Computer hero Dennis Ritchie died a week after Jobs

no idea who he is?

read this article by Cade Metz on CNN

or read it here

The tributes to Dennis Ritchie won't match the river of praise that spilled out over the web after the death of Steve Jobs. But they should.

And then some.

"When Steve Jobs died last week, there was a huge outcry, and that was very moving and justified. But Dennis had a bigger effect, and the public doesn't even know who he is," says Rob Pike, the programming legend and current Googler who spent 20 years working across the hall from Ritchie at the famed Bell Labs.

On Wednesday evening, with a post to Google+, Pike announced that Ritchie had died at his home in New Jersey over the weekend after a long illness, and though the response from hardcore techies was immense, the collective eulogy from the web at large doesn't quite do justice to Ritchie's sweeping influence on the modern world.

Dennis Ritchie is the father of the C programming language, and with fellow Bell Labs researcher Ken Thompson, he used C to build UNIX, the operating system that so much of the world is built on -- including the Apple empire overseen by Steve Jobs.

"Pretty much everything on the web uses those two things: C and UNIX," Pike tells Wired. "The browsers are written in C. The UNIX kernel — that pretty much the entire Internet runs on -- is written in C. Web servers are written in C, and if they're not, they're written in Java or C++, which are C derivatives, or Python or Ruby, which are implemented in C. And all of the network hardware running these programs I can almost guarantee were written in C.

"It's really hard to overstate how much of the modern information economy is built on the work Dennis did."

Even Windows was once written in C, he adds, and UNIX underpins both Mac OS X, Apple's desktop operating system, and iOS, which runs the iPhone and the iPad. "Jobs was the king of the visible, and Ritchie is the king of what is largely invisible," says Martin Rinard, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT and a member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

"Jobs' genius is that he builds these products that people really like to use because he has taste and can build things that people really find compelling. Ritchie built things that technologists were able to use to build core infrastructure that people don't necessarily see much anymore, but they use everyday."

From B to C

Dennis Ritchie built C because he and Ken Thompson needed a better way to build UNIX. The original UNIX kernel was written in assembly language, but they soon decided they needed a "higher level" language, something that would give them more control over all the data that spanned the OS. Around 1970, they tried building a second version with Fortran, but this didn't quite cut it, and Ritchie proposed a new language based on a Thompson creation known as B.

Depending on which legend you believe, B was named either for Thompson's wife Bonnie or BCPL, a language developed at Cambridge in the mid-60s. Whatever the case, B begat C.

B was an interpreted language -- meaning it was executed by an intermediate piece of software running atop a CPU -- but C was a compiled language. It was translated into machine code, and then directly executed on the CPU. But in those days, C was considered a high-level language. It would give Ritchie and Thompson the flexibility they needed, but at the same time, it would be fast.

That first version of the language wasn't all that different from C as we know it today -- though it was a tad simpler. It offered full data structures and "types" for defining variables, and this is what Richie and Thompson used to build their new UNIX kernel. "They built C to write a program," says Pike, who would join Bell Labs 10 years later. "And the program they wanted to write was the UNIX kernel."

Ritchie's running joke was that C had "the power of assembly language and the convenience of ... assembly language." In other words, he acknowledged that C was a less-than-gorgeous creation that still ran very close to the hardware. Today, it's considered a low-level language, not high. But Ritchie's joke didn't quite do justice to the new language. In offering true data structures, it operated at a level that was just high enough.

"When you're writing a large program -- and that's what UNIX was -- you have to manage the interactions between all sorts of different components: all the users, the file system, the disks, the program execution, and in order to manage that effectively, you need to have a good representation of the information you're working with. That's what we call data structures," Pike says.

"To write a kernel without a data structure and have it be as consist and graceful as UNIX would have been a much, much harder challenge. They needed a way to group all that data together, and they didn't have that with Fortran."

At the time, it was an unusual way to write an operating system, and this is what allowed Ritchie and Thompson to eventually imagine porting the OS to other platforms, which they did in the late 70s. "That opened the floodgates for UNIX running everywhere," Pike says. "It was all made possible by C."

Apple, Microsoft and beyond

At the same time, C forged its own way in the world, moving from Bell Labs to the world's universities and to Microsoft, the breakout software company of the 1980s. "The development of the C programming language was a huge step forward and was the right middle ground ... C struck exactly the right balance, to let you write at a high level and be much more productive, but when you needed to, you could control exactly what happened," says Bill Dally, chief scientist of NVIDIA and Bell Professor of Engineering at Stanford. "[It] set the tone for the way that programming was done for several decades."

As Pike points out, the data structures that Richie built into C eventually gave rise to the object-oriented paradigm used by modern languages such as C++ and Java.

The revolution began in 1973, when Ritchie published his research paper on the language, and five years later, he and colleague Brian Kernighan released the definitive C book: The C Programming Language. Kernighan had written the early tutorials for the language, and at some point, he "twisted Dennis' arm" into writing a book with him.

Pike read the book while still an undergraduate at the University of Toronto, picking it up one afternoon while heading home for a sick day. "That reference manual is a model of clarity and readability compared to latter manuals. It is justifiably a classic," he says. "I read it while sick in bed, and it made me forget that I was sick."

Like many university students, Pike had already started using the language. It had spread across college campuses because Bell Labs started giving away the UNIX source code. Among so many other things, the operating system gave rise to the modern open source movement. Pike isn't overstating it when says the influence of Ritchie's work can't be overstated, and though Ritchie received the Turing Award in 1983 and the National Medal of Technology in 1998, he still hasn't gotten his due.

As Kernighan and Pike describe him, Ritchie was an unusually private person. "I worked across the hall from him for more than 20 years, and yet I feel like a don't knew him all that well," Pike says. But this doesn't quite explain his low profile. Steve Jobs was a private person, but his insistence on privacy only fueled the cult of personality that surrounded him.

Ritchie lived in a very different time and worked in a very different environment than someone like Jobs. It only makes sense that he wouldn't get his due. But those who matter understand the mark he left. "There's that line from Newton about standing on the shoulders of giants," says Kernighan. "We're all standing on Dennis' shoulders."

Additional reporting by Jon Stokes

----

the last image courtesy of artist juan osborne, I hope he/she won't sue me for using his/her work with no prior notice and consider this an advertisement of his/her work instead.

this is the reason why I'm going to get myself the new fiesta :p

unfortunately, the green version is not available in this part of the world. according to a source from Ford, they decided to go with orange, the color of the skuishy fruit known for the phrase 'bad orange', as their trade mark color as slimy green was already taken by yet another competitor. that's right, I'm talking about the exterior marvel yet interior blah mazda2.

so I'm getting the red one instead,

hmm.. even the above picture don't do it justice, as the one available here had to experience various downgrades to be able to fit into the price-range, the below image is more like it (pay attention to the rims and the plastics)

that's right, it's the 1.4 litre engine version instead of the 1.6 litre version. I was hoping that I might be able to do something about it to make it less boring, partially inspired by steeda's rendition of the focus, into something like this,

because steeda's rendition of the fiesta was a bit, well in my narrow minded oppinion, boring

steeda's original idea on the fiesta was, despite its awesomeness, a bit less spectacular than its focus, but the one on display is even worse, though it still looks awesome on the average's standards of cool looking cars :p

anyways, I'd be more than happy if I can turn it into something like this

wait, what?

review : Mattias Eklundh live in Jakarta (clinic unfortunately) back in 11/18/2008

The mad professor of guitar science explained two things throughout his two-hour Laney clinic this Tuesday: That being crazy is cool for geniuses and that every guitar player wannabe should grow their own mustache.

It was almost seven o'clock, and the steep climb to the second floor of Balai Kartini didn't look inviting to those coming late. Two excited looking guys waited for the elevator with one of them holding the cassette cover of Freak Kitchen's fourth effort in 2000: Dead Soul Men.

Rushing toward the Mawar conference room, the annoying bunch blocking the entrance was the consequence of Planet Musik's generosity, as it had displayed 20 new, flashy guitars and basses, from Cort to Music Man Stingray.

The inside, nevertheless, was predictably overflowing, just like the Ciliwung River in December.

