The New York Times is all over a story we ran last summer. Humor writer Henry Alford booked a passage among the liberal elite readers of The Nation on board that magazine’s special branded cruise to Alaska that left our waterfront last July, and here’s his account of the voyage. Alford’s a funny guy, and I envy his Times expense account–for a ticket that could cost as much as eight grand–that allowed him to sail with lefty luminaries like Mary Mapes, Katrina vanden Heuvel, and Rocky Anderson. (We actually discussed here at SW whether I could travel by steerage class, for around $2,000, and covertly blog the entire trip via Wi-Fi. Or would that be unethical?) But Henry, dude, did you have to lift my joke about Ralph Nader in the hot tub? At least you could’ve given me credit, or stolen me a few dinner rolls. A writer’s gotta eat.But it’s never too early to book your travel plans for future vacations. For The Nation’s 2009 cruise, during a time of undoubtedly calmer political waters, I’m betting the featured guest will be the junior senator from New York. It’s not like she’ll have anything else to do.