Buddhists looking to increase their spiritual merit by rescuing soup-bound turtles, those turtles' rescuers, and the natural ecosystem of Central Park are all coming into conflict in New York. The New York Sun reported yesterday on the practice of fangsheng, which is a Buddhist practice dating back to the 6th century and involves setting turtles or other animals free and supposedly improves the circumstances of one's rebirth. Unfortunately, the species of turtle most frequently purchased in Chinatown and then released in the East River by Buddhists is the red-eared slider, a type of turtle not fit for survival in the briney New York harbor. more ›

And another bicycle story! Downtown Express this week has a really good piece on the dramatic rise in cyclists over the past few years. Currently about 120,000 New Yorkers ride their bikes for "everything from commuting to exercise to grocery shopping" and as more riders hit the streets the number of fatalities has declined. "There are about 3,000 bicycle fatalities injuries a year" a spokesman from Transportation Alternatives told the Express.

Morning bike riding is up across the four East River bridges 35 percent since last year and 100 percent since 2002, a report by the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives found. The Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges saw a 25 percent spike in cycling overall, with a 62 percent jump during the morning rush on the Brooklyn Bridge.

And did you see U2 on Saturday Night Live? They did three songs, and finished with "I Will Follow" finishing over the closing credits. Bono and The Edge went into the audience, who went wild. The cast was going crazy as well, and it seemed like U2 performed another song after that one. more ›

Gothamist was taking a brown-bag lunch at Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park last week when we noticed preparations were underway for the Brooklyn Bridge Park Summer Film Series, which kicks off this Thursday, July 8. more ›

It's Valentine's Day, where red, pink and hearts have infiltrated 75% of stores' windows in the city. The Post talks with some Valentine's Day objectors, but Gothamist is over complaining about how commercialized Valentine's Day is because (a) we're way too good at it and (b) our basic stance now is that any holiday that involves candy must be all right (hello, marked down Valentine's candy tomorrow!). Truly, the only thing worthy of our love is New York City. Or a vat of BBQ. Or a cat with GI problems. Or a panda. more ›