matt taibbi, search words, clever adverts, pasternack, leonard cohen

on a slow day i read this. and re-read this and remembered all over again that i should spend more time having dirty fantasies about matt taibbi. even if he does remind me of the cocky "popular" guys from high school whom i loathed. in interviews, dude is wired and slightly obnoxious but still pretty good looking for a smart/funny guy who digs politics.

someone found my blog yesterday with the search, "how does joshua bell stay so young looking." i'm not sure why i think that's so funny, but i do.

re: the post right below this one, people actually do stop to stick some headphones in. the theme is "everyone has something to hide". plug in, secrets are whispered to you. fun idea, not sure the exposre is worth the money that must have been spent on these high-teck adverts.

knowing my job has an end date, i thought it fiscally irresponsible to go to my long-awaited pork butt (bo ssam) dinner. i think what i missed might have been one of the greatest meals of my life. i don't exaggerate when i say i was close to tears over the decision. and then the e-mails started pouring in about what bottles of wine people were bringing to uncork:

2001 Clos Ste Hune
1996 Dom Perignon
1990 Kirchmayr Riesling solist
1991 Jaboulet La Chapelle
1997 Chave Hermitage
1990 Trimbach, F E - Gewurztraminer Cuvee Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre
1971 Chapoutier, M - Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne
1988 Guigal, E - Hermitage
1997 Mure, Rene - Gewurztraminer VT
NV Rimarts Cava

yes, i may have missed the best dinner in the history of dinners. i also have $300 in my pocket as my reward for skipping said dinner. i still think i made the wrong choice. i may cry again, right now.

went to esca last night. whenever i'm craving pasta, about once a month, i'll go and try to stake out a seat at the bar. the bar over there is like this top secret club. getting there and snagging a seat means that you're on a first name basis with the bartender who knows everyone else at the bar and will make introductions. (if i were the kind of person who could afford going there once a week, i would. the crudo is also lustworthy.) next thing you know, even though you may have thought you were going out to eat alone, you're now with a party of 4. you all share food. it is the most collegial thing i think i've ever been drawn into. the chef comes up, hangs out to chat. victor, the bartender, makes sure to introduce me. "jasmine, this is david pasternack, chef and part owner here." i shake hands, refrain from saying something embarassing like, "i know who you are! i've read about you! i like food!" i didn't even say, "you're david pasternack!" which is also something that may have slipped out had i not been as composed. or sober. and because the esca bar is a "zone of extra-friendliness" or something david says, "hey, i got a new pasta machine! come down and look at it!" my response, "are you serious?" "yeah! come on down!" and off he went. off my stool i hopped and followed him through the kitchen and down the stairs. past some trays of post dinner biscotti, past freezers containing trays of frozen pasta. he showed me the process, the part of the machine that broke and couldn't be replaced on his last machine (which is why he had to get a new one). he was a proud daddy standing over his bright, shiny hunk of stainless steel with polished bronze working bits. pretty damn neat. ALMOST makes up for missing the pork butt. almost. maybe.

tried to get leonard cohen tickets this morning. submitted a request at 9:01 and they were all sold out already. i never know how that happens, but, FUCK. i really really wanted to go. tickets are already up on craigslist but they're asking 3 times face value because they can. dude hasn't had a full concert in more than a decade and this one at the beacon is the only one scheduled. this may make me cry as well.