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Woman jarred off dock into the East River dies

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 28 Februari 2015 | 17.08

A woman fell into the frigid East River from the North Williamsburg ferry dock Friday night when an arriving boat jarred the ramp she was standing on and she lost her balance, a police source said.

The source, who described the investigation into the fatal accident as "preliminary,'' said the tragedy took place at 7:40 p.m.

The desperate woman had held her lighted cellphone aloft as long as she could, hoping it would make it easier to spot her in the water.

She was carried by the tide about three blocks south of the dock, which is at Kent Avenue and North Sixth Street.

She was pulled from the water by NYPD harbor cops, who turned her over to FDNY medics.

The medics performed CPR at the scene, and rushed her to Woodhull Hospital, but doctors there could not save her.

FDNY Battalion Chief Paul Tague said of the operation, "The hardest part was dealing with the ice."

"It's very cold out, the ice is floating, and the tide is moving quickly," he said.

Another firefighter on the scene said, "It's very cold. The water is about 40 degrees right now."

He added, "She was in there for a long time.''

Additional reporting by Aaron Feisand Kenneth Garger


17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Why Matt den Dekker faces an uphill battle for Mets OF spot

PORT ST. LUCIE — Matt den Dekker appeared comfortable against major league pitching over the final two months of last season, but faces a long road to sticking with the Mets this spring.

Den Dekker and Kirk Nieuwenhuis are the primary candidates for the fifth outfield spot, and the fact Nieuwenhuis is without minor league options makes him the strong favorite for the job.

But manager Terry Collins is ready to take a good look at both players, specifically coming off the bench, once the exhibition season begins.

"Which one of those two guys is going to be able to come off that bench as a pinch-hitter?" Collins said Friday. "Because … the best closers in our division are all right-handed. So certainly a left-handed hitter off that bench is going to be a big piece. We've got to get some offense from one of those two guys."

Den Dekker hit .290 over the final two months of last season and continues to impress the Mets with his strong defensive play.

"I know if I'm up in the big leagues I'm going to be counted on to come off the bench and be able to play whether it's defense or pinch hitting," den Dekker said.

"I've got to be ready for that. Just when I go out there, have good at-bats, and I think that last month really showed me that I can do that and play at this level and be successful."


Noah Syndergaard threw from a mound with hitters in the box who weren't permitted to swing, and indicated he was unhappy with his mechanics.

The right-hander shouted an expletive at one point.

"I was a little frustrated," Syndergaard said. "I'm trying to work on a couple of things here and there on mechanics, being a little quicker to home plate, in all aspects, even if there are no runners on base and I'm throwing from the windup."

Syndergaard said he felt loose, but the ball wasn't going where he wanted it.

He is scheduled to follow Matt Harvey on Friday in the Mets' exhibition home opener against the Tigers. The Mets' first Grapefruit League game is Wednesday in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., against the Braves.


David Wright, Michael Cuddyer, Curtis Granderson and Daniel Murphy will sit for the first few exhibition games in an effort to ease them into the spring. The club is concerned about oblique/rib-cage injuries in spring training.


17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sandy Rubenstein pops up in Miami with a young lady

Sandy Rubenstein pops up in Miami with a young lady | New York Post
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February 28, 2015 | 1:52am

Life is good again for Sandy Rubenstein.

The Post spotted the playboy Brooklyn lawyer and a young pal at South Beach's iconic Delano Hotel Friday night.

"I'm not going to talk about any of that," he said of being cleared of rape allegations in Jan

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One more big task for close-knit St. John’s seniors

Emotions will be running high Saturday afternoon at the Garden.

It will be the final regular-season home game for five St. John's seniors, with hated rival Georgetown in town and a win needed to all but seal an NCAA Tournament bid.

It will be a particularly poignant game for D'Angelo Harrison, Sir'Dominic Pointer and Phil Greene IV — the last remnants of coach Steve Lavin's blockbuster recruiting class four years ago.

"I'm going to cry, I'm not going to lie," Harrison said.

Pointer said: "It's an emotional night for all of us. We came here all together and we're all leaving together. Lots of people don't make it this far with each other, and we made it all four years. We're family. We've been here for four years, and we just became brothers. We'll be with each other for the rest of our lives."

The three spent Thursday's media availability finishing each other's sentences, laughing at each other's jokes, smirking at one another like grade-school children. Pointer and Greene each will have approximately 10 family members and friends in attendance. Harrison's family just left town, but he won't feel alone.

"I'll be out there with Dom and Phil's [family]," Harrison said.

