Them thar book are evil, evil I say...

On a lighter note, it's refreshing to know that the world it chuck full of crazies out there who apparently exist only to bring a chuckle from our collective bellies. Case in point, this broad in Georgia. It appears that another loon is trying to get Harry Potter banned from the library because it teaches children to embrace wickism and demons, oh my!! Surprisingly, in a follow up poll that MSNBC is doing about the story where nearly 20,000 people have voted, 10% actually believe that Harry Potter is evil. There are at least 200 people who actually think that Harry Potter is the work of Satan!! Next time you are in a coffee shop, look around; odds are that if 10 people are in the shop with you, that 1 of them is a complete loon.

I'm not a big Harry Potter fan, I don't actually believe that it's the best series ever written (as my niece and sister in law proclaim). However, I do believe it's one of the best instances of marketing in the publishing world to date. The series is highly derivative of the fantasy books that have been aimed at lonely teenage boys for decades (and, yes, I will admit to being one those boys), JK Rowling just had the genius to change the demographic. It's not the content that's new, the creatures and plot lines aren't novel, it's the fact that she decided to tell it to kids versus gawky D&D nerds that was the original feat. I also think the series success, is do, in large part to adults who love the fact that they can read a 700 page novel in three days, it makes them feel all smart and shit (I don't have the heart to tell them it's written for third graders).

Nevertheless, the series is fun, it’s a good diversion, and if it gets kids interested in reading than I’m all for it.

Lesson for today: Be careful of zealots of all sorts, especially those blonde haired, Georgia soccer moms, who don’t know any better.