Hi.

Welcome back to the website. And thank you for all of your email messages from yesterday's update. You have NO idea how much it means to me.

Anyway... y'know? Out there in Central Park, I'm always saying how I feel like the luckiest man in the world. Today, I feel that even more strongly. I live alone these days... so y'know, it was just me and Thurman. This is the first morning he's not hangin' out with me while I update this site. But, I'm sitting here thinkin' about how many lives I've gotten to touch and how many people have touched my Life. It keeps me excited and grateful for every damned day!

Movin' on... living in today! This moment.

I hope you guys keep comin' back here all week. I've kinda "flipped the sign", but I'm already thinkin' about the first concert of 2009. By the way... were you at the "Year End" gig at Merkin Concert Hall on December 13th? If you were... THANKS AGAIN! I hope I see you guys at "THE 8 YEAR CONCERT" on Saturday night, January 24th. (More about that in a minute.)

First, I wanna tell you to pick up The New York Times tomorrow and look for a fine columnist named Clyde Haberman. I'm not gonna tell you why... but, I'll try to update this site in concert with that piece, okay? (I do it every year anyway.)

Tomorrow... The New York Times.

Got it?

Okay... THE CONCERT

Okay... it's been a long 8 years since the debacle that was the 2000 election and September 11 the following year. In that time, I've written all the songs on the CD "Crazy on the Same Day" which turned out to be the most uplifting and positive collection of songs I'd ever put on one album. I've also written a collection of songs for the "Common Ground" CD which included songs like "Tired of Being Lied To", "My Morning Coffee", "Where'dat Money Go?" and of course "Common Ground". Then came the album called "I Love the Company" with songs like "Conservative Christians, Right-wing Republican, Straight, White, American Males" as well as the title track.

But, besides all those "keepers" I'd also written songs with a specific purpose. Some funny. Some pointed. Songs like...

Oh Exxon
Get Out Our House
Bill O'Reilly: The Big Giant Head
Don't Fear the Busboy
Before George Bush
JesusLand
Don't Know Palin
Tom Cruise Scares Me

...and more.

On January 24th I'm gonna do a concert to play those songs one last time and retire them forever.

Oh man! We'll have a lot of laughs 'cause it oughta feel laughably wonderful.

Then, we'll move on.

I'll be back very soon to let you know how to reserve a seat at that gig. The last concert at Merkin Concert Hall came pretty close to selling out and there are 450 seats in that venue. This concert called "The 8-Year Concert" will be at H.I. New York Performance Hall on Amsterdam Ave, and there are only 150 seats.

So, keep checking back for the announcement, okay?

I'm outta here. One mo' time. Gonna miss you, Thurm!

Okay, yeah, yeah... he was just a cat. A tiny little creature. But, he was my pal.

Got some Christmas shopping to do!

See you guys back here tomorrow. And...

Thanks again!