Last year Bloomberg announced the "first-ever global multimedia communications campaign to promote New York City," with efforts to bring in more tourism through television, outdoor advertising, internet and everything in between. The mayor is now getting some unsolicited help from some New York comedians. The troupe got together to film their own NYC Tourism ad, which includes a unique explanation of the city's homeless problem. Their version of our history explains that NYC was founded......

We read the headline "5 New Yorkers detained in Disney World brawl" and thought, "Uh oh." Then it turned out that the five people were from Long Island! (Shirley, NY, to be exact.) Authorities told the AP that five people, ranging from 14 to 20 years old, were spitting and swearing at Walt Disney World patrons and were detained on Sunday after causing a scene around Space Mountain. Then the group got into a fight......

With a new steamroller Governor in office, the Empire State Development Corporation is looking to put some new life in the "I ♥ New York" brand. The ESDC is looking for ad agencies to work on a marketing campaign to promote tourism to New York to the rest of the country. The state plans to spend $16 million on the campaign, which is a 45% increase over previous years. We hope that the ads......

With the Citigroup buying the naming rights to the new Mets Stadium, MTA executives are hoping to hitch a ride on the company's money train. On Tuesday, the Daily News reported that the MTA will be in discussions with Citigroup about renaming "two MTA stations: the Shea Stadium stops on the subway and commuter railroad systems, an authority spokesman confirms." There were two opinions in the article: An MTA board member who said he would......

The stories coming out of the courthouse where lawyers are trying to select jurors for John Gotti Jr.'s trial continue to be amazing. Apparently, the potential jurors have been less than smart, with Judge Scheindlin saying about one juror, "He wasn't the brightest bulb." And then Gotti's lawyer said, "We've had that a lot." There there was the juror, a "self-taught criminologist," who collected gangster memorabilia - he got bumped. Judge Scheindlin has been upset......

Priscilla Grim, Membership & Advocacy Director AIVF...

Kathy, a Beluga whale at the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn, died on Friday at the age of 34. One of the most beloved animals at the NY Aquarium for her expressive face, Kathy outlived many Beluga whales, who live till 30. She was born in Canada and brought to Coney Island in 1974. She had a baby calf in 1981, "Nikki," for NYCI (New York City's First), the first baby beluga born in captivity......

The rotting-decaying piers of yesteryear along the West Side of Manhattan are becoming unwitting pieces of art, according to the Times. Artists and city officials love them, like the pier that landscape architect Thomas Balsley affectionately calls, "spaghetti pier," at West 62nd. Reporter Fred A. Bernstein also notes that the "random" deformation of the piers brings to mind modern architecture that tries to achieve that spontaneity of form via computers; Frank Gehry's new Walt Disney......

With all the travel I am doing to Orlando for business, I gasped when I read that the NRA was holding its annual convention in Orlando this month. I wonder if the NRA offered any special packages with Walt Disney World so the whole family can have a good ol' time. The NRA is going to be honoring Charlton Heston this year; country singer Toby Keith will perform. I admit I was also taken aback......