Idiotarod Returns to NYC Saturday, Under New Management

Team Remus; courtesy of Corporation X

A message that may be from the Idiotarod:

"After an apocalyptic 2012," New York City’s annual Idiotarod is re-emerging under the management of the Federal Emergency Racing Agency (FERA), with oversight from the Department of Homeland Absurdity."

We say "may be" because not only do the organizers sometimes deny they are the organizers, but because sabotage  and the spreading of misinformation such as false route information is common.

The Idiotarod consists of costumed teams of (usually) five idiots pushing lavishly decorated shopping carts over a five-mile-long course in the freezing cold, often starting in Manhattan and usually winding up in Brooklyn. 2013 is the 10th annual Idiotarod.

Email Idiotarodnyc@yahoo.com for a registration form. All entry forms must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on the Thursday prior to the race (January 24th). However due to the potential for bureaucratic snafus or outright dumping of forms, earlier completion is highly suggested.

Idiotarod 2013 will commence at 12 noon on January 26, 2013, rain or shine (so we're told). 

The launch location will be announced to registrants on Friday, January 25th (the night before the race). (Again, take this with a grain of salt. It may start somewhere else.)

The race will conclude with an afterparty and mobile art exhibition beginning at 6 p.m. in the Gowanus Ballroom.

Many more details on Facebook. Short web page here.


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Giant Flashing Video Billboard for Barclays Center Parked in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Photo by MK Metz

How nice! A giant, flashing video billboard for Barclays Center has been installed in Brooklyn Bridge Park!

Such a great use of a waterfront park! Because we all looove Barclays. And we looove American Express which will allow us to go to Barclays!

If you go around the back the giant, flashing video billboard you can make a "dance" or "rock out video" and get a chance to win tickets from American Express to Barclays! Which we looove.

Helloooo Brooklyn!

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It's Sea Monster Time Again In Long Island

It's sea monster time again -- specifically, it's that time of year when the bloated, corroded corpse of a "Montauk Monster" comes washing up on shore somewhere in Long Island and we bloggers have a field day speculating on what top secret government lab is producing these creatures from hell.

This season's Montauk Monster (let's call it Monty 2) was recently brought to our attention by Montauk-Monster.com ("The Official Montauk Monster Web Site"). They said that the smelly old thing was found by a local couple in Southold, on the island's North Fork. They also provide a video, taken in the dead of night, of the group examining the item.

Remember last summer's Montauk Monster?
And the Dumbo Sea Creature?

They're baaaack.

- And Now, a Monster at Montauk
- Yet Another Creature Crawls From the Sea -- This Time in Dumbo

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President Obama Action Figure vs Darth Vader

Carrie L. sent us the link to this President Obama action figure page on chunnel.tv and we just can't get enough. Check out all the poses.

This is just another cool thing that that Japanese have beaten us to!

Who does the Darth Vader figure represent? Can't be Dick Cheney -- he's still in a wheel chair.

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Is McCain Possessed?

This is an undoctored Reuters photo of John McCain and Barack Obama at the conclusion of the final presidential debate.

Is this natural? It appears that some irresistible force is controlling his movements. Many people have noticed that his personality seems to have changed over the last year.

Is it possible that John McCain is possessed?

Maybe we don't need an election -- maybe we need an exorcism.

Photo: REUTERS/Jim Bourg

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Girls, Check Out That Rockefeller Before You Marry Him

Harvard Business School graduate Sandra Boss lived with her husband "Clark Rockefeller" in a fancy Boston brownstone, and summered in a mansion in New Hampshire. They owned a yacht, had a beautiful daughter, Reigh, and lived a privileged life.Ms. Boss has a successful financial career as a partner in a global management consulting firm and has worked as a consultant to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Senator Schumer.

Rockefeller was a stay-at-home father with no ID, drivers license, social security number or credit cards and no family, friends or past life.

Somewhere along the line Ms. Boss became aware that something just wasn't right.

The rest is history. During the divorce, Rockefeller gave up custody of his daughter (and received close to a million dollars from his wife) rather than reveal his real identity, according to the Boston Herald.

This led to the now-famous kidnapping of Reigh, which led to the worldwide manhunt -- even to Brooklyn, where Rockefeller was (wrongly, it turns out) sighted on a bus. Which led to his capture, and Reigh's return.

Which led to his possible identification by a man in Germany as his long-lost brother. (Fox News) Which led to him being ID'ed as a weird German exchange student and con artist who has for decades been "using different aliases in order to live a lavish life."

Which led to him being tentatively identified as the man who killed his landlord and his wife, chopped up his body, packed it into three bags and buried it in the backyard.

So girls, here are a few tips to take before you marry that mysterious heir to a vast family fortune:

1. Ask to see some identification.

2. In the middle of the night, ask him a question in German and see if he answers.

3. After a decent interval but before you get married, say in a jolly tone of voice, "Now it's my turn to meet your family."

4. Crack jokes like, "Rob any banks lately?" and see what he says.

5. Show him an ink blot strongly resembling an ax and ask him what it looks like.

6. Google him. Really. You'd be surprised.

7. Try to observe little telling details, like wet paint on that "Picasso" in the hallway.

8. Tell him you really aren't a multi-millionaire, it was all a joke (ha ha!), and see what he says.

9. Ask him if he can break a hundred.

10. Ask him why his email name is killerclown349.

We hope this helps make one of life's thornier problems a little easier.


Photo of John D. Rockefeller courtesy of Western Virginia Community College

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No Pants! Video of Saturday's No Pants Subway Ride

As reported, more than 900 New Yorkers hit the subways sans pants Saturday as part of Improv Everywhere's grand wackness. Here's an AP video clip of the hilarity.

- No Pants! Subway Ride Saturday McBrooklyn

No Pants! Subway Ride Saturday

All are invited to participate in the 7th Annual No Pants! Subway Ride. The event will take place at 3:00 PM on Saturday, January 12.

The main requirements:

1) Willing to take pants off on subway;
2) Able to keep a straight face about it.

For full details, see Improv Everywhere (they cause scenes).

UPDATE: Improv Everywhere reports that there were 900 participants in the No Pants Subway Ride. The crowd was so large that they spread out over three subway lines, using the 6, R, and 2 trains. Reports from the field are pouring in, so check out the site here.

UPDATE 2: See the video here.

Filming 'Wackness' in Brooklyn Heights

Filming for "The Wackness", starring Ben Kingsley and directed by Jonathan Levine was not originally slated for the corner of Henry and Remsen Streets in Brooklyn Heights, but filming has taken over that corner today.

UPDATE: A call to the production company confirms that "The Wackness" is indeed filming at Henry and Remsen. The project, which is in the first week of production, began filming late Wednesday night on Columbia Heights.

Photo by MK Metz

Filming for "The Wackness", starring Ben Kingsley was scheduled to take place in Brooklyn Heights along the Promenade and on Columbia Heights Wednesday.

Though filming was rained out, parking was still prohibited along these streets.

Photo by MK Metz