Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Fight about cabs no more! (NYT)

Apple continues to take over the electronic world. (NY Daily News)

The Times reviews Thursday’s concert in honor of Helmut Lachenmann.

Coyote Update: violence among canids. (Gothamist)

Our semi-regular In Defense Of… feature returns today with Bwog daily editor Eliza Shapiro’s look at a New Yorker’s favorite guilty pleasure and a subject of much debate amongst college students with limited funds: the taxi ride. 

Yeah, we know cabs are more expensive than the subway and we know there’s a recession. We read the paper, too. But  cab-users don’t like being chastised for their choices. If we decide to bite the bullet and take a taxi, there was probably a good reason for it. Yes, occasionally, taking a taxi is a truly defensible endeavor. Learn to cab smart and semi-economically. Here’s how.

 First of all, let’s not assume that cabs are always the preferred means of transportation around New York City. Some — mostly the claustrophobic and the elderly — prefer the bus for its views and the fact that you will never get off a bus more than two blocks away from where you want to go. The train is fast, indeed sometimes faster than a taxi, and you get to stare at a lot of interesting people and have some people stare at you. Also, nothing will ever compare to that wonderful little thrill you get when the train goes above ground. And, of course, walking is always nice. Keep your New Year’s resolution and walk off those love handles, Columbia.

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A newish bar on the Upper West Side (alas, two blocks short of being in Morningside) has a novel concept, reports The Feedbag.

Show a receipt for your cab ride there and they’ll pay for your ride– in the form of a bar tab!  Now, finally there’s a reason to take a cab home after a long night downtown:  Even more free drinks.  Bwog can’t imagine that this promo is permanent, so better take advantage of it while it lasts.

The Village Pourhouse is on Amsterdam between 108th and 109th.  The Village location is at 3rd Avenue and 11th Street.

Bwog’s previous review of the Pourhouse has much more information, lest we repeat ourselves.

While most of us are still trapped in the vortex of thrice-extended overdue papers, Butler pathogen infestations, and chronic Red Bull overconsumption, many eager SEAS engineerlings have written to remind the Columbia community that it’s not too early to plan our post-exam exodi to the airport, train station, or, for those who made a truly daring college choice, some other corner of New York City. With that in mind, we’re asked not to forget carsplit.com, one of the most useful things to have crawled out of Mudd since, uh, all those patent-worthy inventions that fund our education in lieu of donations from our notoriously stingy alumni. While it probably won’t come in as handy as during last year’s delightfully-timed subway strike, we’re sure the ‘rents/siblings/creepy uncles in your life will appreciate that little something extra you may be able to bring them for the holidays with the cab fare you’re able to save.