three new winners----all great stories.

winners!! a couple of winners!! no--THREE new winnahs.

the submission for the winner of the Neil
"birthday laminate" just charmed me with this story:

I nominate my friend Julia, who last night went down to a local Target with a friend and did the following:

...we held up one awesome cashier's line buying stacks of gift cards, putting $20 on each. We immediately gave one to the guy waiting behind us in line. Then we parked at the front door and began handing them to people as they entered. Most people showed the initial reaction of "oh god someone is shoving a flier I don't want at me," but then they'd look down at what they just accepted and, well, a multitude of reactions occurred. Some people didn't say anything and continued into the store. Some said thank you. A few stopped and said, "Really?" One woman ran back to give us both hugs. Another woman in a headscarf with a strong accent asked us, "Why?" and I said, "Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid, solstice, whatever!" (Or something to that effect, but more formal.)

Twice people came back and gave us the cards back, telling us to give them to people who needed them more. One of those men kept asking us who we were and what organization we were with. It was fun to say, "We're just... us!" and, "Well, my name is Julia," and such. Heh, at one point he said, "How did you get the money?" and we replied, "Work." He asked us where we worked, so I said I worked for Harvard and Sandry said she worked for Whole Foods, and he said, "Wow, so you're not even really raking in the big bucks."

We ran out fairly quickly; it was a busy night at Target. We sat on a bench outside for a little while longer before heading home. One of the women we had given a card to--and possibly one who had given it back?--thanked us on her way out and said that she had been inspired by us to pay for the man at the register in front of her.

this one is for you, Julia! (not sure who your nominator was, an email address suggests Alex?)

here is the winner of the CONJUNCTIONS print, Thesa, who makes an excellent point in her closing statement:

Thinking of Neil Gaiman always brought back memories from 2007. A dinner with Neil Gaiman was set up by the bookstore that organizes this graphic fiction awards (Neil Gaiman was one of the judges, I guess. And he also wrote the foreword for the compilation of the stories.) I was fortunate enough to attend the dinner because my mentor helped make the video presentation for the program so I tagged along with him. Back then I was only able to read The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish and Eternals. Sitting in front of me I saw him doodle a guy in long black coat whenever he sign copies of his works, back then I thought it was his self-portrait. A year later I worked as a storekeeper for a graphic novels and designer toys shop that my mentor owned, and fortunately part of the perks of it is I get to read the books for free, yay! and that was when I get to meet Dream for the first time and that's when I realized that he was actually drawing Dream in every copy of the Absolute Sandman not a portrait of himself. I can't say that I'm fan. Some may get offended if I say I am, because I honestly haven't read much of his works. Aside from the Sandman, there are just about 5 more works that I was able to read before I resigned from my job. After the job, there are just slim chances of me getting my hands on and reading a Gaiman (quite expensive). I may not be a fan but I really love the works that I was able to read. And I promise myself that once I get myself a much stable job, I will start investing on all the graphic novels that I fell in love reading while working at the store. I may not be a hardcore fan, but I believe I deserve the print as much as any avid fan is. I plan to build a mini library for me and my siblings and one day when I'm older and I have my grandchildren, I would like to show the print to them and encourage them to read more and say 'see? Not all things can be bought by money'.

Thank Thesa, send me your address! you have my email--

and this is from ??, I honestly don't know much more than this twitter handle:
@d2p

everytime i've worn my I Believe tshirt someone has started a conversation - "Have you heard about Am Gods being made into a series?" "What do you know about Am Gods on HBO? " etc. This has happened everywhere from Chicago to Austin and small towns in Iowa.

Coraline shirt on the otherhand usually just creates knowing smiles.

it's Kitty-Cat again, if @d2p (the web Cinderella/Cinderfella, who left me only this message much like a glass slipper)
can send me an address, I will send off a good @Neilhimself surprise.

meanwhile, I got so so many great submissions. SO many. I may be playing missus Claus into the new year, dropping some deserving people with notes and prizes.

I am with my beloved family now, healing up my ribs-- (don't sneeze with a broken rib, is all I can say)
Neil is in Australia with his lady love and we watched him ace it on the broadcast of "Wait..wait..don't tell me" on BBC America tonight.
my wish is for everyone to have a lovely winter solstice, warm holiday nights by the fire.