Mets Complete Collapse, Phillies Take NL East

After blowing a big September lead in the NL East, the New York Mets missed the playoffs Sunday when Tom Glavine was tagged for seven runs during the first inning of an 8-1 loss to the Florida Marlins in the regular-season finale.

New York's loss coupled with Philadelphia's 6-1 win over Washington gave the division title to the Phillies and sent the stunned Mets home for the winter wondering how they squandered a seven-game cushion over the final 18 days of an excruciating season.

Now, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez and the rest of this talented team will forever be remembered alongside the 1964 Phillies and other famous failures for skidding to one of baseball's most monumental collapses.

No major league team had owned a lead of seven games or more with 17 to play, or been up by at least seven on Sept. 12 or later, and failed to finish in first place


Technorati Tags: tonylimo, nyc, mets, baseball

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Tonylimo Show # 2

NYPD Announces Street Closures for U.N. General Assembly

The NYPD has announced street closures,
commuter bus disruptions and anticipated traffic delays relating to the
United Nations General Assembly. The United Nations is located at 1st
Avenue and 42nd Street. The use of public transportation for the
duration of the General Assembly is highly encouraged.



For the first week of the United Nations General Assembly, the
following streets will be completely closed to traffic beginning
Sunday, September 23rd at 9 p.m.:



* 1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street ... The tunnel underpass
from 41st Street to 48 Street will remain open for passenger cars.
Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access.



* 44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue



* 45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue



* 46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

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New Bike Lane Uses Parked Cars as Barrier

Bicycles and cars are grudging partners on Manhattan's congested streets, dodging and sometimes cursing each other as they share the road. But soon they won't have to, at least for a few blocks.

The city plans to experiment with a heavily buffered bike lane in one part of the Chelsea neighborhood, City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said. Bicycles will be separated from auto traffic by both a strip of pavement and a lane of parked cars.

The design, which has been tried in Europe, will be installed within the next month on Ninth Avenue between West 16th and West 23rd streets, Sadik-Khan said.

``It represents the kinds of innovative ideas that we can explore to make the streets more livable,'' she said.

The project will condense cars from four lanes to three, but Sadik-Khan said traffic in the area was light enough that the change wouldn't be a problem.

Technorati Tags: TONYLIMO.NEWS, NYC, TRANSPORTATION

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Diplomatic Gridlock: World Leaders Descend on U.N.

New Yorkers, brace yourself for the downside of diplomacy: horrific traffic.
Police are warning the city to expect major disruptions on Manhattan roadways this week as more than 100 world leaders gather for the United Nations General Assembly.
The city will be closing off streets and rerouting buses throughout the week to accommodate security details and scores of protests on every conceivable issue.

Technorati Tags: tonylimo, NYC, NEWS, TRAFFIC

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'Ninja Burglar' Strikes Again

Sources tell 1010 WINS the most wanted man on Staten Island broke into a Todt Hill home on Flagg Place Thursday night. But he didn't stick around very long. The homeowners, a dentist and his wife, scared him off. The hooded thief became known as the "Ninja Burglar" after more than a dozen North Shore break-ins. Residents are so on edge, our Glenn Schuck says one man answered the door Saturday morning holding a baseball bat.

The hooded thief is suspected in more than a dozen burglaries on Staten Island since last Spring.

In one incident earlier this month, a man claimed he stabbed the burglar after confronting him in his Donagan Hills home.

Anyone with information about the 'Ninja Burglar' is urged to call the NYPD's CrimeStoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.


Technorati Tags: tonylimo, NYC, NEWS, Ninja, crime

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The World's Fastest Limo?

Now here's something very much out of the ordinary. This unique black Ferrari 360 Modena carbon fibre stretch limousine will undoubtedly spin heads when it's unveiled at the European Limousine and Chauffeur Show in the UK this month. The fastest limo in the world according to owner Dan Cawley, the 23 feet long, 400bhp vehicle achieves 0-60mph in less than six seconds and has a top speed of 170mph.

Dan, of Style Limousines in Manchester, commissioned Carbonyte UK to build this outlandish vehicle spending over £200,000 on the modifications. Foregoing the mini bars found in other limos, the Ferrari has been equipped with an extra six seats and nine foot gull-wing doors so it can carry eight passengers in total.

