"For the record, I don’t believe Sarah Palin will ever hold national office. She inspires many right-wing activists and enchants some members of the conservative news media, but the independents and moderates decisive to any presidential bid won’t send her to Washington with ‘quitter’ on her resume. Still, she’s likely to remain in the limelight for years to come.

"If that makes you scream, don’t scream at Alaskans. We only made her governor. The nation made her a celebrity."

So wrote Michael Carey of the Anchorage Daily News for the op-ed section of The New York Times.

***

It’s always best to get very near the horse’s mouth when you are trying to get a down-home scoop. And the following missive is from none other than Sharon Stone, AIDS activist par excellence.

"I read on Page Six in the New York Post (actually, I see it’s on Page 12) that I was sighted in the private room of Steven Knoll Salon getting my hair done, while Queen Noor of Jordan was also having a blow dry with mere mortals attending.

"Of course, at this time I was actually in L.A. with my kids, my folks and getting dinner ready for everybody.

"I knew then I’d be in New York that same week to do the David Letterman Show and to receive the Enduring Vision Award, along with President Bill Clinton and Evelyn and Leonard Lauder and Lily Safra.

"Liz, I do like to prepare in advance, but this was ridiculous."

So thanks to Sharon Stone for writing us the real story.

***

I raved here about the Glamour magazine awards, but I didn’t know then that I would find myself on a page in the magazine for the December issue.

If you take up this delicious magazine and go to page 86, you’ll see me giving unwanted advice to A-listers like Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Mariah Carey and Madonna.

None of these big stars will read or take my advice, of course. Never mind! I gave it.

***

What did the neighbors think? We may never know but I do mean VIPs like Tiger Woods, Celine Dion, Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus and former Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga. All of these biggies live or own in The Bear’s Club, a private golf compound where the mansions range from $8 to $15 and $25 million bucks.

The Bear’s Club was one big bear hug recently when the mighty of Palm Beach trekked up to Jupiter, FL, for a party being given for over 200 guests in the home of lumber king Patrick Park.

Palm Beachers hate to "go north" of their pristine environs. But this time they did because most had never seen Patrick’s new mega domain. His house, which sprawls over 25,000 square feet, boasts three Steinway Grand pianos. And there is yet another piano, a famous Bosendorfer from Austria. This one is in Patrick’s own bedroom.

The party was to salute Palm Beach doyenne Dame Celia Lipton Farris on her upcoming honoring by the Palm Beach Historical Society. (This event happens December 9 and is a sit-down dinner at Club Colette.)



At the Park party, Celia was floored when her host took her upstairs in a state-of-the-art voice-activated elevator to look at two large paintings she had done many years ago. "How quickly we artists forget!" quipped Celia. She was introduced by Palm Beach mover and shaker Tom Quick and said this to the assembled: "When the Historical Society called to say they wanted to honor me, I asked: ‘How much will this cost me?’ But they were so polite and said, ‘Nothing! You have done so much for Palm Beach, its culture, its architecture, so you deserve it!’"

This is all way beyond The Great Gatsby. F. Scott Fitzgerald could not have imagined the Florida "society" of today.