Books: Sam Jordison of the Guardian points out that these days, the smartest way to entertain yourself is picking up one of those books you bought ages ago but never found the time to read.
Dance/Opera: The Washington Post reveals that Twyla Tharp might be 67 years old but she still does 75 push-ups a day and isn’t afraid to kick your butt.
Design: When invited to participated in the White House’s first invitation-by-congressional districts Christmas tree decorating, don’t make an ornament that calls for President Bush’s impeachment. Or do, but don’t expect that Laura’s going to be very happy with you.
Film: Rachel Getting Married tops New York Magazine critic David Edelstein‘s list of the year’s best films. We just don’t get it.
Music: Fifty years of popular songs condensed into single sentences — most involving the words “do it.” Thank you McSweeney’s.
Television: ABC is bringing DC Comics’s Fables — Bill Willingham’s story about a group of fairytale characters who have been ousted from their homes and create a secret New York community — to TV. We’ve seen some bearded hipsters running around Williamsburg who’d be just perfect for the part of the Big Bad Wolf.
Theatre: Saturday Night Live alum Rachel Dratch and Norm from Cheers are joining forces in L.A. for a staging of Minksy’s, a “a big, racy, new musical comedy set in a time when entertainment was about legs and laughs.” Oy.
Visual Arts: The Independent asks, should fashion photography count as art? Poor Richard Avedon just rolled over in his grave.
Web: This week’s possibly NSFW SNL Digital Short featuring the first single from the Lonely Island boys’s upcoming album INCREDIBAD is already making the viral rounds. Andy Samberg is always hit or miss: so which one is this?