Feeling like one had just stepped into a guerrilla meeting in a typical balai kecamatan before an important ambush, all the chairs were full. The rest were hovering in the back of the hall, with more than 20 people on the floor on the left side of the stage, facing stacks of Laney amplifiers.

The space between the stage and the seats was gone, replaced by the boney faces of guitar mongers.

"The sales number of cassettes and CDs in Indonesia has reached around 10 million per year -- fought over by not just local, but also international artists. Passband survived by building a solid fan base; fans who love our music, love watching us live and love buying tickets to our concerts," the voice of Passband's Beng-Beng bounced off the high ceiling of the room, in answer to a question about the band being different from mainstream, mellow, lovey-dovey Indonesian music.

Along with Beng-Beng, local bass hero Indro Hardjodikoro opened the clinic for Ia (Mattias' nickname; poetically meaning "him" in Bahasa Indonesia) that night. And though missing Indro's performance, Laney made a good call choosing the two skillful players as its local endorsers.

It was about eight when they killed the light. Soon a giant statue of a golden-haired man came forward waving his yellow signature guitar. "JAKARTAAAAAAA!!!!!!" he growled. "IT'S GOODY-GOODY TIME!!!!"

Wait -- what?

The crowd was of course cheering like maniacs on death row, and after he briefly introduced himself with the help of a guy named Chucky as translator, he plugged the cord of his Caparison Apple Horn into the massive Laney amp.

Born in 1969 in Gothenburg, Sweden, Mattias "IA" Eklundh quit school at about age 15 to spend the rest of his teenage years in his basement, goofing around seriously with his guitar and his four-track machine.

After joining bands like Frozen Eyes and Fate in the 1980s, he went back to Sweden to form a prog-rock power trio named Freak Kitchen with fellow Swedes Joakim Sjvberg on drums and Christian Grvnlund on bass in 1992.

Their 1994 debut album Appetizer appealed to critics as "the best debut album a Swedish band has produced in both this and the last decade".

Currently working on their seventh album, Land of the Freaks, the lineup for the trio changed in 2000 with Bjvrn Fryklund replacing Sjvberg and Christer Vrtefors replacing Grvnlund.

The vegetarian guitarist has so far released three solo albums: The lesser known Sensually Primitive in 1997 -- under the pseudonym Mr. Libido, the highly acclaimed Freak Guitar in 1999 and Freak Guitar-The Road Less Traveled in 2004 -- the latter two under Steve Vai's Favored Nation label.

His 2007 project Art Metal combines the mastery of Swedes bass-god Jonas Hellborg with the tabla maestro Selvaganesh in a tight Southern Indian flavored prog-rock.

Kiss was his favorite band and his playing has often been described as influenced by the likes of Frank Zappa and John McLaughlin. But nothing sounds like the way he plays -- technically and lyrically.

He plans to release a third solo effort in 2010 -- hopefully a double album.

"I'm left-handed, but I play guitar the right way -- everyone else's way is the wrong way!" he jokingly said, explaining his use of a distinctly Swedish-made fretboard, directly plugging it into the amp without effects or pedals.

He tried to cover as much as he could into the clinic from the very beginning, packing the session with both excellent music examples and complete play-along tracks from his Freak Guitar solo releases and a couple of new tracks.

Beginning with a new tune, he continued onto the theory of guitar harmonics and where to find them on the fretboard.

And after playing "There's No Money in Jazz", he demonstrated how to use five-string arpeggios to emulate the sounds of a "urinated" Nintendo and played "The Battle of Bob". He also demonstrated how different interpretations of bar and phrase counting can be interesting, even at full speed as long as the beat is maintained. A power chord song such as "La Bamba" was also played meticulously.

While effortlessly performed, these theories are of course unplayable without causing serious damage to your fingers.

One thing that stood out about Ia was his wonderful sense of humor and the way he carried himself. He would growl like an injured death metal monster, shriek like a fat lady opera singer from hell or yell "GOODY-GOODY!" in the hopes of a unison reply -- while most of the time making scary faces and stupid gestures.

Every time he would ask the soundman at the back to play a track by number and long pauses would occur. And during these time he would do a waiting posture, say ludicrous things and occasionally take a peek at his watchless wrist.

A group in the audience on the left side of the stage once complained that they were unable to see the lesson on the big screen, and he responded nicely by demonstrating the lesson right on their face -- literally.

He didn't seem to mind sharing his knowledge or revealing his signature sounds. "Absorb as much as you can, but find your own sound. Grow your own mustache, and have fun with your music," adding that playing with fun and imagination is much better than just speed.

He told the audience to be both creative and resourceful. And then he magically revealed a cheap play phone, played it with his guitar and threw it at the audience. Next came a chopstick, he hit the strings with it before throwing it also to the audience and said "I only got one" to a kid who wanted the other stick.

And then he played "Father" from his Freak Guitar-The Road Less Traveled, a ballad dedicated to his late father Bernt.

"Putting a purely emotional song on a record, I think, will ultimately make an album more powerful for the listener. It's all about dynamics and working on different layers within a song," he once stated.

And after playing "Minor Swing", complying to a request from the audience, he closed the clinic at about 10 p.m. with a new track called "Sharsce", a witty composition with a Frenchman saying over and over "you're so beautiful," and "you're a beautiful man".

Waiting about 20 minutes after the show with about 30 other fans, this writer finally got his signature on two Freak Guitar cassettes and said, "Ia, you're the best guitarist ever!!" to the man personally.

"This is an exhausting night; the crowd here is just wild!" he said, promising to come back with Freak Kitchen soon. Ia head down to Bandung the following morning. Knowing the crowd there, he's in for another exhausting night.

The writer is an avid devotee of the Mattiasology, acknowledging Mattias as God and the likes of Ron Thal, Buckethead, Paul Gilbert and Steve Vai as prophets.

review : balada ching ching, shots through the heart

Maggie Tiojakin is not funny. In fact she’s rather serious, particularly in making everything sound serious.

While she doesn’t seem to have any intention of drawing tears from our eyes, her forte lies in the ability to give us that pause, making us stop for a moment to ponder life, and do so again after another read.

And she’s really good at it.

Maggie’s exploration of her surroundings breathes into most of her short stories the soul that’s deemed necessary to keep them afloat. Most of them are interesting, some of them unbearably heavy, but all of them deploy the perfect ingredients that work: not so long as to be boring and not too short to come up empty.

Balada Ching - Ching could be the defining collection of Maggie’s best works so far: 13 short stories, including six published previously, one in schedule and others not specifically written for the collection.

This is excellent stuff, and Gramedia Pustaka Utama has made a laudable effort to enrich our literature. If this isn’t nice, we don’t know what is.

One thing is for sure, Maggie managed to avoid the problem of translated literature. Previously published in English, a second language for her, these short stories shot out to receive positive reviews from critics at the time of their release. And when it was required to have them rewritten in Indonesian what came through in her personal interpretations was slightly different, slightly more engaging in details, mostly appealing, and formed a group of new literature that stands on its own.

The plots of her stories do not drag on or slump like those of many Indonesian writers who dwell too long in explaining the unnecessary. Hers are indubitably brave with topics as simple yet as complicated as the fractions of life itself.

Titles such as Liana, Liana (Waiting for Mother), Dua Sisi, Luka (Crush) and Kawin Lari (He Said, She Said) can otherwise reveal the paradigm of everyday events through Maggie’s eyes, making us question the usual and unusual, making common occurrences interesting and engaging.
The theme of racism is huge, but a child desperately waiting for her mom; a foot massager falling in love with her client’s foot; and what a dying 15-year-old child brings to the world are elements of life’s colors we may have previously ignored.

However, this doesn’t mean Maggie’s way of storytelling is maxing out. Obviously there is room to grow. Simplicity is working nicely for her, and though some of her stories could soar to unquestionable heights, readers’ common expectations after the big entry points are often cut short by following events, by forced romance and immediate continuations that are somewhat less natural. She worked them out OK, but they could have been up there.

