Ohio State wins the national championship in double overtime, stopping the anointed Hurricanes and ending their 34-game winning streak against mostly powderpuff opponents.

More, much more on this tomorrow.

Yes, it's embarassing to admit, but the only DVD playback capability I had before this week was on the computers. My perfectly functional but aged Sony 27XBR TV has only one S-Video input, and it's used by the TiVo. Without component input, I had no easy way to hook up a DVD player, so I've been putting off buying one until I have some reason to replace the TV.

Well, my sister and her family got me a budget DVD player for Christmas (we exchange gifts on New Year's Day) because it didn't cost a lot and me not having one was getting pretty stupid. For a while I'll have to switch the S-Video cable between DVD and TiVo to watch each one, but it's cheaper and easier than one of those $75 switchboxes I don't really need. But it's DVD, and it's pretty cool. That newfangled technology may be something after all.

Consequently, I updated my Amazon wish list with a bunch of stuff I mean to buy but didn't because, obviously, I didn't have a DVD player. This way, hopefully, I'll remember what it was I wanted to buy if I get a few bucks somewhere. I love seasons of TV shows because they're a perfec background distraction to writing -- good enough to stop and watch if I get stuck, but not so new I have to stop and watch them. Sports Night is on today for over two hours now.

God bless DVD.

For the record, the other swag in my Christmas bounty was:

• Four T-shirts in my size (3XLT)
• Two shirts in my size
• A polar fleece kind of top/jacket thing
and...
• Twenty pairs of socks

Everyone in my family gave me socks. I can replace my entire collection if I want. Maybe we need a bit more family coordination next year.

Didn't read any stories about it? That's because the Bush Administration has decided to stop reporting mass layoffs. Nathan Newman has the details.