GRABBINGSAND

No more carols. No more heralds. The stockings are no longer hung by the chimney, if ever they were at all. Some lights will still twinkle on porches and eaves, but most of the trimmings have made their way back into storage. And the tree is either out on the curb, pointlessly waiting for a collection that will never come, or it has been disassembled into component twigs and reboxed. Our wreath remains on the front door, but it will be gone by this time tomorrow. It is safe to say that the holiday has come and gone.

And yet, one of my favorite seasonal songs remains. If asked to pick, I’ll almost always point to “O Holy Night” as the carol for me, or maybe a sad rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” — I’m a sap that way. But the song you’ll find me humming for days and weeks into the new year is a brilliant piece of work by Frank Loesser.

If you were around this time last year, you already know the song in question. (Sadly, the video link in that post busted when I rearranged some files, so here’s a new one.)

Frank Loesser was the genius behind Guys And Dolls. A great musical, the kind that will impress even those who profess no love for the genre what-so-ever. Don’t believe me? Rent the film from 1955. If you don’t find yourself smiling by the time Marlon Brando starts singing “Luck Be A Lady Tonight,” then I don’t want to know you. You catch that? Brando. Singing. It’s not high opera, but its awesome all the same.

I’m not sure just when Loesser wrote this favorite song of mine, but Ella Fitzgerald first recorded it in 1960. Lena Horne did it her way in ‘65. The Orioles, a proto-Doo-Wop group, sang it way back in 1948. Regardless, it ages well. “What Are You Doing New Years Eve?” is one of those conversational songs that doesn’t take kindly to belting or wailing. Not right off the bat, at least. To do it justice, a singer has to start off shy, knowing full well that the answer to the question they’re about to sing might not be the news they’re needing.

Maybe it’s much too early in the game,
Aah, but I thought I’d ask you just the same.
What are you doing New Year’s …
New Year’s Eve?

But enough reading. You need to hear this for yourself. It’ll do you good.

“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” - The Orioles (1948) download
[audio:orioles_whatareyoudoing.mp3]

“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” - Lena Horne (1965) download
[audio:lena_whatareyoudoing.mp3]

“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” - Rufus Wainwright (2005) download
[audio:rufus_whatareyoudoing.mp3]

So hey … what are you doing this New Year’s Eve?

Step right up! Everyone’s a winner, bargains galore. Well, let’s make that one single solitary bargain. That’s right, you too can be the proud owner of a not-too-new, but really, really big 21″ monitor. That’s full-color, folks!

Made by Sony, a brand where the quality goes in before the name goes on, this Trinitron Multiscan GS500 monitor would be the almost perfect addition to any home, office or home-office. Yes, indeed, we have ourselves a kind of year-end clearance!* Now, you may ask yourself, “How much would I pay for a somewhat used, rather mature monitor of obscene size and weight? $500? $50? $5?”

Stop asking, because for the duration of this once-in-a-lifetime offer, the pick-it-up and take-it-away price is an unbelievable Zero Dollars and No Cents!

Pitching and hawking aside, my in-laws were very kind to me this Christmas. So I’ve a new monitor of my own. A flatscreen number that takes up a whole lot less desktop room than my previous behemoth. And sense I can’t bear sitting the poor old thing out on the curb (not to mention that I think it is rather illegal from an environmental standpoint to just throw away a CRT monitor), I’d like to see the ol’ Trinitron find a new home.

It’s not new, made in 2000. The picture is a bit bright, which I’ve learned is an eventuality with this model. But if you’ve been looking for a really huge screen to use for Photoshop-ing or just shootin’ dudes online, this is still a great upgrade. All I ask is that you come and get it yourself. Needless to say, this is a rather local offer. This sucker weighs about 80 pounds, I’m guessing. Shipping this thing would cost somewhere between a PS3 and an Xbox 360. So burn a little gasoline and come and get it. Did I mention it was free?

So if you live around Atlanta, particularly North Fulton County, and you need a mighty big monitor to replace your scrawny wee monitor, just e-mail me directly at thomasls[at]gmail[dot]com.

