Barack & Me

I'm gonna milk this shit for all it's worth:

Back in 1999-2000, I worked as a metro reporter at a newspaper on the South Side of Chicago, & in June 2000 I wrote a half-ass story about the christening of a new commuter-rail station in a poor South Side neighborhood. Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. led the thing, breaking a bottle of sparkling grape juice against the edge of the station platform (& joking, after the TV cameras left, that some of it was "for the homies"). He was joined by a really, really tall state senator (who laughed at Jackson's lame joke).

I'd forgotten that Obama was at the ceremony until an ex-colleague reminded me about the story last night, & the fact that I quoted Obama.

If I were still a journalist, I wouldn't be able to pawn this anecdote off on the janitor. But as a) I'm not still a journalist, b) I gave up on professional dignity long ago, & c) I dropped my marbles down a storm drain, I don't give a goddamn. I knew the dude back when.