CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Credible Hulk

“Always cites his sources.”

Click here to buy “The Credible Hulk” shirt!

H/T To r/libraries!

The Top 5 Best Uses For Your Local Library (That Aren’t Just Books)

H/T to Lifehacker:

1. Rent A/V Equipment
2. Get Access To Paywall Content
3. Find Tickets To Museums, Concerts, And Events
4. Print Off Legal Forms
5. Fill Up On E-Books

NSA Scandal Sends Sales of George Orwell’s ‘1984’ Soaring

From ABC News:

Sales of “1984,” George Orwell’s 1949 classic novel about the oppressiveness of government overreach and life in a world where there is no place to escape the watchful eye of Big Brother, have risen more than 3,000 percent on Amazon since the country learned of the U.S. government surveillance programs.

As of noon today,  the book was number 5 on the “movers and shakers list,” which represent the biggest gains in sales over the past 24 hours. The book’s sales rank had jumped to 194, from 6,750 Monday.

The dystopian novel chronicles the plight of Winston Smith, a member of the government working in the fictional dictatorship Oceania. Smith is dissatisfied with his work and dreams of rebellion against totalitarianism.

The book aims to serve as a warning for what can happen when government overextends its powers; the term “Orwellian” has become associated with the idea of a totalitarian society. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., used it Monday on MSNBC to describe the NSA surveillance program, telling Chris Hayes, “Kids will grow up knowing that every damned thing that they do is going to be recorded someplace in a file. And I think that will have a very Orwellian and very prohibiting impact on the way we live our lives.”

Liz Keenan, director of publicity for Plume publishing, which produced Orwell’s book, told ABC News that sales of “1984″ always spike this time of the year because teachers and students are buying copies for summer reading, but the increase has never been this large.

“Without a doubt, this has a lot to do with surveillance coverage,” she said.

Click here to read the rest of the story. 

The Great Gatsby For NES

Amazing find from our friends at r/books!

As a tribute to old NES games, developer Charlie Hoey and editor Pete Smith created an 8-bit-style online game of The Great Gatsby.

Click here to play The Great Gatsby NES Game!

“Write what you like; there is no other rule.”

O. Henry: September 11th, 1862 - June 5th, 1910.