I suppose you could also leave a comment, if that’s the way you want to roll.

* - Apologies to Waits.

UPDATE: The humongous monitor has a new home in Tennessee! When Cort and Julie packed up to head back home yesterday afternoon (New Year’s Day), the monster stowed away in the back of their truck. Congratulations all around to them and their newest electric family member!

Note: I promised more about The Question, didn’t I? That’s coming, but later. Promise.

And this time, they’re all free.

While I still think that anyone who loves a great story and good art should pick up the first issue of the Justice Society of America reboot, I understand that this is the holiday season and that maybe you haven’t had the time to seek it out. Or maybe you’re in that self-imposed economic limbo that keeps a person from spending money on themselves when there are gifts (now belated) to purchase for others. I understand.

So for you, the frugal or time-deprived, there are the following free-of-charge options …

• The first issue of Animal Man, written by Grant Morrison. Buddy Baker is a down-to-earth fellow who wants nothing more than to be a good father, a caring husband and an all-around decent human being. He’s also a super-hero, one with the ability to borrow the traits of animals. Until Morrison took him under his writing wing, Animal Man was mainly just an excuse to have a guy in orange and purple tights fight off various apes and lions (by behaving like said apes and lions). But this series, started in 1988 as part of DC’s Vertigo line, rewrites Animal Man’s life with a depth and pathos rarely found in the pages of a comic book.
• The zero issue of Starman, written by James Robinson. Jack Knight has no desire to follow in his father’s super-heroic footsteps. He’d much rather run a pawn shop in downtown Opal City, his days spent hunting down collectibles instead of bad guys. Better to leave the Starman mantle to his brother. But when tragedy after tragedy puts his family and his hometown in jeopardy, Jack has little choice in the matter. Robinson’s control over the direction of his Starman run is unique in recent comic book history. Basically, he was given the rare opportunity to write what he wanted, as long as he wanted to write, with little to no interference from the big wheels at DC Comics. As a result, Starman was one of the best plotted, best executed series that I’ve ever read.
• The first issue of Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman. Sandman was, like Animal Man and Starman, a reimagining of an established DC superhero. But while Animal Man and Starman retained much of their previous abilities, Gaiman opted instead for a more literal interpretation. His Sandman was named Dream (or Morpheus, depending) and given dominion over a kingdom of nightmares and visions. He was given a family of similar personifications, including Desire, Delirium and Death. The subject matter is heady stuff, but Gaiman manages to keep it all quite accessible. Now, we all know how much I like Neil, so this recommendation should come as no surprise. But why isn’t it listed higher? My only hesitation with this recommendation is that the first issue of his acclaimed Sandman series is not entirely representative of the work to come. The story is good, of course, but it is only scratching the surface of how Gaiman would push the genre to fit his own storytelling ends. My advice is to start here, and if you even barely suspect you might like it, find the first trade paperback of the series.
• Finally, and primarilly because I’m sure that several of you are growing weary of my repeated mentionings of it, let me direct you to not one … not two … but the first five issues of DC’s weekly 52 series. Hosted by UGO, these issues will give you an idea of why this series is so fascinating. You’ve got four writers and several artists, all producing a weekly comicbook series with ramifications across the DC Universe. And they’ve not missed a publication date yet.

A list of these and many more free comic book issues is maintained by Loren Collins, keeper of the rather well-written Suspension of Belief blog. Interestingly enough, Collins ran as a write-in Bull Moose Candidate for Georgia’s Fourth District back in November. He only got 64 votes, but that’s surely better than none at all.

Wow. Somebody else noticed my post from last week, the one about Ye Olde Love Shackke of Johns Creek. The very man himself.

Mr Cornetta left a comment, too. A lengthy one, including a quote from a Supreme Court Justice.

Cornetta’s also stated his position at one of the numerous AJC blogs. The other responses are worth reading, though quite a few are cringeworthy.

