Not only did my day begin with Stephen's report on Christmas music, it continued with an extensive feature on comic-book stories produced in India for Virgin Comics. "Ancient Indian Tales Inspire a Modern Indian Art" by Laura Sydell takes listeners behind the scenes, and the Internet version features art from Virgin.

Check it out.

My clock radio, set to NPR, went off, and I lolled in bed, listening to news, followed by features. And then ...

Then ...

Then I heard something about an 18-hour drive from Washington, D.C., to Gresham -- and my eyes opened.

A familiar voice began, "I've always enjoyed hearing new Christmas music, but there's just so much of it. Every fall, I receive dozens of new holiday CDs -- countless hours of music to sift through in the long, agonizing buildup to Christmas."

So began "18 Hours of Christmas Music: My Holiday Hellride," a report on Christmas CDs, and the reporter was my son, Stephen Thompson.

A bonus of the website version of his report is a list of all 21 CDs he listened to on his trip: a list accompanied by thumbnail reviews of each with the bonus of sample tracks.

Huzzah for the kindly folks at the Social Security office! It becomes clear why I had to wait; the interview was detailed, personal, and painstaking. The office hours ended at 4; we talked till about 5:15 -- with me never being rushed. Excellent experience -- and those confused old people I mentioned in the previous post? I'm sure they'd have ended up as happy as I am. Seriously: excellent!

Have you especially enjoyed one of our videos posted at CBGXtra over any of the others? Should I be seeking out a specific type of interview? I have in my files a brief nterview with Sergio Aragones. And a quick intro to the OSU research files. And, for that matter, clips from the Mid-Oho-Con Maggie Roast. Thoughts?

After an absence necessitated by the inability of my DVD recorder to open its li'l disc tray, I'm about to return to video posting, thanks to purchase of another DVD recorder. (Have I mentioned how little enjoyment I get out of working my way through yet another booklet of instructions?) At Brent's request, my first project was making a DVD of the Maggie Thompson Roast held at November's Mid-Ohio-Con. I'm not saying any of that will end up at CBGXtra, but you never know ...

It occurred to me last night (as I was in the midst of last night's Comic Book Talk Radio show with Jason Miner) that there are a couple more gift suggestions fans might make to people who say, "What do you want this year?" Some of those people aren't likely to make it to your favorite comics shop -- but they might have a craft store they visit. So you might suggest an assortment of acid-free items that are, surprisingly, now pretty widely available.

For example, I still see pros at shows signing items with run-of-the-mill black Sharpie pens. Nothing against the Sharpie, which has many, many uses. But an autograph with a Sharpie or one of those gold or silver pens that suspend tiny metallic flakes in some sort of oil will age speedily and nastily. I'm not saying acid-free metallic ink will never age -- but I think it'll hold up better than some of the inks I see at shows these days. Or ballpoint-pen ink.

Maybe acid-free products (and check out Bags Unlimited and Bill Cole for cool ideas) could be part of a more elaborate "Travel Kit" for collectors. I bought a photographer's vest from eBay a year or so ago, and it provides both mobility and the "place for everything and everything in its place" convenience that has eased my increasing travel load. My autograph pens and other writing tools fit in the pen pockets, my cell phone fits in the pocket high enough for me to hear it easily, cash and credit cards go in a zipper pocket, reading glasses go in a compartment next to the compartment that holds my Palm Pilot and a small writing pad. Just a thought.