Joe Klein: Author, Columnist, "The Man"

A few weeks ago, I went to see Joe Klein speak at the Bob Michael Student Center at Bradley University. You can read the write-up here by my buddy, Where's the Frank dot com.

He gave a fantastic lecture which was called: Politics Lost: Searching for Sanity in an Era of Political Consultants, Talk Radio, Cable News and the Blogosphere.

This lecture looked particularly appealing to me because I've been avoiding all the political hoopla this year. I didn't really watch either of the conventions andI haven't been following the Daily Show or the Colbert Report.

He gave a great talk on the media and how it affects politics, his experience with the military and how they will make great leaders, being embedded in Iraq and Afghanistan, how a woman would be president soon because he thinks we are the "grown-ups" in society these days.

He ended with a reminder on how we are so lucky to be Americans and how we don't see how fortunate we are as citizens and how we should be more involved in our government. How it will make us more informed as citizens.

It was a great lecture.

I bought his book and was excited to tell him the parts of his talk that really resonated with me.

I told him my name and thanked him for speaking so earnestly and that I had just moved back from South Korea and had a chance to meet all kinds of people, military, expats, etc. and agree that America is an awesome country.

And he said "where are your parents from?"

"India"

"Where in India?"

"Bangalore," I replied, feeling kind of awkward because he wasn't really receptive to what I had to say.

"Your people have done a lot of good for this country."

"Thanks...?"

"A lot of good."

"Yeah," and I quickly walked away because I was embarrassed because he didn't listen to anything I said or was trying to say. He made me feel like an "other." Like he's the patriarchal establishment of America and on behalf of his ancestry, he thanks "my kind" for our contribution.

Which, he's not WRONG.

You're not WRONG, Walter, _________. 

Free dinner if you can fill in the blank.

Do I Smell a Husband?: Craigslist GOLD

"I'm not going to draw up a big detailed ad for this one or post pictures (ok maybe just one). My house has many bells and whistles included for one lucky lady who would like to be my girlfriend. Sounds crazy right?

You won't be disappointed. I'm looking for an Open Minded adventurous smart Attractive woman who wants to settle down with a responsible 30 year old man who has a great job and many assets to offer. I'm 5'9, 190 lbs, and athletic. I'm only looking for someone who is a first shifter. I usually have to be in bed around 10 or 1030 and up anywhere between 515 and 715 in the morning (just depends on the workload). I value my sleep highly.

If you think you want to take on this incredible offer just text me your best pictures and we can go from there (what do you got to lose?). I will text you a few pictures of me and the house. We can go on a date or two and if it feels right we can talk about the room situation. No pets please.

Thanks for your interest and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Justin"

He included a picture of the bed and pictured above, the ceiling above the bed, which had a flat screen tv.

That's kind of awesome and also a little sad. Also, I'd be afraid of the tv falling on my head in my sleep.

Flip Flop Flap

I still haven't re-friended that ex-boyfriend.

I thought, "what if I go to all the trouble of sending him a nice, sheepish message, re-friending him and then realize I still can't stop obsessing over his page to an unhealthy degree and have to block/unfriend him AGAIN."

I have a de-friend limit of once. I don't want to be a multiple de-friender.

So, we are at a stasis.

Do you have any Grey Poupon?

Today is friendship photo day! This is a present I found at a store in Peoria on Sheridan during First Fridays.

I forgot the name of the store, but there aren't that many cool places in Peoria, so I'm sure you will figure it out if you want to know badly enough.

It's old timey Mustard powder. I saw it and had to buy it.

It even sounds like there might still be powder in the tin! I'll have to check it out.

Life Lesson #1,748

Do not write a bad Yelp review about the only cafe within walking distance of your workplace and then order breakfast sandwiches from there at least two times a week.

National Book Award Finalists

I was reading about the National Book Award Finalists on Salon.com, when I came across the non-fiction finalists.

Katharine Boo, a writer for the New Yorker, has been nominated for “Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity”, her "journey in an Indian slum."

WHEN will these slum stories end? And WHEN will people stop getting awards for them?

Now, I haven't read her story. It's probably a well-written, heart-wrenching story.

Sure, 2004's Oscar-winning Born into Brothels was really good.

Yeah, I enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire.

But when are people going to tell the other stories coming out of India?

A book I started, but haven't finished is Sideways on a Scooter. This book tells the tale of a journalist who just picks up and moves to India. I can relate to her isolation and loneliness of being in a foreign country so far away from everyone you love. The book also delves into modern India. The rise of the middle class; call center jobs that are giving rise to women to be more financially independent in a landscape where the choices were extraordinarily limited.

Where's the story of this new India, people?

Memories....

Fond memories of my moving-out drama in Korea.

This is pretty much exactly what happened to me.

Glad to know I'm not the only one.

Foot in Mouth Disease

Hmm...it appears that when you block someone on Facebook, it automatically de-friends them.

I suppose the ball is in my court now to sheepishly re-friend them.

Blah.

Privacy Settings and Facebook

So, a few months back, I decided to block some ex-boyfriends.

I needed time to grow, move on, etc... It's a good move. I highly suggest blocking exes. It's good for the soul. Helps the moving on process go a lot faster. How can you move on if you're obsessively checking their page, hoping for new signs of life and signs that they are miserable without you? And then when you see the pics of them smiling with their new girlfriend, thus confirming that there is life without you...that's no good. No good at all. Block that shit.

I decided to un-block one the other day. I decided seeing his activity wouldn't cause my stomach to drop anymore.

Turns out, he DE-FRIENDED ME! Can you do that? I blocked him! How could he defriend me while I had him blocked?

Doesn't make sense.

And it kind of annoys me.

Life Moments

I went to the Fine Art Fair on the Riverfront this past Sunday.

It was quite pleasant. The weather is usually great and a whole bunch of artists come in to show their stuff.

I bought a couple pairs of earrings from two different vendors. I like these artsy fartsy jewelry vendors. Makes me wish I made jewelry.

Anyway, I'm getting over a cold, and when I was in one jewelry tent, I made a big show of turning away from the jewelry and sneezing into the crook of my arm. I was so preoccupied with turning my head away, I missed the crook of my arm and was caught off-guard by the girl standing there. I sneezed in her general direction.

She looked like a Bradley girl from Chicago. I don't know how I know, but I feel like these Bradley girls from Chicago all have a "look": Slightly pudgy from drinking a lot of beer, a little too brown from fake tanning, flat ironed hair, neatly put together and the look on her face that suggests that she may have just farted.

"Bless you," she said out of obligation and annoyance. She walked away.

I was slightly embarrassed, but I've found that as I've gotten older, I care way less about small things than I used to. It's incredibly liberating.

Well, I ended up being on the same tent trail as this girl. I kept running into her over the course of the next 45 minutes. Unintentional, a little uncomfortable, but overall, hilarious.