The Newsroom

Last January, I got 182 hits on this page all month. I'm over 275 hits today and counting.

My semi-regular public service announcement on where to watch UFC pay-per-views in Edmonton or Calgary (or anywhere else in Alberta). Details on bars and restaurants showing the PPV are here . Tonight's show should be awesome. GSP! GSP! GSP!

The shipping of my new laptop did not occur today as expected because the company was unable to process my order because (wait for it), my credit card was refused because my address didn't match exactly because (wait for it) I neglected to put "NW" at the end of my address when placing the order online. Yes, for lack of a NW (or "northwest"), Mastercard repeatedly refused to take the order. It was finally straightened out and the laptop is now en route. Hopefully here by Tuesday. Meanwhile, I could go down to Wal-Mart tonight, go through automated checkout, scribble THIS IS NOT MY SIGNATURE on the computer screen, and my purchase would SAIL through. But not NW. Oh, noooo... Further meanwhile, I just had a very painless install of a brand new wireless N router. No laptop to use it with at the moment, but ...

Far more regular posting should resume soon, as I could have a new laptop as quickly as tomorrow.

Two days after my laptop kicked the bucket, I still haven't replaced it. I'm looking at a specific brand and model that is sold out at the local big box stores, but is $100 cheaper than ordering it straight from the company. So my options appear to be wait, and hope the store gets more, or spend more money and just buy the darn thing.

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When a "chkdsk /f" results in "PERMANENT HARD ERROR" I'm thinking it might be time for a new laptop.

Trouble in paradise? B.J. Penn cuts short "UFC Primetime" taping | MMAjunkie.com Despite solid ratings for Spike TV's first installment of the three-part "UFC Primetime: St. Pierre vs. Penn II" series, at least one participant was apparently unhappy with how he was portrayed in the piece. A source close to the show on Tuesday told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) B.J. Penn recently shut down a taping and interview session for the series and no longer wants involved in the project. In wrestling terms, this smells like a "work" designed to continue the build for the match. Or maybe BJ just threw a fit. And watch this show. It's really good! Another report here .

Carb addiction blamed for bigger waistlines Carb addiction is real, according to researchers who fear that by taking fat out of snacks, food producers are replacing it with more carbohydrates and making them even more addictive. Really ... is anyone surprised by this?

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The legendary Scott Keith of rspwfaq.com and I get into a friendly debate over the psychology of a wrestling match.

It's looking more and more like Stone Cold Steve Austin - who will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at Wrestlemania - won't actually wrestle a final match on the show. That's fine with me. I was live and in person at Wrestlemania 19 in Seattle to see him lose to the Rock, which currently stands as the final match of his career. I'm perfectly happy keeping it that way for the completely selfish reason of saying I saw his final match live. But even if he did come back ... with today's G-rated WWE that's catering to kids, does anyone really want to see a watered-down "Rattlesnake" giving us an "Oh heck ya" to 10-year-old kids who have no idea who he is? Stay retired, Steve. For your own sake.

A sketch from This Hour Has 22 Minutes , written by my brother Dean!

My semi-regular public service announcement on where to watch UFC pay-per-views in Edmonton or Calgary (or anywhere else in Alberta). Details on bars and restaurants showing the PPV are here .

Sometimes, songs just sneak up on you. The Newsboys have a new single out - In the Hands of God (available on their Myspace ). My very first impressions of of the song were that it was a soft, quiet worship ballad and that it was OK at best. Disappointing, even. Then we got to the second verse and the reprise of the chorus, and it was a catchy little pop tune. By the time the bridge and final chorus started, it was a full-blown pop-rock song with some great harmonies and a bass line and drum beat that requires you to start getting your feet off the ground. So, yeah, it's awesome. You should listen to it. And give it a chance. It'll sneak up on you.

There's a long and complicated reason why I had the old Twitter handle that I did, but I decided to go with my real name to make it easier for people to find me. Hopefully, by the time this is published, I'll have the Twitter sidebar working again on the blog.

Shawn Michaels would be proud.

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My Christmas present from my wife last month was a treadmill. We've spent the last couple of weeks researching, and settled on a PaceMaster Gold. The actual purchase was Thursday, but we had to rent a truck today, deciding to bring it home and set it up ourselves rather than pay the fitness warehouse three figures to do that for us. We were reassured that it was an easy set up - a few screws here, clip something there, and it's done. What they didn't tell us, however, was that the base of the treadmill weighs slightly less than the space shuttle. That posed some problems getting it in the house, but we eventually did it. In the process, I managed to put my left thumb through an industrial stapler unpacking the box ... that was fun. I'll be fine once the gangrene clears up. Nonetheless, it's all set up in our basement, and for that I'm glad. While I have a gym membership (and I can use a fitness room at work that has some weights and cardio equipment), I've d

So, despite my initial reservations about Twitter as a valuable form of social media, I have decided that as a micro-blogging interface, it's pretty good for quick venting or whatnot on matters that don't actually warrant an entire blog post here. In other words, if actual posts here seem spartan, check my Twitter feed (see sidebar on right), which is updated far more regularly.

Stolen from the F4W messageboard.

Gold medal game sets ratings record for TSN The gold medal game on TSN is the most-watched program ever on a Canadian specialty channel and is also the most-watched program overall across all Canadian television this broadcast season. Audience levels for the game peaked at 4.7 million viewers at 9:58pm et, as Team Canada celebrated its victory in Ottawa.

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

My youngest brother lent me this DVD on the weekend. I had zero expectations going in, and they were surpassed. It's funny in spots. Steve Carell is pretty good. Anne Hathaway is very cute. It's probably better than it has any right to be. It won't win any academy awards. The movie did pick up some bonus points for having the Rock (or, as he's known to the kidz, "Dwayne Johnson"), as well as the GREAT COLLIE (sic) in featured roles.

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MMA/UFC Thoughts...Radio Daze...Jeff Hardy face paint...Legends Roundtable back on tap... | J.R.'s Family Bar-B-Q It looks as if the UFC might soon be cleared to promote events in New York state which, as a UFC fan, I perceive to be a good thing. The UFC would bring in much needed new revenue into the state and under these current economic times I can't see why any state would take steps to prevent the UFC from promoting and adding to the economy. Click the link for the rest of Ross's latest blog, which is always a good read.

Are You Doing This Deliberately ? Employee #1: Is George Harrison the guy that directed Star Wars ? Employee #2: No that's George Lucas. Employee #1: Oh, but he was in Star Wars then. Employee #2: No, that's Harrison Ford. Employee #1: Oh. Wasn't Frank Sinatra in The Beatles? Addison, Texas via Overheard in the Office , Dec 25, 2008

For anyone who ever wanted to really know about my departure from the Edmonton Sun and my transition into a new career, the Ryerson Review of Journalism interviewed me all about it for their article "After The Buyout".