SwanShadow Thinks Out Loud

The immortal baseball scribe Thomas Boswell once wrote, “Time begins on Opening Day.”

Someone else (I’d tell you his or her identity, but there’s no consensus on the Internet) opined, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”

Ian Anderson, the auteur behind the legendary rock band Jethro Tull, sang of “skating away on the thin ice of a new day.”

Or, as the great Buckaroo Banzai, MD, PhD, put it: “Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” (That doesn’t really have anything to do with the other quotes. I just love that line.)

At any rate, the long hibernation of SSTOL has ended. A new day dawns here today. You can now expect to drop by this tiny corner of cyberspace and find fresh content a-bubbling, which hasn’t been true for some while… the reasons for which you know. (If you don’t know, you can find out here.)

We commence the rebirth of the cool with an announcement which in itself is pretty darn cool: I’m returning to the staff of DVD Verdict — the ‘Net’s premier location for entertainment product reviews — as a writer of cogent criticism.

I first joined DVD Verdict way back in 2002. During my previous tenure on staff, I penned 145 detailed product reviews, and also served an 18-month stint as an associate editor. I resigned with deep regret about three years ago, when my late wife KJ’s illness was diagnosed. In my heart of hearts, I always knew the day would come when I’d want to write for the site again.

Today, that day has come.

I extend my sincere appreciation to Chief Justice (that’s Editor-in-Chief in the non-Verdict world) Michael Stailey, Chief Counsel (read: Managing Editor) Melissa Hansen, and their crew of talented collaborators for welcoming me warmly back into the fold. I’m looking forward to contributing to the site again, especially in anticipation of some exciting initiatives that will continue Verdict’s ascent into the stratosphere of online entertainment resources.

So, come join me at DVD Verdict. You’ll be glad you did.

And hey — welcome also to the next phase of SSTOL. I’m looking forward to sharing with you here once again.

Thanks for keeping the faith.