The New Year is upon us and I've resolved to try the blog again. I didn't get much response to my previous efforts but what the hey, there's snow on the ground and very soon we will make some very interesting changes to our ink-on-paper version. I thought the time was right.

I am hoping readers and users will rediscover some of the great features that can be overlooked in the Wisconsin State Journal. I'll be talking more about this as Jan. 7 approaches. We think the changes are enhancements. Favorite features will not disappear. We will organize them better and design some of them in a more interesting way.

You'll see ads in the paper in the next few days hinting at the changes. I'll be writing some columns this week for publication Sunday. I don't want to ruin the suspense. But I would love to hear some response from readers and we will be calling together a few small groups of readers in the next week to get reactions to some of the changes. You can email me at wsjeditor@madison.com or call at 608-252-6104.

It's quiet in the newsroom today. Way too quiet for my comfort! I expect the energy level to slowly ramp up as the week unfolds. We hope your holiday was terrific and we look forward to a Happy New Year!