It's my birthday, so I can give you a gift if I want to.

Yes, friends, today, August 7th, is my birthday. Some 37 years ago in some Connecticut backwater, I first graced this earth. And while me mentioning my birthday may be seen as a cheap blog ploy, a way to get a bunch of comments saying, "Happy Birthday, Shawn!", this isn't the case, necessarily.*

No. On this birthday, I want to give something to you, my loyal three or four readers. I want to give you a gift. Actually, two gifts.

Remember last month when I announced the debut of my comic New Old Stock? (If you don't, just pretend that you do.) Remember there were three separate contest questions to win a copy of New Old Stock, or the other two new-ish comics that I'm too lazy to spell out right now? Well, turns out, only one person won anything. Out of a field of...one.

The winner? Tim Brown of sunny Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He correctly guessed the answer to this question, winning a copy of the comic "Distance Is A Long Range Filter": The title of this comic is a line from a song. Name the band, song, and album, and year album released, in that order. I'm not going to tell you what it is here, but click this link to find out. And it figures that a Canadian would win this one, I should have disqualified Tim on that ground alone! ;-)

So, the other two questions never got guessed correctly.** And those were:

• To win a copy of New Old Stock: What is the true communications tool of the Retro-Grouch?*** Answer here.
• To win a copy of Paper is a screen that does not turn off: What year did I go on a bike tour with Vancouver BC's all-female bicycle-inspired dance troupe, the B:C:Clettes? Answer here.

So contest over and all that. But I still want to give away a copy of New Old Stock to you, my readers. So the first person who emails me from within the United States, and the first person who emails me from outside the United States**** gets themselves a copy of New Old Stock. YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS WITH THIS EMAIL, otherwise you don't win it. Simple as that. Click this link to get to my magickal email address. UPDATE 8/8/12: We have a winner for the "in the U.S." category. Actually, two, since I felt generous. UPDATE 8/10/12: Contest closed!

And while I have your attention, I should let you know that the "big sale" is still going on. What is in that magikcal big sale, you ask?

• Zinester's Guide To Portland 4th Edition only $2, 5th (newest) Edition only $4 
• Button Five Packs now only $3! 
• Select buttons only 50¢ 
• All posters are $7 each, or get all three for $16, which is a savings of $14 from the full price!

This sale will go on to just after Laborious Day (11:59 PM (PDT) Monday, September 3, 2012). Go over to the Store to check it oot!

*Not that I'll stop you from doing so.
**Well, actually, Tim guessed the one about the B:C:Clettes right. But the rule of the contest was you could only win one comic. And I disqualified Tim for being from Canada on this one.
***Tim didn't get this one right because there are no Retro-Grouches in Canada.
****For purposes of this contest, we'll consider Delaware part of the United States.