lessons. With themes of sex, homosexuality, lust, violence, shame, and obesity, these books obviously capture the imagination of thousands of kids every year. Authors such as Judy Blume and Roald Dahl are villified because they treat kids with respect. They discuss their fears and worries along with sex, power, and other adult themes.
Where's Waldo made the cut because of speculation over naked people hiding in certain imags of hundreds of people.
Madonna and Howard Stern make the cut due their desire to push the boundaries of social decency and morality.
Mark Twain - one of my heroes - makes the cut twice due to his use of racial overtones and linguistics. It's hard to imagine those who have challenged these books as having actually read them.
I would wager that everyone who reads this blog has read at least a few of these books. Are witchcraft, menstruation, homosexuality, coming-of-age, sex, lust, drugs, racism, spirituality, religion, nakedness, fear, terror, etc. really that terrifying? The answer is probably yes. But should we run away from depictions of such? Or should we inspect these things? Should we embrace them, mull them around, try to make sense of them? Is it really so damaging to have characters menstruate - after all, isn't that a univeral struggle for women of every stripe?
Here's the part where I reveal how unread I actually am. Of these books I have read:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Blubber by Judy Blume, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (one of my all-time favorites), Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. I know Amanda has also read (not counting the books already listed) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Beloved by Toni Morrison, A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein, The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut.
I list these not to proove how well-read or un-read we are. My point is that we haven't killed anyone. We are not on drugs. We have no illegitimate children or aborted children in our past. We pay our taxes and contribute to society. We are socially and politically active. We do not support or condone illegal behavior. Imagine if we'd read all the books (although, I think I'll go ahead skip Where's Waldo)! We'd be killers. We'd be homosexual-racist-menstruating-anti-Christian-wicca-loving-murderous-drug-infested ne'er-do-wells. Thank God that these people challenge these books. What better way to keep people uninformed and un-thinking than to remove any thought-provoking literature from their grasp. As Hermione once told Harry:
"Oh, Harry, don't you see? If [Professor Umbridge] could have done one thing to make absolutely sure that every single person in this school will read your interview, it was banning it!"
1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
8. Forever by Judy Blume
9. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
10. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
11. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
12. My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
14. The Giver by Lois Lowry
15. It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
17. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
18. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
19. Sex by Madonna
20. Earth's Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
21. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
22. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
23. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
24. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
25. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
26. The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
27. The Witches by Roald Dahl
28. The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
29. Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
30. The Goats by Brock Cole
31. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
32. Blubber by Judy Blume
33. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
34. Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
35. We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
36. Final Exit by Derek Humphry
37. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
38. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
39. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
40. What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
42. Beloved by Toni Morrison
43. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
44. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
45. Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
46. Deenie by Judy Blume
47. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
48. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
49. The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
50. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
51. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
52. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
53. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
54. Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
55. Cujo by Stephen King
56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
57. The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
58. Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
59. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
61. What's Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
62. Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
63. Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
64. Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
65. Fade by Robert Cormier
66. Guess What? by Mem Fox
67. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
68. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
69. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
70. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
71. Native Son by Richard Wright
72. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies by Nancy Friday
73. Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
74. Jack by A.M. Homes
75. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
76. Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
77. Carrie by Stephen King
78. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
79. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
80. Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
81. Family Secrets by Norma Klein
82. Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
83. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
84. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
85. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
86. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
87. Private Parts by Howard Stern
88. Where's Waldo? by Martin Hanford
89. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
90. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
91. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
92. Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
93. Sex Education by Jenny Davis
94. The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
95. Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
96. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
97. View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
98. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
99. The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
100. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
When Thomas Jefferson left thousands of books to the Library of Congress and Ben Franklin struggled to create publically accessible stores of books in major communities, they were creating one of the great American bastions of socialist power. By allowing common people to read and remain informed, they provided the people with a staggering amount of power. In these days of neo-cons and backwardly-mobile science classes, I feel it's important to keep an eye on those books which members of our community deem unfit.
Some things to notice:
Many of these books are non-fiction and fiction coming of age lessons. With themes of sex, homosexuality, lust, violence, shame, and obesity, these books obviously capture the imagination of thousands of kids every year. Authors such as Judy Blume and Roald Dahl are villified because they treat kids with respect. They discuss their fears and worries along with sex, power, and other adult themes.
Where's Waldo made the cut because of speculation over naked people hiding in certain imags of hundreds of people.
Madonna and Howard Stern make the cut due their desire to push the boundaries of social decency and morality.
Mark Twain - one of my heroes - makes the cut twice due to his use of racial overtones and linguistics. It's hard to imagine those who have challenged these books as having actually read them.
I would wager that everyone who reads this blog has read at least a few of these books. Are witchcraft, menstruation, homosexuality, coming-of-age, sex, lust, drugs, racism, spirituality, religion, nakedness, fear, terror, etc. really that terrifying? The answer is probably yes. But should we run away from depictions of such? Or should we inspect these things? Should we embrace them, mull them around, try to make sense of them? Is it really so damaging to have characters menstruate - after all, isn't that a univeral struggle for women of every stripe?
Here's the part where I reveal how unread I actually am. Of these books I have read:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Blubber by Judy Blume, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (one of my all-time favorites), Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. I know Amanda has also read (not counting the books already listed) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Beloved by Toni Morrison, A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein, The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut.
I list these not to proove how well-read or un-read we are. My point is that we haven't killed anyone. We are not on drugs. We have no illegitimate children or aborted children in our past. We pay our taxes and contribute to society. We are socially and politically active. We do not support or condone illegal behavior. Imagine if we'd read all the books (although, I think I'll go ahead skip Where's Waldo)! We'd be killers. We'd be homosexual-racist-menstruating-anti-Christian-wicca-loving-murderous-drug-infested ne'er-do-wells. Thank God that these people challenge these books. What better way to keep people uninformed and un-thinking than to remove any thought-provoking literature from their grasp. As Hermione once told Harry:
"Oh, Harry, don't you see? If [Professor Umbridge] could have done one thing to make absolutely sure that every single person in this school will read your interview, it was banning it!"
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