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        LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
4th Place June 09 Olav wrote us this letter about the library of congress, as a recent visitor, and a Canadian, we think he makes as good a case for it as any text we could write about it: The Library of Congress is the world's largest library. More than 32 million books, 15 million periodicals, movies and 100 million other items add up to hundreds of miles of shelf space and several terabytes of information. What's awesome about that? It is an institution that is open to public use. That's right, not just the use of Congress, not just the use of Americans, but the use of anyone from any part of the globe. The world's largest repository of information is accessible to everyone. Considering the size of the collection, the labrynthine warren of tunnels in which the books are stored and the demands of the public, one would understand if it took the librarians several days to find any particular book. However, just about any book in the collection can be retrieved within an hour. Seriously! One hour! I was there last weekend doing some research and I requested New Computer Methods for Global Optimization an obscure book from 1988 that had a print run of less than 500 copies. They had it in my hands in 15 minutes! That's incredible. I'm going to go so far as to say that The Library of Congress isn't just awesome, it's one of the Wonders of the World. There are many great things about America, but I would list the Library of Congress as the single best. It is all of the greatest achievements of Western Civilization under one roof, at the fingertips of all those who seek knowledge. Seriously. I was awe-struck. I am awe-struck. I'm well-known as someone who is loquacious, and I can't even find the words to express how impressed I was with the Library of Congress.
Nominated by Olav Rokne
Image Credits
Filename: libraryofcongress.jpgSource: wiki commons author: Andreas Praefcke Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LoC_Main_Reading_Room.jpg 
Filename: libraryofcongress_exterior.jpgSource: Public Domain Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ThomasJeffersonBuildingLOC.jpg 
Filename: libraryofcongress_building.jpgSource: wiki commons author: Josh from Washington, D.C., USA Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Library_of_Congress_(1).jpg 
Filename: libraryofcongress_interior.jpgSource: wiki commons author: Diliff Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Library_of_Congress_Interior_Jan_2006.jpg 
Filename: libraryofcongress_1921.jpgSource: wiki commons author: Josh from Washington, D.C., USA Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Library_of_Congress_1921.jpg
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Library of Congress was voted MORE AWESOME than:
 Teddy Roosevelt  Moustache Balaclava  Shaved Ball Cap  Giant Nintendo Controller  Little Superstar  Meat Suitcase  Venus Fly Traps  Unibrow  Theo Jansen's Art  General Lee 01  Crop Circles  BigDog Robot  Roller Derby  Freerunning  Dwight K. Schrute  President Obama  The Hamburger Bed  Wingsuit Base Jumping  Bob Ross  Flying Spaghetti Monster  Badass Mountain Men  Beer Maids  Rollerman  Space Invader Invasion  The Brick Testament  Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton  The Man with No Name  The Stig  Queen of the Mist  Deja Vu  Ultra Slow Motion  Troy Hurtubise's Inventions  Gong  Keith Loutit's Little Sydney  Soccer* Hooligans  Reliant Robin Teddy Roosevelt  Choose Your Own Adventure Books  Tiesto  Rasputin  The Disintegrator: Rubber Band Minigun  Death Star  Mermaids  Male Emperor Penguins  Indy's Whip  Literal Video Versions  Chuck Norris vs. Bruce Lee  Hunter S. Thompson  Extent of the Universe  Mark Twain Library of Congress was voted LESS AWESOME than:  Nikola Tesla  Robocop on a Unicorn  Miracle On Ice  Aurora Borealis  Brawndo: The Thirst Mutilator  Captain James T. Kirk Captain James T. Kirk  Johnny Cash Teddy Roosevelt Death Star  James Earl Jones Counts to 10 James Earl Jones Counts to 10  Jesus Riding A Dinosaur  Walking on the Moon
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         TEDDY ROOSEVELT
June 2009 Champion Adventurer, intellectual, author, soldier, cowboy, policeman, historian, America’s youngest president was all of these and more. An avid bibliophile with a photographic memory, Teddy Roosevelt loved to fight in the boxing ring and to hunt big game. Although he shot and killed hundreds of endangered animals, he also provided for greater environmental protection regulations than almost any other president. He was a man of many contradictions, but seemed to live life on a grander scale than is possible for even the most awesome among us. In 1912, While Roosevelt was campaigning in Milwaukee, a saloon keeper named John Schrank shot him. Teddy Roosevelt, as an experienced hunter and anatomist, correctly concluded that since he wasn't coughing blood the bullet had not completely penetrated the chest wall to his lung, and so declined suggestions he go to the hospital immediately. Instead, he delivered his scheduled speech with blood seeping into his shirt. His opening comments to the gathered crowd were, "Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose." The man was a total badass whose genius intellect was only matched by the speed of his trigger finger and the force of his right hook.
