Here’s more 8-bit fun sent to us by someone associated with Cubies, which is, as far as I can tell, a group of 8-bit characters that perform a variety of original chiptunes songs in a thick German accent. In this case, it’s a jingle about Oktoberfest that manages to worm its way deep, deep into your gehirn – so, you know, enjoy that.

Kirsten Hively has been dutifully tracking down, photographing and exploring the history of iconic neon signs in NYC on her Tumblr, which is well worth a visit. Now her passion has spilled over into a gallery showing which opened on Sept. 23rd at The City Reliquary in Brooklyn as well as an iPhone app that helps direct you to the many signs she’s documented and come complete with in-depth information about each one.

Seen on YMFY via Quora, here’s a fairly comprehensive list of NYC faux pas. Some, like using directional words like “North” instead of “Uptown,” can’t truly be considered in the realm of faux pas as no New Yorker (or, really, decent human being) would/should take offense, but it’s a useful list nonetheless. A few of them are genuinely useful in the sense that people might not otherwise realize they’re acting out of place. For instance, the 1-2 block rule about hailing a cab in the same vicinity as another — chalk it up to ignorance on my part since I so rarely take cabs, but I never would have realized that it could seem like I’m trying to muscle someone else out of a taxi.

New Yorkers — anything else you’d add? A major one for me is to always, always wait for people to exit the subway car before you step into it!

If you’re an Evil Dead fan looking for a little extra motivation in your exercise routine (there’s a joke in there somewhere about nerds and physical activity, but I should probably leave it alone), keep your eyes on this Kickstarter project that pairs a fitness app with an interactive, zombie-driven plot. The app is currently in development, but you can watch the developers take you through the concept in the video above, and go to their Kickstarter page to throw in a few bucks in exchange for shirts, gear or a chance to get your voice included in the game.

In the wake of Spike Jonze’s movie adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are, there’s been a resurgence of interest in children’s book author Maurice Sendak. But the truth is, for those of us who grew up with his creations, we’ve never really forgotten. The raw emotion, joy and confusion of childhood he captured in those pages was so real, so close to home, that any one of us could instantly call to mind specific pages, images or at least the feelings we experienced while immersed in Sendak’s world. It would be interesting, then, to dive into Sendak’s new book – the first he’s written since 1981 – and see what’s changed, both in him and in us. Bumble-Ardy tells the story of a little pig who, in Sendak’s words, is “an outcast…deeply rejected.”

“I can’t help thinking of Bumble now in light of what I’ve been reading in the newspapers about that kidnapped and murdered Hasidic boy, Leiby Kletzky. I can’t get that grainy news photo out my mind. It’s taken from a street camera. We see him from the back. He has one arm extended out. It’s a very painful little picture because it’s him, you know, it’s him. And that little extended arm, saying to the world, Somebody, take my hand. It breaks my heart.”

The Village Voice reports that HBO will be bringing Prohibition-era style to the 2/3 subway line every weekend this month. As part of a promotion for the return of Boardwalk Empire, the network is dusting off and gussying up an old car that originally began service in 1917. If you’ve ever hopped on one of the vintage trains the MTA likes to re-boot over the holidays, you’ll know that this kind of thing is just plain old fun, and we can trust HBO to go all out in terms of period-authenticity and etc., which means the real question is this: I can smoke on these cars, right?

I Want You To Want Me by Jonathan Harris and Sep Kamvar

[People] talk about themselves in 200 words and say the most important things about themselves, so it is very fertile ground for building a mosaic of humanity.

Jonathan Harris is another one of my personal heros. This installation is titled “I Want you to Want Me” and was commissioned by the MOMA for Valentines Day, 2008. The project was presented on a 56″ touch screen and the little balloons are profiles pulled from the various dating sites on the web. Read the project’s mission statement here.

I Want You To Want Me explores the search for love
and self in the world of online dating.

It’s not valentines day but I’m getting post-summer blues. New York City feel serene after the hurricane; we’re all still here, looking for someone.