US Airways Jet Finally Removed from Hudson River

Posted by Roy Edroso at 1:55 AM, January 18, 2009

Late last night city workers finally got that US Airways jet, which had given them some trouble in the afternoon, out of the water. The right engine is apparently more or less intact, but the left engine is off and presumed resting at the bottom of the Hudson River. The Airbus 320, weighing about a million pounds, will be removed via barge for examination by the National Transportation Safety Board. Above is footage obtained by CNN of US Airways Flight 1549 landing on water Thursday, first in real time, then in slow motion.

Anti-Scientology Anons Defend Pube Warrior

Posted by Candice M. Giove at 1:20 AM, January 18, 2009

Inside the protest pen stationed across the street from the Church of Scientology on West 46th Street, a group of protesters huddled. "I was a donor," one Anon laughed, as he explained the travails of concealing the act of snipping pubic hairs in the workplace bathroom from his boss. "I'm taking a dump," he recounted yelling to explain his lengthy toilet break.

The Anons snickered.

Others proudly piped up that their pubes also were among the hairs stuck to the Vaseline coated chest of their fellow Anon now known as Agent Pubeit, who was arrested this past Wednesday after he darted through Scientology's Times Square headquarters, rubbing the rather vile cocktail on his skin, which also included toenail clippings, onto some Dianetics books. The Anon was charged with burglary, aggravated harassment and criminal mischief, all as hate crimes.

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4 Stabbed at Notorious Party

Posted by Roy Edroso at 7:18 PM, January 17, 2009

"DONT FORGET THIS FRIDAY JAN 16TH ITS GOIN DOWN @ D'JUMBALA NIGHTCLUB!!!!" said the flyer at the Canarsie club's MySpace page. What went down included four stabbed patrons, one of whom is in critical condition. The event was advertised as an "official afterparty for the movie Notorious," so there's your news hook. A Thee Rant poster warned on Friday of violence at Notorious showings, but local theaters appear to have been calm. In the more gun-friendly jurisdiction of Greensboro, North Carolina, however, a man was shot in the abdomen at a screening of the film at which its star, Jamal Woodard, is reported to have been in attendance. Notorious' opening night has nothing on that of Boyz N The Hood in 1991, in which 23 people were wounded at theaters across the country.

NTSB Tries to Extract Downed Airliner, Fails

Posted by Robert Sietsema at 1:24 PM, January 17, 2009

The tail of Flight 1459 bobs out of the water, surrounded by disaster personnel. (click to enlarge)

Saturday, the city tried for a second time to pull doomed US Airways Flight 1549 out of the soup. After the belly flop into the Hudson River on Thursday afternoon, the corpse of the airline--from which all passengers and crew had miraculously been saved--drifted lazily down the Hudson River in the outgoing tide, surrounded by mini-icebergs that had come from further upstate, in the biggest cold snap the city had seen in three years. It was eventually tethered to the concrete sea wall at Battery Park City, near the southern tip of Manhattan.

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Leon Heyward, 1956-2008

Posted by Roy Edroso at 4:21 PM, January 16, 2009

On the day after New York evaded a great disaster, the medical examiner's office reminds us of one that didn't miss. Leon Heyward, who died of lymphoma aggravated by sarcoidosis on October 13 of last year, has after investigation been named the 2,752nd victim of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks. Heyward, 45 at the time of his demise, was near Ground Zero when the buildings collapsed and kicked up their toxic cloud, inhalation of which the M.E. confirmed as the cause of Heyward's death. Further information on Heyward is not immediately available, and we will leave him in peace. We know not the day nor the hour. Image (cc) Frank Lynch.

Cop Warns of Gangs at Notorious Screenings; Critics Warn of Film

Posted by Roy Edroso at 2:01 PM, January 16, 2009

Taxi Driver Extorts iPod from Cashless Girl, 20

Posted by Roy Edroso at 1:14 PM, January 16, 2009

Yankees, Mets Tax-Free Bonds Approved

Posted by Roy Edroso at 12:44 PM, January 16, 2009

Nude Celebrity Katy Perry is All In Your Mind

Posted by Roy Edroso at 12:29 PM, January 16, 2009

Now an alleged Katy Perry nude picture is circulating. ohnotheydidnt already has hundreds of commenters on it, 97 percent of whom agree it's not Katy Perry, and Idolator offers a detailed explanation of why it's not Katy Perry. None of this matters; the conflation of "Katy Perry" and "Nude," or any celebrity's name and "Nude," even in the speculative or semantic realm, is frisson enough for bored office workers and shut-ins obsessively trawling the internet for distractions. You read this, didn't you?