Carbonyte UK is the pioneer of HotFusion Composite Manufacturing Technology that was used on the McLaren SLR Supercar.

Technorati Tags: TONYLIMO, NEWS, LIMOUSINE

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NYC Taxi Drivers Sue to Stop Installation of GPS Units

MANHATTAN (AP) -- A group of cabbies sued city regulators Wednesday in an attempt to block a new requirement that all taxis be outfitted with global positioning systems and software that will record where they drive. The move comes two weeks after thousands of cabbies went on strike for two days to protest the rule, which some have blasted as an invasion of privacy. In the suit, the drivers argue that the city overstepped its authority and acted unconstitutionally when it mandated the units. The suit also makes an unusual claim that the GPS devices will give away trade secrets by disclosing the cabbies' driving patterns. Most hacks, it explained, cruise routes of their own design that they believe lead to the most lucrative fares. "Each taxi driver regards his or her own pattern as proprietary,'' the suit said. Tracking those patterns would cause the drivers to give up their competitive edge, the suit claimed. Officials at New York's Taxi and Limousine Commission referred calls to the city's law department, which said it was reviewing the suit. The GPS units are among several pieces of new technology being phased into cabs this year, including credit card machines, a text messaging system and television screens for passengers. Taxi drivers and fleet owners are divided over the new equipment. Some have embraced it. Others have criticized it as costly and unnecessary. A faction of drivers, led by the Taxi Workers Alliance, struck for two days last month to call attention to the dispute. The Alliance also organized the lawsuit, which was filed at a federal court in Manhattan. The drivers are asking the court to block enforcement of the new technology requirements and reimburse drivers for the cost of installing any equipment already in place. It also seeks an injunction blocking the first round of enforcement of the rules. Cabs that don't have the technology will start failing city inspections as of Oct. 1. Within the past few weeks, the city has also begun fining cab owners who haven't yet signed contracts to install the equipment. Owners have also been threatened with suspensions for failing to comply.

Technorati Tags: tonylimo, NYC, TAXI, NEWS

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Tonylimo Sept 18

ASTORIA, I ADORE YA'

AFFORDABLE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY QUEENS AREA SEES ITS OWN CONDO BOOM

WITH numerous new developments and loft conversions - not to mention a slow but steady influx of new restaurants, bars and residents - Long Island City has generated the lion's share of buzz about Queens. But just north of that emerging district lies Astoria, an area that's long attracted a diverse mix of immigrants (Greeks, Italians, Arabs) and, in recent years, a steady stream of Manhattan rent refugees - young professionals drawn in by affordable prices, great restaurants and a quick commute to Midtown.

And now, a new trend is emerging in Astoria: shiny, new condo developments.

New construction is transforming this renter-friendly neighborhood into the city's latest, greatest 'hood for luxury residential buildings. Currently on the market are the Astoria Windsor at 30-80 21st St., with one-bedrooms with home offices starting at $530,000; the Ionian Condo, at 32-70 41st St., with three 923-square-foot one-bedrooms with balconies remaining for $516,544 and up; and Hoyt Terrace, at 25-47 23rd St., an eight-unit building with apartments starting at $259,000 for a 751-square-foot studio.

And many more are on the way. Developers are eyeing the formerly industrial buildings across from Socrates Sculpture Park and the area along the East River waterfront. TTW Realty is converting the former Sohmer & Co. Piano Factory - and, more recently, the home of the Adirondack Furniture Co. - to residences, while other projects (including a building designed by Karl Fischer) are in the works.

It all smacks of great things for the future. But with its busy commercial thoroughfares (Broadway, 30th Avenue, Steinway Street) packed with ethnic restaurants, supermarkets, fishmongers, green grocers and major retailers like the Gap and Victoria's Secret, Astoria already functions as a convenient, family-friendly neighborhood.

Unlike Long Island City's Hunters Point - where a hipster community is growing along Vernon Boulevard - Astoria is a sprawling, established area with a distinct personality of its own.

