Are you losing sleep over why it's still February? So am I, or at least I would be, if I had any curiosity about the inner workings of the Gregorian Calendar. Nevertheless, as everyone knows, every four years we tack an extra day onto February--which the crack team over at NASA describes as "relatively rare," as if a Leap Day is an unusual strain of a deadly virus, rather than something that has taken place every four years since 46 B.C.--and today is that day.

So, in keeping with its tendency to use anything, no matter how banal, as an excuse to throw a party and get people wasted, the Village Pourhouse is celebrating Leap Day with, um, a party where people are gonna get wasted. Specifically, for those born on February 29, this is your chance to celebrate your birthday (on the actual anniversary of your birth) with free beer, and a bunch of activities that probably don't matter as much as the part about free beer:

After four long years of waiting, it is finally time! Calling Leap Year Babies everywhere! Embrace your inner-child and come down to the Village Pourhouse for a birthday party right out of your childhood dreams. Whether it is your sixth, seventh, or eighth, this will be a birthday to remember. There will be bright balloons, fun decorations, delicious cake, and boisterous activities to bring you way back. Don’t miss out on our Pin-the-Tail-on-the Donkey. Be sure to take a big swing at our piñata filled with adult favorites such as drink tickets and free bar tabs at the Village Pourhouse. If you show proof you are an actual leap year baby, you will drink free Bud and Bud Light from 7-9pm.

So, to all the Leap Day babies, head to 11th Street & Third Avenue tonight at 6:59pm to take full advantage of the festivities, and to meet a bunch of bat-wielding, piñata-breaking, 7-year-old drunks.

And if that doesn't appeal to you, check back soon--I can't even imagine what the Pourhouse has planned for Daylight Savings next weekend.

(Photo courtesy of the Village Pourhouse)

If it seems like every new bar that opens is in Brooklyn, that's because it is. This week we review Beer Table in Park Slope, a new bar that specializes in vodka. Just kidding. It specializes in beer, and specialize it does. The selection of brews changes daily, along with a menu of charcuterie and cheeses designed to complement the day's suds. With just three tables and no bar (or bartender), get there early if you want to get a seat.

Here's how one Citysearch user, nickd717, summed it up:

There is some real quality stuff on the menu, and you're not going to find Coors Light (also known as "water"). Some of the beers are a bit wine-like (lambics and such), but there is sure to be something on the menu for every type of beer enthusiast. The owners, Justin and Tricia, are very friendly and helpful, are passionate about beer, and know their stuff.

Read our full editorial review of Beer Table, then peruse other New and Notable bar reviews or check out our list of spots that are too new to review (but not too new to get you wasted).

(Photo courtesy of Beer Table)

A few weeks ago, we offered you the opportunity to go to the Mob Candy Magazine launch party after we came to terms with the fact that we would be unwilling unable to attend. Well, the party was held, as scheduled, on Monday night at Runway, and we just received this re-cap from "MJD," an Imbible reader who was in attendance:

GUIDOS GONE WILD
Perhaps not the nicest way to put it, but Monday night at Club Runway on E. 28th St. was quite a "mob" scene. As my guest and I approached the velvet rope for Mob Candy Magazine's launch party, we received a not-so-welcoming once-over by the burly security guards, before being asked, "Yous on the list?" Duh! (thanks Justine!) We got the go ahead and were greeted by a slow moving coat-check line, with the hefty charge of $4 per item still intact...gee talk about an exclusive party?! Upon entering the main room the party was in full swing. A gyrating sea of black suits and cleavage as far as the eye could see. But what did I expect, Tinsley Mortimer lookalikes? Not in this crowd. It was time for a drink. I was looking forward to settling down with a gratis drink, consisting of the night's "vodka-sponsor" mixed with club soda (my usual). Except no such luck. The "open bar" was limited to a side folding table with varying flavors of Asti Spumante wine: peach, raspberry, maybe even strawberry, oh, and a champagne (which is what I opted for) that tasted like a cheap Riesling with bubbles. Blech! One glass was quite enough, before I beelined it to the regular bar for a real drink at $12 a pop. 

Behold Arrow, the new bar that recently opened next to Sing Sing Karaoke, in the subterranean space formerly (and briefly) occupied by the Rook.

Never heard of the Rook? That's why it closed. I happened to discover it several months ago on a cold Friday night, after I found myself faced with two rather grim choices: Go join the rest of my loser friends at Sing Sing Karaoke, or jump off the Williamsburg Bridge. It was a no-brainer. But I was too lazy to walk to Delancey Street, so I made a beeline for the nearest non-karaoke booze vendor, which turned out to be the Rook.

