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last 200 years by people who want to start over. He thinks that
the Bay Area is teeming with people who believe that an empire
can be created out of an idea. San Franciscans say, “Right on!”
New Yorkers say, “Forget about it”. And “Forget about it” in New
York can be used as words of commiseration, or words of encouragement with a sense of false gruffness.
Rounding the corner from Washington Square Park, we
walked into Caffe Roma on Columbus Avenue. Cory knows
everyone in the café. The owner, Tony, wanted to debate about
a topic from one of Cory’s recent Twitter posts. Staff and customers walked by to greet him. I heard “Hey Cory” at least five
times while we were waiting for our cappuccinos.
Sitting down at a round, marble table, I asked Cory to explain
his process of research in more detail. He grabbed a pen and
paper and started drawing small circles and crisscrossing arced
lines. He explained that the visual layout of his investigations
are hugely influenced by the late artist Mark Lombardi who
was known for his large scale pencil drawings that documented
alleged financial and political abuses of power. Even Cory’s
quick illustration on a scrap of paper was elegant and detailed.
The circles represented the main players from one of his earlier
investigations. The connecting lines showed the relationship
between the circles and how they worked together. On a diagram
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such as this, it’s stunning to see all lines directing back to one
or two individuals or corporations. Cory showed me pictures of
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