Altercation

Everyone except this writer, it seems, is writing a weblog these days. I just like to read ’em. And, being a hard-core political junkie, many of the blogs I’m grooving on are chronicling the Bush-Cheney junta as it jumps the shark, in beautiful swan formation, and arcs into a terminal nosedive. Eric Alterman writes smart pieces for The Nation and MSNBC; he also writes this frequently updated blog, in which he summarizes the events of the day and adds hyperlinks to source material, for those who want to read more deeply—one reason I love blogs. Alterman isn’t afraid to go bluntly on record on topics other journalists dance gingerly around, a characteristic that’s refreshing at a time when so many reporters are afraid of Karl Rove booting them off the White House guest list. And he mixes music in, too; usually half his blog entries reflect his enthusiasm for classic rock and mainstream jazz.