Technorati Tags: tonylimo, NY, Astoria, Condo's, NEWS

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`Sopranos' Wins Emmy for Best Drama

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Gone but not forgotten by
voters, "The Sopranos" claimed its final Emmy as best dramatic series.
Winners in other top categories were scattered across the prime time
landscape like the bodies of the show's fallen characters across New
Jersey.

A stunned James Spader felt like he
just "stole a pile of money from the mob" in winning best drama series
actor as a devilish lawyer on "Boston Legal" at Sunday night's
ceremony. And Sally Field was her flustered self as winner of best
actress in a drama for her matriarchal role in "Brothers & Sisters."

Spader rubbed out three-time winner James Gandolfini of "The Sopranos" and last year's upset victor, Kiefer Sutherland of "24."

Technorati Tags: Sopranos, tonylimo, news, emmys

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Simpson Arrested in Connection with Vegas Robbery

LAS VEGAS (1010 WINS)
-- O.J. Simpson was arrested Sunday and faces multiple felony charges
in an alleged armed robbery of collectors involving the former football
great's sports memorabilia, authorities said.


Prosecutors were planning to charge Simpson with two counts of robbery
with use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery, burglary
with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and
coercion, said Clark County District Attorney David Roger.

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Bonds' No. 756 ball generates more than initial estimates

SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds' record-breaking 756th home run
ball was auctioned Saturday for $752,467, well more than the
estimates by memorabilia experts.

Home run No. 755, the ball that tied the record, went for
$186,750, according to Sotheby's/SCP Auctions. Both final prices
included the winning bid plus a 20 percent buyer's fee, according
to the auction houses handling the sale.

Bonds broke Aaron's record of 755 with a shot into the
right-center field seats on Aug. 7 off of Washington Nationals
pitcher Mike Bacsik in San Francisco.

Matt Murphy, a 21-year-old student and construction supervisor
from New York, emerged from a scuffle with the record-breaking ball
after paying $100 for a $12 ticket during a layover on his way to
Australia from his hometown.

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Technorati Tags: tonylimo, sports, news, baseball,

Yellow cabs celebrate 100 years

All hail the taxi: 2007 marks the 100th anniversary of the metered cab.

City officials yesterday marked the centennial by unveiling the
first yellow cab decorated with panels painted in floral patterns by
schoolchildren.

"What better way to celebrate the New York taxi's centennial than to
emphasize the creativity of our children and to display that creativity
for the enjoyment of millions of people every day," said Taxi and
Limousine Commission Chairman Matthew Daus.

It's the latest look for the iconic New York City yellow cab, which
originally was red. Businessman Harry Allen in 1907 assembled a small
fleet of 65 shiny red French Darracq cabs, equipped with meters, and an
industry was born.

Allen launched the business after becoming incensed when a hansom
cab driver charged him and a female companion what he saw as an
excessive amount of money - $5 - for a three-quarter-mile trip in
Manhattan, according to taxi historian Graham Hodges, author of "Taxi!
A Social History of the New York City Cabdriver."

"One hundred years of New York City wreaks many changes in our
lives," Hodges said yesterday. "The taxi driver and his cab are
enduring symbols of New York for tourists and denizens alike. Times may
change, but the hackmen, their virtues and their problems go on
forever."

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- Thousands expected at Liberty State Park to celebrate and press for ending discrimination -

    JERSEY CITY, N.J., Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ --

    What:    The joint New Jersey/New York Rally for Addiction Recovery will
             be the centerpiece of more than 50 celebratory and advocacy
             events taking place across the country to recognize the millions
             of Americans who are in long-term recovery from addiction to
             alcohol and other drugs. Throughout the day, updates will come in
             to the NJ/NY Rally from other events taking place around the
             country.  Organizers estimate that up to 40,000 Americans will
             participate in local addiction recovery rallies nationwide.

             The Rally is being sponsored by Friends of Addiction Recovery-New
             Jersey and national and New York City partners. Actor Tommy Ford
             (Martin, New York Undercover) will give the keynote address.
             David Wellstone, son of the late Senator Paul Wellstone, will
             speak about the need for parity in health care coverage.