But still, it’s hard to count this as criticism. These stories, if not well spawned, are often crafted brilliantly as explorations with sufficient research and depth to give us not just knowledge, but an emotional, personal understanding of what truly happened — although sometimes she chooses to blur the endings, hinting with a bag full of flowers or a heart pinned with needles.

Readers will love this collection. Some will be glued to your eyes like contact lenses and some will stay in your minds for a following read the next night. Whatever happens, Balada Ching-Ching is definitely that type of book that keep on your bedside for some time.

-------------------------

a review of a short story collection by a dear friend of mine Maggie, did it for the post back in the hey days :p

how to perfectly enlarge uploaded pictures on blogspot

I just found this cool workaround to posting bigger pictures on your blogspot without uploading them first on other image-hosting websites like.. shit forgot their sites -did remember that one with frogs..

anyways, this has been bugging me for quite sometimes before I actually find this loophole, though admittedly will require you to do the work twice -but uploading to image hosting websites and link your post to the image you've uploaded is no fun either, some of these sites periodically crashed when you need them to work, which in order to work okay, they will need to do some maintenance which basically erasing images they don't think is good or some shorts -fyi I made this assumption myself :p.

enough talk and let's go on with the how-tos.

basically, to have your photo published on your blog, you would have to do the usual thing. you make a new post, press add-image, browse an image, chose setting (center, fixed or left/right, float) you also chose the size of the image (small, medium, large). but more often than not, your supposedly large image only turned out too small on the screen, which is suck.

(this is what I'm talking about)

and when you try to enlarge them, by editing the html code, you got yourself the size you want, but of blurified lesser quality, and sometimes jiggy, boxy, pixelated dipshit images, which is -for lack of a better word- suck.

(see my point? blogger had done improvements on layout, but things used to be worse..)

and weird, because when you actually uploaded an image from the web, or add url, the outcoming image looks exactly like it's supposed to be, with the perfect size -sometimes even too large, which is okay- and the perfect dpi's -proven by the correct resolutions.

that's the key right there..




so it's actually very simple.. when you uploaded an image, the small image coming out on your blog we're talking about before, blogspot has already saved the correct image by size and resolution somewhere in their cloud -or something like that.

so all you've got to do is open that image on another page, by right-clicking the down-sized image on your blog and chose 'open link in new tab', and copy the url. this is the tricky bit, sometimes the displayed url on the address bar is not similar with the exact url blogspot can use, the work around for this is to right click the already enlarged image on another tab, and choose "copy image url".

then edit your post, erase your image html and upload another image. but this time, chose 'add picture from url/web' instead, paste your link on the url slot, chose properties (center, large), and press upload..

(this is it! as usual I'm using a pict of my Kaezee because the purpose of this post is to make him famous :D)

and problem is solved -see the quality increase on the enlarged image even when the size is the same at 800x600?-, you would see that when you hover your mouse on all images, they all leading to one url source. the best part about this is that as long as your blog is running, your image will remain available for access..

I hope this works for you as this works like charm for me, and if you've known about this shit long before I did.. dude.. you could have been a saint you know?!

goofing around seriously

done back in the hey days when notturno was still alive and kicking -not that they aren't now, I just lost track of them.

the idea is to put the trio in a combination of anthropomorphic imagery possessed by each of its members (or is it the other way around?)

I think I did good with both pianist and bass player, but failed flat with the drummer. I did say that I kindda notched up his level of cool in this work, which is anthropomorphic in its own, whatever the exact meaning of the word..

anyways, the first image was done on paper with pen, the second one is done with the always dependable photoshop.

colors are not really my strength, in addition they said they were planning on using the image on T-shirts, which explains the limitation to power colors (as in power trio).

I have one of those things called dissatisfiedbysecondlook kindda thing where I will stop and think how some images I did simply suck and will need to be redone.. this is one of those things.. but heck, I don't have 36 hours in a day like I don't have extra pair of hands..

taca back in the days

I did this a while back.. probably four or five years ago. the subject was a family who was a bit messy but has the kindest heart that's almost too naive and child-like. she now works in a bank -not that it has anything to do with anything.

done using pen on paper

iron and wine - fever dream

some days her shape in the doorway
will speak to me
a bird's wing on the window
sometimes I'll hear when she's sleeping
her fever dream
a language on her face

I want your flowers like babies want God's love
or maybe as sure as tomorrow will come

some days, like rain on the doorstep
she'll cover me
with grace in all she offers
sometimes I'd like just to ask her
what honest words
she can't afford to say, like

I want your flowers like babies want God's love
or maybe as sure as tomorrow will come

-for mom-

Some Skunk Funk Indeed

amidst the piling works for my new magazine, I stumbled upon this blog by a guy whose apparently related to both Michael and Randy Brecker.

two of them are awesome, and Michael Brecker, if you haven't realized it from my previous blog -not that you care I suppose-, will remain my personal hero.

in this particular page, he talked about the memories of his uncles, including how they are as persons with real personalities -and not just random mutherfuckas (as Miles put it) who can nail the hardest licks and patterns.

here's a picture of boogiewoogieflu and Michael, his uncle, my hero

funny how I got stumbled on his blog. I was googling about Michael the other day, finally getting some shots about his Pilgrimage sessions on his page -though lack parts where he's actually saying anything-, and finally reaching the part of his memorial service, where supposedly James Taylor said to the attendees that Michael Brecker had saved his life, literally..

that's the phrase I was googling today, though it brought me nowhere. but as fate does -if you're dramatic enough to call finding a page on the world wide web a fate- this brought me to Boogiewoogieflu's blog instead, particularly to his reminiscing-type page.

I remember how I cried profusely upon learning of Michael's death back in the day, previously contacting a webpage responsible of finding him a bone donor -from Indonesia.

well..

since the departure of my mother, leaving for a better place up there, through a long tunneling road which access door is actually located down there, I made a promise that no death will worth any tear from my eyes, unless it happens to families who are greatly close to me.

so there..

but the thing that amuses me was how he's got a catch phrase under his blog.
the phrase says

this blog kills fascists

and it has successfully inspired me to put somewhat different -as I don't really understand the meaning, as in real meaning, of fascists- but similar -as in trying to exclamate my principles in life- catch phrase..

and will do so pretty soon.

blogspot.. yaa begitulah..

barusan nambah gambar di post terakhir yang panjang banget ga ketulungan..

trus sempat mikir kenapa blogspot ini ga bisa full nampilin semua bagian website di layar, ga kaya website blog lain.. soalnya barusan nemu templete joomla yang super duper keren di yoo.. apaaa gitu :p website gitu deh.. trus rada nyesel.. (jangan bilang google yak he, kayanya ni blogspot emang punya google deh, tapi terabaikan tanpa seri pengaturang website yang bagus gitu..)

contohnya tadi gue di tawarin masuk ke.. yang kalo bahasa indonesianya jadi pengaturan baru, halaah, ga penting gitu, trus ga embedded kaya model tumblr gitu yang semua templete udah tersedia, padahal kalo liat chrome beeh, semua udah di desain sedemikian rupa sehingga enak di lihat dan bisa langsung di applikasikan dengan sekali klik.. mungkin nature blogspot yang punya banyak data tersimpan ga gitu kali yak..

tau juga lah..

dan setelah gue balik lagi nyariin templete blogspot ini, aseli susah banget nyari yang dari layar samping kiri ampe samping kanan ketutup dalam templete nya gitu

ya kecuali emang templete yang udah gue pake..

tapi apa daya.. kadang gue rada berasa ni desain ga menyatu gitu, ada bagian bagian yang terpisah jadi keliatan patah patah gitu, untung bekgroundnya putih, jadi kalo upload gambar macam..



apa kaya gini



pokoknya yang bekgrund nya putih gitu



aseli ini lucu bgt



udah udah




hayaaaaah..

keliatan menyatu gitu bok.. tapi tetep, rada nyesel dikit..

Banned Books: Challenging our Freedom to Read by Robert P. Doyle, ALA 2010.

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Challenged at the Baptist College in Charleston, SC (1987) because of "language and sexual references in the book."

