Only in Albany can you be nominated to head the Public Service Commission, which oversees utilities, and start doing work for the government - while still working for a private sector energy company! The state inspector general released a report explaining how this actually happened with former PSC nominee Angela Sparks-Beddoe last year. Sparks-Beddoe was President for Energy East, a utility in Saratoga Springs, when Spitzer nominated her early last year. She was still working......

Yesterday's lovely weather made the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade a big crowd pleaser. An estimated 3.5 million spectators watched as giant balloons, floats, and hundreds of parade performers sauntered from 77th and Central Park West to Herald Square. Some people waited since 4AM in hopes of catching a glimpse of their favorite performers, who included Dolly Parton, Wynonna, the cast of Legally Blonde, American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, Good Charlotte, Menudo (really!), the Rockettes......

It's the umpteenth story about an engagement gone sour and hardly the first one that has the would-be groom demanding the pricey engagement ring back. But it's the first that we can recall where the ex-fiancee is the granddaughter of a Gambino crime family head! Dean Kuehnen and Andria Castellano got engaged in December of 2006. Kuehnen gave her a 3.23 carat emerald-cut ring with 160 additional diamonds in the platinum setting. But then they......

FAIR: The International vintage poster fair has arrived. It's time to take that ironic velvet Elvis off the wall and class up your joint. The fair will include "over 25 international dealers with more than 10,000 original vintage posters." More info here. Friday 5 - 9 pm , Saturday 10 am - 7 pm, Sunday 11 am - 6 pm // Metropolitan Pavilion [123 W 18th St 5th floor] // $15 MUSIC: We'll be at......

Earlier this week, StarChefs held its 2nd International Chef’s Congress on the top two floors of 7 World Trade Center. Open to industry professionals only, this annual event draws notable chefs from all over the world and provides the opportunity to honor its Rising Stars, an award the culinary organization gives to young professionals. A full list of this year’s winners, including Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern, Chris Lee of Gilt, and Daniel Eardley......

Yankees 16 White Sox 3: Is it really possible that the Yankees could tie a club record by belting eight home runs, yet somehow Alex Rodriguez would be about the only person not to get one? Somehow, that’s exactly what happened Tuesday as every starter except for A-Rod, Jeter and Andy Phillips went deep and Hideki Matsui did twice. Shelly Duncan continued his Shane Spencer imitation by belting his 4th home run in 21 AB’s.......

Over 120 waiters from Sparks Steakhouse, both current and past employees, have been permitted to join a class-action lawsuit in federal court over money alleged to have been deducted illegally from tips. The plaintiffs' lawyer classified it as "the largest class-action ever against a restaurant." [NY Post] Pete Wells chimes in on the lobster roll legal battle between Rebecca Charles and Ed McFarland, and focuses for a moment on the fiduciary duty aspect of the......

Mets 6, Phillies 5; Mets 5, Phillies 2: Things couldn't have gone much better for the Mets. Brothers Carlos, who have been struggling of late, combined for three homers. Orlando Hernandez and John Maine combined to hold the Phillies in check. New York leads Philadelphia by five games in the National League East. Of all the developments, Beltran's and Delgado's homers have to be the most welcome. Billy Wagner also deserves plenty of recognition, even......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a double shooting at Belmont and Christopher Aves. in Brooklyn, a body was found on Otis Ave.on Staten Island, and there was a jumper up on the Brooklyn Bridge this afternoon. The Gotham Book Mart is closing and having a going-out-of-business sale. There's a new Subway Idol. American Idol is in America's hands now with a slight NYC vote for Staten Island-born Jordin Sparks necessitating our regional favor. If......

Adam Rapp’s play Essential Self-Defense takes place in a Midwestern anytown where children have been steadily disappearing. In this self-described “grim fairy tale”, there are no clues to indicate the culprit; the townspeople (Klieg the butcher, Chuck the barber, Isaak the Russian custodian, Sorrell the punk librarian) are all eccentric but not particularly sinister. Rapp, to his credit, isn’t interested in whodunits; his focus here is the awkward courtship between the diminutive Sadie (brought to......

READING: Jonathan Franzen reads at the Bam Cafe tonight, but not after a buffet that include wine from the Pine Ridge Winery and other treats. There will also be a live acoustic performance and a Q&A with Franzen. The hefty price tag includes dinner, wine, tax, and tip. 6:30pm // BAM Cafe [30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn] // $45 THEATER: The first annual FRIGID Festival is breaking ice in the East Village at the Kraine, the......

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......

2007 is just around the corner, and we've got a little tip sheet on where to be when the clock strikes midnight. MUSIC + PARTY • Clap Your Hands Say Yeah will help ring in the new year with their guests the Bob Mould Band and Final Fantasy at Hammerstein Ballroom. Our friends at Stereogum are sponsoring the show, and tickets are still available here. Clap's second album, Some Loud Thunder, comes out in January,......

THEATER: Sentimental hogwash! Following in the tradition of the one-man theatrical renditions of Star Wars and The Godfather Trilogy, comic actor/impressionist Jason Grossman presents his It’s a Wonderful (One Man Show) Life! tonight. Time Out NY called it “a guaranteed laugh riot.” We’re just excited to see how he handles the Charleston contest! - John Del Signore 9pm // Manhattan Theatre Source [177 MacDougal St] // $15 COMEDY: Join SNL's Horatio Sanz at his Ho......

