That blueberry scone has 460 calories. Still want it?

The answer, at least according to Starbucks customers in New York City, is FUCK NO. A new study conducted at Stanford University, reported by Reuters, sheds light on the inner workings of the breakfast treat-consumer's mind:

A New York City law [enacted in 2008] requiring restaurants to post the calories of their menu items led Starbucks customers to consume 6 percent fewer calories per transaction, a Stanford University study found. For people who averaged more than 250 calories per purchase, calorie consumption fell by a more dramatic 26 percent.

These findings dovetail perfectly with my own personal experience, and might quiet some objections to the new calorie-posting regulations. Fat-shaming works, people.

Escaped cow gets new home!

Molly (pictured above), whom you may remember as the escaped cow from the Queens slaughterhouse, was transported to her new home in Suffolk County today amid much fanfare and hay-tossing. City Room blog has the inside scoop on her new life from her adoptive parents:

“She can eat some good organic hay and hang around with a lot of her friends,” Mr. Farr said. “She can eat and sleep for the rest of her life. She is not going anywhere. The bottom line is she will have a very good home.”

Normally I'm a little skeptical when I hear of a beloved animal being sent to a "farm upstate" where it can "run and play", but the article included a picture and lots of official-sounding quotes from city representatives, so it sounded pretty legit. Good for you, Molly! Awwwww.

The most celebrities, EVER

Holy muffins, it's the Met Gala! This annual event is the most celebrity-filled get-together in probably the entire universe and has a purpose about which I have absolutely no clue. Check out the Cut's slideshow of just a few of the famous people who attended.

Look at all of 'em! What master of the universe could have brought all of these minor and not-so-minor celebrities together under the same roof? God? Allah? Diddy? All I know is that I must attend next year; I just must. Get on it, people!

Mark your calendars, start your engines

April 2, 2009 is fast approaching. "Why should I care?" you ask naiively. For that is the day that TopShop FINALLY opens in NYC, of course!

New York - Topshop USA

I remember when I first heard that TopShop was coming to NYC. It was Summer 2006 and the announcement filled me with cheap chic visions and vintage fashion dreams. But month after month I waited.. and waited.. and I honestly began to doubt that TopShop would ever come. But, lo! The day is upon us! The hour is nigh! TopShop, ho!

NY <3 Unemployed Bankers

Now that's a slogan you can put on a t-shirt! Today Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled a plan to retrain Wall Street's newly laid off investment bankers, traders, and other assorted sell-side losers:

Under a program Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg unveiled on Wednesday, the city wants to invest $45 million in government money to retrain investment bankers, traders and others who have lost jobs on Wall Street, as well as provide seed capital and office space for new businesses those laid-off bankers might create.

The plan is intended to stem the exodus of talent from the rapidly collapsing financial services industry, which has been the city’s economic engine for decades, and speed the industry’s recovery, which may take years, officials said.

You may have noticed the little "m" before the "illion" in "$45 million"... no, that isn't a typo; Mayor Bloomberg is funding this program with roughly the same budget as that of John Thain's office renovation. (Zing!) So New York loves you, unemployed bankers... just not that much.

It's Westminster Tiiiiiime!

The Westminster Dog Show kicked off today in New York's Madison Square Garden and holy moly that thing must be a shitshow (pun intended). I'm guessing it's an equally if not more insane, wacked-out crazyfest than in the movie Best In Show and it frankly is the only event at MSG that I would care to attend. Below please find a hilarious slideshow provided by the kind folks at Daily Intel.

Puppy-Pampering: the Slideshow!

Behold the poodle's fluffy feet! Marvel at the beagle's eyes filled with sorrow and wisdom! Be slightly freaked out by the prom-night fantasy sado-masochism of the chihuahua! Westminster has got it all.

I <3 NY (and the NYTimes)

The NYTimes posted a totally adorable photo series by a guy named Christoph Neimann last week and in case you missed it the link is below.

I LEGO N.Y.

Everything from the Whitney to cream cheese with scallions to a plastic bag stuck in a tree branch, in simple yet elegant Lego form. Awwww.