Jock Beat: Another Dumb Hall of Fame Choice

Posted by Allen Barra at 11:28 AM, January 16, 2009

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Circuit City Dies, 30,000 to be Laid Off

Posted by Roy Edroso at 11:24 AM, January 16, 2009

And see how it all worked out? By the terms of its bankruptcy, Circuit City had to find a buyer by today or liquidate, but despite its famous name and Bank of America capital, no one wanted it, so now Circuit City is shutting down and sending 30,000 employees to the breadline. America is back!

Wise Beard Man to Anonymous: Don't be a Dope

Posted by Tony Ortega at 10:53 AM, January 16, 2009

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Catsimatidis Contributes $1 Million to Catsimatidis for Mayor

Posted by Roy Edroso at 10:37 AM, January 16, 2009

Peggy Noonan Enjoys The Magical Make-Believe of Inauguration

Posted by Roy Edroso at 9:49 AM, January 16, 2009

Her point, such as it is, is that even ancient Republican functionaries such as herself can enjoy Obama's inauguration by availing the "willing suspension of disbelief," which comes naturally to her and most Washington journalists. We especially thank her for the mention of the cab driver who handed Jon Favreau his "fully written inaugural address" to pass on to his boss, which she thinks proves America is a "place of unforeseen magic," but which reminds us of Travis Bickle.

Saks, Neiman Marcus, Microsoft Lay Off Workers

Posted by Roy Edroso at 9:17 AM, January 16, 2009

Jamshad Wyne to Challenge Molinaro in SI Beep Race

Posted by Roy Edroso at 8:43 AM, January 16, 2009

Crash Landing: Hudson River Rescue Roundup

Posted by Roy Edroso at 8:04 AM, January 16, 2009

The remarkable emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 preoccupied news outlets. Some took a new-media angle. "Hudson Plane Crash & Obama Show Social Media Legitimacy," bragged WebProNews, and everyone swooned over the twitpic of the fallen jet taken by Janis Krums from a rescue ferry. Reporters begged for IM reports: "You can also send us a note on Twitter @news14charlotte," said North Carolina's News14. The Times headlined Matt Kane's post-crash email, "I landed in the Hudson," though the story was mostly about other survivors.

Pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III was lionized by colleagues and the press for his miraculous landing. "That's some pilot!" cried the New York Post. "Hero of the Hudson," tagged the Daily News. "Captain Sullenberger, wherever you are... the first round is on us," said Aero-News. The Smoking Gun posted his CV. "Sullenburger III for United States Senate in New York!" cried American Glob, seconded by Fake Virginia and Newsday's Spin Cycle.

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Rick Lazio for Governor?

Posted by Roy Edroso at 7:02 AM, January 16, 2009

Clip Job: 'Read the Village Voice at Wall Drug'

Posted by Tony Ortega at 6:00 AM, January 16, 2009

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Coney Fans Offer New Plans

Posted by Elizabeth Dwoskin at 7:06 PM, January 15, 2009

A petting zoo for cloned animals? A giant apple orchard? A freak show with yuppies in a cage? Some futuristic-looking NeoGothic towers? When a group of people gathered in Our Lady of Solace Church on Mermaid Avenue last night to discuss the future of Coney Island, the lines between reality and fantasy was about as blurred and as dizzying as a ride on the Cyclone.

But perhaps only a good dose of fantasy will save Coney Island and the Astroland amusement park from whatever the next round of developers have in store for it. At least that's what the Municipal Art Society hopes. Over the past few months, the organization has solicited public proposals and designs for the changing neighborhood's future. (The contest closes today, but you can check the proposals out at Imagine Coney or see the Flickr images set.)

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