Many apologies for the sporadic posts. Truth is, we're all working on some massively awesome things that we're gonna unleash on your head next week and all throughout the month of December. Trust me -- cool stuff coming up in the paper. Take that to the bank, sucka.

Meanwhile, we just put our annual Gift Guide issue to bed. It's a classy advertising thing that the ad people and the production people put together, not uncontroversially. You'd think that would mean that we editorial folk would have plenty of time to post cool blogthings in the meanwhile, but that's not the case; because of the holidays, we had to work on next week's paper last week.

Everyone at the Journal dreads holidays, because it means you have to do the same amount of work in only four days. Or three days, in this case. And this year is like the perfect storm -- Christmas and New Year's Day fall on Tuesday, our usual deadline day. We're not even sure what the ramifications are. Do we have to get things done two days in advance? Three?

Still plenty of cool stuff in the Journal that'll hit the streets tomorrow, one day early, even if you're not a Gift Guide fan. Ferndale scandals. Ponderings on a hoary journalistic tradition and the Humboldt County economy. Calumny. The inimitable Joseph Byrd, our snobby cranky food guy. The inimitable Bill Kowinski, our cranky but not really snobby theater guy. Angry letters, including one from Dr. Ken Miller, a blog favorite.

We'll try to get back to you before Thanksgiving. No promises. If we don't see you before then, best to you and your family.