I have been reading through some of the blog entries I have done over the last number of weeks and, wow, what a sad bastard I have been. It must be tiring to have to read stuff like this or, maybe, you want to know how I am feeling.

I hate it feeling like this. I should have been happy about the holidays.

There is something about being perpetually grumpy that annoys me. This grumpy attitude clouds thought while simple common reason takes a holiday.

But here is the thing. I have a lot to be thankful for. I have a family that loves me, I have a blog that people actually read, and I have a great business that does a lot of cool things.

So, here is my New Year resolution. I am going to be a Happy Bastard again. Yes, a Happy Bastard. I am going to recapture the happiness and make something of it. I will document this process and possibly help someone else who is feeling the way I do.

If you have any suggestions about how to go about this, please leave them in the comments or drop me an e-mail. I am sure anything will help.

As my final Christmas gift to you, you need to watch this video. On Christmas Eve, I was chatting to my sister about video, music, and the Internet. I asked her what she knew about SOPA. She didn't know what SOPA is. Honestly, I didn't expect her to as most people I know haven't a clue that something fundamental is happening to the Internet. I have been struggling often to figure out a way to express the dangers with SOPA and (in Canada) Bill C-11. As Canadian's there isn't a whole lot we can do to fight SOPA but C-11 is Canadian and is similar and we can fight it.

In a nutshell, these bills will destroy the Internet in the name of perceived copyright infringement. Not proof of infringement. If a recording company or label thinks you have something they own, your site can be taken down without notice. At least, this is what the language says at the moment. I beg you all to educate yourself about this stuff. It is important. I talk about this stuff with Andrew Currie, Mike Vardy, and Anthony Marco all the time. Why not check us out and get involved in the discussion?

You all realize that web sites such as Twitter, Google, Facebook, and any other site featuring media you did not create are in jeopardy? You know this, right? If you have a blog and you post a video, it will be taken down. Not the video. Your web site.

See?

There is something about what she said this year that makes me feel like she looked me up, read my web site, and then added a few words just for me.

So, I was outside tonight walking the pugs and looking up at the dark sky, hoping I would see a red light. I really hoped for it.

I didn't see one.

I guess the Christmas Spirit eluded me this year. It is a sad thought but I can't say the holiday season has been all that bad. I just wish I was far more invested emotionally. I long for the days when I was a small child who started vibrating with anticipation the moment I knew Christmas Eve had arrived.

Perhaps I have grown up or too old far before I was supposed to. Or maybe this is just part of the process of healing when tragic things happen.

I also don't want anyone to think I have been acting like a Scrooge or Grinch because I haven't been. I just haven't felt it. That feeling you have when the holidays come around. I miss it. I am sure it will be back next year. I just am keenly aware of how I have been feeling.

In any case. I have been enjoying the time I have spent with my friends and family and I hope that you all have the same experience.

Merry Christmas and I am sure there will be smiles on everyone's face in the morning.

I have been doing something silly today. Every half and hour or so, I have been checking on Santa's progress across the globe. How have I accomplished this feat of amazing genius? Using the NORAD tracking system, that's how.

It is brilliant. It is a system developed to track Santa from the North Pole and all the way back again. Absolutely amazing.

If you didn't know about it this year, try it out next year. They have a mobile application now and the web site has far more cool toys to check out. 

I am on a mission. After my last post, I have realized that I need to seriously consider how I am going to capture the Christmas spirit. I don't know how I am going to do this but I have done a little research on this big large Internet thing we have and found various web resources that have a few ideas on how to accomplish the task. There was one suggestion that kept popping up on every web list.

Have an orgy.

No, I am kidding (or am I?).

But I am a funny guy, right? I used to be. Looking at that picture above, I wonder where that guy went. These last few years have been tough with everything going on in the background (you know, that stuff I don't talk about here) and it hasn't been fun. I seem to have lost my sense of humour about people, life, and whatever else you could have a sense of humour about. I have a great bunch of friends who are looking out for me and are trying their hardest to keep me... well, "me".

I used to have traditions around the holidays. For about ten years, we used to meet at a restaurant in Victoria and hang out, exchange cards or gifts, and just have a good time. It was a great thing and I looked forward to it every year. But that is gone now and I haven't any other traditions. Normally, we do the "alternating year" thing between Victoria and Regina. But that never really breeds traditions for me. There are some, yes, but nothing that sticks in my mind enough to look forward to.

Thus, it brings me to my mission. In order to recapture my soul, essentially, I am going to do something silly tonight. I am going to start a tradition. I am going to live Tweet (and/or blog) a Christmas film. I am getting a little late in the season to do this but I am sure I can find a decent film. I have had several suggestions already but I could use a few more. I will attempt this feat tomorrow night. Maybe I should get a charity involved as well. Possibly several tweeters. Raise some money for a good cause.

I will need other things to do as well. If you have any suggestions, don't hestiate to let me know. I will need as many as I can get.

Okay. There isn't much to this posting but this video made me laugh out loud. Do you sense the theme here? I am practically jamming the sappy Christmas antics down my throad. I have never heard of this show but I may need to check it out. It looks decent.