Read much more on the tricky subject of New York here - It's 'Just don't lose, baby' time for New York Jets' rookie QB Mark Sanchez

New York

Gary Myers

Saturday, December 19th 2009, 6:27 PM

Rex Ryan has worked the Jets back into the division and wild-card races by playing stone-age football: Run the ball, play defense, throw only when it's an emergency.

Simply it should be this:

Don't Blow It, Kid.

Don't Do Anything Stupid.

Don't Throw Away The Season.

Sanchez has taken the Jets for such a wild ride through the first 13 games that Ryan probably needs motion sickness pills to keep his lunch down. But after giving him too much flexibility early in the season, Ryan has put the training wheels back on his bicycle and hopes the young man can steer it straight without flying over the handlebars, especially with thechance that it will be snowing during the game.

His job is pretty simple today in what could be messy conditions. The Jets don't need him to win the game; they just don't want him to lose it.

Ryan needs nothing fancy from Sanchez. The Jets have the NFL's No. 1 ranked defense and No. 1 running game. That is a formula that usually results in a record far better than 7-6, except when you have a rookie quarterback who leads the AFC with 17 INTs and sideline hotdogs consumed. It's a formula that should not fail in December, when cold weather is always a factor and now snow could be, too.

The Jets just need Sanchez to be the game manager Sunday. "This is huge, each week," Sanchez said.

Sanchez has a lot of growing up to do. He learned a painful lesson about listening to Ryan two weeks ago. Just 48 hours after Girardi taught him the finer points of the feet-first slide, Sanchez went flying head first for a first down in Toronto and landed hard on his right knee. He sprained his posterior cruciate ligament and was fortunate it only kept him out one game.

Maybe it's a good thing Sanchez now has a brace on his right knee to go along with the one he was already wearing on his left. It might make him less mobile and less inclined to take off like an 8-year-old chasing an ice cream truck.

This late in the year, Sanchez should have transitioned into a more prominent role in the offense. But everybody develops at their own pace. The experience he's gaining now will benefit the Jets next year. He has shown enough flashes in his 12 starts to see that he is going to be a very good player.

Don't move - Snowstorm Hits New York City: How Do Residents Cope?

New York City

The Big Apple is Getting Hit with a Major Storm, What's it like to Live Through a Mini-blizzard in the Capital of the World?New York City is getting its first winter storm of the year as forecasts predict seven to ten inches of snow will hit the metropolitan area. In addition, wind speeds are expected to hit 30 miles per hour. While this is not quite a blizzard, it certainly is a major winter storm in the weekend before Christmas.

People who do not live in the middle of New York City often ask me how difficult it must be to deal with a snowstorm in a place as crowded and fast paced as Manhattan. Actually, the number of people and fast pace of life very much helps us manage through the snow.

As a ten year resident of the Murray Hill section of Manhattan, I've live through plenty of snowstorms in the city. The thing that strikes me most is how efficiently the city, (and by 'city' I mean the combination of city snow removal service and the local residents and shopkeepers) recovers from major storms.

There is, of course, a natural built in advantage to densely populated areas when it comes to snow cleanup and removal. As most people in Manhattan, and particularly in Murray Hill, live in multi-family dwellings ranging from townhouses to high rises, on a per person basis there is actually very little to clean up.

Nonetheless the preparation and processes involved in advance of the storm itself are truly remarkable. Like clockwork, it seems, hours before the storm city buses have been equipped with chains on their tires, snow plow trucks sit at strategic locations in each neighborhood waiting for the first flakes, and building superintendents and residents have their salt and shovels propped up in front of seemingly every front door in the neighborhood. They are aided, of course, by the fact that we live in a concrete jungle and subways run underneath the streets and that heat tapping pavement is ubiquitous.

The news came as a complete shock: NYC Bans Bluetooth Earpieces for Cabbies

NYC

NEW YORK, NY December 18, 2009 —The city's cab drivers soon won't be able to wear any "bluetooth" devices in their ears, let alone communicate with them. Taxi and Limousine Commission officials say the rule is necessary because the hidden headsets make it difficult to enforce the existing ban on all cell phone conversations behind the wheel. Bhairavi Desai of the Taxi Workers Alliance asks why single out cabbies?

