Timothy John Russert jr.

I don't have much to add regarding the sudden death of the excellent journalist Tim Russert, except that his exceptional interviewing talents will be remembered by friend and foe. My first impulse when something like this happens - an apparently healthy person is just here one day, gone the next - is to really start appreciating the lives of myself and those around me. You never know - you could wake up one day at a surprise party in your honor on Alpha Centauri. And then that feeling of appreciation fades and I once again become one of the tightly wound fools that gets REALLY ANGRY when somebody cuts me off in traffic or the cat pees on one of my shirts.

Life is too short, you know? As the great Warren Zevon put it, enjoy every sandwich.

We ought to resist furiously those who would sully the memories of deceased political enemies, even if those sullyers happen to be political allies. Like any of us, he had dreams, joys, hopes, insecurities, fears, loves, loved ones, hobbies and faults. In short, he was a decent human being. The troglodytes leaving snotty comments on blogs ought to be put well and truly in their places.