I was a bad blogger last week. I'll admit it.
I could have taken the easy route and said I was off for the Holidays, but I owe you more than that. With everything we've been through you deserve better.

Reprimanded for a lack of news and an abundance of bacon on the blog? Shopping related–accident? Hey, who hasn't nearly lost it when they hear Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmas Time?" (Seriously, I defy anyone to sit through that and not get agitated.)

The truth is more bland actually. For part of last week I was in a class on video training for the web. Video training you ask?

You may have noticed a modest roll–out of videos accompanying stories on the web site over the last several months. What we're trying to do is get people around here trained on how to shoot and edit short video to go along with stories.

So for a few days last week I got to remember why I went into the print sequence in J-School and left the broadcast stuff to the kids with better hair than me. Joking aside, I'm sure you'll be seeing more online videos at some point in the near future. While I don't think we're going for the look of a TV station, I think you may like what you see.

Here's what I shot and edited last week. The quality is a little lacking because of the upload to the YouTubes, but you get the idea.

As for me I'll be off to the fabulous shores of...Minneapolis for a number of days. But before I take off, a few things:

– Since it's that time of year, I once again step up to the plate and help the jolly fat man with some of his mail.
– The screenwriters strike may be ugly and put an end to lots of flicks in production, but here's some good news – Peter Jackson is heading back to Middle Earth. I don't know what it says about me that a lot of people felt the need to mention that over the last week.
- In BIGGER, BETTER, going-to-be-in-theaters news, my inner geek was doing the happy dance last week with the release of the new trailers for "The Dark Knight," the follow up to "Batman Begins," and Hellboy 2.
- Be on the look out for guest posts on ye olde blog when I'm gone. I'm still lining up a few things, so keep your fingers crossed.

Finally, I could not in good conscience leave all of you this holiday season without a little nod to a holiday classic. Sure some people like Rudolph, and other Emmit Otter. Some get weepy at the first strains of Vince Guaraldi's music from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.

For me it's much simpler. It's not December without several viewings of Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg's Emmy-winning Christmas Masterpiece. (Note - this link is to the uncensored version, so it goes without saying, headphones people. And cover the kids eyes unless you want them to learn things.)

It makes "Wonderful Christmas Time" look like a grade school talent show. No disrespect to grade school talent shows.

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