A 30-year-old man lost his life last night after locking himself out of his apartment. Sometime between 8:15 p.m. and 8:40 p.m., Paul Reilly fell five stories, landing on his back in the courtyard behind the building where he lived on 65th St. and 1st Ave. in Manhattan. Reilly, who had apparently gained entrance to the building but was locked out of his apartment, attempted to climb out a hallway window, over to a window in his apartment. "It was just an accident. He fell," a friend told the Daily News. more ›

Georgia's been on a lot of people's minds since news of her disappearance became public in January, but she is now safe at home. The black cat escaped owner Ashley Phillips' pet carrier while they were waiting on the platform at 59th St. for a 6 train, on their way home from the Humane Society where Georgia had just been spayed. She survived 25 days in the subway tunnels before being found and rescued. more ›

Craig Wedren is the former front man for the sorely missed D.C. band Shudder to Think, a group that seemed to intuitively grasp all the overlooked possibilities of the late-80s/early 90s post-punk landscape and render them into a sound that was at once startling, bizarre and irresistibly catchy. Since the band’s end ten years ago, Wedren has made a career as composer of soundtracks for movies such as Wet Hot American Summer and The Baxter, while still writing his own songs, which appeared on his 2005 solo record Lapland. But an impromptu reunion between Wedren and two other Shudder to Think band mates last September has fans clamoring for more; and those at Bowery Ballroom tonight will likely get it. The sold out "Barack Rock" show will be hosted by the comedy group Stella; the lineup consists of OK Go, Craig Wedren, Nathan Larson, Nina Persson, and Joan As Police Woman. As Wedren told us in the interview, the concert was scheduled tonight for the express purpose of reminding people to vote in the Super Tuesday primaries tomorrow. more ›

Earlier this year, the city's new noise code went into effect, and the city has definitely been enforcing it on Staten Island's Kinborn Street. The Department of Environmental Protection has fined Lucie Liebman $1,000 for a noisy ice truck jingle. The thing is, Liebman doesn't have an ice cream truck! A Lickety Split truck had parked outside Liebman's house and sounded its jingle. The DEP sent two summonses to Liebman, before dropping off the hefty... more ›

The Grey Dog's Coffee has been open in its Carmine Street location since 1996, and has been a neighborhood favorite for years. David Ethan, who co-owns The Grey Dog with his brother, Peter Adrian, recently opened a second location on University Place. We caught up with David over a cup of coffee (naturally). more ›

"I find people who read to be sexy. And I find people who have bought my book to be even sexier." Drinking, drugging, casual sex, and living at a group home. For fifteen-year-old Janice Erlbaum , this was everyday life. But if you want to make conversation with her now, you better be a fan of reality TV or an avid reader. "If a person does't feel a great need for reading, then it's just not important to them. but to me, story telling and listening to other people's stories is incredibly important." more ›

If you ever thought wedding planners were a waste of money and a huge headache, you'll love this NY Times article about them. Sure, there are good ones out there (if you have any suggestions, feel free to list them in the comments), but there are many horror stories, like a couple who went through two "planzillas" (including one whose planning was turning their wedding into a million-dollar affair) until finding one they could tolerate. Our advice: See how much the catering manager of the venue you're planning your event is willing to take on. And then rope in an understanding, super patient friend or relative who is Type A enough to want to help you out. And if you have any other advice, let us know! more ›

If you're looking for a good way to mimic the great NYC outdoors, check out the NY Times article about police car sirens - the Times even has a separate page with MP3s of all the different sounds. While demonstrating the different siren sounds to Times reporter Cara Buckley, Officer Spiros Komis made his work sound like he's a DJ when trying to get someone to stop speeding:

“I go through the whole mode,” he said, his fingers hovering above a dash-mounted keyboard that controls a police car’s lights and sounds. more ›

translated into 13 languages, a third that's in the works, and a development deal with Revolution Studios. more ›

No, this isn't our attempt to write a letter on behalf of a city school, it's an actual letter, rife with misspellings and mistakes, sent by a Staten Island teacher to students. A Health Academy dean at Markham Intermediate, Michael Levy, sent off a furious letter after a few eighth graders engaged in a food fight. Of course, little did he know that the letter would make him a laughingstock. From the Staten Island Advance:

"When we first received the letter, we started reading it. Then I'm, like, 'Wait! This doesn't sound right,'" said one eighth-grade student, who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution. "You're supposed to be a dean helping us out with our stuff? That doesn't make any sense!" more ›

Ronald "Tinard" Washington has been named as a suspect in the killing of Jason Mizell (aka Jam Master Jay). Though an arrest in the case isn't expected anytime soon, this is the first publicly announced suspect to be made in this case - something Jay's family members are happy about. more ›

For someone who graduated from college just last year, Ohio native, Soho-transplant Jill Donenfeld has really made a quick study of the New York food scene. As the founder of The Dish’s Dishes, Donenfeld oversees a team of kitchen ninjas she calls Culinistas™ (she also holds the word’s trademark)- who prepare meals en masse and in-house for clients using raw materials from greenmarkets, organic bakeries, and the subterranean caves of Murray’s Cheese, among other hand-picked sources. Donenfeld is also a soon-to-be cookbook author and the current writer of a weekly food intelligence one-sheet (available to DD clients). Gothamist sat down to talk shop with The Dish’s Dishes entrepreneur #1 last week at Jacques Torres on Hudson Street, and left with a recipe for squid salad. more ›

