But this library is also packed with wit and humor, as demonstrated by several librarians at New Berlin. In a dry humor skit, two librarians stand in front of the check-in desk, preparing to do the "Trust Fall" game.
One librarian leans back for the trust fall, and instead of catching her, the other librarian steps away and says:
"You can't trust everybody, but you can trust the New Berlin Public Library to give you access, for free, to hundreds of books, great programming, and resources."
The screen then flips to the other librarian fallen on the floor, while a third librarian who was manning the checkout desk appears stressed, looking down at her.
You can watch the video here:
Viewers found the skit to be hilarious, and viewers from all around the world started following the Wisconsin-based library.
@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
The video soon went viral on other platforms, as well, including Twitter (X).
One question that kept coming up was whether or not the fallen librarian, Susan, was okay.
It seemed obvious enough that Susan had been part of the skit and that the skit was all in good fun, but it was unclear to some whether or not Susan had actually fallen.
In a response video, the library reassured the crowd that no Susans had been harmed in the making of the video.
Susan had not actually fallen and had, in fact, gone right back to work, serving the public library after the video was recorded.
You can watch the response video here:
After the video went viral all over the world, the staff at the New Berlin Public Library hoped that this meant something good, not just for them, but for public libraries everywhere, telling TMJ4 News:
"We've been getting emails from everywhere, like Australia and the Philippines."
"A lot of the comments are like, 'Wow, I need to go back to my library!' which is the coolest thing."
"This is why we do anything that we do, so I kind of hope this is just a big victory for libraries everywhere."
You can watch the video here:
This may have begun as a funny joke among librarians, ensuring that the public can trust them with the resources that they need and the books they want to read most, but this short video has grown to be so much more.
While this singular video will not remain viral forever, it's a great reminder to everyone of what awaits them at their public library if they only take the time to visit.
The flag was discovered Tuesday afternoon inside Taylor’s office in the Cannon Building, according to a spokesperson.
You can see it in the photo below.
@rooster_ohio/X
In a statement, Taylor said:
“I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office. The content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms.”
"Upon learning of this matter, I immediately directed a thorough investigation alongside Capitol Police, which remains ongoing. No further comment will be provided until it has been completed.”
The following day, Taylor took a different posture on the whole affair, claiming that his and other GOP offices were "targeted."
“Numerous Republican offices have confirmed that they were targeted by an unidentified group or individual who distributed American flags bearing a similar symbol, which were initially indistinguishable from an ordinary American flag to the naked eye,” he said. “My office was among those that were subjected to this ruse.”
The image angered many and has received widespread condemnation.
Politico's report came just one day after the site published 2,900 pages of leaked exchanges between a dozen state-level Young Republican leaders in different states.
Young Republican leaders called Black people “monkeys” and “the watermelon people" and talked about reinstituting slavery. They also praised the genocidal Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, and referenced raping Democrats and gassing them, much like the Nazis did to the Jews and others during the Holocaust.
For instance, Joe Maligno, general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans, wrote, “Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic." Annie Kaykaty, New York’s national committeewoman, said, "I'm ready to watch people burn now."
Several have already faced consequences, with at least one forced to resign from their position as a chief of staff to a GOP politician. Vice President JD Vance was also called out for dismissing the "pearl-clutching" over "a college group chat" even though eight of the 11 members in the chat spanned the ages of 24-35, with the ages of three other members not publicly available.
That being said, when this momentous occasion does happen, reality often sinks in faster than anyone expects.
As it soon becomes clear we don't have the cushion and safety net of our parent, and if we want to buy things, we need to find the money to make those purchases ourselves.
When we also realize how much we took for granted just how expensive some things are...
Redditor spacemonkey6654 was curious to hear what items people didn't realize came with hefty price tags until they had to buy them themselves, leading them to ask:
"What’s an everyday thing you didn’t realize was ridiculously expensive until you had to pay for it yourself?"
"A nice trash can, like a stainless steel one. They were all like 80 bucks at the store I went to." - Ecstatic-Book-6568
"Curtains, I was shocked the first time I had to buy some for a place that didn't have them."- Hopguy
"Dental Work."- Traditional-Rock-998
"I used to skip the dentist because it felt way too expensive, and frankly, I hated the dentist in general."
"I have sensitive teeth, and simple cleanings were super stressful/uncomfortable."
"After years of thi,s I learned that ignoring my dental health and skipping annual checkups ended up costing me far more than if I had just invested in those two visits a year."
"Still f*cking sucks though and of course you get the occasional surprise."- smelly_cat69
"Berries."- lafolielogique
"My kids grandparents introduced him to raspberries because apparently they hate me."- SkylineDrive
"Vet / pet bills."
"The cat is free, so why not right?"- jpea
"Picture frames."
"I was shocked the first time I saw that they often cost more than what they’re displaying."- 2manyhotdogs
picture spinning GIF by Anthony Antonellis Giphy
"Water."
"I grew up in a rural area in a forest with a well."
"We never paid for water, and it was always amusing to me to hear people talking about 'paying their water bill' on television."
"Then I grew up and moved out, and started having to pay for water."
"Great googly-moogly."- the2belo
"Throw pillows!"
"I never particularly liked them, and then had a series of dogs who were pillow destroyers, so I never got in the habit."
"I recently went into an upscale store and fell absolutely in love with a pillow that was $150, and I was shocked!"- PorchDogs
"Car insurance. really stings too, every month that goes by is like, welp, no accidents, but at least I'm a few hundred bucks lighter anyway."- edgar_jomfru
No Problem Thumbs Up GIF by Mayhem Giphy
"Floor rugs."
