Hazy Shade of Winter

Hello, my Puddlers. Yesterday, I wanted to give you an update on what's coming up on the blog, but some work related issues and then computer related issues kept me from posting.  However, I am going to give you the run down now.

First of all, I've been listening to Simon & Garfunkel's album Bookends, which is pretty phenomenal.  I had actually forgotten how amazing it is. When you listen to "America" and "Mrs. Robinson" in the flow of the album they get such a great new clarity to them.  This album is also great to listen to really loud on speakers. A deep cut that will definitely get in your ear is "At the Zoo." I'm thinking of doing a write-up of it.

The main news about blog programming is that starting next Monday, February 21, we will be commencing the Free Forest City Redemption Project.  In a bit of an update to that page (and for those of you who are not in the loop), I will be releasing a track a day of the Forest City album, Forest City, that I have compiled and sequenced from various recording sessions over the past year.  The album itself is 11 tracks and will feature three bonus tracks.  Each day, you will be directed the the Band Camp page I have set up for the album where you can download each track and or contribute a donation should you feel inclined.  The album will then be available to download as a whole after all of the album tracks have been posted.  The first post will feature an essay that I've written and there may be other fun notes and things to follow.  There will be no new blog posts by either myself, Mark Jack or any guest columnists until all of the tracks have been posted. This project has been a labor (albeit very slight labor—listen for the aptly placed silences I put between tracks) of love for me, so I hope you all enjoy it.

As for upcoming columns and posts, you can expect:

1. Bookends review
2. New Fiction Roundup (Thoughts on Freedom, Super Sad True Love Story and Great House)
3. NBA Playoff Preview
4. NCAA Tournament Running Commentaries
5. A rambling post on the changing of seasons
6. Review of Frank Sinatra's Watertown
7. Huge post on the return of the Strokes as soon as I get Angles.

Plus you never know what the hell kind of wisdom Mark Jack is going to drop and who else is going to put their two cents up here.

Tomorrow, I will provide some brief observations from the Celtics/Heat game from Sunday and then Mark Jack will have a new column for you on Friday.

It's all good stuff.  Just stick with my, my Puddlers.  You have no idea how close you are to winning it all with me.