"Toulouse-inations" is coming to New York!

Toulouse-inations is one step closer to making its Off-off-Broadway debut - a Catclaw Theatre planning meeting is scheduled for January 4, and toppermost on the agenda will be taking the show on the road. Toulouse-inations will play in another major city (possibly Washington, D.C) before coming up to the Big Rotten Apple late in 2009 or early in 2010. If you're interested in taking part, contact us!

Katie and Suri spotted in Manhattan

Katie was back onstage tonight at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater for a special 8pm performance of All My Sons.

Mister Softee

Spotted this on Google Maps at 592 W 146th. Who can say it isn't beautiful?

"Urban Pirates" living on Ferry

According to The New York Times, a small band of "secretive and resourceful people" are turning a rusty old ferry into a home. I don't know how much longer it'll be secretive now that the Times has covered it, but if these folks are reading this, please contact us - we'd love to discuss the possibility of having an art exhibit on your ship!

The Smacks!

The Smacks! must always have an exclamation point after their name or they'll cut you. Their lead singer brian dresses in women's clothing, but not in drag. there's a difference. I have never seen them play but hope to next time they make it up here. I think this song of theirs makes a better Cramps song than any Cramps song. Download it and love it. It's called "Gentle be my Bomb".

NYPD Priority To 'Publicly Humiliate' Monserrate

From New York Daily News:

Sen. Eric Adams, who, like Senator-elect Hiram Monserrate is a former NYPD officer, is the first Senate Democrat to release a formal statement expressing support for his soon-to-be legislative colleague and also raises questions about the "unusual handling" of Monserrate's assault case.

And, in his standard style, the Brooklyn senator pulls no punches, basically accusing the NYPD of wanting to get back at Monserrate because he has been an "outspoken advocate of police reform."

"As a former NYPD Captain, I have some serious concerns regarding the unusual handling of the case against Councilman Monserrate," Adams said. "The primary goal of investigating a complaint of domestic violence is to ensure the safety of the innocent victim."

"However, the police department and the DA appear to have ignored Ms. Giraldo’s repeated insistence that the injury she sustained was the result of an accident, a fact that has been publicly supported by Ms. Giraldo's family in interviews with the press."

"Second, the department departed from standard operating procedures by requiring a public ‘perp walk’ past TV cameras, rather than following the normal routine of taking someone out the back door through the precinct’s private lot. A 'perp walk' is used when the the NYPD wants to expose a suspect to public view."

"These questions raise serious doubts regarding the motivating factor behind the arrest and charges against Councilman Monserrate. Specifically, these facts suggest that the Police Department’s priority is to publicly humiliate the accused rather than following the evidence."

"It is well known that Councilman Monserrate has been an outspoken advocate for police reform. I believe his role as an agent for change cause him to be denied his rights and a thorough investigation.”

Creeps Records mp3 blog

Creeps Records, founded by Jeffrey Scott Holland in the early 1990s to document low-budget, low-fidelity primitive musics, has a new mp3 blog. Check it:

http://creepsrecords.blogspot.com/

Chum

Monserrate Falsely Accused

From the Associated Press:

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City councilman accused of intentionally slashing his girlfriend in the face with a broken glass called it an "unfortunate accident" on Saturday.

"I have been charged with offenses that I did not commit and am not capable of committing," Hiram Monserrate, a Democratic councilman and state senator-elect, said in a statement a day after he was arrested on domestic violence charges.

Monserrate got into an argument with girlfriend Karla Giraldo, 30, early Friday at his Queens house, according to a criminal complaint. Giraldo said Monserrate broke a glass in his hand and cut her face with it, causing her to need 20 stitches around her left eye.

In court papers, Monserrate has said he tripped while holding a glass of water, and the glass accidentally hit his girlfriend.

During Monserrate's arraignment Friday, a prosecutor said Giraldo had changed her story, also saying the injury was an accident and asking not to proceed with charges.

Lost RV&OI comic fragment

This was a page for an RV&OI Easter comic special that was commissioned by Moist Doorknob Comics (the world's most primitive comic book company) in 2006, but the issue never went to print. We suspect it's because Moist Doorknob, which operates from the storage unit of an alcoholic in Newark, can't get organized enough to plan ahead sufficiently to release seasonal material on time.

Can't Stop Eating Toast

Meow

NYPD's Patrick Pogan: Busted!

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City police officer has been indicted after being caught on video knocking a bicyclist to the ground.

Lawyer Stuart London says Patrick Pogan must report to the Manhattan prosecutor's office on Tuesday morning.

Cyclist Christopher Long was arrested in July during a Critical Mass ride through Times Square. The monthly bike rides are meant to draw attention to alternatives to motor vehicles.

Police said Long was obstructing traffic and deliberately steered his bicycle into an officer. Charges were dismissed.

A video of the body-check that knocked Long over was posted on YouTube and has been viewed more than 1.6 million times.

Pogan has been stripped of his badge and gun and been assigned to desk duty.

"Weird Kentucky" at St.Marks Bookshop

Next time you're in the Lower East Side, check out St. Mark's Bookshop, where Jeffrey Scott Holland's book Weird Kentucky is available on the shelves now!

Shecky's 10 Biggest Nightlife Rip-offs

Shecky's has a great article listing 10 Biggest Rip-Offs in NYC Nightlife in his opinion. Some I agree with ($40 for a 40-ounce malt liquor at The Imperial), some I don't (I think Ko rules, and has every right to charge full price for no-shows on reservations).

New JSHNYC format!

We're experimenting with using a blogspot-powered blog for JSHNYC posts, as opposed to the old made-from-scratch caveman method we've been doing for the past year. It remains to be seen whether we'll go with this way of doing it, but in the meantime, you can get our RSS feed by breaking out of the frame from our main site and visiting jshnyc.blogspot.com.