It was pleasant enough but totally unremarkable, and obscured from the hustle and bustle of Avenue A (it's set in from the street, down a flight of stairs), in the absence of food, good music, or um, customers, its demise comes as no big shock.

Enter Arrow, which is stepping it up with big-name DJs, regular weekly parties (including Heavy Metal Happy Hour Fridays), and two-for-one drink specials til 9pm daily. A nice selection of bottled brews runs the gamut--from $5 Buds (which beat a $3 can of Hipster Juice any day of the week), to higher-end international suds like Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout (U.K.) and Japan's Hitachino Espresso Stout. Arrow also carries seven rotating beers on tap, and a menu of $10 specialty cocktails like the Vesper (Plymouth Gin, Stoli, Lillet Blanc, Cointreau and an orange twist) and the Wysteria (champagne, lavender liqueur and peach bitters).

(Photos courtesy of Arrow)

For those who hadn't heard, Greenpoint is the new Soho. Next up: t.b.d., a new bar opening soon on the corner of Franklin and Green. Gothamist

Beloved Bedford Street speakeasy Chumley's Bar may finally be on the road to reopening. Eater

Perez Hilton may get his own record label. And in other news, I'm getting my own brand of Scotch. Gawker

A Clinton supporter reportedly stabbed his Obama-loving brother-in-law, after an argument about their political differences. Oh snap! The Smoking Gun

Is Schiller's Liquor Bar immortalized in the new Richard Price book, "Lush Life"? And if so, does anyone care? NY Mag

The Oscars themselves were long and boring, and there were few surprises. The whole thing can be summarized as follows: Red is the new black, strippers are the new screenwriters, and everyone is knocked up. 

So rather than waste time with Access Hollywood and Page Six's morning-after roundups, watch this video, a brilliant "SNL" sketch that parodies the Oscar-winning films "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood."

Go ahead and file this under "marginally interesting events we have no intention of attending" ...

The junior Simpson sister will celebrate the release of her new album, "Bittersweet World," with a party tomorrow night at Marquee. According to the flyer, Ashlee will also be lip-syncing performing live.

If for some reason you want to attend this event, don't forget to RSVP.

If only the butchers could see the Meatpacking District now ... unfortunately they can't, because they wouldn't be able to get past the bouncers. Luckily, we can, so we sent one of our ace reporters to the new club Kiss & Fly, now open on West 13th Street in the space formerly known as Aer.

Read our full review of Kiss & Fly, and then peruse other New and Notable bar reviews, or check out our list of spots that are too new to review (but not too new to get you wasted).

(Photos provided by Kiss & Fly)

It seems that the door policy may not be the only nasty thing at Armin Amiri's uber-exclusive lounge, Socialista. According to a report that first appeared in INF Daily (and then caught fire throughout the blogosphere), anyone who patronized the West Village hot spot on February 7, 8 or 11 may have been exposed to the liver disease Hepatitis A. Worse still (or better yet, depending on your perspective), it just so happens that Ashton Kutcher celebrated his 30th birthday with a bash there on February 7, which was attended by such industry heavyweights as Demi Moore, Madonna, Lucy Liu, Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek, and "Grey's Anatomy" star Eric "Mr. McSteamy" Dane. The disease is believed to have been  tracked into the club by a bartender, and not, as we naturally assumed, by Paris Hilton.

Socialista owner Armin Amiri (a former doorman at Bungalow 8) did release an official statement, part of which was reprinted in the NY Post:

Although no additional cases of illness have been identified, the New York City Department of Health is urging customers to get the vaccination as a precautionary measure. We are grateful for their efforts and we will continue to support them in every way possible.

Although one visit to Socialista was enough for me, those who haven't had the pleasure can now take solace in knowing that the stringent door policy may turn out to have been a blessing in disguise. From here on out, it may be downhill for Socialista--you know what they say, "Once they start letting Hepatitis in, they'll let anyone in."

(Photo via Paper Mag)

And this just in...

After five-plus years of rocking Atlantic Avenue and entertaining thousands of customers and welcoming hundreds of great bands, Magnetic Field in Brooklyn will be closing its doors on March 31st. Co-owners Lee Greenfeld and William Crane would like to personally thank all of Magnetic Field's staff and patrons for their loyalty over the past few years, as well as all the numerous bands who have brought some truly tremendous and memorable performances to our stage...

The press release also indicates that the bar will go out with a big bang of final shows the last week of March. Check the website or the MySpace page for details.

One bar closes, another one opens...

(Photo courtesy of Magnetic Field)