Pat's Papers: Blog

Today’s Starbucks Alter Ego: “Karen/Herry”

2012-02-23T13:03:00+00:00

We got an email from Pat’s Paper reader Kerry, who sent along a sample of what transpired at Starbucks that got her from a ‘Kerry’ to a ‘Karen’ to a ‘Herry.’

Pat and Kelly

2012-02-22T06:23:00+00:00

Even before Regis Philbin announced his retirement plan, it was my hope that someday I’d be asked to fill in as a guest host on “Live!” I’m pleased to report that I’ve been asked to do just that on March 7th.

Super Bowl Stats: Number of Toilets Flushed

2012-02-10T11:33:00+00:00

The most successful story we’ve ever had on Pat’s Papers was from a couple years ago when Canada and the US played in the Olympic hockey final. I got my hands on data from the local utilities company demonstrating, in toilet flushings, how gung-ho the Canadian public is about hockey.

Today’s Starbucks Alter Ego: “Lyanui”

2012-02-10T11:07:00+00:00

Today’s Starbucks Alter Ego comes from my good friend Liane, who’s vacationing in Maui. She stopped in to a get a coffee and left wondering, is this how you say Liane in Hawaiian?

Photo of the Day: Pat’s Ukuleles

2012-02-08T11:08:00+00:00

In the event I decide to retire to Hawaii, maybe they’ll hire me. My Canadian colleague Janice Johnston, who’s on the big island right now, sent me this photo, writing that she “couldn’t help but think of you when we saw this charming ukulele store!”

Today’s Starbucks Alter Ego: “Maradeth”

2012-02-06T13:22:00+00:00

Pat’s Papers reader Meredith says, over the years, she’s gotten used to having her name misspelled—Meridith, Meredeth, Maredith, none of those faze her anymore. But when a barista re-named her after a metal band, well, she just had to send us a picture.

Canada Wins for Best Super Bowl Ad (And It’s About Hockey)

2012-02-03T15:09:00+00:00

Of the Super Bowl ads I’ve seen so far, this is my favorite. Labatt, which distributes Budweiser in Canada, delivered a very pleasant surprise to a group of guys playing a recreational hockey game.

Pat Kiernan, Cordless Drill Fanatic

2012-02-02T13:33:00+00:00

Most of you know me as Pat Kiernan, NY1 anchor. But little did you know I have another career: cordless drill fanatic. Actually, you would know that if you’ve invited me to your wedding in the last decade—it’s my go-to gift, whether it’s made an appearance on the registry or not.

Today’s Starbucks Alter Ego: “Hairly”

2012-01-30T11:01:00+00:00

We got an email from Hilary this morning, after she made a pit stop to get some coffee. She writes: “I stopped into a Starbucks en route to DC and despite giving and spelling my name (h-i-l-a-r-y), they called out and spelled Hairly.” Our advice? Don’t take it personally.

Sh** Pat Kiernan Says

2012-01-25T16:40:00+00:00

The hilarious “Sh** News Yorkers Say” video is at well over two million views now, and all of them have witnessed creator Eliot Glazer’s apparent fascination with Pat. So it seemed appropriate to deliver a response video.

Play Trivia with Pat at the Bell House

2012-01-20T11:35:00+00:00

I’m getting ready to host another TrivWorks event at the Bell House, this time in celebration of my adopted city. “We Love NYC: A Pop Culture Trivia Night Celebrating the World’s Greatest City” will take place next week, on Wednesday, January 25th, starting at 7:30. This week I sat down for a couple of interviews to talk about why it is I love New York so much, among other topics.

Sh** New Yorkers Say

2012-01-19T04:20:00+00:00

It seems as if all you have to do these days to make a video go viral is put Sh** Blank Blank Say in its title. This week we’ve already seen Sh** Nobody Says, and Sh** Yogis Say. Now, I’d like to present Sh** New Yorkers Say. Let me mention I would have enjoyed this video even if it didn’t mention me by name three times.

VIDEO: Sh#% Yogis Say

2012-01-13T13:37:00+00:00

If you enjoyed the VIDEO we put up a couple days ago detailing the…stuff no one says, you’ll probably enjoy this one that Lululemon has just published, Sh#$ Yogis Say. Seems kind of edgy for a company to make fun of its core buyer but I guess a viral video is a viral video. Among the gems: I’m concerned about your aura. I’ve got total yoga hair. I’ve got a blockage I’m working on.

