Several reviews of Bravo's Project Runway ripoff, The Fashion Show, pointed out that the challenges seemed to be considerably more difficult that the ones asked of contestants on Runway. There's no doubt about that! On the next episode of the Isaac Mizrahi-hosted series, aspiring designers have to put together an outfit for Tinsley Mortimer—on a budget of $40. A preview of the episode—featuring a stilted performance by the Tinz herself—is above.

In unforeseeable news, a married millionaire heir to the Dupont fortune was repeatedly extorted for thousands of dollars by women he met on a site where old rich guys find hot young money-hungry girlfriends.

Short answer: No. Longer answer: Sorta. The New York Times ponders the important question today, as the singing competition show's ratings drop but its revenues continue to skyrocket.

The big subway and bus fare increase won't be so big, after all. The board of the MTA voted today to rescind the package of fare increases and service reductions adopted in March. When fares go up, which will happen on June 28, you'll be paying $2.25 to take advantage of New York's sterling public transportation system, instead of $2.50. [NYT]

You know what was a great idea? To send a low-flying plane cruising down the Hudson river this morning, days after a dude was fired for authorizing a similar flight that scared New York.

All the grease-scarred veterans of the Oprah Chicken Riots of '09 know that they were bad. But did you know they were one of the worst marketing disasters of all time?

Movies about driving and TV shows about the internet are just so hot right now. As are Pixar, that Finch guy from that boy movie, and, as always, Antonio Banderas.

Somebody forgot to do the exorcism, because the Montauk Monster has been found. Again.

Lucy Liu leaving the Kabbalah Center in Midtown ... Jessica Biel shopping with Justin Timberlake's mom in Soho ... Michael Bloomberg watching daughter Georgina Bloomberg competing in an equestrian event in North Salem ... Jim Jarmusch walking and smoking in the Village ... Joan Rivers leaving ABC studios ... Naomi Watts sitting by herself in the park ... Penn Badgley grabbing coffee in the West Village ... Keanu Reeves walking in Soho ... Dennis Rodman leaving his hotel ... Famke Janssen riding a bike downtown ... Pete Wentz walking into his hotel ... Matthew Broderick riding on a scooter with son James ... Rihanna leaving her hotel ... and LuAnn de Lesseps posing for pictures outside the Waverly Inn.

Elizabeth Edwards is, obviously, more or less the most sympathetic woman in the world, as a cancer survivor married to an asshole who cheated on her with some hippie freak. But no one likes her.

Do you know how to "flirtext"? No? Prepare to be single for the rest of your life then. Flirtexting is what women "have to learn" to keep up with the 21st century dating scene, according to Olivia Baniuszewicz and Debra Goldstein, the authors of a new book called Flirtexting: How To Text Your Way To His Heart, who describe themselves as "graduates of The Rules and He's Just Not That Into You"). Now that we live in the "A.C. world of dating"—that stands for "after cell"—it's essential that women be comfortable with flirtexting etiquette, the duo claim, although men can still send the same old boring text messages they've always sent. (Flirtexting isn't for men, since it's a little "girly," explain the authors.) But if all of this sounds a little sexist and clichéd, well, think again.

Could shady Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim become the New York Times Co.'s biggest shareholder in the next couple of years? Sure he could, easy! It all depends how greedy the (broke-ish) young Sulzberger kids are:

Joe Biden is finally useful! Barack Obama has to appoint a Supreme Court justice, see, and his goofy Vice President used to be the guy in charge of torpedoing those nominations.

To Infinity, and Beyond! I mean... um... Frak! Wait. No. I am... your father... Greedo... Bespin... Um... Oh, right! Star Trek prospered this weekend and will likely live long in theaters.

According to brokerage firms Citi Habitats and Ideal Properties Group, the price of one-bedroom apartments in Manhattan fell 6.7 percent during the first three months of 2009. Brooklyn one-bedrooms dropped 3.2 percent during the same time period. [NYT]

Iran is abruptly freeing Roxana Saberi, the freelance American-Iranian journalist who'd been sentenced to eight years in prison last month for spying. US government arm-twisting wins! So what about those other jailed journalists?

[Christina Ricci and her enormous fiance in Los Angeles yesterday; image via Bauer-Griffin]

If you hailed a cab a few years ago, your choice was limited to a Ford Crown Victoria or Chevrolet Caprice. Things have changed a bit since then: In addition to credit card machines and annoying screens in the backseat that dispense the news and weather (plus possibly more hi-tech features to come!), there are now more than a dozen different taxi models roaming the streets, many of which have been introduced in recent months as part of a plan to make the city's fleet of yellow cabs more green. An (incomplete) overview of your options—thanks to photographer SoCalMetro—can be seen by clicking on the image above.

Today we have a cheating TV actor at the Correspondents Dinner, a celebrity caught getting ahead in his dressing room, and an actress who likes to steal flower centerpieces from restaurants.

No big surprise. [NYT]