Christmas is considered as one of the most wonderful times of the year. People get caught up in the Christmas “magic” and use their credit cards more in a couple weeks than they do all year. All of your loved ones are there, after a year of barely talking to those people. And people eat a lot, laugh, and get gifts from people that they need or may be returning. But my favorite thing about Christmas is seeing someone that you love smile after seeing them being surprised about what you got them.

Some people say that Microsoft is a huge company that is trying to take over the world. But as of late they are not the big monopoly that they once were. Bill Gates will be retiring soon and they already have their name known around the world and tons of money. So why not start to conquer in something that they tried back in the day, like peripherals. Microsoft does make some very nice mice, keyboards, computer cameras, and video game console and it’s accessories. They have put a lot of time, money, and effort into their video game platform. When they first started making the original Xbox, the creators actually surveyed gamers and how they play and where they usually have their console. That is why there was such a long cord on the Xbox controllers with the breakaway cable. And today they have their video market place on their Xbox live service to download and watch movies and movies. And they have a HD-DVD player add on so people can watch HD content on their nice HD TV’s. With all of the accessories that are out for the Xbox 360 and with how huge the Xbox live is getting and how much you can do with it, a lot of people are turning to Microsoft to give them a console and entertainment box to have in their entertainment center. And they also had some MP3 player that just came out recently called the Zune that has so far been a big flop because of it’s digital rights management, but it does show a lot of potential for the future and what it is truly capable of. So Microsoft does have a bright future in their hardware market, which brings on the question of will Microsoft Windows still be their number one priority and is it worth keeping it going?

Me and some of my friends find Neil Patrick Harris (NPH) a great actor and comedian. From watching him on Doogie Howser M.D. to his short roles in Harold and Kumar go to White Castle and then seeing him staring in a show called How I Met Your Mother. But there has been one thing that has been rumored about this actor, and that is his sexuality. And his has been confirmed and become public that he is, wait for it wait for it; gay (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I don’t care that he is gay because no matter what he will be doing some of the greatest comedy in movies and T.V. shows. And if you don’t believe me about his sexuality, click here to see a video about Neil coming out.

First off James Kim was technology reporter. He worked for CNET as the Senior Editor of MP3 and Digital Audio, and wrote over 400 product reviews. He also co-hosted a weekly podcast for CNET’s gadget blog called Crave. Before that he was Senior Tech Analyst for TechTV reviewing products for The Screen Savers, Call for Help, and Fresh Gear. Kim, his wife Kati, and two small daughters, Penelope and Sabine, while traveling home from Portland, Oregon to San Francisco, California on November 25, became stuck in snow on a rarely traveled road in southwest Oregon between Grants Pass and Gold Beach and were reported missing on November 30. The Kims survived for several days in their car, keeping it warm by running the engine. When the 2005 Saab 9-2X station wagon eventually ran out of gas, they began burning dried wood, magazines and car tires, to stay warm. On the morning of December 2, James set out to look for help, wearing tennis shoes, a jacket, and light clothing. He thought Galice (the nearest town) was located four miles away after studying a map with his wife. In reality, the distance was 15 miles. He promised to turn back at 1 p.m. if he failed to find anyone, but never returned. His wife and two children were found on December 4 by a search and rescue team that was sent out. Kim traveled a total of eight miles looking for help. Half of this distance was on the main road and the other half was in the mountain and river pass areas. He basically made a u-turn. On December 6, Oregon police had confirmed that the deceased body of James Kim had been found. Autopsy results released the next day said he had died from hypothermia. This man is a true hero to me for risking his own life in order to save his families. If anybody that is reading this would like to help the Kim family, please go to http://jamesandkati.com. And you can see a great tribute video of James Kim by clicking here . Please keep Kim and his family in your prayers.

When I woke up on Friday I was ready to get up and go to work like normal. But one thing I wasn’t ready for was snow. There was about a foot of snow on the ground and on my car. So instead of going to work, I stayed home and shoveled the sidewalks and brushed off me and my mom’s car. What I shouldn’t have done was do my car first before anything else, because after I was done with everything else my car was all covered with snow. So after I brushed off my for the second time I finally went to work, which took me longer than usual. And after doing some drifting in the bank parking lot, I went into work about an hour late. And luck for me being the only guy there, I had to shovel and salt the front of the bank too. I have to say that being the only guy at work and at home has its disadvantages.