VIDEO: SH#% Nobody Says

2012-01-12T12:02:00+00:00

I just wish there were more WNBA on television. Does anyone know how to make Papyrus my default font? Baggy t-shirts look awesome on you. Never seen this IKEA furniture at any else’s apartment. The Beatles suck. First time hearing these phrases? That’s because they’re Sh$# Nobody Says, the name and the premise of a very funny new video blog. Speaking of, I think they call those vlogs, which is also something people never say. VIDEO

VIDEO: World’s Coolest Flight Attendant

2012-01-11T11:51:00+00:00

You know how boring it is to sit through that same announcement every time you board a plane, the one about where the exit rows are and what to do in case of emergency? Well, apparently it’s as boring for flight attendants to announce as it is for us to hear. Unless, of course you are the world’s coolest flight attendant. VIDEO

Today’s Starbucks Alter Ego: “Amber”

2012-01-11T11:38:00+00:00

Today we got an email from Catherine, detailing the scene that unfolded as she tried to get her morning coffee: Conversation at Starbucks this morning: Cashier: What’s your name? Me: Catherine Cashier: Amber? Me: No, Catherine Catherine adds, “What name showed up on my coffee? That’s right, Amber. At least I knew they meant me when they called it out.”

His Name is What?!?

2012-01-11T08:38:00+00:00

I’m glad this accused criminal wasn’t charged in New York, or I’d have had to brush up on my pronunciation of Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop.

NY1, The Musical

2012-01-09T18:13:00+00:00

Hey New York Times, I’m listening. There was an article in Sunday’s paper about the Tony-winning creator of “In the Heights,” Lin-Manuel Miranda, new idea for a New York-centric musical. But this time the subject would be something very familiar to me—NY1.

A “Scam,” Says Candid Charles Barkley on Telecast

2012-01-06T14:38:00+00:00

I know this well ... the real opinions of broadcasters and their guests come out during the commercial breaks.

VIDEO: The Voyage of a Checked Bag

2012-01-05T13:42:00+00:00

Ever wonder what happens to your luggage after you check it? Delta Airlines decided to give us a backstage view. They outfitted a suitcase with six cameras to show so passengers could get a sense of what happens when their bags pass through the rubber flaps. The resulting video s pretty cool.

New Yorkers Steer Clear of Times Square Countdown

2011-12-29T13:15:00+00:00

We did a “Snap Poll” on NY1 this morning to find out where New Yorkers spend their time on New Year’s Eve. I suspected the result would show the Times Square crowd is mostly from out of town. And I was right.

WNYC Year-End News Quiz

2011-12-29T08:32:00+00:00

Pat joined WNYC host Brian Lehrer on Wednesday to serve as quizmaster for the station’s listener news quiz.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-22T13:03:00+00:00

The entire Pat’s Papers team is taking a long weekend to celebrate the holidays with our families. That means Pat’s Picks will also be on vacation until Tuesday, December 27. We hope you have a wonderful holiday and we’ll see you next week!

Reckless Fed Ex Guy’s Speedy Delivery

2011-12-20T14:28:00+00:00

It’s a busy time of year for package delivery services. But throwing a computer monitor over a fence to speed up the delivery seems careless to me. (VIDEO)

Google Makes it Snow

2011-12-19T13:49:00+00:00

Meteorologists say the chances of a white Christmas this year are slim. So Google’s stepped up to fill the void. If you type “Let it Snow” into the search bar of Chrome, snow will begin to cover the screen. Once you’ve had your fill—just hit defrost to start over.

WTC Update: Ninety Floors Done, 14 More to Go

2011-12-16T13:54:00+00:00

New York’s Port Authority has been sending out some stunning pictures of progress at the World Trade Center. One World Trade Center has reached its 90th floor—there are just 14 more to go. I especially loved this one taken from the 80th floor—New York swathed in fog.

VIDEO: Plankton Vs. Humpback Whale

2011-12-08T13:28:00+00:00

Someone posted a link to this video on Twitter yesterday. And it’s quite great. Justin Lancy, who tweets under the handle @Veritrope writes: Thought before the :45 mark of this BBC video: “The fish in the middle will survive.” After: “Hmm…” Watch it and find out how wrong he was.

