Daily Archives: 09/01/2010

(Community Matters) Sarah Palin expose in Vanity Fair by Michael Joseph Gross

There’s a long and detailed version of what they had to say, but there’s also a short and simple one: anywhere you peel back the skin of Sarah Palin’s life, a sad and moldering strangeness lies beneath.

Such falsehoods never damage Palin’s credibility with her admirers, because information and ideology are incidental to this relationship. Palin owes her power to identity politics, pitched with moralistic topspin. She exploits the same populist impulse that fueled the career of William Jennings Bryan—an impulse described by one Bryan biographer as “the yearning for a society run by and for ordinary people who lead virtuous lives.”

Those who once felt close to Palin have followed her public transformation with a confused range of emotions. The common denominator is sadness. “People who loved Sarah Palin are disappointed,” said one woman in Wasilla, “because they found out that Sarah Palin loves Sarah Palin most of all.”

(Community Matters) The new establishment

This year Vanity Fair anoints Zuck [Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg] as our new Caesar. He rules from the imperial capital of Palo Alto, California, the Rome of our nascent millennium.

from Mike Allen: 1. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook 2. Steve Jobs, Apple 3. Sergey Brin, Larry Page & Eric Schmidt, Google 4. Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. 7. Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York, Bloomberg L.P. 9. Evan Williams & Biz Stone, Twitter 11. Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway 20. Johnny Depp, actor 21. Brian Roberts, Comcast 23. Lady Gaga, singer 25. Tom Hanks, actor, director, producer 26. Bill Keller, The New York Times 27. Robert Thomson, The Wall Street Journal 28. Dan Doctoroff, Bloomberg L.P. 29. Jon Stewart, The Daily Show 30. Jamie Dimon, J. P. Morgan Chase 33. Richard Plepler, Sue Naegle & Michael Lombardo, HBO 34. Oprah Winfrey, Harpo Productions 35. Bono, singer, humanitarian 42. Arianna Huffington, the Huffington Post 53. Mike Allen, Politico [hat tip: Leibo] 54. Gretchen Morgenson, The New York Times 60. Jann Wenner, Wenner Media 62. Charlie Rose, Charlie Rose 77. Frank Rich, The New York Times 87. Andrew Wylie, the Wylie Agency 93. Nikki Finke, Deadline Hollywood

(Community Matters)

Happy Birthday, Kirk

(Community Matters) Spent last night tasting gins with Graham Reynolds at Peche on W 4th St.  Who knew there were so many gins, so many production styles, so many variations of content?

First, Peche: this is a unique bar well worth being on everyone’s list – beyond knowledgeable bartenders.  Carter Wilsford was our bartender last night; he was the liquor buyer for Specs.  Claims to know over 3,000 liquors, and our conversations suggest he does.  My drinking companion is no intellectual slouch either – about liquors, art, politics or any number of matters, so those two provoked & answered lots of questions.

We tried seven gins (just tastes, three sips max of each); there were probably 30 or 40 gins on the shelf.  1) Citadel (French) – lighter, flowery, batched distilled rather than continuous*.  I liked this one, probably my third favorite. 2) Oxey – pressure distilled*, heavier, brighter, introduction of fresh fruits.  My first or second favorite, have to retaste, 3) Bluecoat – was fine, 4& 5) Boomsa, a Genevar style (aka Holland style)  gin, tried the young and the old – preferred the old.  Malted.  Not favorite.  Didn’t like the young, 6) Brokers – quite clean, crisp, a steeped gin (like Beefeaters which is historically one of my favorites). this is probably my favorite, quite simple and traditional.  7) Junipero – the most juniper.  Over the top, like Bombay Saphire

Again, Peche, can’t recommend it enough.  The food too.  I had a lamb burger to die for, with an extraordinary, sauteed green tomato on top.  I 86ed the fried egg.  And the company – well, I admit to having a boy crush.  Excited about Graham’s & Peter’s compositions and playing for Metropolis at the Seaholm next week.  Michael & I attending the Intergalatic Nemisis preview on Thursday (which he composed and will play), and there are very interesting gigs shaping up, including a new commission in November and a most unique creation/collaboration for FuseBox.

* the bartender was talking about heads, hearts and tails in the distillation process and how batch distillation produces a cleaner liquor as you are able to separate the heads and tails from the heart. Also discussion about pressure vs heat distillation and how pressure allows for the introduction of fresh fruit