They have an incredibly strong bond, the three that never left, closing in on their second straight 20-win season and first NCAA Tournament berth. Maurice Harkless and JaKarr Sampson bolted early for the NBA, God'sgift Achiuwa graduated, Norvel Pelle never qualified to play college basketball, Nurideen Lindsey transferred, and Amir Garrett is now a highly rated pitching prospect in the Reds' minor league system.

"These are the last of the Mohicans," Lavin said. "That first recruiting class will always hold a special place in my heart."

They promised to remain close after graduating, take trips together and talk frequently. Of course, Harrison, Greene and Pointer will go their separate ways this spring, potentially to the NBA, likely overseas, to make a living out of basketball.

D'Angelo Harrison says the St. John's seniors want to finish their careers with an NCAA Tournament bid.Photo: Paul J. Bereswill

This is their chance to leave a legacy, to become just the second St. John's team in 13 years to reach the NCAA Tournament. That Georgetown is standing in the Red Storm's way only adds to Saturday's festivities.

"They're coming here to try to ruin our senior night," Pointer said. "We can't let that happen. … No love lost for them. I like a couple of people on the team, I just don't like the team."

It hasn't necessarily been an easy road. During their freshmen year, Lavin missed all but two games while battling prostate cancer, and they were forced to play marathon minutes due to Lindsey transferring after nine games and the ineligibility of Sampson, Pelle and Garrett. A promising sophomore season came to a thud late, when Harrison was suspended by Lavin for attitude problems. Last season, when they failed to reach the field of 68, was a disappointment.

"Their experience the last four years has been very New York — tough times, challenging times — but it's a group that just continues to move forward, forge ahead in a very admirable way, not only in college degrees, but in terms of the numbers [they've put up]," Lavin said. "I could stay up here five hours talking about each one of them individually and their journey that is so unique, from the time we recruited them to their arrivals to where they are now, as they come down the home stretch to the finish line."

The three never wavered in their commitment to St. John's (19-9, 8-7), and now are within a few victories of seeing all that hard work pay off. They don't plan on saying "what if" years from now.

"We want to make sure that this group that came in together [four years ago] stays the course and finishes on the highest note possible, and that starts on Saturday," Harrison said. "Honestly, [making the NCAA Tournament] means everything — everything. It's the only thing I want to do, it's the only thing we haven't done as group.

"And once we get there, we know we can make noise. We just have to get there first."


17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Execs: Knicks have legit shot to snag Greg Monroe next season

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Pistons general manager and coach Stan Van Gundy had a chance to lock up burly power forward Greg Monroe last summer with a long-term deal when he became a restricted free agent. Now Detroit could be burned.

Despite all the talk about the Knicks' 2015 cap space, several league executives think they're going to have a hard time landing players given their bleak situation. They do believe the Knicks have a legitimate shot at two guys — Long Island's Tobias Harris and Monroe.

Van Gundy and Monroe — and agent David Falk — were unable to strike a deal last summer. Falk couldn't find one elsewhere either. It is believed teams were leery the Pistons would match any offer anyway, and Falk decided it was best to ride it out until 2015 when more teams had cap space, including the Knicks and Lakers.

Monroe, the former Georgetown stud, ended up signing Detroit's one-year, $5.5 million qualifying offer.

In November, with the Pistons owning one of the league's worst records, reports surfaced Van Gundy wanted to ship out Monroe for a first-round pick.

Detroit's post-Josh Smith renaissance has changed those plans. Now Monroe is in position to score big in July and the Knicks are expected to be hot on his trail. He is unrestricted, meaning the Pistons can no longer match an offer.

There are some who think Monroe can command a maximum contract — which, for his years of service, would start at $15.7 million.

Monroe was coy about his free agency, but did let it slip he thinks the Knicks' Derek Fisher will become "a great coach.''

"I'm not thinking about it right now, honestly,'' Monroe said at the morning shootaround before the Knicks' 121-115 double-overtime triumoh on Friday night. "I'm focusing on what I have to do for this team. It's something down the line. When I get to that point, I'll always make the right decision for me and my family, but right now I'm just focusing what I have to do here.''

Monroe, who had 28 points and 13 rebounds — along with four huge missed free throws in overtime on Friday — said he likes New York but doesn't have any connections to the city.

"I played there for the Big East tournament a lot,'' said Monroe, who spent two seasons as a Hoya. "Obviously everybody knows what a great city New York is. But I don't have any connections.''

Fisher said Monroe and center Andre Drummond are "two of the best in the game up front.'' Since Smith was waived, Monroe has been a monster, averaging 16 points and 11.9 rebounds in 30 minutes per game before last night while shooting 49.5 percent.

