While most of the Giants arrived at Newark International Airport yesterday afternoon, there was one notable member of the squad missing: Super Bowl XLVI MVP Eli Manning. It seems that the quarterback was cheating on his team with... Disney characters. more ›

As Archbishop Dolan once eloquently said: "Last time I consulted an atlas, it is clear we are living in New York, in the United States of America—not in China, or North Korea." This means that people are free to lick their shoes on the subway or dress up in costumes of popular TV and movie characters, roaming Times Square for lucrative photo opportunities with hapless tourists. But are these freedom-loving entrepreneurs breaking the law and diluting the brands of these fine american companies? more ›

The current Devils are one of the best teams in the NHL over the past 12 seasons, but that meant nothing as they opened up their new building with a loss. The Senators blew open a 1-1 game after two with three goals in the third and the Devils fell to 3-6-1 on the season. Luckily, they have a lot of home games coming up at “The Rock”. more ›

A fine way for the Seaport Music Festival to send off the summer, with two of the year's biggest breakout bands on a lovely evening. We were taking in both Battles and Dearhunter for the first time last Friday and were massively impressed by both bands. Deerhunter, down a man and with their usual shtick toned down, sounded like a young Sonic Youth or stripped down Broken Social Scene. A much lighter and more accessible experience that we had prepared for by listening to their thumping album. Battles was more what we expected, playing a hypnotizing hybrid of Math-Metal and some Jammy-Groove stuff that somehow works. Stereogum has some pretty pics. more ›

A look at some noteworthy television this week: more ›

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7:06PM First thoughts: Gael Garcia Bernal is so cute. Ryan Seacrest is an idiot, as are Joan and Melissa Rivers. But we want to know what Jennifer Lopez is wearing! (It turns out to be Marchesa.) more ›

New York City still can't enough of Wesley Autrey's subway heroics. Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg awarded him with the city's highest honor, the Bronze Medallion, and said:

Wesley's astonishing bravery - saving a life in the face on an oncoming subway car - is an inspiration not just to New Yorkers, but the entire world. His courageous rescue of a complete stranger is a reminder of how we are surrounded by everyday heroes in New York City, and I am deeply honored to recognize one of them today.

I'm not looking at this like I'm the hero, cause the real heroes are the young men and women that are fighting in Iraq now. What I did is something that any New Yorker should do, you know what I'm saying, if you see somebody in distress, do the right thing.

Holy moly, the sacred tenent from our childhood science classes, "My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pickles," must be revised to something like "My Very Evasive Mouse Just Scared Us Now" as the International Astronomical Union has officially decided that Pluto in not a planet. They took a vote and everything! From the AP:

For now, membership [of the planets] will be restricted to the eight ''classical'' planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. more ›

Exactly one month from today, the New York Fringe Festival opens -- consider yourself warned! But the week before, the granddaddy of indie theater festivals, Edinburgh's Fringe, roars to life; as usual, a number of American shows are making their way over there, and eight of them are warming up in front of the home crowd one more time, in the "East to Edinburgh" festival that starts today. Shows include Godlight's spectacular staging of Fahrenheit 451 (which we reviewed in April), Anna Deavere Smith's equally incendiary Twilight Los Angeles: 1992 (about the Rodney King riots, in case the date doesn’t ring a bell), and Justin Sherin's Mickey Mouse is Dead, a tale of Hollywood in 1952 when paranoia about Communism barged into Hollywood, brutally upending life in “the happiest place on Earth.” That show is presented, appropriately enough, by the Spankin' Yanks', who won a Fringe First prize in Edinburgh in 2004 and should have good odds again with such a feisty, relevant work – but all of the shows have better than fighting chances, so go cheer them on – it’s a perfect way to start the countdown to our own Fringe. more ›

- A case of boysenberry jam and a bucket of Mrs. Knott's chicken from Knott's Berry FarmThis is like a big FU, implying that we have no sun and beachy good times and can't sing have a theme song by Phantom Planet. Gothamist wonders who gets the swimwear and surfboard when NYC will collect the booty - we really don't want to be forced into seeing some Mayor B photo op where he's in swimwear...though wiping out on a surfboard is another matter entirely. And will his staff act from The O.C. script - clearly, Mayor B would be Caleb Nichols. more ›

If Thanksgiving is over, then Christmas trees all around the city must be lit. Here are three events the Daily News notes: more ›

A few weeks ago someone told Gothamist about this band called The Cloud Room. We went to their site, gave them a listen...and immediately asked them if they'd like to play at our show coming up in November. They couldn't do it this time around...but we still love them. They give the 80's pop resurgence we're hearing from so many bands right now a bit of a darker edge. A thickly lined beat and dreamy vocals over the typical wall of strum makes them stand under a bit of a different light than the other bands we've seen lately. Lucky for us they're about to go into the studio to record an album, and until you can put them on your iPod we suggest you catch them live (details below). more ›

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King premiered in New Zealand today. One of this year's great movies is from New Zealand: The Whale Rider. more ›

Oscar Commentary
Oscar is celebrating its 75th anniversary, I'm celebrating my 25th anniversary of watching Oscar. more ›