No Sporting Chance, Winners Were in the Cards

The Social Climes staff scrupulously adheres to our sacred mandate to cover all significant events in the glitter world.

That’s why, despite all the hubbub generated by this year’s Grammy nominations, we are not letting that distract us from mentioning January’s other awards event--the Gummies.

That’s right, the ceremony dubbed “the nonsports entertainment card industry’s answer to the Academy Awards” by its promoters took place last weekend in the nonsports entertainment card capital, Harrisburg, Pa.

Some of the highlights were Topps’ “Star Wars” Widevision, edging out the same company’s “X-Files” for best set of the year, while Bon Air’s Native American set handily beat “X-Files” and Dart’s Hershey cards for most creative. “Star Trek: The Next Generation” took home the best collectible card game honors, while Hershey’s display tin was the no-surprise winner for best packaging. We just thought you really wanted to know.

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In Living Color: What’s black and white and read all over? Well, not your local crime blotter anymore. That sordid catalog of neighborhood lawbreaking can actually be turned into an opportunity to provide your area with a little local color.

Provided you do the coloring.

That seems to be the idea, anyway, behind the Crime Blotter Coloring Pages in the latest issue of the L.A.-based ‘zine Brainchild.

Six exciting locations with an explanation of the crimes that occurred there--ranging from theft of tools to assault with a deadly weapon--are offered up for the artist’s creative interpretation.

Crayons are included.

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Sobering Sight: While the Social Climes Staff certainly abhors displays of insobriety, we have nevertheless come to expect that sooner or later we’re bound to encounter examples of it--most often in places that serve alcohol.

This not-exactly-counterintuitive maxim of the night-life scene is not lost on the city’s vice squad. While we understand the need to take the keys away from those who drink, we were less sure of the rationale behind an undercover sting operation last Monday at the Exoticon appreciation party at the Lava Lounge, an upscale venue not known for criminal activity or sloppy drunks.

A group of officers dressed vaguely like scenesters entered the bar about midnight.

When the badges finally came out, a woman who had not exhibited any antisocial behavior was removed from her booth in the corner and taken to the Hollywood police station.

The reason? Being drunk in public--i.e. in a bar.

This also resulted in the Lava Lounge being cited and the bartender taken into custody.

After that, fearing we’d be in violation of some decency law, many of us were reluctant to use the bathroom.

--COMPILED BY THE SOCIAL CLIMES STAFF