A Neighborhood Snapshot on CityMaps.com

2011-12-07T19:56:00+00:00

As city dwellers we all have a pretty good mental map of what’s on our own block. But what about 10 or 20 blocks away? Or if you have to pick somewhere to meet in an unfamiliar neighborhood?

Canadian Football Retirees Brawl on Stage

2011-11-30T13:02:00+00:00

I’m a couple of days late seeing this, but it’s just so bizarre that I couldn’t leave it alone. Two 73-year old retirees from the Canadian Football League rekindled their rivalry with an on-stage brawl.

VIDEO: Stunning Time Lapse of Earth

2011-11-17T13:56:00+00:00

You’ve got to see this video. It was shot by two crews of the International Space Station earlier this year and shows several stunning shots of the Aurora Borealis. Amazing.

Today’s Starbucks Alter Ego: “Megg”

2011-11-07T13:05:00+00:00

Served with today’s alter ego, we get a little insight into the mind of a barista from former Starbucks employee, Meg. She writes: “My name is Meg (easy enough to spell), but someone at Starbucks decided to write my name the cool way, apparently, and spelled it like this. As a former Starbucks employee, I kind of enjoy the creativity of the double-g. When the write-the-customer’s-name-on-their-cup initiative began, my coworkers and I decided to designate names for willing customers to avoid misspellings of our own. This led to us serving drinks to ‘Brad Pitt,’ ‘Bart Simpson’ and ‘Rainbow Brite,’ just to name a few.”

PHOTO: Sold Out of Boy Toys

2011-11-02T14:00:00+00:00

I spotted this on the Facebook page of country music station 95.9 in Windsor. It was posted by a woman named Rebecca, who wrote: “I haven’t been to McDonalds in a while… apparently I should go back, they’ve made their menu more appealing.”

Lottery Winner Is Colleague of Telecast Host

2011-11-02T03:55:00+00:00

There’s winning the raffle at the company holiday party…and then there’s receiving a phone call from your colleagues, saying you won $2 million. That’s exactly what happened to Barry Deley, a Vancouver sports anchor at Global BC, who was shopping for groceries when his on-air colleagues called to say he’d won a $2 million charity lottery. VIDEO

Winner of Halloween 2011: Toddler Pat Kiernan

2011-11-01T12:18:00+00:00

Samson Pessah is barely old enough to understand what NY1 is about. But thanks to his mom, the two-year-old Brooklyn boy had my favorite Halloween costume of 2011.

“Clyde” Hosts Village Halloween Parade

2011-10-31T10:36:00+00:00

Last year, the crew of The Addams Family set me up as Gomez Addams. This year, the new Broadway production of Bonnie and Clyde has set me up as Clyde Barrow. I was at Saint Laurie Merchant Tailors on Friday for my costume fitting.

Could We Please Just Call It the 787?

2011-10-28T13:32:00+00:00

Maybe I’ll get used to it. But “Dreamliner” sounds silly. Now that the Boeing 787 is in regular service, let’s just call it that.

Today’s Starbucks Alter Ego: “Jonnfer”

2011-10-27T17:57:00+00:00

Today’s Alter Ego comes from Jennifer, who was puzzled not only by the spelling of her name also by the emoticon her cup received: “No idea why I got the frownie face either….I was in a great mood and was very pleasant to barista.”

Today’s Starbucks Alter Ego: “Uglsey”

2011-10-26T17:50:00+00:00

Today’s Alter Ego comes from a Pat’s Papers reader named Kelsey. She writes: “It wasn’t till I got back to work and my co-worked said ‘Are you aware that your coffee cup says “ugly” on it?’ Needless to say, I got a free Starbucks out of it, and never went back to that particular location.” Well played, Kelsey.

Today’s Starbucks Alter Ego: “Julia”

2011-10-25T17:42:00+00:00

At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with today’s Alter Ego….except one thing: it was submitted by a woman named Marianne. She writes: “Marianne doesn’t even sound like Julia!! Funny thing is that I’m a regular at this Starbucks. At least the drink was correct.” Agreed. One out of two is pretty decent.

Planning a Trip to NYC? Ask Pat

2011-10-20T10:58:00+00:00

I was just asked by NYC Go, the official tour guide of the city, to offer up some of my favorite activities for out-of-town guests. In return, they called me “a boyish, indefatigable presence, whose Mojave-dry wit is best observed during…“In the Papers.”