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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Good News – EF Goldman

Good News – EF Goldman

by | 99 Comments

This post is in: ,

And it’s good.

Just want to mention to the Balloon-Juicers here, a cross-note from the TNC Horde to y’all:

“My dad’s having some major health issues — TL;DR after falling a lot at home he’s been doing a hospital tour and is now in a rehab place. It’s kept him offline for more than a week and he’d like someone to let them know he’s still alive and doing fine and will be back eventually.

I talked to him on the phone just now and mentioned the Horde in passing when he asked about the layoff, and he asked if I could have someone in the Horde who still overlaps in both places basically post an “EFGoldman is ok” message so, here I am, checking in.”

So, to note: EFGOLDMAN IS OKAY!

Thanks to Paul Wartenberg for the news!

Reader Interactions

99Comments

  7. 7.

    Steve in the ATL

    Excellent news–he should be back to complaining about everyone and everything in no time. And that’s why we love him!

  14. 14.

    Ohio Mom

    What great news! I hope someone is conveying to efg that he has indeed been on our minds, and we have been mentioning him in the comments quite regularly.

    But I am confused: Paul Wartenberg is ef’s child? I guess she/he takes after the old man when it comes to creating aliases.

  16. 16.

    Mai.naem.mobile

    About time he let us know. Do not understand what else was so important that he couldn’t let us know as soon as he stepped into the rehab facility. Give all the staff in there a hard time so they work so hard and get you home quick .

  22. 22.

    geg6

    Would love to let him know that I’ve been saying and typing “fuck ’em” to anyone that talks about the NYT or the Drumpfenproletariat around me ever since EFG went AWOL.

  26. 26.

    Silent no more

    If we knew what rehab place, I would be happy to visit and pass on messages from the jackals. And, perhaps, share a tablet so he could comment himself. Since I’m a new commenter, have been lurking for quite awhile, I don’t know if the masses think this is appropriate or not. I count on you to let me know.

  27. 27.

    La Caterina (Mrs. Johannes)

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Yeah, I should have said “tablet”. As one of the olds I refuse to read blogs on a phone screen, so I thought ef might benefit from a tablet as I have.

  29. 29.

    Cermet

    Always glad to hear both good news and that a fellow BJ’er is doing better!

    On a sad note, one of my daughter’s roommates (I meet just a few weeks ago) was a close friend to one of the people killed in NY (both attended the same high school.) She has see too much death among people she knows of late with two fellow doormats (one she knew well) in her building (Slightly over two years ago) committing suicide – the university is really terrible in that respect. I know this is hard for her to discus and she shuts me out so not much I can do.

  34. 34.

    Snarkworth, short-fingered Bulgarian

    Thanks for the update. I look forward to efg’s triumphant return to the blog.

  35. 35.

    condorcet runner-up

    … also de-lurking to say looking forward to efgoldman’s return and glad all is well

  40. 40.

    ThresherK

    Fellow southern New Englander here, glad to learn EFG is okay.

    We get to appoint a provisional coot until his return, don’t we?

  44. 44.

    satby

    Thanks Paul Wartenberg for getting the update to Cheryl, and thanks Cheryl for front paging it. We’ve all been worried.
    Get better soon efg!

  45. 45.

    SFAW

    So glad to hear he’s OK. I missed his commentary re: various sportsball contests, among other things.

    But, JFC! Make the title “Good news of EF Goldman” (or something similar). When people start out with “news of Person X,” it’s more often not-good news. I was reaching for my nitro pills before I read the “good” part, down screen

  47. 47.

    Joy in FL

    Loving the good news. I’ve missed seeing his comments. Looking forward to seeing them again : )

  48. 48.

    JPL

    Thank you so much for the update, and it’s good news indeed. Hopefully, he’ll be able to post soon.

  49. 49.

    Elizabelle

    Fabulous!

    But headline needs to read EF Goldman Lives. To fight another day.

    My heart was in my throat. But thanks for the update. Jackals be missing him.

  52. 52.

    Suffragette City

    I don’t believe we have ever interacted but I always read and appreciate his comments.
    O and snicker sometimes.
    Glad to hear things are improving!!!

  53. 53.

    amygdala

    ???
    Delighted to hear this.

    Of course a librarian gets us the info we so desperately needed. Thank you, Paul. Long live the Horde.

  55. 55.

    The Fat Kate Middleton

    So enjoy his comments! So glad he’s getting better! Thanks, Cheryl and Paul.

  61. 61.

    J R in WV

    It’s so great to hear the EFG is OK and getting better. A relief, 4 sure. I’m sure there are some folks at LGM as relieved as we are.

    Now I will reveal my naive and inexperienced core – what the heck is a “TNC Horde”??? Does it have something to do with the Coates guy who writes some?

    Does he have a blog, too??

    Is there no process or procedure to start a blog? Can anyone who passed a typing class back in HS do it? ;-)

    Hurry back E F!!!

  62. 62.

    CaseyL

    Thanks, Paul – this news made my day!

    I so look forward to EFG’s cantankerous self returning to BJ.

  63. 63.

    amygdala

    @J R in WV:

    Now I will reveal my naive and inexperienced core – what the heck is a “TNC Horde”??? Does it have something to do with the Coates guy who writes some?