"It really makes no sense to have a stricter rule on a workforce that has better skills and yet they are being held to a higher standard than non-professional motorists," Desai says.

Drivers caught using any prohibited devices will be hit with a $200 fine and have to take a "distracted driver safety course." After three violations, cabbies can lose their licenses.

The new law is expected to go into effect in mid-January.

You can stop laughing, this is not a joke, Lxx_110_002

I smiled when I opened this, anti_christ 反基督 really does have a out to lunch sense of humour Looking for the original link because New York City images are not the nicest to track down!

Can someone share some words of their own ?

What are some nice restaurants in New York City and Stony Brook area?

Hey guys! So I'll be staying in Stony Brook area for couple weeks with my mom. And I'm planning on going out to NYC. So I was wondering what are some good restaurants near the MET for snack(cupcakes?), lunch, dinner and dessert or great restaurants in the city in general. (But not too pricey) Also if you know, any decent place around Stony Brook or Port Jefferson area. I've been researching online. But I want to hear from locals or who've been there. Thanks! :)

New York Sports (yup, that's what's written)

New York

Granderson

Curtis Granderson had a couple things to take care of in his first official introduction to New York on Thursday.

Granderson, acquired by the Yankees in a three-team deal last week, first revealed his new jersey number, 14. The center fielder had worn 28 in Detroit, but that number will be worn by Joe Girardi, symbolizing the Bombers’ quest for World Series title No. 28.

Granderson then did his best to shift the perception he can’t hit lefties. Even though he hit just .183 against left-handers last season, Granderson said his new digs should help that number jump in 2010.

“It doesn't look as small as everyone says it is," he said. “The numbers speak for themselves. Guys have had great years here.”

Alex Rodriguez is in line for another great year, as doctors informed him a second hip surgery would not be necessary.

Fridays news-flash: New York Yankees, first baseman Nick Johnson near agreement

New York

Nick Johnson and the New York Yankees are set to reunite.

And that likely means a separation with outfielder Johnny Damon.

Johnson and his original team are wrapping up discussions for a one-year contract for $5.5 million, a person familiar with the situation told Newsday on Thursday night. The agreement is pending a physical examination.

Johnson's signing would fill the Yankees' need for a designated hitter, doing so within the budget general manager Brian Cashman repeated Thursday that he planned to stay tethered to.

The arrival of Johnson, 31, makes it extremely likely that the Yankees will move on without Damon.

"It's part of baseball," Damon told the New York Times on Thursday night. "Teams try to make moves in hopes to improve their club. I wish them all the best."

Johnson, a first baseman by trade, will serve as the Yankees' primary designated hitter. With Johnson and outfielder Curtis Granderson, officially introduced at a news conference at Yankee Stadium, New York believes it has replaced the left-handed bats of Damon and Hideki Matsui, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels for one year and $6 million on Wednesday.

The Yankees' first choice was to re-sign Damon, but the two sides were far apart in negotiations, with the Yankees discussing a two-year deal for $20 million and Damon looking for three or four years at the same $13 million annual salary he earned the past four seasons.

For Johnson,

he will be coming full circle. The Yankees selected him in the third round of the 1996 amateur draft. He went from the Yankees to Montreal as part of the package for Javier Vazquez in December 2003. He's been injury-prone, but when healthy, he gives the Yankees a bona fide No. 2 hitter against both righties and lefties.

Among current free agents, Johnson had the highest on-base percentage in 2009, at .426 with Washington and Florida. In 133 games with the Nationals and Marlins, he hit .291 with eight homers and 62 RBI.

• Third baseman Alex Rodriguez found out his surgically repaired right hip is holding up fine. "Great news," said Rodriguez, who had surgery in March for torn cartilage and missed the first month of the season. At the time, Dr. Marc Philippon thought Rodriguez would need a more extensive procedure in the offseason. But Philippon recently examined Rodriguez, and an MRI showed the three-time AL MVP's hip had properly healed.

