My friend Tracie is leaving for Buffalo after her two-three year stint in NYC. Before she leaves, she wants to do a few things that she will only get to do in NYC and nowhere else. So far the list includes what you see below, if you think of things for her to do, feel free to leave comments and I’ll make sure she adds those onto her list.

Go to Serendipity
Visit the Muppets Exhibit at the Museum of Television & Radio.
Walk along the Brooklyn Bridge
Have genuine NYC Pizza a few times

That’s it for the list. She went to FAO Schwarz for the first time today and roamed Central Park. She only has 2 more weeks left, so make sure you leave some cool things for her to do in the comments.

Yesterday concluded the Small Press Center’s 2nd Annual New York Round Table Writers’ Conference.

This two-day conference is a chance for writers to come hear editors, agents, publicists, marketers, and of course authors talk about the writing craft and the writing business. This particular author attended Day 2.
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Isn’t it funny how when a friend and you are supposed to meet up and one lives in the city while another in Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, New Jersey and usually also Brooklyn – your meeting place will always be the city? It’s expected. Commonly and widely. I just thought it was interesting. Now with the hip L train, it seems parts of Brooklyn are cool to go to, but Manhattan still takes the priority.

Gay Millionaires Club is searching for a few good men in New York City. If you or anyone you know is single and looking for a life partner — please visit the website today.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Nothing to lose? Well, I could think of a few things… Everything to gain? Guess that depends on your definition of “everything.”

If it is in fact for real, and anyone out there can make use of it, just remember me when you’re seated comfortably in a masculine lap of luxury.

Initially when I heard that a beautiful building in the middle of Manhattan was being turned into a warehouse-home supply & hardware chain, I nearly fainted. I was completely against the idea. It is a travesty. A blow to the local businesses in the area. An eye-sore, an unimaginable stab to New York’s unique flavor, a blasphemous act, a fine display of ignorance.

Last night, I needed to convert toy guns into real guns through use of black plastic coated spraypaint. Immediately, I thought of nothing but the goddamned Home Depot because in Manhattan for some reason – anything you want or need closes by 7-8 pm. At least when you’re way uptown…and Home Depot was my savior and the savior of a film shoot.

Now, I don’t hate it as much.

It was light out when we got in line…

but when we got our food it was after dark.

*******

I’m a New Yorker.

And I hate lines.

So much that in the past, I’ve avoided going to the DMV and instead carried an expired license with me for years. (which is not good for air travel btw.)

Sometimes though I realize that I have to just suck it up and swallow my pride, preferably with a strawberry milk shake to help me.

Even though I’ve worked across the street from Madison Square Park for almost three years now and have watched people stand in the sun, rain, hot and cold, for burgers and wine, I couldn’t do it.

What could I be missing that even a website is devoted to now tracking the wait at The Shake Shack? (shackwatchers.com)

Being a New Yorker, I was curious about experiencing this cult-like phenomenon which made everyone from the culinary savvy to the stumbling tourist stand and wait and wait and wait.

I coudn’t take it anymore, so I got in line and waited too. (Over 45 minutes and counting.)

But once I experienced the delightful surprise of the Shake Shack shake, and the burger and fries. (I would have ordered more just to make the wait more worthwhile) I got it. With no long line regrets either.

And like other New Yorkers, I’d do it again. Even in the rain, or especially in the rain, if it means that the lines will be shorter next time.

This Saturday, New Yorkers are going to protest the ongoing war in Iraq and demand new priorities and a new direction for our government. I feel like there’s nothing else to say except come.

Here are the very basic details:
Assemble beginning at 10:30AM — 22nd Street & Broadway
March steps off at noon
Grassroots Action Festival in Foley Square, 1:00PM-6:00PM

http://www.april29.org/

There’s all kinds of activities going on. You can still volunteer, donate, endorse, etc.

This Consumerist post deals specifically with a situation in Texas, but it’s something I see here in NYC all the time. How many people know that credit card minimum purchases are actually a violation of the contract between vendors and credit card companies? We’ve all seen the “$10 minimum purchase on credit card” signs at businesses all over town, and just blindly accepted them. Well, I know I have anyway, even in situations where I’d much rather pay with a credit card. (Actually, I’d pretty much always prefer to pay with a credit card, but that’s just me.)

Interestingly, the Consumerist thread got really soap opera-y, with lots of back-and-forth between the site and the proprietors of the business in question. Here’s a link to the most recent update, which has links to all previous installments.

Does anybody feel sorry for union leader Roger Touissant for being in jail? I mean I understand that he caused the Transit strike and left millions without transportation. I disliked him immensely for that. But in the end, the man stood up for something he believed in and supposedly was trying to help his fellow workers. I do not know the politics of Roger Touissant, but after all is said and done, I think he should not have had to do jail time for his protest. I mean isn’t fining them $2.5 million enough? And on top of all that, the city is now trying to renegotiate the contract they agreed upon which ended the strike.

And the funny part is most people will always side with the government and not the workers when the matter is regarding unions. M’eh poor bastard, at least he has some friends.

Well, along with being the greatest city in the world, we also have another national distinction. The most clogged !!

If this study by Scott Tissue and Clog Clinic is to be believed

residents of New York City experience clogs more frequently than other cities — earning it the title of the nation’s cloggiest city. Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles and Philadelphia follow…[ link ]

The article explains how they went about the survey. Of course it is a lot of PR for Scott Tissues. They even have a website.

Is NYC really the most clogged city ??

For what it’s worth, Seattle is the least.