Ed Bradley

Ed Bradley died...today? Yesterday? I'm not sure which. He was a fascinating guy. Very intellegent and articulate, and also fascinatingly hip and cool. I loved to watch his interviews. He had a sort of understated skepticism that cracked me up. He seemed very level-headed in his thinking, but also had an underlying air of badness that was fun.

My favorite Ed Bradley story of all time comes from my friend Tina. She was flying to Europe on the Concorde, thanks to the largesse of her employers. She's not a very comfortable flyer, and the drinks on the Concorde were free, so she was busy generating some liquid courage. All that courage tends to end up in the bladder eventually, so she got up to go to the bathroom. While she was staggering towards the back of the plane, she stumbled and fell. Into the lap of Ed Bradley. She cleverly said, "I know you! You're Ed Bradley!" And he gave her the famous Ed Bradley eyebrow of disdain and said, "Yes." And then lifted her to her feet, so she could continue her trip to the potty.

How's THAT for reflected glory? I know someone who got drunk and made an ass of herself with Ed Bradley. I think that practically makes me a celebrity!