Dodgers: Reliever Justin Miller agreed to a minor league contract with Los Angeles. Miller went 3-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 44 games for the Giants in 2009. Also, Los Angeles reached preliminary agreement with former Cleveland utility player Jamey Carroll on a $3.85 million, two-year deal.

Mets: New York and Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi, 30, agreed to a $3 million, two-year deal. The right-hander became the first major addition this offseason for the Mets. He went 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA and three saves in 56 games last season for the Yakult Swallows. New York also has a bid between $60 million and $65 million over four years for free-agent outfielder Jason Bay.

Orioles: Third baseman Garrett Atkins and reliever Mike Gonzalez reached preliminary agreements with Baltimore, sources told the Associated Press. Gonzalez gets a $12 million, two-year deal, and Atkins receives a one-year contract with an option for 2011 that guarantees him $4.5 million. The deals are pending physicals, according to the sources. Atkins, 29, hit .226 with nine homers and 48 RBI last season for Colorado. He had a career-high 29 homers and 120 RBI in 2006, when he was fourth in the NL with a .329 average. Gonzalez, 31, was 5-4 with a 2.42 ERA and 10 saves last season for Atlanta.

Etc.: Former major league infielder Gookie Dawkins, 30, was given a 50-game suspension for a second positive test for drugs in the minors. He finished last season with Florida's Triple-A team in New Orleans.

New York Daily News: New York Yankees finalize one-year deal with Nick Johnson to replace Johnny Damon

New York

BY Bill Madden

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Friday, December 18th 2009, 4:28 PM

Damon's Farewell

Are you happy that Nick Johnson is returning to the Yankees?

The Yankees finalized a one-year deal, $5.5 million deal with first baseman/DH Nick Johnson Friday, effectively ending Johnny Damon's tenure in pinstripes.

The deal will not be officially announced until sometime next week after Johnson completes a physical.

According to baseball sources, the 31-year old Johnson had more lucrative offers from a couple of other teams but wanted to return to the Yankees for whom he began his career in 2001.

He was one of many options GM Brian Cashman spelled out to the Yankee high command in organization meetings two weeks ago in the event Damon stuck to his demands of a three-year contract at the same $13 million he earned last year. In the end, Damon, according to sources, came down to two years, but still at $13 million per season and by then the Yankees were too far down the road with Johnson.

The signing of the lefty-hitting Johnson, who had a .426 on-base percentage to Damon's .365, solidifies the No. 2 hole in the Yankee lineup, albeit minus the speed Damon provided. It also ends the Yankees' interest in ex-Bergen Catholic product Mark DeRosa, another option Cashman had offered for consideration.

It would appear the Yankee payroll is going to come in at under $200 million for the first time since 2007, although Cashman said Friday he's still on the hunt for more pitching. As of now, the plan is for Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Alfredo Aceves and Sergio Mitre to compete for the fourth and fifth spots in the starting rotation, in which case there may well be a need for another righthanded set-up reliever.

"Right now, there's nothing on the front burner," Cashman said, "but if I can do something between now and Christmas I'm certainly going to try."

Get the facts on the painful subject of New York in this article - NY unemployment rate drops to 8.4 percent for November

New York

New York's unemployment rate dropped for November to 8.4 percent, the state Labor Department reported Thursday.

The jobless rate also fell in Chemung and Steuben counties from October to November but grew in Schuyler County.

Chemung County gained 200 jobs in November in trade, transportation and utilities, according to the Labor Department.

Chemung County's unemployment rate in November was 8.5 percent, compared to the 8.7 percent in October. In November 2008, the county's unemployment rate was 6.4 percent.

Schuyler County reported a jobless rate for November of 8.1 percent, compared to the October rate of 7.6 percent and the November 2008 rate of 6.5 percent. Jobs were lost in the service, leisure and hospitality sectors.

