8.7.04
Hiatus, Shmiatus
Blah, blah, blah, houseguests new job whatever. JKD formally apologizes for his laziness.
-The last week has been great in the NYT b/c Tom Friedman is on vacation. Until October, apparently, though I'd suggest "forever" as a slightly better vacation term for Tommy. No, not that he should die, just that I never have to read one of his columns again.
The reason his vacation is especially sweet is that his replacement - for July at least, though I'd love to see her stay until October or, alternately, permanently - is Barbara Ehrenreich. Her columns thus far have had a humour and vigour that's been sadly missing from the NYT editorial page for a long time, Maureen Dowd having long ago ceased to be anything but a mediocre gossip columnist.
Today's column has her smacking down Bill Cosby for his recent comments on lower-class blacks. I agreed with a lot of what Cosby said, and I also agree with a lot of what Ehrenreich says.
But even better than today's was Sunday's column; and even better than THAT was her July 1 column, wherein she defended Michael Moore and went on to smash the myth of the elitist Democrat vs. salt-of-the-earth Republican.
What's so refreshing about Ehrenreich is her refusal to mince words. She's a fantastic writer, and doesn't blunt her passion for issues by pussyfooting around them - she plows straight ahead, tells the truth, and doesn't come off 'strident' but simply passionate. This is good.
-The last week has been great in the NYT b/c Tom Friedman is on vacation. Until October, apparently, though I'd suggest "forever" as a slightly better vacation term for Tommy. No, not that he should die, just that I never have to read one of his columns again.
The reason his vacation is especially sweet is that his replacement - for July at least, though I'd love to see her stay until October or, alternately, permanently - is Barbara Ehrenreich. Her columns thus far have had a humour and vigour that's been sadly missing from the NYT editorial page for a long time, Maureen Dowd having long ago ceased to be anything but a mediocre gossip columnist.
Today's column has her smacking down Bill Cosby for his recent comments on lower-class blacks. I agreed with a lot of what Cosby said, and I also agree with a lot of what Ehrenreich says.
But even better than today's was Sunday's column; and even better than THAT was her July 1 column, wherein she defended Michael Moore and went on to smash the myth of the elitist Democrat vs. salt-of-the-earth Republican.
What's so refreshing about Ehrenreich is her refusal to mince words. She's a fantastic writer, and doesn't blunt her passion for issues by pussyfooting around them - she plows straight ahead, tells the truth, and doesn't come off 'strident' but simply passionate. This is good.
perma-linky posted by jkd : 11:58
