Hey folks, Cliff Schecter here. You may remember me from posting at C&L on election night, or from some YouTube videos where I get a bit "aggressive" with my my moronic GOP counterpart. But I am not here to discuss that.

I am posting in this hallowed space because my good friend Jennifer Abrahamson is the author of a fantastic new book. It's called Sweet Relief: The Marla Ruzicka Story. Some of you may remember Marla for the fact that she was the first person to ever get Congress to earmark funds for the civilian victims of our "collateral damage" in Iraq and Afghanistan. Or that tragically, while working on these very issues in Iraq, at age 28, she was killed by a roadside bomb.

Jen was good friends with Marla and decided to write this book not only to celebrate her life, but also provide an inspiring tale of what one person can accomplish, while also pointing out how we have lost hearts and minds by ignoring those who've become the victims of our advanced weaponry for so long (and still largely do). And any person who pissed off the pathetically racist bimbette, Little Debbie Schlussel, a woman who got Ann Coulter's personal warmth and hydrogen peroxide for her bat mitzvah, must have done something very right.

In any case, I will be hosting a book salon over at Firedoglake today at 5PM EST, where Jen will be live to answer any and all questions. I know, it's Christmas Eve. But you will find no more inspiring tale for the holidays. So if you are one of those people who really ticks O'Reilly off around Christmas time--you know who you are, you non-merry-Christmas-uttering-animists--or even if you do plan to celebrate, but can get a moment off from the egg nog, please come by and join us.