The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger

Since its publication, this title has been a favorite target of censors. In 1960, a teacher in Tulsa, OK was fired for assigning the book to an eleventh grade English class. The teacher appealed and was reinstated by the school board, but the book was removed from use in the school. In 1963, a delegation of parents of high school students in Columbus, OH, asked the school board to ban the novel for being "anti-white" and "obscene." The school board refused the request. Removed from the Selinsgrove, PA suggested reading list (1975). Based on parents' objections to the language and content of the book, the school board voted 5-4 to ban the book. The book was later reinstated in the curriculum when the board learned that the vote was illegal because they needed a two-thirds vote for removal of the text. Challenged as an assignment in an American literature class in Pittsgrove, NJ (1977). After months of controversy, the board ruled that the novel could be read in the Advanced Placement class, but they gave parents the right to decide whether or not their children would read it. Removed from the Issaquah, WA optional High School reading list (1978). Removed from the required reading list in Middleville, MI (1979). Removed from the Jackson Milton school libraries in North Jackson, OH (1980). Removed from two Anniston, AL High school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restrictive basis. Removed from the school libraries in Morris, Manitoba (1982) along with two other books because they violate the committee's guidelines covering "excess vulgar language, sexual scenes, things concerning moral issues, excessive violence, and anything dealing with the occult." Challenged at the Libby, MT High School (1983) due to the "book's contents." Banned from English classes at the Freeport High School in De Funiak Springs, FL (1985) because it is "unacceptable" and "obscene." Removed from the required reading list of a Medicine Bow, WY Senior High School English class (1986) because of sexual references and profanity in the book. Banned from a required sophomore English reading list at the Napoleon, ND High School (1987) after parents and the local Knights of Columbus chapter complained about its profanity and sexual references. Challenged at the Linton-Stockton, IN High School (1988) because the book is "blasphemous and undermines morality." Banned from the classrooms in Boron, CA High School (1989) because the book contains profanity. Challenged at the Grayslake, IL Community High School (1991). Challenged at the Jamaica High School in Sidell, IL (1992) because the book contains profanities and depicts premarital sex, alcohol abuse, and prostitution. Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) and Duval County, FL public school libraries (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, a nd statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled. Challenged at the Cumberland Valley High School in Carlisle, PA (1992) because of a parent's objections that it contains profanity and is immoral. Challenged, but retained, at the New Richmond, WI High School (1994) for use in some English classes. Challenged as required reading in the Corona Norco, CA Unified School District (1993) because it is "centered around negative activity." The book was retained and teachers selected alternatives if students object to Salinger's novel. Challenged as mandatory reading in the Goffstown, NH schools (1994) because of the vulgar words used and the sexual exploits experienced in the book. Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Challenged at the Oxford Hills High School in Paris, ME (1996). A parent objected to the use of the 'F' word. Challenged, but retained, at the Glynn Academy High School in Brunswick, GA (1997). A student objected to the novel's profanity and sexual references. Removed because of profanity and sexual situations from the required reading curriculum of the Marysville, CA Joint Unified School District (1997). The school superintendent removed it to get it "out of the way so that we didn't have that polarization over a book." Challenged, but retained on the shelves of Limestone County, AL school district (2000) despite objections about the book's foul language. Banned, but later reinstated after community protests at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, GA (2000). The controversy began in early 1999 when a parent complained about sex, violence, and profanity in the book that was part of an Advanced Placement English class. Removed by a Dorchester District 2 school board member in Summerville, SC (2001) because it "is a filthy, filthy book." Challenged by a Glynn County, GA (2001) school board member because of profanity. The novel was retained. Challenged in the Big Sky High School in Missoula, MT (2009).

Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

Challenged in many communities, but burned in Drake, ND (1973). Banned in Rochester, MI because the novel "contains and makes references to religious matters" and thus fell within the ban of the establishment clause. An appellate court upheld its usage in the school in Todd v Rochester Community Schools, 41 Mich. App. 320, 200 N. W 2d 90 (1972). Banned in Levittown, NY (1975), North Jackson, OH (1979), and Lakeland, FL (1982) because of the "book's explicit sexual scenes, violence, and obscene language." Barred from purchase at the Washington Park High School in Racine, WI (1984) by the district administrative assistant for instructional services. Challenged at the Owensboro, KY High School library (1985) because of "foul language, a section depicting a picture of an act of bestiality, a reference to 'Magic Fingers' attached to the protagonist's bed to help him sleep, and the sentence: 'The gun made a ripping sound like the opening of the fly of God Almighty."' Restricted to students who have parental permission at the four Racine, WI Unified District high school libraries (1986) because of "language used in the book, depictions of torture, ethnic slurs, and negative portrayals of women." Challenged at the LaRue County, KY High School library (1987) because "the book contains foul language and promotes deviant sexual behavior.” Banned from the Fitzgerald, GA schools (1987) because it was filled with profanity and full of explicit sexual references:' Challenged in the Baton Rouge, LA public high school libraries (1988) because the book is "vulgar and offensive:' Challenged in the Monroe, MI public schools (1989) as required reading in a modem novel course for high school juniors and seniors because of the book's language and the way women are portrayed. Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged as an eleventh grade summer reading option in Prince William County, VA (1998) because the book "was rife with profanity and explicit sex:" Removed as required reading for sophomores at the Coventry, RI High School (2000) after a parent complained that it contains vulgar language, violent imagery, and sexual content. Retained on the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, IL (2006), along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she'd found on the internet. Challenged in the Howell, MI High School (2007) because of the book's strong sexual content. In response to a request from the president of the Livingston Organization for Values in Education, or LOVE, the county's top law enforcement official reviewed the books to see whether laws against distribution of sexually explicit materials to minors had been broken. "After reading the books in question, it is clear that the explicit passages illustrated a larger literary, artistic or political message and were not included solely to appeal to the prurient interests of minors," the county prosecutor wrote. "Whether these materials are appropriate for minors is a decision to be made by the school board, but I find that they are not in violation of criminal laws."

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

Burned by the East St. Louis, IL Public Library (1939) and barred from the Buffalo, NY Public Library (1939) on the grounds that "vulgar words" were used. Banned in Kansas City, MO (1939). Banned in Kern County CA, the scene of Steinbeck's novel (1939). Banned in Ireland (1953). On Feb. 21, 1973, eleven Turkish book publishers went on trial before an Istanbul martial law tribunal on charges of publishing, possessing and selling books in violation of an order of the Istanbul martial law command. They faced possible sentences of between one month's and six months' imprisonment "for spreading propaganda unfavorable to the state" and the confiscation of their books. Eight booksellers were also on trial with the publishers on the same charge involving The Grapes of Wrath. Banned in Kanawha, IA High School classes (1980). Challenged in Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980). Challenged as required reading for Richford, VT (1981) High School English students due to the book's language and portrayal of a former minister who recounts how he took advantage of a young woman. Banned in Morris, Manitoba, Canada (1982). Removed from two Anniston, Ala. high school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restrictive basis. Challenged at the Cummings High School in Burlington, NC (1986) as an optional reading assignment because the "book is full of filth. My son is being raised in a Christian home and this book takes the Lord's name in vain and has all kinds of profanity in it." Although the parent spoke to the press, a formal complaint with the school demanding the book's removal was not filed. Challenged at the Moore County school system in Carthage, NC (1986) because the book contains the phase "God damn." Challenged in the Greenville, SC schools (1991) because the book uses the name of God and Jesus in a "vain and profane manner along with inappropriate sexual references." Challenged in the Union City, TN High School classes (1993).