What can I say? As I mentioned before, I’ve no issues with any product he wants to sell. Nothing in the quarter of his inventory in question is going to bring about the end of morality as we know it in Johns Creek or anywhere else. I’ll even go so far as to say that the state laws that do govern most adult items are inane and unnecessary. The stipulations and requirements to keep them on the shelves are rife with ignorance and hypocracy. For Novelty Use Only. Whatever.

My point was — and remains — that opening the store in that location looked — and still looks — like a poor business decision. I’m not saying that Cornetta won’t make money. The giggling girls mentioned in last paragraph of the AJC’s follow-up article are proof that the sheer novelty (damnit!) of shopping at the JC Love Shack will keep his registers ringing through the New Year.

But once the novelty (there it is again!) wears off, who can say?

The Night Before …
Originally uploaded by grabbingsand.

… and over there on the couch,
Neither creature was stirring,
Except maybe Daeva …

Who always seems to know psychically when a camera of any kind is trained upon her furry person. Her brother, on the other hand, could sleep through anything. And so, we have a peaceful holiday image of one sleeping cat … and one cat playing possum whilest imitating a scurvy pirate.

Merry Christmas, all.

And just in case my previous seasonal musical offerings were too cheery, here’s a tune to remind us all that there are far worse ways to spend the holiday …

Leroy Carr - “Christmas In Jail (Ain’t That A Pain)”
[audio:carr_xmasinjail.mp3]

Carr’s blues — and 23 other incredibly awesome songs, most forgotten for years and only recently reclaimed — are available on Where Will You Be Christmas Morning?, a release from Dust To Digital (based here in Atlanta).

As I might’ve expected, the ever-vigilante Douglas Wolk at 52 Pickup has picked up a lot of the loose threads from this week’s 52. I’ve a feeling that Wolk started his niche blog without realizing just how time-consuming covering a multi-subplotted weekly comic would be, but he’s in the thick of it now and doing a bang up job. Keep it up, Douglas. You’ll get to see your family again in no time.

Well, in about 19 weeks, actually …

Anyway. Like I said before, The Question’s delusions refer back to specific events in the last few issues of his first DC series. We’ve covered the origins of his mommy reference, though it should be added that the faceless appearance of Vic Sage’s mother is firmly rooted in the fact that Sage was brought up in a Hub City orphanage. He’d never recognize her, face or none.

Now, about Myra. Who’s she? (more…)

The Question #34, Page 8
Originally uploaded by grabbingsand.

The geekery-level of this post is remarkably high. You’ve been warned.

Now. Let’s talk about Victor Sage. Until recently, he’s been a reporter in the DC Universe. When the stories were too big to ignore, he donned a faceless mask and fought corruption as The Question. He’s been a favorite hero of mine for almost 20 years.

Lately, he’s experienced a resurgence in popularity due to his heavy participation in the Cadmus Project story arc on the dearly missed JLU series on Cartoon Network. The television portrayal was close to the mark, if maybe a little more Mulder than originally written.

In DC’s weekly 52 (previously mentioned), Victor Sage returns to the DCU spotlight and takes on a rather reluctant apprentice named Rene Montoya. Over many issues, we’ve learned that Vic (who goes by Charlie, his first name, in the series) is training Montoya not as a partner, but rather as his replacement. Sadly, Sage has cancer and has been declining steadilly.

In this week’s issue of 52 (#33), a cancer-stricken Charlie experiences a fit of delirium. (more…)

Wow. Has it really been 11 years? Jellyvision’s classic You Don’t Know Jack line of PC trivia games was always challenging, always funny and always a hit at a party or two. Eventually, players would get to the end of the line on the variety of questions and start memorizing answers, but those first few times around the bend were just awesome. And the commercials, too. They had these fake commercials that would play over the “end credits” of each game. They were brilliant.

YDKJ has tried to live on in other formats. I think they attempted television and even made an early 2000s run at the on-line market with something called The Netshow. This is their new thing, called simply You Don’t Know Jack - Beta. There’s a sign-up component that seems to indicate some manner of eventual competition, but nothing solid in that direction as of yet. For now, they’re serving up daily single-player doses of DisOrDat (one of the many types of question rounds in the old game), all MC’d by either the original “Cookie” or just some joker who sounds remarkably familiar. And as you can see here, these quizzes can be conveniently (with a little dimensional modification) embedded in a blog entry, just like YouTube and so on.

