The Songs of Johnny Go

Questions, o my learned friends:

1.) How do I go about copyrighting a character? Rather is there an easier or calmer method than trying to navigate through the seeming-quagmire of bureaucracy that is the US Copyright Office web site? I just want to make sure I'm doing all the right things. No worries, I think kmousie is kindly helping walk me through the process.

2.) I need a website. Which is to say, I need both a domain name and a designer. www.johnhefner.com is currently a redirecting site for a John Heffner Jr, whose own site is under construction (and who may be a cult member of some sort). So... where should I go or what should I do to undergo the process of getting a tasteful and snazzy web page for a non-rip-off amount?



And now, some answers to questions asked of me at New Year's Eve:

For pondering_duck: First, chill a cocktail glass with ice and water, and put it to the side while you mix 2 parts blended whiskey (Crown Royal is the best I've discovered so far), 1 part sweet vermouth (I've experimented with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth, half a part each, which has worked to lovely effect), plus a splash of grenadine (go for the authentic Stirrings brand if you can, available at Whole Foods, but the corn-syrup-and-red-40 version can work in a pinch too), and don't forget a dash of Angostura bitters (available at some supermarkets and most liquor stores)! If you'd like, a dash or splash of maraschino cherry juice can be added as well.

Whatever you choose to mix together, pour it all in a shaker over ice and shake well. Shake a teeny wee bit longer than you think is necessary. Dump the water out of your now-chilled glass, give it a quick dry, and strain the drink into it, then garnish with a maraschino cherry.

The trick is to find the perfect balance of dry and sweet. Only one out of every six or so Manhattans I make actually turn out perfectly. The rest are "eh, okay" at best, and some are so disappointing that I just dump them down the drain. Breaks my heart to waste good liquor, but a bad Manhattan is like drinking liquid failure.

Good luck, and feel free to experiment. I still do.

For swimpenguin: Here are three good starting points.



Finally, from that selfsame New Year's Eve party, here's a picture of crazy Heffie lording over the small folk.

I shall name them Breakfast, Lunch, and George.