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

Challenged in Eden Valley, MN (1977) and temporarily banned due to words "damn" and "whore lady" used in the novel. Challenged in the Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a "filthy, trashy novel." Challenged at the Warren, IN Township schools (1981) because the book does "psychological damage to the positive integration process" and "represents institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature." After unsuccessfully trying to ban Lee's novel, three black parents resigned from the township human relations advisory council. Challenged in the Waukegan, IL School District (1984) because the novel uses the word "nigger." Challenged in the Kansas City, MO junior high schools (1985). Challenged at the Park Hill, MO Junior High School (1985) because the novel "contains profanity and racial slurs." Retained on a supplemental eighth grade reading list in the Casa Grande, AZ Elementary School District (1985), despite the protests by black parents and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People who charged the book was unfit for junior high use. Challenged at the Santa Cruz, CA Schools (1995) because of its racial themes. Removed from the Southwood High School Library in Caddo Parish, LA (1995) because the book's language and content were objectionable. Challenged at the Moss Point, MS School District (1996) because the novel contains a racial epithet. Banned from the Lindale, TX advanced placement English reading list (1996) because the book "conflicted with the values of the community." Challenged by a Glynn County, GA (2001) School Board member because of profanity. The novel was retained. Returned to the freshman reading list at Muskogee, OK High School (2001) despite complaints over the years from black students and parents about racial slurs in the text. Challenged in the Normal, IL Community High School's sophomore literature class (2003) as being degrading to African Americans. Challenged at the Stanford Middle School in Durham, NC (2004) because the 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel uses the word "nigger." Challenged at the Brentwood, TN Middle School (2006) because the book contains “profanity” and “contains adult themes such as sexual intercourse, rape, and incest.” The complainants also contend that the book’s use of racial slurs promotes “racial hatred, racial division, racial separation, and promotes white supremacy.” Retained in the English curriculum by the Cherry Hill, NJ Board of Education (2007). A resident had objected to the novel’s depiction of how blacks are treated by members of a racist white community in an Alabama town during the Depression. The resident feared the book would upset black children reading it. Removed (2009) from the St. Edmund Campion Secondary School classrooms in Brampton Ontario, Canada because a parent objected to language used in the novel, including the word “nigger."

The Color Purple, by Alice Walker

Challenged as appropriate reading for Oakland, CA High School honors class (1984) due to the work's "sexual and social explicitness" and its "troubling ideas about race relations, man's relationship to God, African history, and human sexuality." After nine months of haggling and delays, a divided Oakland Board of Education gave formal approval for the book's use. Rejected for purchase by the Hayward, CA school's trustee (1985) because of "rough language" and "explicit sex scenes." Removed from the open shelves of the Newport News, VA school library (1986) because of its "profanity and sexual references" and placed in a special section accessible only to students over the age of 18 or who have written permission from a parent. Challenged at the public libraries of Saginaw, MI (1989) because it was “too sexually graphic for a 12-year-old.” Challenged as a summer youth program reading assignment in Chattanooga, TN (1989) because of its language and "explicitness." Challenged as an optional reading assigned in Ten Sleep, WY schools (1990). Challenged as a reading assignment at the New Burn, NC High School (1992) because the main character is raped by her stepfather. Banned in the Souderton, PA Area School District (1992) as appropriate reading for 10th graders because it is "smut." Challenged on the curricular reading list at Pomperaug High School in Southbury, CT (1995) because sexually explicit passages aren’t appropriate high school reading. Retained as an English course reading assignment in the Junction City, OR high school (1995) after a challenge to Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel caused months of controversy. Although an alternative assignment was available, the book was challenged due to "inappropriate language, graphic sexual scenes, and book's negative image of black men." Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged, but retained, as part of the reading list for Advanced Placement English classes at Northwest High Schools in High Point, NC (1996). The book was challenged because it is "sexually graphic and violent." Removed from the Jackson County, WV school libraries (1997) along with sixteen other titles. Challenged, but retained as part of a supplemental reading list at the Shawnee School in Lima, OH (1999). Several parents described its content as vulgar and "X-rated." Removed from the Ferguson High School library in Newport News, VA (1999). Students may request and borrow the book with parental approval. Challenged, along with seventeen other titles in the Fairfax County, VA elementary and secondary libraries (2002), by a group called Parents Against Bad Books in Schools. The group contends the books "contain profanity and descriptions of drug abuse, sexually explicit conduct, and torture.” Challenged in Burke County (2008) schools in Morgantown, NC by parents concerned about the homosexuality, rape, and incest portrayed in the book.

Ulysses, by James Joyce

Burned in the U.S. (1918), Ireland (1922), Canada (1922), England (1923) and banned in England (1929).

Beloved, by Toni Morrison

Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged by a member of the Madawaska, ME School Committee (1997) because of the book's language. The 1987 Pulitzer Prize winning novel has been required reading for the advanced placement English class for six years. Challenged in the Sarasota County, FL schools (1998) because of sexual material. Retained on the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading listing in Arlington Heights, IL (2006), along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she’d found on the Internet. Challenged in the Coeur d’Alene School District, ID (2007). Some parents say the book, along with five others, should require parental permission for students to read them. Pulled from the senior Advanced Placement (AP) English class at Eastern High School in Louisville, KY (2007) because two parents complained that the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about antebellum slavery depicted the inappropriate topics of bestiality, racism, and sex. The principal ordered teachers to start over with The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in preparation for upcoming AP exams.

The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974). Challenged at the Sully Buttes, SD High School (1981). Challenged at the Owen, NC High School (1981) because the book is "demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal." Challenged at the Marana, AZ High School (1983) as an inappropriate reading assignment. Challenged at the Olney, TX Independent School District (1984) because of "excessive violence and bad language." A committee of the Toronto, Canada Board of Education ruled on June 23, 1988, that the novel is "racist and recommended that it be removed from all schools." Parents and members of the black community complained about a reference to "niggers" in the book and said it denigrates blacks. Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women and the disabled. Challenged, but retained on the ninth-grade accelerated English reading list in Bloomfield, NY (2000).

1984, by George Orwell

Challenged in the Jackson County, FL (1981) because Orwell's novel is "pro-communist and contained explicit sexual matter."

Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov

Banned as obscene in France (1956-1959), in England (1955-59), in Argentina (1959), and in New Zealand (1960). The South African Directorate of Publications announced on November 27, 1982, that Lolita has been taken off the banned list, eight years after a request for permission to market the novel in paperback had been refused. Challenged at the Marion-Levy Public Library System in Ocala, FL (2006). The Marion County commissioners voted to have the county attorney review the novel that addresses the themes of pedophilia and incest, to determine if it meets the state law’s definition of “unsuitable for minors.”