Shane Larkin steals the ball from Reggie Jackson Friday night.Photo: AP

"It's a compliment,'' Monroe said of Fisher's remarks. "I don't know anyone who turns down compliments. His knowledge of the game, a championship point guard. I think he's going to be a great coach. I definitely thank him for the compliment.''

The Pistons have another person of interest now on the roster, with Reggie Jackson their new starting point guard after a trade from the Thunder. Jackson lurked near Fisher, waiting for him to finish his pre-game press conference. Afterward, the former Oklahoma City teammates hugged and chatted for several minutes. Jackson will be a restricted free agent this July.

"I learned a lot from [Fisher],'' said Jackson, who had 16 points on Friday despite shooting 5-for-24 from the field. "Three years playing together, definitely cherish and value those minutes. He was coaching us on the floor.''

On the night the Knicks traded Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith, there were erroneous reports Jackson had been dealt to the Knicks. It's unclear how close talks ever got.

"It was trending on Twitter,'' Jackson said. We were going into the arena playing Golden State, but I wasn't worried about it.''

Jackson has to figure out if he wants to re-sign with Detroit, which will have injured point guard Brandon Jennings returning. Van Gundy has said the intent is Jackson will be with the Pistons to stay and Jennings, who has one year left on his pact, would have to deal with it.

Jackson said he's hoping it works out.

"It's a great, talented young corps,'' he said. "We got a bunch of pieces around us that are versatile. It looks like the organization is moving in the right direction and I'm trying to be part of it.''


17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘House Of Cards’ Season Three Live-Binge

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 27 Februari 2015 | 17.08

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Today's the day folks. At 3 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, I'll begin live-bingeing the entire third season of Netflix Original series, House of Cards. That entails watching all thirteen new episodes, or "Chapters" as they're referred to, in a row in one sitting.

I'll be recapping in real time major plot points and gif-worthy moments, which will surely include spoilers so needless to say, you've been warned. But I'll also be sharing photos, tweets, and other moments from my first-hand experience watching far too much of one show in one day on both my laptop and through my XBOX One (I plan on switching between the two so I can efficiently screen cap, gif, etc. and continue watching). At the end of each episode we'll bundle it all up into a neat little gallery for you as to make things easier to follow and refer back to as the series rolls on.

I've set some rules for myself based on my House of Cards Binge-Watch Survival Guide and have included a few guess-timations as to how I think my journey will pan out. They are as follows:

  • My goal is to clock in under 15 hours. Can it be done? Last season, each episode ran between 48 and 60 minutes. There are 13 episodes in Season Three which estimates anywhere from 624 minutes to 780 minutes, or roughly 10 to 13 hours. After episode one, or "Chapter 27," I don't plan on sitting through every opening credit sequence, nor the end credits, ultimately shaving off 1 minute, 37 seconds to 2 minutes per episode totaling a saved time of about 19 to 24 minutes. Speaking of "Chapter 27…"
  • In case you missed it, on February 11th, Netflix had a brilliant marketing tactic technical glitch and leaked ten episodes of the series. If you were quick enough, you were able to view the first episode of the season, or "Chapter 27," before you were shut out. That being said, I've seen the first episode, but it's only fair if I start from the top, so note that I'll be re-watching the season premiere.
  • When I binge-watch, I typically power through a couple of episodes back-to-back before designating 10 to 15-minute breaks in between. Divide and conquer!
  • I've set an alarm for every hour until 5 p.m. this afternoon when I estimate I'll be done with the season. This is to keep myself from falling asleep for very long if I were to nod off.
  • I'll be timing myself and documenting everything I've consumed to get me from start to finish. I'm starting with what you see below:

House of Snacks! Think I'm prepared for my epic #LIVEBINGE of @houseofcards Season Three for @deciderdotcom? So far I have: pickles, Pringles, one box of Cheez-Its, coffee, hummus, honey roasted peanuts, a Naked juice, a liter of Diet Coke, 40 oz of peanut butter, 4 cans of Coors Light, a couple of shots worth of Makers, and 2 nips of rum. In the fridge there are personal pizzas and bagels. Feeling ready…

A photo posted by Olivia Armstrong (@itslivers) on

Feel free to join in and tell us about your own experience in the comments section below and on Twitter (@decider). I'm also open to snack suggestions as we move along together from the wee hours of the morning through to the late afternoon. So without further ado, let the House of Cards Season Three Live-Binge commence!

SPOILERS AHEAD.