In Steuben County, November's unemployment rate fell to 9.4 percent from 9.6 percent in October. The jobless rate was 6.9 percent in November 2008.

Jobs were reported lost in a variety of areas from mining and construction to manufacturing and leisure and hospitality.

In Tioga County, N.Y., unemployment was at 8.4 percent in November, up from 8.0 percent in October. Tompkins County's November jobless rate was at 5.3 percent -- the lowest in the state.

State unemployment drops from 9 to 8.6% in November (Why am I not shocked)

New York City

TROY — New York’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 9 percent in October to 8.6 percent in November.

At 6.3 percent, Saratoga County ranked second in the top 10 of the state’s counties with the lowest unemployment rates in November, according to figures given Thursday.

In the not seasonally-adjusted numbers, the state’s Labor Department said that, out of 62 counties, Albany ranked fourth with 6.4 percent, Schenectady was 15th with 7.3 percent and Rensselaer was 10th with 7 percent.

Against historical figures, state statistics this year showed a drop in the season-adjusted numbers from October to November. Usually, according to past data, the unemployment rate increases from October to November, said Kevin Jack, state labor market analyst.

This usual increase has occurred with the Capital

District’s unemployment numbers for the past nine years.

 “This is a welcomed relief this year, but I think we need to see several more months of improved numbers like this before we can say we are in an economic recovery. This is a breather before the unemployment rates increase again,” said Jack.

He noted that unemployment rates tend to be lower in upstate and higher near New York City.

Despite the improvement from last month, the announced figures were still higher than last year: In November 2008, the city of Troy’s rate was 6.6 percent; Rensselaer County’s was 5.5 percent; Albany County’s was 5.2 percent; Schenectady County’s was 5.4 percent; and Saratoga County’s was 5 percent.

The seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate for the Capital District in November 2009 was 6.9 percent, the second lowest rate for a region in the state after Long Island.

The number of unemployed state residents decreased from 871,000 to 833,900. Private sector jobs in the state also decreased by 2,500, or less than 0.1 percent, to 7,052,200.

Since the New York State economy went into recession in August 2008, the state’s private sector job count has declined in 14 of the past 15 months, officials said.

“New York State’s unemployment rate at 8.6 percent remained well below the nation’s rate of 10 percent in November 2009. Moreover, employers in the state cut jobs over the past year at a more modest pace than those in the nation as a whole,” said Peter A. Neenan, director of the Division of Research and Statistics. “While the latest data suggest improvement, it is too early to establish a clear trend.”

In the city of Troy, the unemployment rate reached a 16-year high in September at 9.8 percent. It has since dropped to 8.5 percent as of November’s figures.

The last time the Collar City’s unemployment rate was that high was in 1992, when the rate was 10.5 percent in January. Going back to 1990, the lowest unemployment rate the city had was in April and May of 2001 at 3.7 percent, according to the state Labor Department.

 

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Some NYC news: Strong health care debate...Climate agreement progress...NYC shooting

NYC

WASHINGTON (AP) There is growing unrest among Democrats about sweeping health care legislation party leaders and the White House are backing. Labor leader Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO, says the bill has been hijacked by defenders of the insurance industry. That was an apparent reference to two senators, Conn. Independent Joe Lieberman and Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson.

COPENHAGEN (AP) Key portions of a climate deal are falling into place at the U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the U.S. would contribute $100 billion a year by 2020. And China has agreed to open its books on carbon emissions to international review.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Department of Energy and Utah Gov. Gary Herbert have reach a deal over thousands of drums of low-level radioactive waste from South Carolina. It won't be permanently buried in Utah until stricter state guidelines are put in place. Depleted uranium becomes more radioactive over time.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) A federal civil rights agency investigating possible gender discrimination in college admissions will subpoena data from more than a dozen mid-Atlantic universities. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights wants to determine if some colleges offered men more generous aid packages.

NEW YORK (AP) Police say a gunman shot a man, his son and grandson to death in their Manhattan apartment today. The gunman then fell off a fire escape to his death while fleeing the scene.