So Bernard Goldberg wrote a book called 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America. I took a quick look at this list and was surprised to find that I know, if only in passing, quite a few of them.
10) Ralph Neas
I worked in the NY office of People For The American Way. I met him several times in person, and he called the office quite often.
24) Lee Bollinger
The president of my Alma Mater. I met him a few times at various alumni functions.
52) Markos Moulitsas
My brother produced a few webtv interviews for him. I hung out with him for a little while when he was in NY.
75) Eric Foner
A history prof at my alma mater. When I worked for the history department, I made his photocopies.
That list is even lamer than I remember. I’ve met Michael Newdow; you couldn’t say we really know each other. I attended one of his lectures and we talked a little.
My landlady is vaguely linked to Noam Chomsky, in an academic context.
Funny, from outside America, very few of those people show up on our radar. From an ‘over here’ perspective, I’m surprised not to see those whom I perceive to be screwing up America, including Coulter, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Gonzales, O’Reilly, Phelps, and Bush. Makes me think it’s less than even-handed. Though if he’s a conservative, I’m surprised not to see Stewart on it, either. Perhaps he had a book to sell when he appeared on the show…
Yes, he’s a conservative, and he’s not the even-handed type. I’m pretty sure he did appear on The Daily Show to plug the book, and Stewart tore him a new one.
I’ve met former President Jimmy Carter, he spoke at my church once, and I’ve met most of the cast members of The Howard Stern show. Is that close enough?
Yeah, I’m one-degree of separation from Noam Chomsky (my friend took a class with him over the summer) and Ward Churchill (he was another friend’s thesis advisor) … I know people who know people
Well, if we’re doing one degree of separation – Jane Smiley and I had offices in the same building at Iowa State at the same time. Never met her though.
The closest I got was having met Jonathan Kozol at a book signing. He’s a very powerful speaker. It was an honor. I’m applying to Teach For America based largely on his recommendation (I have five hours to finish my app; doesn’t it suck?).
I’m pretty sure I’ve shaken Julian Bond’s hand. My mother is active in the Georgia’s Democratic political circles, and I remember seeing him at a function she dragged me to when I was little. I remember wearing a Julian Bond campaign t-shirt when he ran as mayor years ago.
Jimmy Carter graduated from my alma mater, Georgia Tech.
I have read books by Gloria Steinham (thanks to Zoe!), Barbara Kingsolver, and Al Franken.
Shirly Franklin succeeded Bill Campbell as mayor of Atlanta. I took a picture with Bill Campbell when I won a scholarship in high school. So that makes Shirly and me practically sisters!
Ludacris is from College Park, GA. My parents live in East Point, which is just a town over.
I thoroughly enjoyed Savage Inequalities by Johnathon Kozol and Eve Ensler’s What I Want My Words to Do to You: Voices From Inside a Women’s Maximum Security Prison.
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I know a man who taught Al Sharpton in high school, back in the day.
Hmm.
I went to Lee Bollinger’s school.
I used to walk by Jane Smiley’s house every so often when visiting the ancestral Doug homestead in Ames, IA.
I have a major crush on Eric Foner’s niece.
That’s about it.