Nominated by Olav Rokne
Image Credits
Filename: teddy_globe.jpgSource: Public Domain Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Teddy_Roosevelt_portrait.jpg 
Filename: teddy_elephant.jpgSource: Public Domain Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roosevelt_safari_elephant.jpg 
Filename: teddy_laugh.jpgSource: Public Domain Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Theodore_Roosevelt_laughing.jpg 
Filename: teddy_flight.jpgSource: Public Domain Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EX7G7.jpg 
Filename: teddy_stump.jpgSource: Public Domain Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roosevelt_on_the_Stump.JPG 
Filename: teddy_portrait.jpgSource: Public Domain Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TR_LtCol_1898.jpg 
Filename: teddy_horse.jpgSource: Public Domain Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roosevelt_at_Yellowstone,_1904.JPG 
Filename: teddy_roughriders.jpgSource: Public Domain Url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RoughRiders.jpeg
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Teddy Roosevelt was voted MORE AWESOME than:
 Chewbacca  The Couch Dress Moustache Balaclava Shaved Ball Cap Giant Nintendo Controller  Jesus Christ Meat Suitcase Unibrow Theo Jansen's Art Theo Jansen's Art General Lee 01 Crop Circles  Mock Apple Pie Robocop on a Unicorn Roller Derby Freerunning Dwight K. Schrute Miracle On Ice President Obama The Hamburger Bed Flying Spaghetti Monster Badass Mountain Men Beer Maids  Hedgehogs  WAKE n' BACON  Zombies Space Invader Invasion Brawndo: The Thirst Mutilator The Brick Testament Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton Captain James T. Kirk The Man with No Name  Banksy  Octo-Stache  Peekaru Queen of the Mist Deja Vu Ultra Slow Motion Troy Hurtubise's Inventions Troy Hurtubise's Inventions  The Viking Helmet Johnny Cash  Stinky Cheese James Earl Jones Counts to 10 Death Star  Chindogu Tiesto Library of Congress  Notorious B.I.G. Doll Rasputin  Che Guevara James Earl Jones Counts to 10 Death Star Death Star Mermaids Male Emperor Penguins  Rockin' Steady Indy's Whip Literal Video Versions Chuck Norris vs. Bruce Lee  Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka Hunter S. Thompson  Emperor Norton Jesus Riding A Dinosaur Teddy Roosevelt was voted LESS AWESOME than: Nikola Tesla Aurora Borealis Library of Congress Library of Congress
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A) Books are awesome.
B) Large quantities of books are more awesome than lesser quantities. C) Democracy is awesome. D) Freedom of speech is awesome. E) Freedom of information is awesome. F) Thomas Jefferson is awesome. The Library of Congress combines the net awesomeness of that entire list, in an awesome building, with awesome organization, awesome people running it and awesome art on the walls. This should be in the Top 8. I am more in awe of this than the sum of all other nominees, even though all nominees this month are awesome in their own right. reply
Agreed.
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Some Fast Facts about Teddy Roosevelt:
If John Hodgman said it, I believe it
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could you fix the format of my comment so it lists the fast facts? like..... -blah blah blah (enter) -blah blah blah
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Wow! John Hodgman knows a lot about Teddy Roosevelt.
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thanks ivan!
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And this is the most pertinent fact, Teddy Roosevelt fathered Chuck Norris!
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I nominated both of these and can't decide. They are clearly my favourite two things I've ever nominated.
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I think this is the most difficult Olav-off yet
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I ended up voting for The Library of Congress, because of the visceral, emotional, dumbfounded reaction I had to my recent visit. Seriously, after spending a couple of days there, I was speechless.
But I can't say that I was unhappy with either one winning. reply
Oh god. This is too much to handle. I don't know if I can vote on this one.
No.
Definitely not.
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The Great Library of Alexandria was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World...perhaps the Library of Congress should be considered one of the Wonders of the Modern World? THAT would be awesome!
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IMHO, the LoC is all seven wonders of the Modern World.
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