I have lost my Libation virginity

It is true. I have penetrated the cherry that is the velvet rope outside 137 Ludlow Street. As I told my friend Tiernan, much too defensively, "I didn't pick the place!". I was meeting Neil, my old college roommate who had flown up from North Carolina, and crew, and who was I to judge without having experienced it? (Okay, so I totally did judge the place before going there.) So there I was, in Libation on Saturday night.

It was as advertised - a little taste of uptown below Houston - and the space is not half bad, though the obvious railroad apartment influences or the "VIP"-only seating did not make for the most comfortable experience. Also, I observed frequent digital camera flashes, many sensible haircuts and a sing-along to Bon Jovi. Like I said, it was as advertised.

After Neil professed "This isn't my kind of crowd," and once Tiernan bought up his drink minimum, we crossed the street for the safety of The Living Room, and then the kimchi flavored goodness of Pushcart NYC. Ah, home again.

Birthday Friday didn't go as planned. It didn't help that people didn't show, but Good World is now dead to me. The staff was rude to my friends, the music was too loud, and the seating was way too limited as they'd rented out the back porch.

It was later made up for after meeting up with Neil and crew in West Village. To be honest, I don't remember much except a whirlwind tour of WVil and the Meatpacking District, but it was a probably a good sign that Maureen had to pick me up off the kitchen floor after we stumbled back. Well, she says she did. I don't remember this. She could be making this up. Also, she still hasn't given me an explanation for the ice cubes and the puddle of the blood in the bathub.

Casey, please tell your husband that I had a wonderful time and that I sent my thanks. In the most platonic way possible.

CLAW says to Neckface, "I'll see your coffee table book and raise you my lifestyle brand." (Adrants)

In Nightmare on Orchard St (villagevoice.com), Rachel Aviv tells us what happens when Craigslist, demand for affordable rents, a fashionable address, greed and naïveté collide - tragicomedy:

A woman I'll call Mary opened the door and told me she lived there... Mary said I was the 17th person to arrive. Shortly after, a man banged up the stairs, carrying a laundry basket of shoes. He was the 18th. We had identical subleases, which clearly stated how much we had given ($2,850) to Rita—who had never lived in this apartment.

Twenty people showed up that day and 13 more throughout the course of the week. We had all responded to the same uninformative Craigslist posting: "STUDIO APT TO RENT LOWER EAST SIDE MANHATTAN—BELOW HOUSTON." Mary was not particularly helpful or hostile, but explained the situation—"There's been a fraud," she said—then sent us to the police station.

Busy day for the Supremes, with big decisions including a split ruling on public display of the Ten Commandments (a decision I'm comfortable with, other than how close the vote was) and file sharing networks (not as comfortable, though I'm on the fence). But no annoucement from Rehnquist.

Heh. An increasing number of Americans, particularly Republicans, think the media is too critical of America, survey says. I'm sure you can imagine my bemusement if you've followed my criticism of the mainstream press.

Though to be clear, it's not about whether the media is critical of the Bush Administration or not. It's more about the press's insistence on missing the forest for the trees.

Don't get that $400 velour tracksuit before September 1. That's when NYC sales tax on clothing disappears leaving just the 4.375% NY State sales tax. Of course, that's still 4.375 more than New Jersey.

I'm glad someone else noticed this. Wendy's Wants You To F*ck Their Sandwiches. I couldn't help but chuckle when another one of their ads encouraged me to "Do Wendy" "Do Wendy's". Probably a good thing Dave Thomas isn't around to see this.

Finally, great news if you love watching commercials at movie theaters. Get ready for more!

I'm curious to see exactly how effective these commercials are, when these 30-seconds spots seem to do more to alienate viewers than to appeal to them.