* Luke is a teenage girl and liked New Moon

* The “Name That Contest” contest. Just go ahead and e-mail your submissions to adam@podgecast.com

* Handling downtime in games

* Can elements of board/video games translate to the tabletop to handle downtime?

Hodge: Chris Engler, World Vision 2009 Charity

More details:

I’m sending you this message in the hopes that you’ll partner with myself and World Vision again this year for my third annual Christmas fundraiser. This year I’m going to depart from the “cow” theme of the prior two years and ask for your help raising money for the rehabilitation and restoration of child soldiers and sexually exploited children. For $75 World Vision can provide many resources to children who have been virtually destroyed. I’d like us to help 20 such children. Based on the number of people I’m inviting to participate, if everyone I invite donates an average of $20 this goal will be met but donations of any size are welcome.

Below is a link to a four-minute video on YouTube that was put together by a friend of mine (Paul Bettings) who has travelled extensively and documented first-hand some of the worst circumstances children are in. The video tells the story of an 11 year-old girl named Elise who was once a sex-worker but is in the process of getting her life back thanks to World Vision’s efforts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SoxWq0e9yg

Here is a link to my World Vision Gift Catalogue page. Please forward this e-mail or any of the links contained to anyon that you think may be interested in participating:

Full Link
Shortened Link (suitable for Twitter)

Thank you in advance, and Merry Christmas!

* Dave Arneson really did die and he is missed.

* Thank you to all those who donated to Luke Appreciation Week, even those whose last names we can’t pronounce

* Kal Penn, House, and Public Service

* Adam is sick of fighting (he also hates happiness)

* Castle Crashers is an awesome game

* We talk about things you might have missed

* System Shock 2

* Red Dwarf

* Black Adder

* Invader Zim

* Venture Bros.

* Failure to Launch

* Supernatural

* Greg the Bunny

* Jim Henson’s Storyteller

* Avatar: The Last Airbender

* O

* The Monster Squad

* Grim Fandango

* Arrested Development

* Steel-Cut Oatmeal

* Emiliana Torrini

* The Sugar Queen

*Luke’s beard is made of magnificence.

*The Penny Arcade we reference is here.

*A discussion of the games, movies, books, shows  we loved and hated in 2008

*Is Luke a grognard?  Does Adam even know how to pronounce that?  Does Matt’s face exude impartiality?

* Regular Matt is back! Bizarro! He’s helping!

* Play Tom Clancy’s Endwar with Luke.

* What is the sexuality of a zombie?

* If you’re going to take a trip to the Grand Canyon (and you should), try and schedule it during a full moon. It’s breathtaking.

* The end of Fallout 3 sucks.

* Check out the other Spooky Outhouse podcasts. They don’t suck.

* Jeff Wayne’s “War of the Worlds” (and specifically the Oooh-laaaah remix)

* Do you mind it when GMs steal content from other media for their games/settings?

* Adam has theories about women, but they are wrong

* Adam has theories about Scooby Doo, but they are wrong

* Adam has theories about Star Wars, but they are wrong…maybe

* What other media gives you inspiration?

* Luke is Captain Underpants

* Cosby Bepop is awesome

* Wil Wheaton love

* What’s the best portrayal of Satan? Constantine vs. The Prophecy

* Rob from the Bear Swarm turns Christmas into Hatemas

* Number of times we discuss Burning Wheel: 2

*Joe, Andrew, and Phil compare their MMO geek cred

*What else should Episode 002: Did You Just Ding? have covered?

*Stargate MMO is in Closed Beta.

*Are you going to play Warhammer: Age of Reckoning? Find other players on the forums. Enough interest may lead to a guild.

*Firefly/Serenity MMO is Postponed.

*We hotly debate our experiences with MMOs

*Here’s the horse-kicking video

*Griefing

*Edition Wars – The best thing on the internet every decade or so

*Joe introduces The Hodge Live

*Closing out with our original theme, as promised.