Have a mind to meet this television obsessive in person? Join me Tuesday, Nov. 15 for a "Greet the Press" event at the Chicago Tribune’s Freedom Center.

The event, which features a reception, a silent auction and a panel discussion with three Tribune bloggers — Eric Zorn, Charles Madigan and me — benefits the United Way of Greater Chicago. Minimum donation is $25 per person, and reservations are necessary. To register and get the more details about the event, go to chicagotribune.com/greetthepress, call 312-527-8800 or e-mail [email protected].

When you’re from the South Side, you expect the mockery.

You expect people to think you put ice in your white wine, you wear athletic socks with black loafers, you say "dem" and "dose."

You learn, eventually, that there are people who do not identify themselves by what parish they are from. And some of those people think the fact that you do identify yourself by your parish is either weird or funny.

If you’re like most South Siders –- we do try to assimilate, after all –- you may well end up working in a place where the majority of your co-workers are Cubs fans (if you end up at the Tribune, it’s definitely an occupational hazard).

But, being a South Sider, you put up with people not knowing where you are from (St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in the city, then Holy Ghost in South Holland –- that town near I-94 with the praying hands on the water tower, for all you geographically challenged North Siders). You put up with people thinking you need a passport to travel south of Roosevelt Road or enter any part of the Chicago region that uses a 708 area code.

We South Siders put up with it because we’re tough. But not so tough that we’re not really, really happy that the White Sox won the World Series Wednesday night.

True story: One of my first memories as a kid –- I was no older than three -- was meeting a bunch of Sox players at the old Comiskey Park. My grandfather, who worked at Hyde Park Bank, knew a bunch of the players, and I got to shake their hands. I still remember how enormously tall they were. They were giants to me.

Much later, I was in the crowd when the Sox won the American League West pennant in 1983. We celebrated the occasional family birthdays there and went every so often with friends, though I won’t pretend I’ve been the most dedicated Sox fan.

After all, one of my first dates with my husband was at Wrigley Field (sorry, it was love, what are you gonna do?)

Despite having a baseball traitor in the household, despite working at this Cubs-centric place of employment, despite moving to the western suburbs (hey, I still have a 708 area code!), I’ve still always been a South Sider at heart.

The celebration broadcast from inside the ballpark in Houston when the Sox won seemed a little subdued, not quite as flashy as it would have been if they’d won here, obviously. Then again, anything that’s too big, too flashy, too slick, too orchestrated, too show-offy -- that’s just not the South Side way.

Our way is just to grin, hoist a beer (and maybe a shot), and be very, very proud.

I'm going to try my darnedest to take a few days off: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I will be approving comments, but most likely not posting new blog entries.

Have a great rest of the week, and see you back here Monday.

I took a break from TV obssession this weekend to see "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." And despite all the whizzing lightsabers, dazzling space battles and political drama, it was clear what "Star Wars 3" really is.

It's case study of bad management.

Why does Anakin Skywalker turn bad? It sure seems like it's because he didn't get a promotion. He really wanted that title, Jedi Master (and the company car would have been nice).

But, you say, maybe Anakin wasn't ready for that promotion. Maybe he was still too immature, too easily angered, too likely to furrow his brow at the slightest provocation.

So why didn't his managers give him a clearly defined path to promotion? Not a bunch of Jedi mumbo-jumbo about using the Force and examining his feelings, but a concrete list of job skills he needed to improve (Using time more wisely? Prioritizing better? Keeping the Jedi break room cleaner? Thinking up better dialogue?)

The worst Jedi manager had to be Mace Windu, who, when things got hairy, essentially told Anakin to just stay put, don't worry, and by the way, we don't need your help right now.

That's not the way help an employee feel empowered and invested in the task at hand.

And it was disastrous for Yoda to tell a troubled Anakin to give up that which was most important to him. That sounded suspicously like "Don't expect a raise any time soon."

Obi Wan Kenobi wasn't much better. A boss should know enough about an employee's life to know what they're worried about. Obi Wan didn't realize his apprentice was having a child (well, twins, actually) with Padme until it was too late. Those sorts of personal issues worried Anakin to the point of obsession, yet Obi Wan was mostly oblivious.

And sure, Palpatine appealed to Anakin's ego. But what smart boss doesn't, from time to time? It's not enough to tell an employee that he's the chosen one, yada yada. Obi Wan should have realized that the constant "you've got more to learn, young apprentice" stuff gets old after a while.

If Obi Wan and the council had chosen Anakin for a few crucial solo missions, maybe he would have been too focused on Jedi business to be tempted by Palpatine's Sith pitch.

Still, Anakin must bear the responsibility for his eventual decision to join the staff of Dark Side, Inc. He was seduced by a boss who promised much, but actually withheld vital information that would have affected Anakin's most important decisions.

Those kinds of bosses -- the ones to hold on to information and use it like a weapon, all in an effort to manipulate employees into doing their bidding -- are usually very articulate and seem like your buddy at first. They seem like they're looking out for you.

Then, one day, you're cut off at the knees. Dependent on them for everything. And have nowhere to turn, especially if your old bosses kind of want you dead.

So the lessons for bosses and employees everywhere? Give your employees a stake in the enterprise, and if they want to move up, use constructive feedback to tell them how they can do so. Motivate their best qualities by giving incentives for good behavior, but be willing to accept criticism when it's warranted.

And don't become the kind of boss who rules through fear, intimidation, secrecy and appeals to greed and arrogance.

Unless you're really good with a lightsaber.