Here we are....it's Tuesday morning...the kids are at school, I have a cup of bad coffee, and it's my favourite time of the week.

I start scouring the 'Net, for some reputable and (not-so-reputable) music news. Before I log on, I say a quiet prayer, in hopes that some big musico has done or said something terminally dumb. Most weeks my prayers are answered. A lot of times there's a rumour that a big name will be coming to the Maritimes. Most weeks that turns out to be bullshit. Between the big international stories, and juicy local stuff, I manage to sling together 500 words, and put them in the right order, for the most part.

The last year and a half has been a real blast for me, writing my weekly column, The Skinny, for The Daily News. I don't think I ever had a run-in with the editors over what I wrote, and they were terrific to deal with, rarely changing a word. I always harboured the dream of being a big-time rock journalist, and this was probably as close as I'll ever come.

I'm still absolutely sick about the people at the former The Daily News, who are out on the streets this week. Watching the story on the news last night, and seeing all the people that I've befriended, played softball and basketball with, and drunk with (often at the same time) left a knot in my stomach. I recognize that shell-shocked look.

I've been there, myself. The media business can be volatile. There are a lot of things that are completely beyond your control. Competing with a behemoth like the Herald was something that the parent company saw as a can't-win. If I was CEO, I'd probably make the same decision. Radio has it's shares of ups and downs, too, believe me. I've been on the wrong side of sweeping corporate decisions. And don't get me started on Global...

I always loved the fact that we had two dailies in Halifax. For years before the Herald started publishing on Sunday, the Daily News was my weekend paper of choice. It always seemed a lot more irreverent than it's stodgy counterpart....I've always liked that.

Times change, and the landscape as changed, too. Sunday night, I was wondering about the terrible situation in Bridgewater. The last local TV update was at 6pm, and the paper wouldn't come until morning. What did I do? I went to the 'Net for immediate information. That's the kind of world we live in.

All the Daily News people I know are brilliant, talented folks, and although this will sting for awhile, they will land on their feet. I know that sounds a little Hallmark, but, I've been there, and as dark as things seem right now (I'm sure losing your job on a snowy, shitty Monday seems like the ultimate insult), it will get better.

So....expect the blog to be updated a lot more often, as I'm probably still going to need a Tuesday morning fix.

Also...I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, but how much would you bet Rene Angelil's behind this somehow?