Li asks (original), “I’ve often said that one of the best science-fiction authors whose work you probably aren’t reading is Connie Willis. Along the same lines, what’s the best game that I’m probably not playing?” Well, I am reading Connie Willis, but I would recommend Primetime Adventures. It isn’t necessarily an easy game to figure out, but the screen presence and fan mail systems at the very least illuminate often under-considered aspects of roleplaying and at the best they produce some really fun play.

[ Ed: still with apologies to Television Without Pity. And to anyone who’s confused by this, actually…] This week on Dungeon Majesty: Oliver suffers the slings and arrows of outrageous childhood, Cassie and Millie get hit on by a swim team, Alvin gets a job, Andrew uncovers secrets, and Ferdinand is mostly away this episode. We’re grumpy about that last.

Bush’s inauguration will cost between 30 and 40 million dollars (original), before the cost of security is added. We have, so far, sent around 15 million dollars in tsunami relief aid (original). Quite the contrast. I’m fairly sure we’ll send more money over the course of the next month or so. I also think we’d earn a lot of good will if we cancelled the inauguration and put the unspent money towards relief. It would hurt some American companies, yes, but chances are nobody would die of it. ...

The University of California system has put around 1,400 academic books online; several hundred of them are available to the public. Chuck Jones, Mexican counter-culture in the 60s, 17th century French pamphlets, a pirate atlas, an 18th century Indian travel narrative, MacArthur in Japan, phew. Sorry, that got a little heady there.

[ Ed: with apologies to Television Without Pity.] Will Maggie Gyllenhaal free herself from an over-protective mother? Will Philip Seymour Hoffman overcome a slight case of being Philip Seymour Hoffman? Will Owen Wilson ever stop being cute, and/or find a distributor for his documentary? Will William H. Macy discover yet another way to lose an election? And most important, will your humble recapper be able to remain coherent despite continuous references to that geeky game she always ignored in high school? We won’t find out this week, except maybe for that last one, but at least the wheels will be in motion.

Green Ronin’s new Black Company worldbook makes me want to run a five session game during which the PCs lose. Gritty fantasy, city under siege, that sort of thing. What can you do before you die?

If you happen to live in Boston and you’re that kind of obsessive, the Brattle Theater is showing the Lord of the Rings trilogy back to back to back on Sunday, January 2nd and Monday, January 3rd. Starting on the 7th, they’re reviewing some of the best movies of 2004, including Last Life In The Universe on the 7th, Takeshi’s Kitano’s Zatoichi on the 8th, and Goodbye, Dragon Inn on the 11th. Plus a lot of other good stuff. I’ve gotta make it to Before Sunset, myself. ...

While it’s still fresh in my mind, and because I want to be an early adopter as far as observations on the Buckaroo Banzai homage go: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Wes Anderson comes from Houston. That makes Bottle Rocket a small jump, just a skip into the air and thump back down onto the pavement. Rushmore is more ambitious; it’s set in a world far away from Texas. But Wes Anderson did go to a Texan prep school (original). Not a huge leap. The Royal Tenenbaums? Now we’re talking; sure, it’s still in New York, but it’s further up, further separated from the world in which we live. ...

Some of the links are meaningful, some are tongue in cheek, and some are reaches. It’s my favorite Christmas song (original). Merry Christmas, y’all. _It was Christmas Eve (original), babe _ _In the drunk tank (original) _ _An old man said to me, won’t see another one _ _And then he sang a song (original) The Rare Old Mountain Dew (original) _ _And I turned my face away (original) _ And dreamed about you _Got on a lucky one (original) _ _Came in eighteen to one _ _I’ve got a feeling This year’s (original) for me and you _ _So happy Christmas I love you baby (original) _ _I can see a better time _ When all our dreams come true ...

I never link to viral marketing, at least not on purpose. (What, never? Well, hardly ever.) But. Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah to you.