 

HOUSE OF CARDS: "CHAPTER 27″ (Season 3, Episode 1)

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3:02 AM: So we open with a shot of President Frank Underwood peeing on his father's grave. His father is named Calvin. Anytime we see urine and the name Calvin in close proximity, of course our mind flashes to this.
3:08 AM: Dude is going through some extensive physical recovery. Rachel whacked him good. Damage to the frontal cortex. Yikes. (It's not easy for us viewers, either. Every time he's on screen a high-pitched ringing noise blares through our speakers. Combine this with the 3 a.m. timeframe and it's enough to make us want to go back to bed. Yet, we will soldier on.)
3:14 AM: So Claire is her typical conniving self and coaxing Doug into lying to the authorities about what really happened. Oh yeah, and her and Frank gave Remy Doug's old job. Poor Doug. I have this theory that this whole show is really Doug Stamper's story, but more on that later.
3:20 AM: Meet Gary. Gary is Doug's sweet brother who flew in from Ohio to take care of his bro. Now he's being shooed away. (PS, Gary's got a boner.)
3:22 AM: Awww I miss Colbert already. Especially now that he's reaming out Frank Underwood right now. I think what they're going for here is, Frank totally needs Doug, but Doug will not be fit to do his job anytime soon. Also, just want to note I'm slowly starting to feel like a person instead of a zombie.
3:25AM: Doug meets with Gavin Orsay, aka McPoyle, hot off his guest appearance on The Newsroom, who's hesitant to help him find Rachel.
 3:28AM: I know Frank is scarier than ever right now, but can we talk about how smokin' hot Remy looks this season?
3:37AM: Donald Blythe is the VP? TOTALLY missed that the first time around. Aw, I kind of missed his doughy face.
3:40AM.Hey Doug, is that a Tic-Tac in your mouth or are you just happy to see us? Oh, wait, that's a Percocet? Hashtag Slippery Slopes!
 3:46AM: So Frank's Secretary of State Cathy Durant doesn't want Frank to tap Claire for ambassador. Claire gets her way though. Because in the words of Meghan O'Keefe, she's just a variation of Lady MacBeth, the original ride or die bitch.
3:50AM: So Doug has hired a prostitute who could be Rachel's twin to come over, undress, and squirt whiskey in his mouth. We've heard of "taking a shot" but this is ridiculous(ly sexy).

(Click through the gallery above to see all of our commentary on this episode.)

 

HOUSE OF CARDS: "CHAPTER 28″ (Season 3, Episode 2)

3:56 AM: On to the second episode of the third season before 4 AM. This is truly a victory. Right now, Claire is trying to prove herself while Frank is dealing with traitor Democrats who don't want him to run. At this hour I need something more than politics to keep me going — bring me more butts!

4:00 AM: Molly Parker, baby! Looking fierce as fuuuuuck.

4:05 AM: So Claire blew it at her Senate hearing and the Democratic leadership party, including Jackie Sharp, doesn't want Frank to run. It's our favorite evil power couple against the world now. FYI, I'm about to make a fat cup of coffee.

4:14 AM: #PowerCoupleMontage. For some reason I think I hear the faint distance of the Game of Thrones theme.

4:17 AM: Meet the new Zoey. She's incredibly annoying.

HOLY SHIT PAUSE.

4:18 AM: FRANK UNDERWOOD IS CRYING AND CLAIRE IS GIVING HIM A PITY FUCK. Or is it a pity fuck? Maybe they just finally wanted to fuck without Meechum around. It's super duper weird though to be honest. Guess all those late-night phone calls to Senators really riled them up.

4:23 AM: So Claire didn't get picked for ambassador. But she ended up buying a bunch of rare eggs from some glorified girl scout instead.

4:33 AM: First off-screen table knock, folks! Tap, tap.

So Frank has never been more terrifying. Seriously, no one is safe this season. In an effort to get the Democratic leadership to meet him halfway, he's willing to concede but only if they help him govern for the next 18 months until election.

4:37 AM: Did he say $500 billion? Turning on the closed captioning now. This speech is KICK ASS though. And this whole America Works bill seems like it could actually work.

4:40: Wait, can we talk about how much I hate Seth. He's the Underwoods' latest bitch and sent to spy on poor Doug. If him and Benedict Cumberbatch were long lost snake brothers, I would't be surprised.

OH YEAH CHAPTER 29, YEAH.

4:48 AM: "Chapter 29″

Damn, if only Putin were this hot. Say hello to Russian President Petrov, played by Lars Mikkelsen, brother of Mads Mikkelsen who you may know as Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

Meanwhile, Claire is kissing some serious ass with Cathy.

5:01: Robin Wright is a vision. This crappy screenshot does not do her justice.


17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dad faces 220 years behind bars for molestation conviction

A Brooklyn jury on Thursday found a father guilty of 31 counts of molestation against his own young son.