    Where:   Liberty State Park, Jersey City

    When:    September 15, 2007 - Registration: Noon to 2:00 p.m.
             Speakers Program: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

        For more information or to arrange interviews with Tommy Ford,
          contact Daniel Meara, NCADD-NJ Public Information Officer
               e-mail: dmeara@ncaddnj.org / phone: 609-477-7011
                To arrange an interview with David Wellstone,
                contact Pat Taylor, FAVOR Executive Director,
             e-mail: pat.taylor@verizon.net / phone: 202-737-0690

Technorati Tags: TONYLIMO, ADDICTION, RECOVERY, LIBERTY STATE PARK, NEWS

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Is a Third N.Y. Baseball Team Feasible?

Imagine a baseball playoff race involving the Yankees, the Mets, and another team anchored in northern New Jersey. The Mets or Yanks would battle with the third team, sort of like the Dodgers and Giants of the Golden Era of New York baseball a half-century ago. Those two teams played their last New York City home games exactly 50 years ago this month and then departed for California. One present-day owner thinks that it is time for baseball to rectify its mistake and get a third team in the area.

The National League abandoned New York and squelched any plans for the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates to take the Dodgers' and Giants' place. Indeed, the league had no plans to return to New York until plans for a rival league, the Continental League, were unveiled in the late 1950s. In October 1960, after there was some congressional pressure put on the separate entities of the American and National Leagues, the NL expanded into New York and Houston.

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AirPort Extreme Base Station with Gigabit Ethernet

Apple has made fast even faster. The AirPort Extreme Base Station (4.5 mice), in its first incarnation, achieved unprecedented speeds for Wi-Fi network transfers, topping 90 Mbps of actual throughput in ideal circumstances. Even in less-than-perfect conditions, the Extreme—with a recently updated draft version of the 802.11n standard—beat its 802.11g predecessor.

Apple has refreshed its previous Base Station by upgrading Ethernet from 10/100 Mbps to 10/100/1000 Mbps, offering Gigabit Ethernet in parity with the speed found on almost the entire Mac lineup. The lack of Gigabit Ethernet was our biggest carp in our last review

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NYC Health Officials: Rise in HIV Infections

NEW YORK (AP) -- Infection rates for AIDS rose over the past six years among gay men under 30. The New York city Health Department says new diagnoses of HIV among gay men under 30 increased by 33 percent during the past six years, from 374 in 2001 to 499 in 2006.

Gay males aged 13 to 19 also saw an increase in H-I-V rates: from 41 new cases six years ago to 87 in 2006.

The majority of new cases were among black and Latino gay men.

Every borough except Staten Island saw an increase in infection rates.

The health department did not offer explanations for why rates among young gay men under 30 or teens between the ages of 13 and 19 have increased.

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NYC Cabbies' Group Plans Strike, Bloomberg Plays Down Threat

NEW YORK (AP) -- A group of New York City taxi drivers is threatening to go on strike Wednesday over new rules requiring all cabs to have GPS and touch-screen monitors that will let passengers pay by credit card.

Read: City's Taxi Strike Contingency Plan

While playing down the likelihood of widespread disruption, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans Tuesday to institute group rides to and from LaGuardia and Kennedy airports if cabbies strike. Currently, drivers are allowed to pick up only one fare at a time.

"Our expectation at the moment is that there will be very few, if any, taxi drivers striking tomorrow and the next day,'' Bloomberg said at a news conference. "I think cooler heads will prevail.''

The New York Taxi Workers Alliance is calling for drivers to go on strike for 48 hours beginning at 5 a.m. Wednesday to protest a requirement that the city's more than 13,000 cabs have the high-tech equipment when they come up for inspection, starting Oct. 1. The alliance claims to represent about one-fifth of the Taxi & Limousine Commission's 44,000 licensed drivers.

Some cabbies fear the video systems could be used to track drivers' movements and that drivers would get stuck paying hefty fees for credit card processing.

Fatal Shooting at Queens Subway Station in Astoria

Police are looking for a group of four or five men seen running from the Broadway train station in Astoria, Queens where a 19-year-old man was shot in the head and killed.

Police say the shooting was reported at 1:15 this morning.

Police are questioning a number of people who were at the train station - because they were coming from the bars and clubs in the neighborhood.

No names have been released.

Battle at Kruger

Family of water buffalo fight for their baby back