Note: Turns out that the embedded Flash breaks my formatting. They might want to look into that.

I wish them luck. And I’ve signed up to do some serious winning, should such a time come around.

Sorry. Cheap reference. But I felt compelled …

It would appear that a feared spectre of wickedness has been shooed away from our newly-established city of Johns Creek. Barring an unlikely stay from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, Fulton County’s Finest will descend upon the Love Shack at the corner of Jones Bridge and States Bridge Roads at 3pm this afternoon. I have no doubt that they will be accompanied by camera-wielding members of the local media, because nothing says “hard hitting news” like footage of cops carrying boxes of vibrators.

So I’m of two minds about this situation. On the one hand, I’m hating how this decision is already being portrayed as some kind of victory of morality, as if the newly-crowned Mayor of Johns Creek himself has run a proverbial “Harold Hill” of sex shops out of town on a rail. On the other, I can do nothing but shake my head at how poorly this location was chosen. Setting up shop in JC was such a bad decision.

But thank you, AJC, for providing me with the best line I’ve read all morning. I’d quote it alone, but context is key here.

U.S District Judge Thomas Thrash rejected claims by John Cornetta, owner of the Love Shack, that the 10,000-square-foot adult-themed store complied with Fulton County’s rules and should be treated as a regular retail store.

“It appears clear to me that the plaintiff is operating an adult business and it is operating illegally,” Thrash said. He said Cornetta had failed to obtain proper permits and to meet zoning requirements from Fulton County.

But then Thrash warned Cornetta that if he stayed open with a “significant” amount of adult material, then Cornetta was in danger of being in contempt of court. Thrash refused to define what he meant by significant when asked by Cornetta’s attorney, Louis Sirkin of Cincinnati.

Thrash agreed to allow the Love Shack at Jones Bridge and State Bridge roads to remain open until 3 p.m. Thursday to give Cornetta time to appeal and seek a temporary stay from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Cornetta was putting in rush orders Wednesday night to dilute his adult inventory by adding lingerie, children’s movies, and sportswear and hats.

Hats. Sexy, sexy hats.

Look, sell what you want. Other shops in Atlanta sell all manner of adult curiosities and make all kinds of bank. Even in the face of mid-90s decency campaigns by former Fulton County commissioner Mitch Skandalakis, they bent ever so slightly to the will of law and therefore remain open. In addition to laughably labeling most of their inventory as “For Novelty Use Only” and ensuring the of-age status of their clientèle, these shops picked locations that were amenable to their business. That’s probably key.

Mr. Cornetta, on the other hand, decided to set up shop in the middle of unincorporated, outwardly-conservative, ultra-suburban Fulton County (now Johns Creek). Sharing the same corner with his latest Love Shack is a QuikTrip, a Kroger, a Petco, a Blockbuster Video, a McDonalds. And right across his own parking lot is a very popular dance studio, one that serves mostly little wanna-be ballerinas from the surrounding subdivisions.

Isn’t it just good business sense to “know your audience?” Was the prospect of 10,000 square feet of retail space just too much for him to ignore the ramifications of opening? Or maybe he’s been courting controversy all along?

More and more mainstream authors keep stepping into the comicbook fray.

Tamora Pierce announced her intentions for Marvel’s new White Tiger title back in October. Stephen King is enlisting Jae Lee to delve graphically into the origin of Roland Deschain in February. And starting in March, Wonder Woman will be penned by novelist Jodi Picoult.

Now this is interesting to me, because I keep seeing Picoult’s books on the shelves of women around me. Sally has a few of her books, I believe. Wendy is a fan, per the sidebar mention on her blog. And if I’m not mistaken, there are a couple in Darcey’s collection. Anyone else I missed?

Me, I’ve never read her. So I’ll throw out these questions to those that know her work: What’s she like? Does a leap into superheroic scripting make sense?