As the new year is upon us, we took a look back at the year that was 2008 and came up with our top 29 most memorable moments. You can visit last year’s recap here.

29. Illinois governor Blagojevich arrested on charges of selling senate seat among other scandals
28. Global recession
27. U.S. automakers need government assistance
26. Sweet new music from Amos Lee and Ray Lamontagne
25. Bill Gates steps down as CEO of Microsoft
24. Mark Wahlberg talks to animals
23. Juno soundtrack infects our ears
22. Oil hits record high of $140 a barrel in July
21. Oil simmers down to under $35 a barrel by end of 2008
20. We say goodbye to Paul Newman, Heath Ledger, George Carlin, Bernie Mac, and Estelle Getty
19. Large Hadron Collider opens (and closes shortly afterwards)
18. R29 Shorts launches
17. Social networking plays major part in Obama’s campaign
16. Iron Man
15. Great debut records from MGMT and Vampire Weekend
14. iPhone 2.0 released
13. Wall-e
12. Water found on mars
11. Craig joins Rule29; outeats Tim, wears 29 shirts, and becomes a human penguin.
10. “That’s what she said!”
9. Twitter’s rise in popularity
8. Our very own Kara got engaged!
7. SNL pokes fun at Sarah Palin
6. Rule29 visits Africa with our friends Life In Abundance and MacDonald Photography
5. Mad Men recreates 1960′s ad world and dominates Emmys
4. Dark Knight smashes box office records
3. Michael Phelps smashes records at Beijing Olympics
2. Rule29 moves global headquarters
1. Barack Obama elected first black president

What was your most memorable moment of 2008? Any predictions for 2009? Let us know in the comments section.

Ever wonder what it’s like to strap a sled to your chest and try to jump to catch a Nerf football in falling snow? We thought you might, so we sent out our brave intern, Craig, to see how he would do. Unfortunately, (hopefully) due to the falling snow – and the fact that he had a sled strapped to his chest – he didn’t fare too well. Not enough speed!

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done on snow? Pulled behind a moving vehicle while on a sled? Slid down a ski slope on your stomach wearing nothing but your birthday suit? Made snow angels on the side of the interstate during unfavorable weather? Let us know, share your adventures!

An over 40 year old tradition is being updated this holiday season. WPIX’s Yule Log, which debuted in 1966, and has only changed once since will soon get an update this Christmas. The new Yule Log features a newly videotaped fire with new radio Christmas plays by artists like Jack Benny and Fibber McGee and Molly. Will it replace the original Yule Log in our heart, we’ll have to wait for Christmas to see.

In need of a Yule Log fix before it airs? You can find the Yule Log on your iPhone and in podcast form. You can also check out the history of the Yule Log along with some selections on WPIX’s official Yule Log website.

What’s your favorite Christmas TV tradition? Can’t wait for the 24 Hour Marathon of The Christmas Story? Do you miss Hardrock, Coco, and Joe? let us know in the comment section.

For all of you late-shoppers (and this includes me!), here are some quick and unique last minute gifts, all under a the perfect price of $29.

Birds & Words : An R29 Fav

Chew-By-Numbers?? : Fun for the kids or kids-at-heart

ABC3D : amazing pop-up typography book

For the Office : A chirping bird paper clip holder

For Cooks : Not super-pretty, but I wouldn’t bake without it!

More for Cooks : Top Chef The Cookbook

Write : a set of beautiful journals

Wine Lover? : a must-have

Care for a Child : donate one month of holistic care to a child in Africa

Do you have any ideas? Be friendly to us last minute shoppers and let us know!

Need to show off both your love of the Pantone Matching System and Christmas both at the same time? Check out Manchester based Raw Design Studio’s collaborative Christmas by Colour project where they invited design firms to match up their favorite pantone colors with christmas-inspired names such as Too Much Eggnog, Yellow Snow, Wintery Cheeks, and Christmas Tree at Easter. Order yours in poster or wrapping paper form. All proceeds go to Calm.

What’s your favorite holiday color combinations? Do you plan on drinking too much eggnog and turn a nice PMS 374? Let us know in the comment section.