Speaking of combining things, has anyone played/toyed with Puppet Motel? I still haven't gotten it, but it's by artist Laurie Anderson, and apparently you wander through a puppet motel solving puzzles and exploring. But it's not like your average game, from what I understand. It's more like performance art or something. Maybe Doreen has played it? It is from '95, so I don't know if it might seem outdated. I'm just thinking of ways to explore different topics. I was reading in Rouse last night about the designer who thinks of the topic first, and then how to best express it, whether it's through an adventure game, simulation, etc.

And as long as I've got your ear (eye), I just wanted to point you to a site for some patriotic pumpkin carving patterns to download.