Like any other publication, Pool &Spa News has its strengths. In my humble opinion, our enewsletter is a real strength.

Our ability to report on a breaking news story almost as soon as it happens, coupled with a variety of tips and business briefs, make the Pool & Spa News Insider extremely popular.

Recently, we added two new features that truly break the mold for an industry publication.

First, there’s “Schechner’s Sports Stop.” Our managing editor, Dan Schechner, has the soul of a sports columnist who just happens to be living in the body of a pool and spa industry writer. Dan’s wide-ranging knowledge of sports, fluid writing style, strong opinions and wonderful sense of humor all make him ideally suited to this task.

Every two weeks, I look forward to reading Dan’s column because rather than focusing on dry statistics, he weighs in on highly charged topics, whether it’s picking up a spectacular 7-10 split in bowling or a heartbreaking curling loss. (OK, maybe there’s a little football, baseball and basketball thrown in as well.)

But why should Schechner have all the fun?

Everyone who knows me well also knows that I’m passionate about music and have highly eclectic tastes. So, when I discovered a capability within iTunes to create and publish a playlist, I thought it would be another opportunity to enhance our e-newsletter in a cool and unusual way.

“Taylor’s Tunes” is a list of songs I think you’ll like, along with notes about why I chose each one. Unlike the writing generally published here, my liner notes are very informal and based solely on my own opinion.

In January, I published my first playlist, and I’m happy to say it received a great response. I was concerned that the musical style I selected — bluegrass — isn’t exactly a crowd pleaser. A number of industry members must like the sound, though, because the list received a relatively high number of clicks.

More recently, I focused on classic rock, but don’t worry — you won’t find the usual blend of predictable, overplayed oldies. My goal was to create a list of great, familiar tunes that go together well but haven’t been heard at every state fair and wedding for the past 50 years.

As always, if you have any suggestions for Dan or me, don’t hesitate to drop us a line. We’re both excited about these new features, and would enjoy hearing any feedback. If you aren’t receiving the Insider, send us an email and we’ll place you on subscription list.