Housekeeping: November 2007 Archives

There is much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving (just read today's Daily News editorial on the subject), but here at Friendly Fire, I am especially grateful for the following (in no particular order):

• Tina Dupuy
• Rob Asghar
• Robert C.J. Parry

If those names aren't familiar to you, they will be soon. That's because they belong to the three newest bloggers to join the FF family. Here we've labored to create a site where disparate opinions can appear in one place, but with a sense of collegiality and respect. And with these three talented writers joining the lineup, I'm confident we'll only come closer to achieving that goal.

To give you a brief bio of each one:

I first encountered Tina Dupuy a few years ago, when her friend and occasional Daily News contributor Phil Perrier suffered a nearly crippling surfing accident. Tina wrote an op-ed for us about Phil, how she had been helping him, and how readers could, too. Ever since then, she's been a DN op/ed regular. Tina is a also stand-up comic, an accomplished blogger, a newlywed, and marathon runner!

Although he's only written for us a handful of times in recent years, Rob Asghar is one of my favorite writers -- anywhere. He has a great way with words, a deft touch, and an admirable way of engaging issues without falling into the usual partisan/ideological pratfalls. His heritage is Pakistani, his nationality is proudly American, and his religious experience defies labels. As such, Rob brings a great depth of insight and wisdom to our humble work in progress.

Robert C.J. Parry is a keen observer of politics and local issues, especially the LAPD, who has written for the Daily News several times over the last few years. He's also a veteran of the Iraq war who is currently writing a book on the subject, thus bringing a unique insight into what's arguably the biggest issue of our day. Readers might also recognize Robert as something of a regular in the FF comboxes -- one who has earned his spot up on the front page!

A hearty welcome, and thanks, to all three!

Of course, I am also grateful for all of the "old" FF bloggers -- Bridget, Jonathan, Mariel, Earl, Patrick, and Mike!

Thank you, and happy Thanksgiving, to all!

Friendly Fire's facelift is, the techies tell us, unintentional. (Apparently the "upgraded" blogging software wiped out our templates and replaced them with defaults.) Now the question is, is it reversible?

Let's hope ...

As Bridget mentioned, we've been experiencing some technical difficulties with Friendly Fire these last few days, which is why posting has been so spotty. But it seems like we're finally up and running again! Thanks for your patience!

Stay tuned for regular programming ...