A lot of famous people died in 2008...more than in any year I can remember. And of course, some affected me more than others. So while I was sad that Sir Edmund Hillary, the first to climb Mt.

Darby's name was disclosed by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in an open Senate hearing. In a subsequent 60 Minutes interview, Darby said he and his wife were shunned by neighbors in their Baltimore home and now live in protective military custody.

So yeah... seems the governor of Illinois took the Senate seat vacated by Presidentelect Barack Obama and just kind of shopped it around. Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, figured the appointment was worth at least a couple-hundred grand a year, plus a little six-figure something or other for his lovely wife.

It could be argued that "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" is the most memorable verse of any Christmas tune ever written. Composed in 1944 by Mel Torme and Bob Wells, "The Christmas Song" is the most performed holiday song of all time, according to Broadcast Music Incorporated.

President-elect Obama has made a breathtaking pivot from champion of change to upholder of the status quo has been breathtaking as President Bush leaves the United States international standing in shambles and the economy lurches ever deeper into cataclysm.

With the holidays coming up, and the economy going down, it's a great time to pick up a pack of Bicycles. Cards provide a social way to drink and gamble, and also to pass time with children, grandparents and alone. The most basic game in the world is solitaire.

When my mother was a child, my grandfather and his brother, Cecil — in the Southern tradition — would actually kill the family turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Then, my grandmother — with some assistance from her four children — would perform the arduous task of preparing the recently deceased bird for dinner. For the past 50 years or so, storebought turkeys have been the staple on Thanksgiving Day. My grandmother doesn’t do much with respect to preparation: a sweet onion stuffed in the turkey cavity and a good rubdown with real butter on the turkey’s skin. The key is timing. Mema always sets her alarm for 4 a.m. Thanksgiving morning to place the big bird in the oven.

On the radio I listen to tips for saving money at the grocery store. There’s talk about carpooling or taking the bus to work. And people are worried about jobs. But these are familiar ideas for an unemployed post-college student. May I suggest evaluating groceries by cost per ounce? You can get pretty far on Little Debbie’s Oatmeal Creme Pies, frozen burritos and of course Top Ramen. Also, try volunteering for paid medical and psychiatric studies.

Welcome to one of the greatest sites on the net. Archive.org is a virtual repository of art and media and features the premier collection of free, legal music online. Its impossible to create a rock-solid top 10 from the more than 60,000 concerts to be found, but this list should be a good start.

Why is everyone being so serious lately? Okay, were in an economic crisis, we have a huge election going down and its hard not to be plugged into current events.