Michael Baisden Eats Producer's Cheesesteak, Patch Editor Reunites with George Wilborn, and Other NABJ Antics

The annual convention of The National Association of Black Journalists is a wonderful place for networking, career development and inspiration.

It's also a place where celebrity broadcasters let their hair down with their fellow colleagues.

It happened last night, when the estimated 2,500 journalists and guests partied at the opening reception of the 36th Annual NABJ convention in the cavernous National Constitution Center and, later, in various hotel lounges through the city.

The highpoint? Michael Baisden eating the Philadelphia Cheesesteak and fries of a San Francisco producer named Tracy, who was seated next to me at Circ Bar and Restaurant at the downtown Philadelphia Marriott.

Oh, for those who are assuming she let him eat right from her plate because she was a huge fan, that was not the case. Tracy had never heard of Michael Baisden. He's not yet on the air in San Francisco.

What Tracy did know, however, was that this guy was a lot of fun and, as a well-paid television producer on vacation, she was happy to let the "poor" guy have some of her dinner.

Yes, Cascade, he ate Tracy's dinner, right there in front of everyone. And, community journalist that I am, I caught it in pictures.

Oh, by the way, Baisden paid for Tracy's dinner and bought her and her friends a round of drinks. 

As for me, I was just enjoying reconnecting with Baisden and his partner in crime, George Wilborn, on The Michael Baisden Show. While working in the 1990s as a reporter for The Chicago Tribune, Wilborn was a popular stand-up comedian at the African-American owned "All Jokes Aside."

Baisden, meanwhile, was an unknown author who regularly made the rounds at major Chicago events, promoting his first book, "Never Satisfied: How and Why Men Cheat." He was known for his confidence and willingness to hustle a bit to get ahead in life.

Looks like it worked.

Stay tuned to Cascade Patch for a report on Arianna Huffington's address, Patch Media group's involvement in the conference and other news from Philly.