Reputations at Stake

May 10

I got two (2) e-mails today sent by people who said they would put their reputations on the line. One was from a publicist who wants me (and the countless others he no-doubt e-mailed) to check out the bar food at some restaurant. Two days ago a colleague of his said in an e-mail that this restaurant had "by far the best bar food in the city." He went a step further and said "I’ll stake my rep on the fact that you have not had better bar/lounge food in New York City!!!"
Or did he really go a step further? I was unaware that this guy — a nice enough fellow, I'll admit — had a rep. So what exactly is he staking?
Then later today I got a gem that, after an unusual salutation, began: "Your friend and occasional bedmate [an obvious pseudonym] has been asked by a good friend to help him promote his latest venture."
Occasional bedmate, really? Hmm. That really narrows the scope of who it could be. I suspect it’s not true.
He wouldn't provide details, but it's clearly part of a viral (and virulent) marketing campaign that's wending its way, quite effectively, I must say, through the New York restaurant world, with the eager help of a couple of popular blogs.
"Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to discuss exactly what this venture is at this time," he wrote, "but suffice it to say that i would not attach my reputation to something I didn't think was in the interest of my friends and fellow New Yorkers. "
I’m intrigued, since the guy was using the fake name of Richard Nouveau (I hope it’s fake, since a google search turned up nada, which would be truly pathetic.)
And if I don’t recall having him as a bedmate, what kind of reputation is he really putting at risk?