Yesterday was No Pants Day 2008, the 7th Annual Improv Everywhere event that includes hundreds of people riding the subway with no pants on. According to IE's initial report, yesterday's event drew 900 participants, requiring that the group split up onto three different lines--the 6, the R, and the 2 trains, which they rode from downtown Manhattan to Union Square. Or as someone noted on Gothamist Contribute, "Those retarded pantless freaks boarded a downtown......

It's that special time of year again when Charlie Todd and a troupe of others that like to de-pants every January go underground for a nice, brisk ride on the subway. As usual, you're all invited (warning: you may be arrested), but if you show up you must not have pants on! They warn, in all caps, that "THIS IS A PARTICIPATORY EVENT. DO NOT SHOW UP UNLESS YOU PLAN TO TAKE YOUR PANTS......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery on Richmond Ave. on Staten Island, an injured corrections officer at Rikers Island in the Bronx, and a gas leak on East 68th St. in Manhattan. Chris Booker, the NY radio DJ boyfriend of Philly news personality Alycia Lane who allegedly punched a female NYPD police officer after calling her a dyke, says that she's being singled out because "[she's] a babe." Or it's because she......

Thursday April 5th at 10:30 on MTV, the world will say, "Hello," to Human Giant, but the people who go to Crash Test at the UCB every week are going to be saying, "Hey," to the familiar faces of Aziz Ansari, Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel, and Jason Woliner. The foursome have been screening selections from their show for months now and the reaction is always the same: uproarious laughter. Thanks to the Internet and to......

In Congressional testimony in Washington D.C. yesterday, deputy NYPD commish Richard Falkenrath told lawmakers that he wakes up every morning braced for another terrorist attack. The method of attack? Simultaneous detonation of satchel bombs. Falkenrath, who was testifying in front of the Homeland Security Committee on a mass transit bill, also told House members that there have been 22 bomb threats and 31 leads related to subway attack plots this year. The proposed bill......

It's radio-free NYPD when it comes to the subways. In a totally reassuring article about the state of NYPD security, technology, and how money is spent, the NY Times reports that police refuse to use a new $140 million radio system in the subways because it doesn't work very well. The MTA put a new radio system in because police stationed underground were never able to communicate with police aboveground. Truckloads of money later,......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an electric shock at 10 Penn Plaza, a fall victim down a hole at Beaver and William Street, and a person stuck between train cars at 96th Street on the 2/3. A tip from Marianne, via Gothamist Contribute: "The public should not be alarmed by activity beginning tomorrow in the vicinity of the Brooklyn Bridge. Beginning tomorrow at 4:00 PM, Tuesday, January 23, and continuing on weekdays through January,......

Yesterday afternoon, over 200 people convened on a 6 train to participate in Improv Everywhere's No Pants! Subway Ride. Unlike last year's ride which resulted in arrests, yesterday's event seemed to go swimmingly: The Daily News reports that other panted riders were shocked and amused. Were you riding without pants yesterday? We admire your bravery as we're way too bashful. And here are some YouTube videos from the No Pants 2007 festivities: Riding Breezy......

MUSIC: We've been enjoying us some Ford & Fitzroy, and are eager to hear what they've got in store sonically (as there is only one track available online right now). But the ex-Asobi Seksu bassist and his talented bandmates have got us hooked off just that one tune. Give a listen at their MySpace. And check them out tonight with V2's Roman Candle. Friday // 11pm // Sin-e [150 Attorney St] // $10 THEATER: Radiohole......

If you ever wondered how it would feel asking the MTA to pay for your pants, after they been ruined by an LIRR or Metro-North seat, wonder no more! The NY Times investigates the pants-chewing armrests on commuter trains on the M7 train cars. The armrests are "made of a rubbery material that seems to grab onto fabric and not let go" and love to attack when passengers sit down. The claims for reimbursement......

-- Jews4Jesus4SteveJobs: can they resurrect my broken Ipod? -- A new sculpture was dedicated at the Flight 800 Memorial today-- hard to believe that ten years have passed since the crash -- WNYC gets a brand spanking new office. -- BlogNYC spotted a UFO over the weekend-- we heard they tried to land in Williamsburg, but it was too expensive, so the aliens decided to live in a Bushwick share. -- This shiba puppy......

Charlie Todd wrote in to say that the last of the people arrested in January's No Pants 2006 subway ride had her case dismissed yesterday. Apparently "Agent Omega" overslept the court date last month, so it took a little longer for her to get cleared. Charlie scanned in the dismissal order-- it contains some amusing judicial prose: The second question then becomes, what was Respondent wearing? Respondent verbally and physically described the bottom she......

This morning we received not one, but three emails about ImprovEverywhere's No Pants prank. This one was from Charlie, the founder of the group: This past Wednesday in a Manhattan criminal court, the 8 Improv Everywhere agents nabbed in the “No Pants 2k6” Mission were found guilty of “Disorderly Conduct” and sentenced to the maximum sentence of 15 days in prison at the Riker’s Island Correctional Facility (five male agents) and the Rose M.......

View this clip on Vimeo Oh, Charlie Todd, we love you and your thousands of nameless improv slaves! In this weeks prank, Charlie organized a group of 120 agents, and devised a plan to play a cell-phone symphony in the checked-bag area of the Strand Bookstore. This meant working in teams of two, where one person smuggled in the phone, and one person called (the callers were placed well out of the way in Union......

With all the trouble last weekend at the No Pants ride, we're wondering what's going to happen at the Idiotarod race tomorrow! The race has been very well publicized on all the New York sites, and the route has been published on the Idiotarod site (starts at Monster Island in Williamsburg tomorrow at 2:30pm [updated] the monument in Fort Greene Park at 2PM.) The NYPD seems to be cracking down on everyone recently-- first......

- With friends like these: A Staten Island man did some reno work on the bathroom of a friend in Long Island - and installed a camera to watch her (ew ew ew) - Meg Ryan is adopting a Chinese baby - she's really getting into the spirit of celebrating Chinese New Year! - The NY Sun looks at Arquitectonica's addition to the Bronx Museum of the Arts - An elderly woman was killed......

In order to make sure everyone knows how wacky New York is, the press descended upon Improv Everywhere's No Pants 2k6 ride yesterday afternoon. The NY Post, Daily News and Newsday - as well as the AP - all filed reports about pranksters trying to make people crack a smile on a subway during an otherwise routine Sunday afternoon. The press was probably disappointed there wasn't another transit strike, so this was a good......

Whoa-- busy Sunday night! Yesterday we told you about Charlie Todd's No Pants 2006 Subway Ride-- one of his more famous ImprovEverywhere projects. The plan for today was to ride from Brooklyn Bridge to 125th Street on the 6, and then turn around and come back down. Sadly, the fuzz busted the event up and nabbed six of Charlie's agents at 59th Street! Presta Cottage Industries has the details: Things seemed to be going......

Charlie Todd and his merry band of ImprovEverywhere pranksters are famous around these parts-- we've been fans for a couple of years (check out the interview we did with him back in August.) If you've never participated in one of the ImprovEverywhere events, tomorrow is your big chance-- for the fifth year in a row, dozens of improv fans will be hitting the 6 train-- WITHOUT PANTS: All are invited to participate in the......