When Niklaus Leuenberger, manager of the New York Palace Hotel, saw ashes on the bell captain's forehead, he said, "Wipe that f-----g s--t off your face." Which is why Leuenberger is no longer working for the hotel. According to the Daily News, the "unholy ultimatum...was deemed so severe, Christopher Cowdray, head of the London-based Dorchester Collection, which owns the Palace, flew here to hand Leuenberger the pink slip." Bell captain Mike Murray, who has worked at the hotel for 25 years, said his Long Island priest "did a real number on me," when he applied ashes to his forehead, and that his Catholic beliefs never posed any problems before on the job. The News also reports, "The hotel leases its land from the Catholic Church." more ›

Singer-songwriter Elvis Perkins has steadily cultivated a loyal following with his warm and thoughtful catalog of tunes. Subdued but soulful, and sometimes swinging, Perkins's debut album Ash Wednesday won critical raves for what Pitchfork called his "ability to merge instrumentation and lyricism to create a romantic's sense of atmosphere." Rolling Stone's review observed a somewhat sombre tone in the album and attributed it to Perkins's unique and rather traumatic family history: His father, actor Anthony... more ›

Catholics love hearing the words "special dispensation" and who doesn't loving hearing the word, "beef"? It all comes together tomorrow, as the Archdiocese of New York (and the surrounding areas, as well as other parts of the country) is allowing Catholics to eat beef on tomorrow. For all you non-Catholics, on Friday during Lent, plus Ash Wednesday, Catholics aren't allowed to eat meat (fish is okay - sorry fishmongers!). But this is special: The Archdiocese of New York explained to AM New York, "Because St. Patrick is the patron saint of the diocese, the day should be celebrated as a feast day." A feast of beer and corned beef - and shamrock shakes! Here's a list of Irish bars in the city - let us know your suggestions. more ›

Rachel Korowitz, Improv Comedienne more ›