When you're sweating through one of history's most dramatic presidential elections, as Al Gore did last week, it helps to have a friend around who's known you since you were 9, and who's provided support and counsel during many other significant life experiences (sneaking beers, for instance, or proposing marriage). Lisa DePaulo hangs out in Nashville with Al Gore and his Tennessee homeboy Steve Armistead as they wait it out. And over in Austin, Ned Martel spends quality time with Bush communications director Karen Hughes -- whose job it is to keep Dubya real, shepherding and deploying his vaunted Texas charm -- on the most important day of her life.

The Complete Guide to Other People's Salaries

Now that we've gotten through the election (sort of), we can focus on an issue that inspires even more passion -- how much money your friends and neighbors make (and how much you could be making). We called doctors, dog walkers, publicists, prostitutes, bankers, nannies, headhunters, photographers, and ad people and came back with a comprehensive picture of who makes what in the city. Caution: Reading this article may cause raging envy.

Clothes Call
BY MARK HOLGATE

With fashion trends moving at hyperspeed, and the industry rife with arrivals, departures, and consolidations, even some designers had a hard time keeping up this year. Not that there weren't triumphs, from the simple and classic (Armani) to the cutting-edge (Veronique Branquinho). The best work (and gossip) from the collections on two continents.

DEPARTMENTS
Intelligencer
BY BETH LANDMAN KEIL AND IAN SPIEGELMAN

The City Politic
BY MICHAEL TOMASKY

Pundits complained that Hillary never changed, but voters saw an appealing, evolving candidate. Now she faces an even tougher campaign.

Media
BY MICHAEL WOLFF

An overtargeted and unconvinced electorate throws up its hands at two underwhelming candidates. Is this the election of the future?

MARKETPLACE
Best Bets
BY MARISA FOX

Sales & Bargains
BY SHYAMA PATEL

Cool Christmas coffee deals

Men of Honor, righteous to a fault; You Can Count On Me's convincing connections

Books
BY DANIEL MENDELSOHN

In the Land of White Death survives the ordeal

Theater
BY JOHN SIMON

A Class Act with class; an inane Alice in Bed

Art
BY MICHAEL BRENSON

Damien Hirst, beyond blood; Al Held's abstract Unfoldings

Classical Music
BY PETER G. DAVIS

Handel's Baroque comic strip Rinaldo at the City Opera; more of Leonard Bernstein's brilliance -- in a new boxed set

Restaurants
BY HAL RUBENSTEIN

Central Park South's Atlas: A room without a view