    In case you’re not being snarky and/or there’s anyone else who’s wondering about the Horde, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (the Atlantic website, to be specific), Ta-Nehisi Coates used to moderate his blog. The regulars were known as the Horde. One of the standout regs, Cynic, was recognized for his talent and now writes for The Atlantic. That would be Yoni Applebaum. Emily Hauser, Paul W, aimai, and efg were Hordelings, and I’m sure there are others here and at LGM as well. TNC would get into it with the peanut gallery and wielded the ban hammer with force. There were great discussions on race, gender, and… oatmeal and The Hair Cuttery.

  65. 65.

    Svensker

    Very good news. Give him a raspberry salute from everyone here and tell him we’re looking forward to arguing with him again.

  66. 66.

    spudgun

    Very relieved to hear this! As my dear old dad would say, EFG is one tough hombre!

    And thank you, amygdala, for the info – I knew what the TNC horde was, but I didn’t quite get the connection.

  67. 67.

    J R in WV

    I kinda knew about that, tho was never in the Horde itself. So mostly snark. But thanks for educating everyone about it. I like Coates, he has a sense of humor sometimes, which is needed when dealing with black history and black-hearted bums like Jefferson Beauragard Sessions III. Who just keeps being caught in lies, somehow. How can that be, and him such a southron man of honour?!?!?

  70. 70.

    amygdala

    @J R in WV: Even as a very peripheral and part-time member of the Horde, I miss it a lot. I learned tons; TNC to me is the writer equivalent of your favorite local band that hit it very, very big.

    Sessions, Pruitt, DeVos… I don’t understand any of them. So much spite.

  71. 71.

    Ruckus

    Glad to hear that another old fart is still hanging in
    On the way home after going to the service of my coworker. So this is a much better way to end the day.

  78. 78.

    c u n d gulag

    E F, get better soon!

    I’ve also been out of action, because I was in the hospital and am now in rehab.

    Hopefully, we “frienemies” will both heal in time for the 1st Yanks v. Sawx game, where we can good naturedly wish one another’s teams! ‘BAD LUCK!’

  81. 81.

    ep

    @amygdala: Is there an existent TNC Horde at this point in time? I have been a longtime lurker there and here and at LGM, etc. I only once got into it with Ta-Nehisi Coates, and since I did not make my point concisely enough for him, I was batted down by some reference to oatmeal, which I did not understand at the time but now I have read the old oatmeal threads. It would be a great thing if all the old TNC Horde were to come back, even if TNC himself can’t understandably do it now. There were some voices there that I see here and at LGM, but there were many voices that I fear have been lost.

  83. 83.

    amygdala

    @ep: Not that I’m aware of, although I believe there was a closed Facebook group at some point. Not sure if it’s still active. Maybe someone else here will know?

    I enjoyed the discussions and in-jokes. The boards over at The Atlantic are mostly a mess these days.

  84. 84.

    Amir Khalid

    Like everyone else, I’m glad to hear efg’s OK. Can’t wait to see his cantankerous old self back.

  86. 86.

    bluefoot

    @ep: I used to be part of the Horde under another nym. I was recently reading some of TNC’s old Civil War posts, and reading the comments. I realized how much I miss the people and the discussions. I’m not on the Book of Faces, so was never part of the closed group over there.

    I’m glad efg is doing well! My dad is also at a rehab place and it’s helping a lot.

  89. 89.

    SWMBO

    So glad to read that he’s better and will return soon.
    In your honor I lift a glass to the occupants of the White House, the enablers in the media and the Republican congressional leadership and say “Fuck ’em!”

  90. 90.

    stinger

    Glad to hear it. Good news has been thin on the ground this year. I look forward to efgoldman’s return to these pages.

  93. 93.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    Good news is great news! Keep on truckin’, EF! Slowly at first, of course. But do keep on truckin’!

  94. 94.

    Debbie(aussie)

    Am late to the discussion, but what the hey.
    Two posts had me teary today. Firstly the so so sad news of Bailey,the greatest Danes, passing. Hugs and love from down-under, Tamara.
    And, secondly, the wonderful news about EFG. He was one of the first people I interacted with at this jackal hideout. Looking forward to his return to action. On his behalf “fuck ‘em” (with a side of hugs and best wishes too)
    Debs
    Back to lurking, mostly.

  95. 95.

    Tehanu

    Re efg: glad to hear he’s doing okay. Us old curmudgeons (or in my case, curmudgeonettes) need to stick around!

  96. 96.

    PaulWartenberg

    @J R in WV:

    Now I will reveal my naive and inexperienced core – what the heck is a “TNC Horde”??? Does it have something to do with the Coates guy who writes some?

    Yup.

    Coates’ blogging on The Atlantic site would occasionally host an “Open Thread At Noon” where varied peeps similar to the Juicers here would gather to share current pop culture discussions, and then would gather on the more serious discussions to defend Coates’ arguments from any trolls that might show. “The Horde” also known as “The Lost Battalion” got a lot of attention itself by the way they handled themselves on the forums, as a model self-moderating group.

    Coates doesn’t post as much as he does online, working more in print – We Were Eight Years In Power is NOW IN YOUR BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES, GO READ – and he’s sadly stopped doing the Open Threads because the moderation ended up too high maintenance, but the Horde has kept together.

  99. 99.

    bluefoot

    @ep: @PaulWartenberg: Yeah, re-reading those old posts, I miss the level of discourse. Heck, I miss getting regularly schooled by people who know a lot more than I do about things. (I said once on the OTAN that TNC’s was the only joint where I took notes on people’s comments. Not to mention the geometric increase in my “read this book now” pile.) Where else can you get the Civil War, Austen, LCD Soundsystem, and oatmeal all in one place? :)

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