Wednesday, January 14, 2004
The Estimable Dr. Alterman
Today is Eric Alterman's birthday.
I only know because he mentioned it yesterday, at Altercation, as part of an explanation that he'd recently lost a friend from grade school days, who perished with an entire family, including three children, on their way back from a family vacation. Eric wasn't asking for sympathy for himself, or sympathy for people we didn't know, after all. He asked only that we, his readers, honor this devastating loss by standing in for his friend, who will no longer be able to contribute to his own favorite heroes at Doctors Without Borders. In the face of inconsolable loss, prayers are always a good idea, and what better prayer than this?
You can let Eric know you did and that no acknowledgement is required in the message box that appears after the current day's entries.
And if you haven't paid Altercation a visit in a day or two, don't miss the bit he has up from the Daily Show (runner up for quote of the day, scroll down to January 12th); a true classic.
In fact, I think "fact-esque" is a contender for the Lexicon. Am I right?
Alterman's recent output has been extraordinary, from his Nation column, to his new position at the Center For American progress, to the books, don't miss the new one, right back to Altercation; I can't be the only person who can't get through Friday without my Charles Pierce pickmeup; better than two Margaritas; you just know we can't be that badly off as long as there's someone around who can handle the uncomedy team of Perle & Frum thusly:
And what on earth would liberal bloggers do without that indispensable formulation, the SCLM?
Fast becoming an institution himself, it's easy to overlook just how sharply original Alterman can be at his best. Take a look at today's, Jan 14th, long discussion of what is really going on with Paul O'Neil; lots of people are commenting, Eric pulls it together and offers a compelling portrait of O'Neil as something of an American hero; having just listened to Terry Gross's full hour conversation with O'Neil and Ron Susskind, which you also shouldn't miss, I'm even more persauded that Eric's got it right.
So, Happy Birthday, and thank-you, Dr. Alterman.
I only know because he mentioned it yesterday, at Altercation, as part of an explanation that he'd recently lost a friend from grade school days, who perished with an entire family, including three children, on their way back from a family vacation. Eric wasn't asking for sympathy for himself, or sympathy for people we didn't know, after all. He asked only that we, his readers, honor this devastating loss by standing in for his friend, who will no longer be able to contribute to his own favorite heroes at Doctors Without Borders. In the face of inconsolable loss, prayers are always a good idea, and what better prayer than this?
The address for donations is here. Click on “Make a Donation” and I’ll have a happy birthday.
You can let Eric know you did and that no acknowledgement is required in the message box that appears after the current day's entries.
And if you haven't paid Altercation a visit in a day or two, don't miss the bit he has up from the Daily Show (runner up for quote of the day, scroll down to January 12th); a true classic.
COLBERT: Doesn't matter what I've seen, Jon. It's been widey reported. And that makes it fact-esque.”
In fact, I think "fact-esque" is a contender for the Lexicon. Am I right?
Alterman's recent output has been extraordinary, from his Nation column, to his new position at the Center For American progress, to the books, don't miss the new one, right back to Altercation; I can't be the only person who can't get through Friday without my Charles Pierce pickmeup; better than two Margaritas; you just know we can't be that badly off as long as there's someone around who can handle the uncomedy team of Perle & Frum thusly:
For spectacular misuse of the first-person, it’s hard to beat the comedy team of Perle ‘n Frum, now appearing on a panel show in your neighborhood, flogging their latest work entitled, I’m paraphrasing here, “Let’s Kill Everyone Who Isn’t Us.” Take in this slim-but-potent little vial of vicarious testosterone and you find yourself enmeshed in beauties like this one:
”We have offered concrete recommendations equal to the seriousness of the threat, and the softliners have not, because we have wanted to fight, and they have not.”
If you’re keeping score at home, that “We” stuck in there is the single most indecent word yet typed in the 21st century.
We?
Who in the bloody hell is “We”?
And what on earth would liberal bloggers do without that indispensable formulation, the SCLM?
Fast becoming an institution himself, it's easy to overlook just how sharply original Alterman can be at his best. Take a look at today's, Jan 14th, long discussion of what is really going on with Paul O'Neil; lots of people are commenting, Eric pulls it together and offers a compelling portrait of O'Neil as something of an American hero; having just listened to Terry Gross's full hour conversation with O'Neil and Ron Susskind, which you also shouldn't miss, I'm even more persauded that Eric's got it right.
So, Happy Birthday, and thank-you, Dr. Alterman.
