I have a copy that’s autographed too. I took it to a ModMeet one time, and got quite a few autographs from staffers. Then I took it to a couple of Dopefests and got some autographs from posters. So it’s sort of like a yearbook, except that generally the people involved are not close physically.
I also have an autographed copy of The Barn House. It’s not something that I’d normally read, but it’s pretty good.
I don’t own any hard copy Straight Dope stuff. I’ve only ever read the column online (never even in the newspaper). I don’t remember how I found the site – probably I typed a question into Google and it came up.
I have the first three of the books. Been reading the column in the DC City Paper since '83. Joined the AOL discussion group and alt.fan.cecil-adams short thereafter. Migrated to this board on the Web.
The one line that will stay with me forever is an index entry in “More Of”:
I have one. I’ve never read it. It was sent to me, signed and dedicated, by Cecil (at least I’m assuming he signed it. It’s his name, it could have been Ed - I wasn’t there to witness it). Anyway, I have that and a coffee cup. I could never bring myself to read the book as I’m a compulsive binding breaker and that didn’t seem like something I should do to an autographed copy. I did use the cup though. But, I never let anyone else use it.
I don’t have any mod autographs though. I didn’t know they did that. I doubt I’ll ever meet them, since most people with common sense don’t come to Plattsburgh.
My ex-boyfriend got me hooked on the website (baby pigeons) and the message board (Master Wang-ka of course).
My Mom got me the first one when it came out (late '80s) and I’ve been a fan ever since. I have all the ones written by Our Lord Cecil, but not the kiddie versions by that parvenu Zotti.
The books are actually what prompted me to finally search for them on AOL and find them there. I still have one… I should re-buy the rest.
You know, I asked Ed about this years ago (sometime before I got Gmail, apparently, so before 6/2004) and I don’t think he had a problem with that.
IIRC, I asked about making bumper stickers using “SDMB” in the actual color/font and selling them just to cover printing & mailing (not for profit) and he said it was cool. I just got lazy and never got around to doing so. But again, this was years ago, and I don’t have the emails to confirm.
I have the first couple but eventually they caught up to columns I already read (mainly online when the WWW site was up but the current messageboard didn’t yet exist) so I slacked on buying the last one or two.