"I must have spent over $3,000 on rugs just for my modest-sized family home."
"Many of them were bargain finds at a local clearance place."- EnemyCharizard
"Better learn to do your own Trade work."
"Because it's all astronomical these days."
"Gotta take a mortgage out to get a plumber, HVAC, electrician, ect ect."
"And they don't pick up the phone for less than a 5k job so you'll be using Jeff's handyman for anything small."
"Sh*tshow out there."- Km219
"Car repairs, even everyday things like brakes, oil changes, etc."
"And new tires? "
"Yikes."- DaikonEntire5320
Car Repair GIF by Ilves Motors Giphy
"Getting things fixed."- MrsCrowley79
"I long for the days before I knew about that feeling of total dread people get when they hear a strange noise coming from the car, the discouraging 'beep' from a malfunctioning appliance or the trickle of water from a leaking pipe, with the knowledge that whatever was causing it was going to pretty much clean out their savings for the next month or two."- RedWestern
"Installation and purchase of a water heater in the winter, once the old one stops working."- RogerMoore2011
"Mattresses."- Ok-Good8150
"How can a basic coil king-size mattress cost over $2,000?!?"
"Make it make sense."- CoolJeweledMoon
protest mattress GIF Giphy
We all have an idea of what our dream home should be.
Once we start furnishing that dream home, however, that home might stay in our dreams...
Matt Nelson launched the WeRateDogs Twitter account in 2015 while he was in college. Since then, accounts across social media and a website have been created.
Most days, the account rates dogs on a scale of 1-10, adding a photo or video and some facts about the dog. The accounts all have a massive following: 9 million on Twitter/X, 4.9 million on Instagram, 3.4 million on TikTok, 1.5 million on Facebook, 434K on YouTube, and 415K on Bluesky.
On October 14, We Rate Dogs shared a very different kind of story on their Facebook and Instagram accounts.
They shared a group of photos of a Rottweiler named Chop who was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent in the dog's home in El Paso, Texas. The family was cooperating with agents when one decided to enter their home, let the dog out of the bathroom where it had been confined, then shoot Chop, who bled to death while CBP refused to render aid and the responsible agent hid and refused to reveal his name.
The usually lighthearted account wrote:
"This is Chop. He was shot and killed by masked assailants in plain clothes who go by ICE..."
"Do not open your door for these f**king losers."
Rating the dog a 14 out of 10, they ended their post—followed by relevant contact information—with:
"Rest easy Chop ❤️ 14/10"
We Rate Dogs/Facebook
@hwabytes/Bluesky
@javaelemental/Bluesky
Like many people, the page confused Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), but the rest of their account is accurate. Border Patrol agents are part of CBP, not ICE.
Both agencies are part of Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security, but ICE handles immigration and customs violations within the United States, while CBP focuses on border security, managing entry into the country at ports of entry and along the borders.
The man that killed Chop was a plain clothes Border Patrol agent, not a masked ICE agent.
The story was first shared in September by KFOX14/CBS4. A family—who asked to remain anonymous out of concern of reprisal—shared that on the morning of September 9, CBP agents asked for entry into their El Paso home. Reportedly the agents were acting on an anonymous tip that turned out to be about the former owner of the home, who hadn't lived there for two years.
The official statement from Border Patrol verified the killing of Chop, saying:
"On Sept. 9 at 7:15 a.m., a U.S. Border Patrol agent was involved in a use of force incident in El Paso, Texas, during an investigation into alien smuggling at a residence. The incident involved a canine."
"The use of force is currently under review by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility in accordance with CBP policies. CBP takes such incidents seriously. We will provide additional information as it becomes available."
The father of Chop's family told KFOX14/CBS4 that Border Patrol agents wearing jeans and t-shirts instead of uniforms and visible identification showed up at his son's home acting on an anonymous tip.The son answered the door and allowed the agents to search his home, but asked for them to wait while he put the family's Rottweiler, Chop, in the bathroom as the dog could be aggressive with strangers.
Border Patrol agents asked the son for identification, so he went to his pickup truck to retrieve his ID. An unidentified agent entered the home, opened the bathroom door while the son was outside, and shot Chop.
The family reiterated that agents knew—the son told them—that Chop was in the bathroom for their safety, but agents still opened the door without a family member present. Then none of the Border Patrol agents helped the family as they desperately tried to save their dog.
Chop eventually bled to death on the kitchen floor.
Upset and disgusted by the agent's actions, the family stated they were following orders and trying to be upstanding citizens, only for an agent to kill "a family member." The family claimed the agent who shot Chop hid from them and refused to give them his name or show his identification.
The family wants to pursue legal action over concerns CBP could do this to other families if not reined in.
People were appalled at the CBP agents' conduct.
r/Fauxmoi/Reddit
We Rate Dogs/Facebook
r/Fauxmoi/Reddit
We Rate Dogs/Facebook
r/Fauxmoi/Reddit
We Rate Dogs/Facebook
r/Fauxmoi/Reddit
We Rate Dogs/Facebook
r/Fauxmoi/Reddit
r/Fauxmoi/Reddit
r/Fauxmoi/Reddit
r/Fauxmoi/Reddit
r/Fauxmoi/Reddit
In the comments on Instagram, Texas Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar, who represents the El Paso area, shared that she was aware of what happened to Chop and was in contact with CBP for accountability for their actions.
@weratedogs/Instagram
Hopefully there will be some justice for Chop.
Rest in peace, good boy.