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

Banned in Ireland (1953); Syracuse, IN (1974); Oil City, PA (I977); Grand Blanc, MI (1979); Continental, OH (1980) and other communities. Challenged in Greenville, SC (1977) by the Fourth Province of the Knights of the Ku Klux KIan; Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980); St. David, AZ (1981) and Tell City, IN (1982) due to "profanity and using God's name in vain." Banned from classroom use at the Scottsboro, AL Skyline High School (1983) due to "profanity." The Knoxville, TN School Board chairman vowed to have "filthy books" removed from Knoxville's public schools (1984) and picked Steinbeck's novel as the first target due to "its vulgar language." Reinstated at the Christian County, KY school libraries and English classes (1987) after being challenged as vulgar and offensive. Challenged in the Marion County, WV schools (1988), at the Wheaton Warrenville, IL Middle School (1988), and at the Berrien Springs, MI High School (1988) because the book contains profanity. Removed from the Northside High School in Tuscaloosa, AL (1989) because the book "has profane use of God's name." Challenged as a summer youth program reading assignment in Chattanooga, TN (1989) because "Steinbeck is known to have had an anti business attitude." In addition, "he was very questionable as to his patriotism." Removed from all reading lists and collected at the White Chapel High School in Pine Bluff, AR (1989) because of objections to language. Challenged as appropriate for high school reading lists in the Shelby County, TN school system (1989) because the novel contains "offensive language." Challenged, but retained in a Salina, KS (1990) tenth grade English class despite concerns that it contains "profanity" and "takes the Lord's name in vain." Challenged by a Fresno, CA (1991) parent as a tenth grade English college preparatory curriculum assignment, citing profanity" and "racial slurs." The book was retained, and the child of the objecting parent was provided with an alternative reading assignment. Challenged in the Rivera, TX schools (1990) because it contains profanity. Challenged as curriculum material at the Ringgold High School in Carroll Township, PA (1991) because the novel contains terminology offensive to blacks. Removed and later returned to the Suwannee, FL High School library (1991) because the book is "indecent" Challenged at the Jacksboro, TN High School (1991) because the novel contains "blasphemous" language, excessive cursing, and sexual overtones. Challenged as required reading in the Buckingham County, VA schools (1991) because of profanity. In 1992 a coalition of community members and clergy in Mobile, AL requested that local school officials form a special textbook screening committee to "weed out objectionable things." Steinbeck's novel was the first target because it contains "profanity" and "morbid and depressing themes." Temporarily removed from the Hamilton, OH High School reading list (1992) after a parent complained about its vulgarity and racial slurs. Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) and the Duval County, FL public school libraries (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled. Challenged at the Modesto, CA High School as recommended reading (1992) because of "offensive and racist language." The word "nigger" appears in the book. Challenged at the Oak Hill High School in Alexandria, LA (1992) because of profanity. Challenged as an appropriate English curriculum assignment at the Mingus, AZ Union High School (1993) because of "profane language, moral statement, treatment of the retarded, and the violent ending." Pulled from a classroom by the Putnam County, TN school superintendent (1994) "due to the language." Later, after discussions with the school district counsel, it was reinstated. The book was challenged in the Loganville, GA High School (1994) because of its "vulgar language throughout." Challenged in the Galena, KS school library (1995) because of the book's language and social implications. Retained in the Bemidji, MN schools (1995) after challenges to the book's "objectionable" language. Challenged at the Stephens County High School library in Toccoa, GA (I995) because of "curse words." The book was retained. Challenged, but retained in a Warm Springs, VA High School (1995) English class. Banned from the Washington Junior High School curriculum in Peru, IL (1997) because it was deemed "age inappropriate." Challenged, but retained, in the Louisville, OH high school English classes (1997) because of profanity. Removed, restored, restricted, and eventually retained at the Bay County schools in Panama City, FL (1997). A citizen group, the 100 Black United, Inc., requested the novel's removal and "any other inadmissible literary books that have racial slurs in them, such as the using of the word 'Nigger.'" Challenged as a reading list assignment for a ninth grade literature class, but retained at the Sauk Rapids Rice High School in St. Cloud, MN (1997). A parent complained that the book's use of racist language led to racist behavior and racial harassment. Challenged in O'Hara Park Middle School classrooms in Oakley, CA (1998) because it contains racial epithets. Challenged, but retained, in the Bryant, AR school library (1998) because of a parent's complaint that the book "takes God's name in vain 15 times and uses Jesus's name lightly." Challenged at the Barron, WI School District (1998). Challenged, but retained in the sophomore curriculum at West Middlesex, PA High School (1999) despite objections to the novel's profanity. Challenged in the Tomah, WI School District (1999) because the novel is violent and contains obscenities. Challenged as required reading at the high school in Grandville, MI (2002) because the book "is full of racism, profanity, and foul language." Banned from the George County, MS schools (2002) because of profanity. Challenged in the Normal, IL Community High Schools (2003) because the books contains "racial slurs, profanity, violence, and does not represent traditional values." An alternative book, Steinbeck's The Pearl, was offered but rejected by the family challenging the novel. The committee then recommended The House on Mango Street and The Way to Rainy Mountain as alternatives. Retained in the Greencastle-Antrim, PA (2006) tenth-grade English classes. A complaint was filed because of “racial slurs” and profanity used throughout the novel. The book has been used in the high school for more than thirty years, and those who object to its content have the option of reading an alternative reading. Challenged at the Newton, IA High School (2007) because of concerns about profanity and the portrayal of Jesus Christ. Newton High School has required students to read the book since at least the early 1980s. In neighboring Des Moines, it is on the recommended reading list for ninth-grade English, and it is used for some special education students in the eleventh and twelfth grades. Retained in the Olathe, KS ninth grade curriculum (2007) despite a parent calling the novel a “worthless, profanity-riddled book” which is “derogatory towards African Americans, women, and the developmentally disabled.”

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

Banned in Strongsville, OH (1972), but the school board's action was overturned in 1976 by a U.S. District Court in Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District. Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974); in Snoqualmie, WA (1979) because of its several references to women as "whores."

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

Banned in Ireland (1932). Removed from classrooms in Miller, MO (1980), because it makes promiscuous sex "look like fun." Challenged frequently throughout the U.S.as required reading. Challenged as required reading at the Yukon, OK High School (1988) because of "the book's language and moral content." Challenged as required reading in the Corona-Norco, CA Unified School District (1993) because it is "centered around negative activity." Specifically, parents objected that the characters' sexual behavior directly opposed the health curriculum, which taught sexual abstinence until marriage. The book was retained, and teachers selected alternatives if students object to Huxley's novel. Removed from the Foley, AL High School Library (2000) pending review, because a parent complained that its characters showed contempt for religion, marriage, and family. The parent complained to the school and to Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Challenged, but retained in the South Texas Independent School District in Mercedes, TX (2003). Parents objected to the adult themes—sexuality, drugs, suicide—that appeared in the novel. Huxley's book was part of the summer Science Academy curriculum. The board voted to give parents more control over their children's choices by requiring principals to automatically offer an alternative to a challenged book. Retained in the Coeur D’Alene, ID School District (2008) despite objections that the book has too many references to sex and drug use.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell

A Wisconsin survey revealed in 1963 that the John Birch Society had challenged the novel's use; it objected to the words "masses will revolt." In 1968, the New York State English Council's Committee on Defense Against Censorship conducted a comparable study in New York State English classrooms. Its findings identified the novel on its list of "problem books"; the reason cited was that "Orwell was a communist." Suppressed from being displayed at the 1977 Moscow, Russia International Book Fair. A survey of censorship challenges in the schools, conducted in DeKalb County for the period of 1979 to 1982, revealed that the novel had been objected to for its political theories. Banned from Bay County's four middle schools and three high schools in Panama City, FL by the Bay County school superintendent in 1987. After 44 parents filed a suit against the district claiming that its instructional aids policy denies constitutional rights, the Bay County School Board reinstated the book, along with sixty-four others banned. Banned from schools in the United Arab Emirates, along with 125 others in 2002. The Ministry of Education banned it on the grounds that it contains written or illustrated material that contradicts Islamic and Arab values—in this text, pictures of alcoholic drinks, pigs, and other "indecent images."





The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway

Banned in Boston, MA (1930), Ireland (1953), Riverside, CA (1960), San Jose, CA (1960). Burned in Nazi bonfires in Germany (1933).

As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner

Banned in the Graves County School District in Mayfield, KY (1986) because it contains "offensive and obscene passages referring to abortion and used God's name in vain." The decision was reversed a week later after intense pressure from the ACLU and considerable negative publicity. Challenged as a required reading assignment in an advanced English class of Pulaski County High School in Somerset, KY (1987) because the book contains "profanity and a segment about masturbation." Challenged, but retained, in the Carroll County, MD schools (1991). Two school board members were concerned about the book's coarse language and dialect. Banned at Central High School in Louisville, KY (1994) temporarily because the book uses profanity and questions the existence of God.

A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway

The June 1929 issue of Scribner's Magazine, which ran Hemingway's novel, was banned in Boston, MA (1929). Banned in Italy (1929) because of its painfully accurate account of the Italian retreat from Caporetto, Italy. Burned by the Nazis in Germany (1933). Banned in Ireland (1939). Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974). Challenged at the Vernon-Verona-Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a "sex novel."

Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

Challenged for sexual explicitness, but retained on the Stonewall Jackson High School's academically advanced reading list in Brentsville, VA (1997). A parent objected to the novel's language and sexual explicitness.

Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison

Excerpts banned in Butler, PA (1975). Removed from the high school English reading list in St. Francis, WI (1975). Retained in the Yakima, WA schools (1994) after a five-month dispute over what advanced high school students should read in the classroom. Two parents raised concerns about profanity and images of violence and sexuality in the book and requested that it be removed from the reading list.

Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

Challenged, but retained, in the Columbus, OH schools (1993). The complainant believed that the book contains language degrading to blacks, and is sexually explicit. Removed from required reading lists and library shelves in the Richmond County, GA. School District (1994) after a parent complained that passages from the book are "filthy and inappropriate." Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Removed from the St. Mary's County, MD schools' approved text list (1998) by the superintendent, overruling a faculty committee recommendation. Complainants referred to the novel as "filth," "trash," and "repulsive." Reinstated in the Shelby, MI school Advanced Placement English curriculum (2009), but parents are to be informed in writing and at a meeting about the book’s content. Students not wanting to read the book can choose an alternative without academic penalty. The superintendent had suspended the book from the curriculum.

Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

Banned from Anaheim, CA Union High School District English classrooms (1978). Challenged in Waukegan, IL School District (1984) because the novel uses the word "nigger."

Native Son, by Richard Wright

Challenged in Goffstown, NH (1978); Elmwood Park, NJ (1978) due to "objectionable" language; and North Adams, MA (1981) due to the book's "violence, sex, and profanity." Challenged at the Berrian Springs, MI High School in classrooms and libraries (1988) because the novel is "vulgar, profane, and sexually explicit." Retained in the Yakima, WA schools (1994) after a five-month dispute over what advanced high school students should read in the classroom. Two parents raised concerns about profanity and images of violence and sexuality in the book and requested that it be removed from the reading list. Challenged as part of the reading list for Advanced Placement English classes at Northwest High School in High Point, NC (1996). The book was challenged because it is "sexually graphic and violent." Removed from Irvington High School in Fremont, CA (1998) after a few parents complained the book was unnecessarily violent and sexually explicit. Challenged in the Hamilton High School curriculum in Fort Wayne, IN (1998) because of the novel's graphic language and sexual content.


One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey

Challenged in the Greeley, CO public school district (1971) as a non-required American Culture reading. In 1974, five residents of Strongsville, OH, sued the board of education to remove the novel. Labeling it "pornographic," they charged the novel "glorifies criminal activity, has a tendency to corrupt juveniles and contains descriptions of bestiality, bizarre violence, and torture, dismemberment, death, and human elimination." Removed from public school libraries in Randolph, NY, and Alton, OK (1975). Removed from the required reading list in Westport, MA (1977). Banned from the St. Anthony, ID Freemont High School classrooms (1978) and the instructor fired. The teacher sued. A decision in the case—Fogarty v. Atchley—was never published. Challenged at the Merrimack, NH High School (1982). Challenged as part of the curriculum in an Aberdeen, WA High School honors English class (1986) because the book promotes "secular humanism." The school board voted to retain the title. Challenged at the Placentia-Yorba Linda, CA Unified School District (2000) after complaints by parents stated that teachers "can choose the best books, but they keep choosing this garbage over and over again."






For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway

Declared non-mailable by the U.S. Post Office (1940). On Feb. 21, 1973, eleven Turkish book publishers went on trial before an Istanbul martial law tribunal on charges of publishing, possessing, and selling books in violation of an order of the Istanbul martial law command. They faced possible sentences of between one month's and six months’ imprisonment "for spreading propaganda unfavorable to the state" and the confiscation of their books. Eight booksellers also were on trial with the publishers on the same charge involving For Whom the Bell Tolls.

The Call of the Wild, by Jack London

Banned in Italy (1929), Yugoslavia (1929), and burned in Nazi bonfires (1933).

Go Tell It on the Mountain, by James Baldwin

Challenged as required reading in the Hudson Falls, NY schools (1994) because the book has recurring themes of rape, masturbation, violence, and degrading treatment of women. Challenged as a ninth-grade summer reading option in Prince William County, VA (1988) because the book is "rife with profanity and explicit sex."

All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren

Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974).


The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Burned in Alamagordo, NM (2001) outside Christ Community Church along with other Tolkien novels as satanic.

The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair

Banned from public libraries in Yugoslavia (1929). Burned in the Nazi bonfires because of Sinclair's socialist views (1933). Banned in East Germany (1956) as inimical to communism. Banned in South Korea (1985).

Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence

Banned by U.S. Customs (1929). Banned in Ireland (1932), Poland (1932), Australia (1959), Japan (1959), India (1959). Banned in Canada (1960) until 1962. Dissemination of Lawrence’s novel has been stopped in China (1987) because the book “will corrupt the minds of young people and is also against the Chinese tradition.”

A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

In 1973 a bookseller in Orem, UT was arrested for selling the novel. Charges were later dropped, but the book seller was forced to close the store and relocate to another city. Removed from Aurora, CO high school (1976) due to "objectionable" language and from high school classrooms in Westport, MA (1977) because of "objectionable" language. Removed from two Anniston, AL High school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restricted basis.

The Awakening, by Kate Chopin

Retained on the Northwestern Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, IL along with eight other challenged titles in 2006. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she'd found on the Internet. First published in 1899, this novel so disturbed critics and the public that it was banished for decades afterward.

In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

Banned, but later reinstated after community protests at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, GA (2000). The controversy began in early 1999 when a parent complained about sex, violence, and profanity in the book that was part of an Advanced Placement English Class.

Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie

Banned in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Quatar, Indonesia, South Africa, and India because of its criticism of Islam. Burned in West Yorkshire, England (1989) and temporarily withdrawn from two bookstores on the advice of police who took threats to staff and property seriously. In Pakistan five people died in riots against the book. Another man died a day later in Kashmir. Ayatollah Khomeni issued a fatwa or religious edict, stating, "I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of the Satanic Verses, which is against Islam, the prophet, and the Koran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, have been sentenced to death." Challenged at the Wichita, KS Public Library (1989) because the book is "blasphemous to the prophet Mohammed." In Venezuela, owning or reading it was declared a crime under penalty of 15 months' imprisonment. In Japan, the sale of the English-language edition was banned under the threat of fines. The governments of Bulgaria and Poland also restricted its distribution. In 1991, in separate incidents, Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator, was stabbed to death and its Italian translator, Ettore Capriolo, was seriously wounded. In 1993 William Nygaard, its Norwegian publisher, was shot and seriously injured.

Sophie's Choice, by William Styron

Banned in South Africa in 1979. Returned to La Mirada High School library (CA) in 2002 after a complaint about its sexual content prompted the school to pull the award-winning novel about a tormented Holocaust survivor.

Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence

In 1961 an Oklahoma City group called Mothers United for Decency hired a trailer, dubbed it "smutmobile," and displayed books deemed objectionable, including Lawrence's novel.


Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut

The Strongsville, Ohio School Board (1972) voted to withdraw this title from the school library; this action was overturned in 1976 by a U.S. District Court in Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District, 541 F. 2d 577 (6th Cir. 1976). Challenged at Merrimack, NH High School (1982).


































A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

Challenged in Vernon-Verona-Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a "filthy, trashy sex novel." Challenged at the Fannett-Metal High School in Shippensburg, PA (1985) because of its allegedly offensive language. Challenged as appropriate for high school reading lists in the Shelby County, TN school system (1989) because the novel contains "offensive language." Challenged, but retained in the Champaign, IL high school English classes (1991) despite claims that “unsuitable language” makes it inappropriate. Challenged by the parent of a high school student in Troy, IL (1991) citing profanity and negative attitudes. Students were offered alternative assignments while the school board took the matter under advisement, but no further action was taken on the complaint. Challenged at the McDowell County, NC schools (1996) because of "graphic language."

Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs

Found obscene in Boston, MA Superior Court (1965). The finding was reversed by the State Supreme Court the following year.

Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh

Alabama Representative Gerald Allen (R-Cottondale) proposed legislation that would prohibit the use of public funds for the "purchase of textbooks or library materials that recognize or promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle." The bill also proposed that novels with gay protagonists and college textbooks that suggest homosexuality is natural would have to be removed from library shelves and destroyed. The bill would impact all Alabama school, public, and university libraries. While it would ban books like Heather Has Two Mommies, it could also include classic and popular novels with gay characters such as Brideshead Revisited, The Color Purple or The Picture of Dorian Gray (2005).

Women in Love, by DH Lawrence

Seized by John Summers of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice and declared obscene (1922).

The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer

Banned in Canada (1949) and Australia (1949).

Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller

Banned from U.S. Customs (1934). The U.S. Supreme Court found the novel not obscene (1964). Banned in Turkey (1986).

An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser

Banned in Boston, MA (1927) and burned by the Nazis in Germany (1933) because it "deals with low love affairs."


