Political commentator (and fellow barbecue connoisseur) Kevin Drum calls his readers' attention to this news report about the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy. According to Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, our troops are generally cool with eliminating the practice and with allowing gays to serve openly. There has been no outcry, no protest.
Well, of course. That comes as no surprise to those of us who always felt this kind of thing was a matter of a small group pretending to speak for the majority. What will come as a surprise to me is if, before "D.A.D.T." is eliminated, we don't see Fox News dig up some soldiers who do object and try to pass them off as spokespersons for all military personnel.
A few months ago, we announced The Groo Treasury, a $24.95 repackaging of old Groo stories by Sergio Aragonés and me. At the moment, the only copies that seem to be available have a startling price of $999.00 apiece on Amazon. That does not include an additional $3.99 for shipping. A third-party seller named "stevensbooks" of North Carolina is asking that much for each of the two copies they have, which are "used" and in "acceptable" condition.
This is an amazing price, not because they're asking so much for a used paperback but because they're asking that for a book that has not even been published yet. We've had a production delay and The Groo Treasury has never gone to press. When it does, there should be plenty of brand-new copies available for $25 or less.
I don't think this is a scam of any sort. Assuming "stevensbooks" is the Stevens Book Shop of Raleigh, North Carolina, they have a fine reputation as "one of the world's largest used Christian and theology bookstores." No one is dumb enough to order this book at that price...and if someone did, I'm sure the seller would quickly issue an apology and a refund. I mean, it's not like they can possibly deliver the item.
I only mention this because, first of all, I think it's a funny mistake. Also, I'm receiving e-mails from Groo fans wondering how they could have missed the book's release and wondering what's up. One wants to know if we're planning on reprinting it because he really wants a copy but isn't about to shell out a thousand cheeseburgers for a pristine copy, let alone a used one in "acceptable" shape. Hey, I wouldn't pay that either, fella. Not even if Sergio and Mark hand-delivered it to my door in full costume and performing an interpretive dance number. We do that for new material but never for reprints.
I've dispatched an e-mail to the bookseller on Amazon to try and clear this up. I shall report on what happens. And whenever The Groo Treasury goes to press, you'll read about it here.
This profile of Roger Ebert by Chris Jones may depress the heck outta you. It's agonizing how Mr. Ebert must now live due to surgeries that have taken away his ability to eat, drink or speak. Then again, you may find it inspirational that a man has managed to endure all that and to still continue to do what he does so well, which is to write.
The article makes mention of a piece Ebert wrote in tribute to his late partner, Gene Siskel. If you've never read it, you might want to. Here's that link.
February 15, 2010
