The Simpson Blog

A few months ago, I signed to set up Google Analytics for bigasssuperstar.com. It uses a little embedded tag in the web pages to keep track of web traffic in more depth than my usual log analysis would show. It's free and pretty cool. But it's teaching me stuff I didn't know about my traffic. In the past month, for example, Google Analytics tells me: I had two visits from Iceland 100 from Brazil One each from Zambia and Botswana 40 from Russia 66 from Saudia Arabia ... 40 from Iran ... only two from Syria Two from Khazakstan (wa wa wee wa!) 4,334 absolute unique visitors. Seriously? 18 viewed on their Playstation Portable, 4 on the PS3, 3 on the wii 79% of visitors use Internet Explorer, 16% use Firefox, with Safari, Opera and PSP following 86% arrive from search engines, mostly Google. 7.5% come directly. 6.77% show up through referring sites. Most popular search key words are "big ass" (67%), "bigass", "ass big" and "big ass adventures&q

Alright, in an effort to clear the backlog of stuff-I-ain't-blogged-about lately ... here's a clearinghouse post about things and junk. My noon-hour news show has been dropped in favour of more talk-show action. They've shrunk the noon newscast to seven action-packed minutes. It's going alright. The big afternoon news wheel now starts at 3pm instead of 3:30. An extra half-hour of reading. Interesting times! Ratings are on. Let's hope for big numbers. I think the station is really taking hold. I can tell because of the influx of crackpot callers. We've had recent contact from conspiracy theorists convinced of the reality of chemtrails , lizard people , cattle mutilation and, of course, the 9/11 doubters. I earned my Yellow Belt at taekwondo just before the summer vacation. The test was a little nerve-wracking, with lots of new Korean terminology to remember. I'm still not smooth and graceful and balanced and powerful, but I'm getting a helluva work

For the third time, the folks at Schmap! have included some of my photography in one of their internet-based tourist guides. This time, they've tackled Calgary, where I ventured last year to help launch a new all-news radio station. We had lunch at a nice place in the Eau Claire Market, and I snapped a picture of our meal, plus Amanda's hand, featuring a ring she'd just acquired at one of the shops. You can see it in context on the Schmap! site . And, as always, here's a box so you can grab your own free Schmap! --- Yes, yes, I know. I promised to update the blog, and I haven't. Stuff to be covered when I get around to it include: the summer vacation to Ontario, Quebec and Annapolis Royal (pictures already on flickr) the big Cape Breton wedding of Scott Simpson and Laura Graham, including video of Big Ass Superstar performing at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre updates on the new album (?) you may have missed my birthday. It was August 12. I'm 34 now. and ot