Rabbit, Run, by John Updike

Banned in Ireland in 1962 because the Irish Board of Censors found the work "obscene" and "indecent," objecting particularly to the author's handling of the characters' sexuality, the "explicit sex acts" and "promiscuity." The work was officially banned from sales in Ireland until the introduction of the revised Censorship Publications Bill in 1967. Restricted to high school students with parental permission in the six Aroostock County, ME community high school libraries (1976) because of passages in the book dealing with sex and an extramarital affair. Removed from the required reading list for English class at the Medicine Bow, WY Junior High School (1986) because of sexual references and profanity in the book.

notturno's upcoming album

the band broke up, and suddenly it become the pianist's solo project.. with uncertainty of when the album is going to come up, as it was recorded when the whole members were still solid, here's a sneak peak of the cover album that I did for the guys



check them out, they're good

buy (cool) T-shirts, help others

My brother Dimas -his dad was the second son of my grandmother in which my mom was the seventh daughter, godspeed mom- set up this website where he sells T-shirts online with words of wisdom in it..

I can't help but ponder at how cool the idea was. Who wouldn't want a shirt with their preferred quotations packed in awesome design at affordable price?!

the best thing is, he claimed to donate 100 percent - I like putting 100 percent instead of 'all', for me it feels to have a greater depth of valuation to it, I guess, or is it just me?- to charity!

and this is the next best thing, in order to convince you that he's actually donating all of the profit, he will give a periodical financial reports on the website to visibly show which places are receiving the donations, how much they receive, and what are they using the donations for.

I'm lost for words..

I have always believe that it requires one hell of courage, utmost determination and unbelievably kind heart to be able to do stuff that my brother is doing. It apparently takes ingenuity too..

I have always thought that suddenly the world is a less interesting place after my mom's departure, I guess life has its own sparks..

kudos to my bro and these are some of his cool T-Shirts,

Deuter Tension 20L Review

Just got myself a new daypack -which apparently is the cool term for your everyday back pack- and decided to give my 2 cents on the product.

Anyways, this is how it looks with proper lights and professional placement (I don't know how Deuter can always seem to inflate their backpacks like balloons).



As you can see, it has a nice green color which I really dig -what can I say, I'm a sucker for everything green- and it's not too big or too small for a working daypack. Yes, I use it primarily for work. I use another cool carrier -which apparently is the cool term for your travelling, hiking, overseas tramping trips- by Deuter, the Futura Pro 38, but let's keep the focus on the Tension for now.

First, the reason why I pick Deuter and not other brands, or other laptop dedicated bags, is because, well, laptop bags aren't really that comfortable in my back. I have about three and all of them feels like a huge hump that press my shoulders down even after walking around for less than 20 minutes. And as the nature of my job requires constant movements from one place to another, why not pick something with good shoulder padding and back system.

And Deuter was actually not my first option, I was browsing for, well, brands like Vaude -there's this really cool green vaude on their website, Karrimor -which also have a most wanted item whose name I forgot, and The North Face -though some are available, they normally come in boring black color, which in my case, attracts more mosquitoes.

But my eyes stuck on Deuter because their products are easier to find at highly bargained prices in Indonesia, in which the aforementioned brands are not. recommended sellers at Kaskus have always been my last resort.

enough talk and get on with the review.
Despite the cool looking backpack you see on top, this is how mine's looked with nothing in it.



And this is the back system I mentioned before (click on image for bigger view).

I have to say that it's not working as I expected it would. Though I feel both back
pads pressing on my back, my reflect constantly forced me to fix the adjustments of
both the right and left shoulder cords so that both pads fall perfectly on the sides.
I would have preferred a single pad on the back bone, as I constantly have a backbone
problem, but that's probably just me.

I still sweat, but not as much I guess.

And there's also the chest cord which I don't particularly use, and the bag also come
with detachable hip cords, which I detached to slip the dangling shoulder cords in


Now moving on to the compartments

The bag has a small upper pocket that can hold your keys -with dangling key cord, itsy bitsy things like identification cards, possibly earphones, cigarettes and lighters, whatever small things you want easy access to.







these are the two side pockets

this one has tons of pen holders, which is kindda cool -you'll know why later, and quite a space for anything else, like small size notebook and stuff.

The one on the left is made of an elastic material,
which you'll probably missed on the images at the
company's website. This means the right and left
pockets are dissimilar in terms of design, with the
left meant to stretch to hold something bigger,
such as water bottles, or in my case, my box of
name cards.








Peeking at the main compartment,

there's a small zipped bag that can hold small and not too thick notes. Stuff like passports, your bankbooks and other of similar sizes should fit in this pocket. Though connecting cables for electronic devices can also fit here, I found it annoying to do so as it will block my access to the main compartment.












the inside compartment has an attached line of cloth that, I guess, were meant to hold your
wet clothes. The design also meant for things to stay at the edge of the wall of the bag
so that the things you put inside won't dangle you down on the opposite direction. Plenty
of bags have this feature, so I guess you know what I'm talking about. This is where I put my
laptop in. The absence of a dedicated laptop compartment, in my opinion, is forgivable,
as it was never meant to be a laptop bag in the first place. I would advice for a laptop
soft case if you want to mount your laptop in at the expense of less space, but I'm doing
just fine without one :p.






I don't know whether 20 liter is the over all size or after the bag is shrunk. I'm saying this because the bag has an outside zipper that can give additional space for the inside compartment. With the load I'm carrying right now, I found it unnecessary to expand the main compartment, but it's good to know that I can if I need to.



























This is the outside of the bag, which according to the Deuter website could (or should?) hold your skateboard in case you want to walk or run instead of glide. I haven't tried mounting a helmet in, which is partially one of the reasons why I bought this series instead the spider, which also look cool by the way, but the long connecting cords should do it, I guess, I don't really know, will update you if I finally mount something in it, if by chance I remembered to take pictures of it. You should see as I don't really like dangling cords on my bag, I kindda tighten them using plastic tighteners -whatever the cool term for it. They's the same cable tighteners available in different colors at your local utility shops.

The bag also has a glow-in-the-dark stripe that will prevent you from getting hit from behind if you're riding a bike or walking on the wrong side of a sidewalk-less street, which is a lot in Jakarta.












Now that I have covered, I guess, all parts of the bag that need to be covered.

Here are the things I carry everyday to work,

-14 inch laptop from Toshiba
-my 500GB shock proof, supposedly, portable hardisk from Transcends
-itsy bitsy stuff like bunch of pens, toothbrush -shut up, lighter, portable ashtray, back up Senheisser earphones, press id
-slightly bigger stuff like notebook, passport and a couple of bankbooks
-box of namecard
-bunch of cable connection for charging electrical equipment, such as the shitty laptop charger -due to its weight and size, iPod cable, blackberry cable and hardisk connector.
-and finally a spare shirt in case I need to look neat pronto

just to show you the capacity of this bag, I have decided to include the ultra-thick
Steve Jobs biography -may he rest in iPeace- by Walter Issacson inside the bag.












and now it's time to put everything inside, okay this one over here, that one over there, some of this stuff here, and, wait, yup.. okay and VOILA!!

This is how the bag looks after everything is clobbered in, also see the side pics to compare the thickness (click for larger view).














Just to give you an idea about the dimension of the bag, this is my son Kaezee next to the Tension -or simply because the purpose of this review is to make my son famous :p


here's pros and cons

pros
-green colored (the black stripe is also available btw)
-nice padded and wide shoulder strap
-big enough but not overly humongous for my back, appealing design
-I heard the bag is water proof :p

cons
-the back system I mentioned above
-lack of dedicated laptop container but okay laa
-placing of inside pocket that can block the way (I later see this as a good thing, as the bag doesn't necessarily weigh everything to the bottom part. Bag contents are evenly distributed on the upper and bottom parts to maintain its cool proportional shape, so it goes).

Overall I'm pretty happy with the bag as it answers my need for a hip-looking work daypack. And though the amount of things inside is similar to the amount of things mounted on my normal laptop bag, my shoulders receive less strain due to the width of the pad, and my back don't sweat as much.

Here's me looking happy


(mm probably later)