Auld Lang Syne.

Happy New Year! May you have everything you wish and more. And don't forget a leap second was added to the clocks tonight at midnight UTC.

Berwick sunset.

Eternal youth.

Everybody wants to look better and younger than they actually are. This is very easy to accomplish through the use of technology. The right photo angle, slight use of PhotoShop and you can transform your ordinary, everyday self into a Greek god or goddess. Then you upload your improved self to your computer and send it into cyberspace.

After all, as a New Yorker cartoon once proclaimed, on the Internet nobody can tell you're a dog. However, this becomes a problem when cyber pals decide to meet in real life. Unlike one of my favorite movies, You've Got Mail, these meeting don't always go well. This story from Jim Connolly's blog is about one such encounter.

White Christmas.

I'll Be Home for Christmas.

I am the first one to admit that I don't like country music, but occasionally a songs comes along and changes my mind. This Rascal Flatts version of I'll Be Home for Christmas is one of those songs. I heard it on the radio the other day and was blown away.

Santa's journey.

As the sun sets over North America millions of children prepare for Santa's arrival. For years NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, has been tracking his progress around the world. This year they created a mashup which combines their tracking data with Google Maps. So sit back and watch Santa as he circumnavigates the globe. Merry Christmas!

Run, run, Rudolph.

This is Brian Setzer's version of Chuck Berry's contribution to Christmas music.

Hanukkah song.

I missed the first day of Hanukkah, but since it's a holiday that lasts a week I can still post this video. Enjoy.

Broken ladder.

First snow.

I went out on the porch, to retrieve the Christmas tree my wife and I were finally going to put up before Santa arrives, and was greeted by my favorite form of precipitation - snow. Since most people think of me as Russian, I like to tell them that my fellow countrymen invented Winter. This may not be true, but it sure felt that way when I was a kid.

When I was a kid, I would go to bed on November 3oth in anticipation of the wonderful sight that would be outside when I woke up the next morning. Back then you could count on the snow because the snow would not disappoint. This was before the so-called global warming sent the climate into a tail spin resulting in cold Winters completely devoid of snow. Winters that remind you of the inside of a walk-in freezer.

I am not sure how accurate these thirty-year-old memories are, but I know that back then snow made me happy. And now remembering that happiness and childlike wonder at the sight of first snow on the ground makes me proud that my ancestors invented Winter.

Santa Baby.

This is a song that celebrates the consumerism of Christmas. It has been covered by a lot of different singers. This is the Kylie Minogue version.

Do they know it's Christmas?

This is the original Band Aid which spawned several other songs for charitable causes including "We Are The World." Enjoy.

Blue Christmas.

This another one of my favorite Christmas songs. There have been many versions, but it's very hard to top Elvis. Enjoy.

Little Drummer Boy.

This is another great Christmas song. After thirty years, it should be considered a classic. David Bowie and Bing Crosby is a very odd paring, but it worked really well.

I am Santa Claus.

This is a holiday classic, or at least it should be.

Season's greetings.

I have been busy lately because I have started a new job. After being mostly unemployed for most of the year, it feels really good to go somewhere and do something. This is only a contract position, but it's work and it's work in my chosen field. This is going to be a great experience for me, so please forgive me if I don't post as much as I used to. There are topics I still want to write about and hopefully I will get to them before I forget what they are.

Holiday reflection.

How to use Twitter.

This video made by Sam Harrelson demonstrates how to use Twitter. Enjoy.

Setting up a Twitter account.

This video by Jack Bastide guides you through setting up an account on Twitter. Enjoy.

Holiday love.

It's officially Christmas season. This time of year you start making lists of people to whom you're going to send a Christmas card. Sometimes, if you won't see the person for the holidays, you might even get them a small, insignificant present. The amount you might spend on this gift could be as small as $5. After all, in today's economy who can afford more than that?

But there is a better way to spend that $5. You can put it to a good use and sponsor a 1lbs. package to send to our troops in Iraq of Afghanistan. Or you can even put a box at your work place an collect Christmas cards for the troops. Every little bit helps. Especially this time of year, when the troops stationed overseas need a pick-me-up more than ever.

This card and package drive is called Holiday Love Campaign and is the brain child of eMail Our Military (eMOM), a Miami based non-profit organization. Check out their blog, for more information about Holiday Love Campaign.