PARTY: What's the holiday season without awkward office parties? Metro Metro is having their office party tonight, think of it as more of a Christopher Guest version of the office party. A mockumentary, if you will. Nametags and job titles will be assigned at the door! Dress code: office holiday attire. 6pm // Still Bar [190 Third Ave] // $5 THEATER: The Blue Coyote Theater Group has instigated an evening of short plays called The......

On the cusp of November, Music is a Better Noise opened up at P.S.1. The exhibit brings together musicians who make art and (you guessed it) artists who make music - or at the very least, use music as a creative motivator in their art. The exhibition is broken up in to two parts. The first part explores New York-based artists and musicians who emerged in the city during the mid-1970s to early 1980s, and......

Yesterday, a Manhattan judge sentenced 21 year old Rudy Fleming to life in prison without parole for his "unconscionable" actions in the murder of Nicole duFrense in January 2005. During an late night/early morning with, duFresne, fiance Jeffrey Sparks and friends and Fleming and his friends who were on a mugging spree, ran into each other. Fleming had taken duFresne's purse and pistol whipped Sparks, angering duFresne who said, "What are you going to do,......

The other night we went to check out Apes and Androids again, because not since Ghostland Observatory have our pants danced so hard. They played "Thriller", as a nice sonic prequel to Halloween, and even had the long video projected (in 3-D!) in the background AND zombie dancers. Gothamist cinephile Cinecultist was also in the house, and reports from the front lines. The above clip is from a recent show at Sin-e, if anyone......

As we mentioned earlier, CMJ is coming up. The music marathon will take over the venues and downtown streets from October 31st through November 4th. It's basically like any other night in the city, but with more free Red Stripe and Sparks. CMJ has posted the official showcase schedule, it's a lot to take in. We enjoy the unofficial shows and parties too, so If you have any of those you'd like to submit for......

Yesterday, a jury found 21 year old Rudy Fleming guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Nicole duFresne. Fleming was also found guilty of various robbery and weapons charges stemming the January 2005 incident on Clinton Street. He and his friends had been robbing and scaring people, and when they came across duFresne, her fiance, and their friends; Fleming pistolwhipped fiance Jeffrey Sparks and duFresne reportedly confronted Fleming, saying, "What are you going......

Yesterday, one of the teenagers that mugged and terrorized people on a January 2005 night testfied that Rudy Fleming did not shoot Nicole duFresne by accident. Tatiana McDonald, who was 14 during the fatal mugging (she's now 16), told the court that the group of teens were bored after smoking marijuana and playing video games, so they decided "to start trouble." After trying to mug a man of his leather jacket and being scared away......

- Here's one for charter schools: Their students do better on state reading tests than other students in regular public shcools - Lynne Stewart apologizes to the judge who is sentecing her for carrying Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman's messages to his followers, but blames it on being a lawyer - Testimony begins in Nicole duFresne's murder trial; her fiance, Jeffrey Sparks, said, "She was looking up. Her eyes were wide open. I knelt down......

READINGS: A handful of good readings on the slate for you tonight - Claire Messud reads from the highly anticipated Emperor's Children at Barnes & Noble [see this upcoming weekend's Sunday review, too]; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie reads from her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun at 192 Books; and finally, over at McNally Robinson NYC, political reporter Thomas Edsall reads from his new book, Building Red America: What the Conservative Realignment ­Really Means. Too......

SHOPPING: Get ready to do some defensive shopping at the Barneys mega warehouse sale. It only comes twice a year, and this one runs til September 4th. So psych yourself up for some shoppin' before all the good stuff is gone. 10am to 8pm // Barneys Co-Op [236 West 18th St] MOVIE: Tonight's outdoor movie? The Warriors! Part of this summers Brooklyn Bridge Park "Movies With a View" series. Nothing fits a good 'ol New......

Name, age, occupation, where are you from? Kevin Dailey, 36, salesman and promoter from Hudson County. You're a co-founder of Brooklyn Kickball - when you tell people about kickball, what are their responses? For the most part when you first go around telling people about kickball, some people think it's the greatest idea ever, some people were just too cool to consider it, yet would sometimes show up, and other people were like, "what do......

Sparks Steakhouse is being sued by a former waiter who claims the restaurant misappropriated tips and did not pay minimum wage. From the NY Times:The suit, filed in Federal District Court, said that Sparks operated a tipping pool for employees who did not serve customers, like appetizer expediters, banquet and kitchen managers, dessert station chefs and wine cellar masters. According to state and federal labor law, only those employees connected with the actual serving of......

- Giants 6, Mets 4: The Giants and Mets waited out a rain delay before the first game of their single ticket doubleheader before San Francisco picked up the victory. Former Met Armando "Who Let the Dogs Out" Benitez picked up the save in a way that every Met fan can remember - walking two batters before getting the save. Of course, that's assuming he even got the save when he was with the......

It's Memorial Day and if you are are like us, your drink of choice is a little closer than usual this Monday afteroon. Seriously, Tuesday is eons from now. Our choice, vodka, has its usual detractors, including a cocktail connoisseur in New York magazine who recently called it "the grilled chicken breast" of liquors. But we like the versatility -- how else are we making our Bloody Marys? Not with Hendrick's, let us just say......

Happy Cinco de Mayo...while you're not eating guacamole, sipping on frozen margs and taking a whack at a Sparks filled pinata...you may want to do one of the following this weekend: THEATER: If you want to get out and see a little of the city in a way you haven't before, but the Shorewalkers Great Saunter on Sunday is too sedate for you, check out Accomplice: New York, which is three hours of hybrid walking......

Finger on the Pulse, Deejay Collective...