Commenting For The Win

Your readers are more likely to have seen this month's issue of 'Gourmet' than 'Playboy'.—Cornholio

via Fimoculous - The Return of Sasha Grey

Talking With Todd Patterson And His Search For A Vegan Drummer

Someone in the East Village is in need of a vegan drummer. "Must like sad music. Imagination and personality valued more than technical skill."

Upon spying the flyer seen here, NYC The Blog grabbed a pen and pencil, and set out to find more about the band.  Thumbing through a phone book, Drummer, Vegan, was listed there; right before Drummer, Vera.

When that turned out to be the wrong number, we tried the email listed on the flyer: "How is your search for a vegan drummer going?" we inquired. Todd Patterson graciously responded, responding that the band, The Mercy Word, are currently going through the responses they received. "So far, there's only a few candidates that I would call serious."

Is everyone in the band vegan?

"I'm a longtime vegan and activist, my bandmate is not (although he's progressive in every other way). I just thought it'd be great if we could get vegans to fill the rest of the spots in the band. After making ads that talked up our influences (e.g. Nick Drake meets Neil Young,  and not getting much response, I figured I'd try another tack."

But what about non-vegans, will they considered?

"Non-vegans will definitely be considered for the band. It's most important that they like the music and want to be a part of the band. I don't write animal rights songs, by the way. A lot of my songs are character studies, most are minor-keyed."

So now you know.

Battling For Your Religious And Spiritual Beliefs

This summer, an Atheist Bus Campaign was spearheaded by New York City Atheist, followed this fall by subway ads sponsored by The Big Apple Coalition of Reason, as seen in this photo here.

Now the Marble Collegiate Church is striking back, with a lone ad (at top) spied on the D train. What they lack in quantity and coverage, they make up for with smart, relevant statements that clearly identify the players in this game. Google, or God.

Make the right choice.

(disclaimer: We live a blessed life, and am not entirely sure who is responsible, though our friends and family sure deserve a lot of credit.)

Getting From Here To There In Harlem

Seen in Harlem yesterday:

"These two youngsters thought it might be cool to hitch a ride on the back of a delivery truck before NYPD got on the loud speaker and told them to get off the truck before they got hurt. Naturally the boys decided to go back to plan A."

Photo used with permission, courtesy Dee Bell of Uptown Flavor.

When Communities Get Serious About Bike Parking

Seen in Burlington VT. Though Washington DC has just done the whole nation one better with their new Bike Transit Center.

Related: The NYC DOT CityRacks program:

...provides FREE sidewalk bicycle parking racks throughout New York City to encourage cycling for commuting, short trips and errands. CityRacks are not intended to be used for long-term parking.

Due to high volumes of requests for CityRacks, NYCDOT will be prioritizing installation in areas that would benefit from clusters of bicycle parking such as transit stops, commercial corridors and other neighborhood destinations.

Racks can be requested online by proprietors or residents.

• NYC DOT map of current CityRack locations.
  
• NYC DOT map of sheltered bicycle parking locations
  

Once you've got the bike locked, hope it's still there when you return.

Eater.com Continues March To World Domination On Internet

Eater.com is continuing their rapid march towards world domination of the food and restaurant blogging scene on l'internets. On Nov 4, Josh Ozersky's The Feedbag posted the surprising news that he will be closing down his blog to focus on new ventures:

In the new year, I’ll be launching a new site with Eater co-founder (and current NBC.com managing editor)  Ben Leventhal: Ozersky.TV!

Happy Palace Restaurant Beckons: Unlimited Wine With Dinner

Saw this sign last week in the window of Happy Palace restaurant on 3rd Ave btw 17th and 18th. Happy drinking? What's next, free pool while you shop for dresses?

If You See Something, Say Something?

This unlocked and open access door appears to be for a water pipe. Most likely, someone used it to spruce themselves up before going out in public. It didn't seem too disconcerting, though it did seem odd. NYC The Blog considered saying something to someone—after all, who would want a terrorist to stick gum in there? Not me. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any station agents around to mention it to.

NYC Transit spokeman Charles Seaton, speaking with the Daily News about the recent and numerous reductions in station agents across the five boroughs, was adamant commuters would be just as safe despite this:

"Safety isn't even a consideration. Crime is down at stations across the city. The NYPD is doing a good job of patrolling them."

An agent along the A line wasn't so sure things would go so smoothly with the reduction in agents. "We're the eyes and ears of the subway," he said. "We're not police officers but we're trained to help people."

CNBC News Enters the Airport Newsstand Business

Seen at the JetBlue Terminal at JFK Airport

In Chinatown, Even the Coffee is Counterfeit

The cup from a Chinatown bakery might look like a familiar brand, but unlike Dunkin Donuts coffee, this coffee tastes great, and only costs $.70. How much do you pay for your coffee?