Category: Big Business

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Begin the Beginsion

In a WSJ article on Hearst’s new e-magazine initiative, we gain a valuable lesson about the importance of editors:

Skiff would give publishers an alternative to Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle store, which currently dominates the burgeoning field of digital reading. Through Skiff, Hearst said consumers will be able to buy digital publications that have better graphics and look more like their print counterparts, including the inclusion of advertising, than versions offered elsewhere.

“including the inclusion”? Really?

In case they do get around to fixing that ugly-ass prose, here’s a pic by which to remember it:

inclu.png

Oh, and later in the article, we get a clue as to why this new platform will fail:

“The platforms and devices that other people are building are not really appropriate for newspapers and magazines,” said Kenneth A. Bronfin, president of Hearst Interactive Media. “We are going to create an entity by publishers, for publishers.”

Remember, folks: it’s by publishers, for publishers. Not readers.

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What recession?

On Saturday, Amy & I met her pal Claudia for dinner at Marea. We knew going in that it’d be a pricey meal; after all, the restaurant is in the shadow of Masa, the most expensive dinner in NYC (which has a $200 fee if you don’t cancel your reservation with more than 48 hours’ notice(!)).

The meal was phenomenal; I’ve learned to appreciate fine dining this past decade, and my Marea experience was easily a top 5. Both my dates were heavy-duty foodies, and they too were floored by the meal. You can go check out the dinner menu here. For the record, I ordered:

  1. Ricci (sea urchin, lardo, sea salt)
  2. Sgombro (pacific jack mackerel, eggplant caponata)
  3. Polipo (grilled octopus, insalata di riso, fava, yellow tomato)
  4. Cotechino (not on the online version of the menu, but it was a pork, cod belly, wine sauce and maybe some cinnamon, in a mind-blowingly perfect risotto)
  5. and a chocolate panna cotta for dessert.

But as I said, it was a pricey meal. I won’t be so gauche as to discuss the final tab, but I will share with you the exchange I had with the Thomas the bartender when I was looking to get a gin & tonic before the meal.

GIL: I’d like a G&T. I notice you have Old Raj back there.

[THOMAS reaches for bottle]

GIL: Hold on. I had a G&T with that at Tabla once, and it cost $17. So, would you mind just ringing one up first, so I can see what it runs?

THOMAS: Sure! I’ve never served on with that gin before. [touch-pads for a few moments, then turns to look at GIL with shocked expression on face] Uh . . .

GIL: Twenty-two dollars for a gin & tonic?!

THOMAS: That’s what it says . . .

GIL: I’ll have a Hendricks & tonic, thanks.

THOMAS: You want cucumber with that?

GIL: Slightly bruised, thanks.

I’ve never felt relieved to pay $12 for a G&T before. (But it was the first bar I’ve been where they have Q Tonic on hand.)

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What It Is: 10/12/09

What I’m reading: Moby Dick, George, Being George, Crumb’s Book of Genesis, and a whole ton of Planetary comics (while I was home sick) in anticipation of the final issue. Which turned out to be a non-event.

What I’m listening to: Not a lot. My head’s been so stuffed up, most music sounds kinda muffled.

What I’m watching: American Splendor, in honor of Harvey Pekar’s 70th birthday last week, the Yankees’ playoff games, and a pretty humorous Parks & Recreation.

What I’m drinking: NyQuil. I’ve been wiped out by a chest cold since Monday, and figured that booze would just zap my poor immune system even further. Reading the label, I discovered that one is not supposed to take more than four 30ml doses of NyQuil in one 24-hour period. If you’re the sort of person who would even consider four doses of this stuff in a day, you probably aren’t going to be deterred by that warning. Wowza.

What Rufus is up to: Packing his things for a 3-night stay with his pal Tut.

Where I’m going: To Cincinnati, to visit Amy’s pals Ken & Denise for a long weekend.

What I’m happy about: Seeing a lot of old pals at my 20-year high school reunion on Saturday.

What I’m sad about: Not getting to talk to everybody I wanted to talk to at the reunion. But at least some of those people are local(ish), so we can try to get together sometime this fall.

What I’m worried about: The fact that two old classmates independently asked me if I’d gone into politics, while two others asked if I was now a lawyer.

What I’m pondering: Writing a post about my annual movie-traditions.