Point, Click - Christmas Shopping Done!

There are many stories that surround Christmas shopping aren't there? Fighting the Black Friday crowds, finding a parking place, finding that one item that has sold out everywhere and trying to figure out how much longer it is going to take. Thankfully, my wife and I both like to be done with it before Thanksgiving.

Over the past few years, our favorite method involves a pointing, clicking and meeting the man in the brown truck! Here are some of our favorite sites. Maybe one of these can help you get finished sooner so you can actually ENJOY the holiday season!

• Dealnews - Anything, and I mean anything, can be found here. Subscribe to the RSS feed to keep up to date on the latest and greatest. Also, note that Dealnews will provide info on how to get extra discounts, free shipping, etc. Deals are being added all the time throughout the day.
• Amazon - Amazon makes things VERY easy to buy multiple items and get FREE shipping. Note that you can find out about some of the best Amazon deals from Dealnews. Keep an eye on availability and forecasted shipping dates.
• Ebay - Another good option. Be sure to deal with reputable sellers (check their feedback) and carefully read shipping and handling charges. Use a service like PayPal to make payments to the sellers securely.
• Woot - Simply put, you have to check this site daily or subscribe to the feed. Woot sells one item a day until it's gone - and it can be anything. Look for Woot-offs! Woot posts items one after another until they sell out. (This has to be how they clean out the warehouse!)
  
• Engadget - Get info on the latest tech goodies and links to availability.
  

A few extra notes:

• Monday madness - The Monday after Thanksgiving is known for great online deals. Look for extra savings, package deals, free gift packaging and free shipping offers.
  
• Pick-up in store - Look for deals where you can order online and pick the item up at the store. Find the best deal, buy online and pick it up at a real store location. Notable retailers doing this: Wal-Mart, Circuit City, Sears, JCPenney
• Minimum purchase for FREE SHIPPING - Some online retailers offer FREE shipping for purchasing a minimum order amount. Amazon has a $25 threshhold for certain items. Sometimes, it's better to pay a few dollars more and get everything from one retailer and get free shipping than to buy at the "lowest" price from different retailers and pay shipping.

For those die hards that just HAVE to go to the store on Black Friday (and I will for the right deal):

• BlackFriday.info - This site posts the latest Black Friday deals and even includes scans of the ads.
• bfads.net - Similar to the site above, but it also lists some pre-Black Friday deals.
  

If you have favorite sites you use please add them in the comments so that everybody can check them out.

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Merry Christmas Country Style - from The Simmons Family

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Merry Christmas from The Simmons Family

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Star Wars - Accapella Style

From Indiana Jones to Jaws, enjoy this tribute to John Williams - Star Wars style.

New Pixar Movie - Up

I know. I've posted a lot of videos lately. But, these are all really good...I think.

Just recently I came across the trailer for the next Pixar movie - UP. I'm not sure what the storyline is, but I haven't been disappointed with a Pixar movie yet.

What do you think?



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Be Encouraged

Discouragement. It seems to be pervasive these days. If you turn on the news today, it might seem like the world is spinning out of control. The stock market continues its downward spiral. Geopolitical tensions are rising as change waits on the horizon in the US political landscape. Jobs are uncertain, which carries into so many other areas: housing foreclosures, loss of insurance, and perhaps even bankruptcy.

Stress and depression seem to be at all time highs. We are a nation in serious need of encouragement.

Do not lose hope. Be encouraged.



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Robotics Closer to Mimicking Humans

Obviously, they are getting better. We now have the first robot that is as expressive as most politicians!



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Veteran's Day - A Time to Remember

It's late. I'm sitting here watching The Battle of the Bulge. It's hard to say that I enjoy the film, but I enjoy the historical significance of the film. This film, along with many others over the years, has a difficult story to tell. How can a film even begin to accurately portray the misery and horror experienced by soldiers and civilians alike during times of war?

In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, World War I ended with Germany signing the Armistice. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first "Armistice Day" on November 11, 1919. An Act approved on May 13th, 1938, formalized November 11th as a Federal Holiday formally known as Armistice Day. It wasn't until 1954 that the holiday was officially changed to Veterans Day. But, why is this day so important?

Personally, I have never served in the military - but looking back on it, I wish I had taken the opportunity to serve my country. However, I have family that has served in recent wars and we have documentation of family serving in the military dating back to the Revolutionary War. The sacrifices of those in uniform are what give us our freedom today. Some suffered wounds, while others gave their lives. These sacrifices also extended the soldiers' families as they cared for their wounded and mourned their dead.

This Veterans Day, I urge you to consider the list below and take a moment to pray for our men and women in uniform and the families they have left behind.

WAR	NUMBER SERVING	WOUNDED	BATTLE DEATHS
Revolutionary War	217,000	6,188	4,435
War of 1812	286,730	4,505	2,260
Mexican War	78,718	4,152	1,733
Civil War (Both Sides)	3,213,363	354,805	191,963
Spanish American War	306,760	1,662	385
World War I	4,734,991	204,002	53,402
World War II	16,112,566	671,846	291,557
Korean Conflict	5,720,000	103,284	33,741
Vietnam Conflict	8,744,000	153,303	47,424
Persian Gulf War	2,225,000	467	147

Note: For details, see this document from the US Department of Defense.

On behalf of myself and my whole family, I want to express the utmost gratitude to all who are serving or have served in uniform. For those families that have lost their loved ones, I want you to know that there are those of us that want to be sure their sacrifices are never forgotten.

Thank you veterans.