What do former mayor David Dinkins, Scientific American founder Gerard Piel, France Telecom retired President Marie-Monique Steckel and Iris Weinshall, NYC Commissioner of Transportation (and Senator Chuck Schumer's wife) Iris Weinshall have in common? Well, on Tuesday, October 2nd, they all gathered at the sprawling penthouse of Wave Systems' chairman Peter Sprague to celebrate the book launch of Dorothy Samuels' first book "Filthy Rich."
With a grand terrace and views North, East and South, over 150 guests came to meet Ms. Samuels, a New York Times editorial board member, spoofed the celebrity and reality-crazed media. Her heroine partakes in the wildly popular "So You Want to Be Filthy Rich!" as the lifeline for her boyfriend, but gets dumped on national TV when she gives him the wrong answer. All the major talk show hosts and an overbearing Jewish mother also figure largely in this satire. And other guests of the book party who enjoyed mingling with other media-savvy sorts were General Manager for WFUV 90.7 Ralph Jennings, Donna Hanover's divorce lawyer and leading first amendment lawyer Victor Kovner, Seniro Vice President of the Lillian Vernon Corporation David Hochberg (Lillian's son) and Co-Chairman of The Museum of African Art Jason Wright. Organized by Cristine Cronin, director of CharityWave.com, which is the Internet disaster relief site for NYTimes 9/11 Neediest Fund and for United Way International, the party drew together a unique mix of New Yorkers who were able to laugh at our society in the midst of what are largely grim times.
A chronicle of the people and events in technology, internet and media since 1997, mixed in with snapshots of musings and observations.
