Have you ever been bowling? Have you ever bowled a strike? Have you ever bowled a strike without using bumpers? Have you ever bowled a strike without using one of those bowling ramps? Have you ever bowled a strike from 120 feet away, which this video's uploader describes as "the longest bowling strike ever?" Do tell.
In what might be the most American way to accidentally shoot oneself, a Florida man shot himself while bowling last night, after his bowling ball came into contact with the loaded gun in his pocket.
Someone needs to teach this man how to throw a bowling ball before he accidentally kills someone.
• A federal judge has yet to decide whether the city or the LeRoy family controls the "Tavern on the Green" name. In the meantime, the city's plan to use "Tavern in the Park" as a possible backup has been given the kibosh. [NYT]
• Café Gitane's Jane Hotel outpost is now serving dinner. [Gothamist]
• A roundup of a few closings around town in recent days. [Eater]
• Doughnut Plant's second NYC location will be at the Chelsea Hotel. [TONY]
• Bowling is booming, apparently. Leisure Time Bowl, the alley inside the Port Authority Bus Terminal, is changing its name and opening a "swank restaurant" and club shortly. It will soon face some competition in the hood, since Bowlmor is opening a $20 million venue on West 43rd Street this fall. [NYT]
• Looking for a few recipes inspired by Jersey Shore? You're in luck. [F&W]
Watch as this remote controlled bowling ball weaves it's way through four folding chairs and still manages to stay out of the gutter and hit it's intended target.
Wondering what will happen in tomorrow's Pennsylvania primary? You could look to national trends or polls of likely Pennsylvania voters. Or you could make like NBC and only poll the important voters of Pennsylvania: gun-owners, bowlers, and, yes, beer-drinkers. Nothing proves that you understand the working class like reinforcing a cartoon stereotype of blue-collar life! Of course the bowlers and gun-owners don't care for Obama. The beer-drinkers, though, are split. They should've specified domestic beer-drinkers, we're sure the Obama votes are coming from import snobs. Guzzling Kölsch and eating caviar! Elitists!
US Bowler Magazine's list of the top celebrity bowlers is out! And it's just a gem. The bulk of the list [via Ad Age] is taken up by athletes, which leads to much hilarious insider humor, like this line from sportswriter Norman Chad: "What is it with baseball pitchers and bowling? Heck, you don't see Mika Koivuniemi moonlighting as a middle reliever for the Detroit Tigers." Ha, fuckin-A right! But a few non-athletes do make the prestigious list, as the "Best of the Rest":
Though the invite said "bring your swimsuit," the melange of authors and editors and overly friendly publicists who gathered at the Hotel QT for the release of Jesse Ball's novel "Samedi the Deafness" chose not to. Jonathan Franzen left early and it was probably a good thing anyway that we didn't catch his bare torso; we imagine it a lot like recent Morrissey, but hairier. The gays (a lot of them) didn't want to leave their tote bags unattended. But the party was hardly dry; the host was agent David Kuhn. At last, it was only later in the evening did Paris Review senior editor Nathaniel Rich stripped down and jumped in. Nikola Tamindzic, L magazine's best nightlife photographer of 2007, was there to do what he does best. And he also took some photographs.
Media Bowling reaches its triumphant climax this week, with big victories over Stuff, V Magazine, and a random defeat by something called "Freelance." They seemed sad. This video contains at least two disturbing things: a makeout sesh and a declaration of paternity. Don't worry, kids, that man isn't actually your daddy. Probably.
Last night, a collection of New York's hottest media stars assembled at the Port Authority Bus Terminal - and this time not just to suck dick for a dollar! No, we were at Leisure Time Bowling for the latest round of NYAMBL matches. We are not ashamed to say that - challenges aside - we kicked some serious ass, rocking the worlds of Jane, Portfolio and new nemesis Comedy Central (nice use of office supplies, fellas). Here's video from the event featuring all your favorites: Richard Blakeley! Intern Kaila! The gay guy from Gridskipper! Hopefully, you'll enjoy it as much as we did. Actually, hopefully a lot more, it was fucking bowling.
A tipster alerts us that the second season of the New York Media Bowling League is about to kick off. Sounds fun! Oh wait—not so fast. Not only are we hearing that a couple publications are making participants pay their own way (nice morale builder!), but the fees also cover a whopping one beer per person for the 12-person teams. (Also, doesn't NYAMBL sound a lot like NAMBLA?) From the email that's circulated to participants:
The Comedy Central bowlers stopped by to collect the coveted NYAMBL Bowling Pin on their way to pimp out the team yacht.
After faux-manly shopping mag Cargo went up in flames yesterday, there is one question that presses more urgently than all others: What about their bowling team?