When I think of the word clown, I think of Krusty, not a small theater in West Chelsea, but that's exactly where one of the premiere clowns of our time, Eric Davis , works as a teacher at The PIT . Davis, who was recently hired by Cirque Du Soleil, discussed what clowning means to him, how he became the clown he is today, and what he expects of clowning in the future. more ›

Peter Marinello works for NARC (National Advertising Review Council). His job is to watch infomercials and review the accuracy of their claims. So if anyone knows if Beano works or if Xantax is for real, it's him. more ›

(Siles Press), which scored a blurb from Yoko Ono and set off debate within the chess world about the need for gender segregation. In the book, which features Shahade clad in a pink wig, scarf, and gloves on the cover, she examines high-profile female chess players from countries as farflung as Zambia, Russia, and China, examining the ways various governments support and nurture budding champions and how chess is or isn't valued, both financially and otherwise. She shares her own experiences studying with the likes of Garry Kasparov, and ultimately argues in favor of more women playing more chess, whether it's in all-female tournaments or mixed ones. more ›

Just listening to a lot of records, getting emotional about them, falling in love with them. more ›

"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed - Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, 'It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.'" - Deep Thought, Jack Handy more ›

The Undisputed Heavyweights have got themselves quite a name to live up to, and check out that URL: Better Than Elvis?! This we've got to see. more ›

"Can you feel me? Can you motherfuckin' feel me?" Adira Amram belts out on her song "Wanna Make Out," which she sings while dressed in leotards, a Betsey Johnson push-up bra and suit jacket, or other attention-getting garb while pounding away on a keyboard or piano. Amram, the daughter of composer David Amram, started out as an actress but has taken to performing her hilarious “keyboard fantasy” songs at local comedy gigs. The 25-year-old performer is at The PIT Fridays in October with her latest work, Adira Amram Is An American Idol (tagline: “Let Her Spangle Your Banner”), which is fitting for a woman with a former President’s photo on the cover of her CD, Me and Bill (North Street Records). more ›

Last night, a man was crossing Queens Boulevard at 67th Avenue when a silver SUV hit him without stopping. The 59 year old man had been returning home from Yom Kippur services, and Queens DA Richard Brown said, "I'm troubled. I went to temple myself today. It's the most important day of the Jewish calendar, and apparently he was on his way home from temple after observing the holiday, and to have this happen to him is just a terrible tragedy." Police are looking for a silver Nissan SUV with either broken windows or windshield as the victim remains in critical condition at Jamaica Hospital. more ›

It's my name, Daniel Smith. I really had no choice in the matter. Christopher is my middle name; that's the secret part. more ›

A group of three teenaged boys stabbed a 15 year old boy while on a D train in Brooklyn. The Post suggests the attack could have been gang-related, as witnesses said all three teens - ages 13, 14, and 16 - were "each wearing a white shirt with black stripes and a red do-rag." The trio had been arguing with the victim, and then stabbed him. The police were able to apprehend the teens, who said their gang was S42 and were charged with assault. more ›

It's like Canada, but without the metric system. more ›

For starters, about two weeks ago, July 6th, and a week ago, July 12th, we released a new album in Asia called Close Calls With Brick Walls. It's part of a series of three albums that will be released at different points around the world at different times. I plan to release this album outside of Asia as well, but not yet. We're going to release these other albums first. The next one is called Young Lord and we're going to release that one in the US, but not on CD yet. I think we're going to make it a record. Then we're doing a third album called The Carrier that will maybe come out in Europe first. Eventually, all three of these releases will be out in every major territory, but in different order. more ›

There is a lot to be said about Warren Buffett's announcement that most of his billions-of-dollars fortune will be given to charities, with particular focus on giving about $31 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. And we hope his actions, as well as those of the Gateses, reverbate through billionaire and millionaire circles, because giving back to the world that made them rich makes sense - tax incentives or no. For instance, when Ted Turner donated $1 billion to the U.N. in stock, he said, "When I got my statement in January. I was worth $2.2 billion. Then I got another statement in August that said I was worth $3.2 billion. So I figure its only nine months' earnings, who cares?" more ›

The Beantown connection in Tuesday's and Wednesday's stabbing spree: A Boston judge allowed Kenny Alexis to be released of his own recognizance thought prosecutors wanted him held on $300 bail. From the NY Times:

The charges against Mr. Alexis in both of the Massachusetts cases were less severe than those he faces in New York. And in fairness to the judge, Mr. Alexis had shown up for two other court appearances, said David Procopio, a spokesman for Daniel F. Conley, the district attorney in Suffolk County, Mass. "He made two and missed two," Mr. Procopio said. more ›

We can only hope that we'll be as tough as Elisabeth Rubin when we're 86. Rubin managed to frustrate a potential purse snatcher on West 34th Street and 7th Avenue - even as he attacked her. The Post reports that Rubin, was on her way to a doctor's appointment when shee stopped to look at a store window. Then she noticed "a middle-aged, mustached man walking up behind her, menacingly holding a wooden sign post." Who the hell walks around with a sign post? The man tried grab her purse off her walker, but she refused to let go, so then he kicked her walker away and hit her on the head, only taking a bag of cornbread she had baked for her doctor.

The mugger then swiped the bag, but when he realized it contained the cornbread, he got even angrier. "He mashed my bag of cornbread," she said. "Then I grabbed my walker and I tried to get away." more ›

Ali Farahnakian, Comedian more ›

Walker Fee, Tape Artist Extraordinaire more ›

Alexander Zalben, People's Improv Theater more ›