What’s the worst thing about the new JFK assassination simulation game? Every time you win, you get shot to death by Jack Ruby 368   40.8%   No multi-player mode, unlike the real version 351   39%   High scorer lists are immediately classified for some reason 96   10.7%   Cursor keeps going back and to the left when it shouldn’t 86   9.5%

Incidentally, check out this Slate article which includes some of the game’s, um, innovations:

While the game’s ostensible purpose is simply to re-kill Kennedy as accurately as possible, you can perform any number of alternative scenarios. Shoot the driver first, and the motorcade comes to a halt, allowing you to pick off anyone you want. Or sometimes the driver dies with his foot on the accelerator, driving the car off the road and into a lamppost. You can, if you wish, kill Jackie instead.

Yikes.  And one other thing: the game’s supposed to prove that Oswald acted alone… but the guy writing the story played for hours, taking considerable time before "finally" hitting JFK’s head.  Doesn’t exactly make a strong case.

Enjoy your holidays, assuming you have any appetite left… a holiday-themed poll is at upper left.

I’ve got a backlog of about 1000 radio commentaries from the years I was syndicated in the States and on Armed Forces Radio worldwide.  I have no idea what to do with this library — several hundred are evergreen and have almost been purchased outright for rebroadcast a few times — but meanwhile, I’m thinking I’ll occasionally smack one down into an mp3 and Colin can stick it up for your perusal in one of the columns on the left, sort of an ongoing highlight reel.  (This is also how I eventually intend to share some music with you guys, if I ever get the time.)

We’ll start with the very first commentary I recorded after September 11, 2001, right in the middle of the bewildering aftermath.  It’ll probably pop up shortly… check back. 

… on the way to another week here in the UK.  Some random thoughts, no order…

"The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off," incidentally, is the name of an actual documentary airing on Virgin Atlantic flights right now.  The description includes the following phrase: "contains scenes that some passengers may find disturbing."

I would like to confirm this.  Some passengers may.  Yes indeedy.

Nothing against the skinless, mind you.  Honest.  I have nothing but admiration and respect, I swear.  I was uplifted and inspired.  Also, disturbed.

Other disturbing things: the dollar is dropping like a Democratic overvote.  I wouldn’t be all that surprised to see