After rendering their verdict, many of the men and women lashed into the depraved dad — who represented himself at trial — for forcing the boy to further endure two grueling days on the witness stand.

"It was malicious. The way he was asking the questions was like he was trying to trip his son up and make him mess up, so he could get off easy. It was hard to bear, the whole thing," said a male Brooklyn Supreme Court juror, 20, from Flatbush.

"That's your son. You're supposed to be there for him, not against him," said the juror, who didn't want his name used.

The 39-year-old father, whose name is being withheld by The Post to protect his victim, shook his head slightly during the three minutes it took the jury forewoman to repeat the word, "Guilty" 31 times for each of the charges against him, including sex abuse and incest.

He could get up to 220 years behind bars when he is sentenced March 24.

"The boy was courageous to get up there and say what happened, without a doubt, and look his father straight in the eye and admit what he did to him," said a female juror, 60, a paralegal from Flatbush, of the 14-year-old victim.

"Everything the father did was very selfish and self-absorbed. It was catered to him and what he did and the outcomes he would face and there never seemed to be any concern for the son," said another female juror, 23.

"Ultimately he was so preoccupied with defending himself that he showed no emotion or concern for what his son was going through."

In one chilling portion of the father's cross-examination of his son, he asked, "Do you love your father?"

The boy, who was just 8 when he first abused him, paused for several seconds before answering, "I don't know."

Brooklyn assistant district attorney Joan Erskine said during trial that the father abused his son from 2009 through 2011.

The son lives with his mother upstate and stayed with his father during the summer.

The one-week trial was marked by the father bungling through legal issues and asking his son irrelevant questions like whether he had bought him an Xbox as a birthday present.

"I think he had a fool for a lawyer," said the 60-year-old paralegal who sat on the jury.

"He was a smart-ass who thought he could get away with it by getting up there and saying he was representing himself."

Jurors said the most damning piece of evidence was the confession the father signed when he was arrested. They deliberated for a total of about two-and-a-half hours.

The father was selfish to the end.

"Excuse me, Your Honor, I would like protective custody when I go upstate," he whined.


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Suicide-slay cop omitted wife and surviving daughter from pension

The retired Westchester cop who gunned down his teenage daughters and killed himself made sure that his wife and surviving child would be left destitute by his death, The Post has learned.

Glen Hochman, who spent 22 years as a While Plains officer, filed retirement papers on Jan. 30 — about three weeks before the bloodbath — that intentionally left the beneficiary section blank, sources said.

"It's the most selfish final insult," said a family friend from Harrison. "It's reckless and insulting for any man to leave their family high and dry like that, by choosing the zero option on their pension.

"But for him to do that and then kill his children, that's pure evil. He effectively stole the future away from the family he left behind."

Hochman, 52, executed daughters Alissa, 17, and Deanna, 13, in their sleep on Saturday before killing the three family dogs and then turning the gun on himself.

He typed a hateful suicide note that included taunts to his wife, Anamarie, 50, warning her to be financially responsible — even though he knew she would be broke.

He left a second note at the Windward School in White Plains where he worked security and Deanna was a student.

Sources said Anamarie — who wanted a separation — may be able to challenge the retirement papers, but that won't solve her immediate financial problems for her and daughter Samantha.

"We will have to deal with some very difficult issues," Anamarie's uncle, Emil Giliotti, told The Post. "All we have is each other."

Mourners wait in line to attend the wake for Alyssa and Deanna Hochman on Thursday.Photo: Douglas Healey

On Thursday, mourners wearing red and green ribbons waited in a long line to view the closed caskets of the Hochman girls at the Coxe & Graziano Funeral Home in Mamaroneck.

As family and friends traded hugs and blank stares, a television looped photos of the girls from childhood through adolescence.

"We're as heartbroken as can be," a Hochman neighbor said. "We go far back, and right now the only ones on our mind are those two girls, their mother and their sister."

A funeral for the girls will be held Friday at St. Gregory the Great Church on Halstead Avenue in Harrison.

No arrangements have been announced for the father. Sources said there were plans to cremate his body.


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Owners of chic pizzeria Roberta’s locked in $5.4M legal battle

The three owners of the Michelin-starred Brooklyn pizzeria Roberta's — where celebs from the Clintons to Beyonce have noshed on $17 kale-topped pies while average Joes wait in hour-long lines — are battling over $5.4 million in dough.

The food fight started in December when partners Brandon Hoy and Carlo Mirarchi fired the co-founder of the Bushwick pizza mecca Chris Parachini over disagreements about expansion that led to buyout negotiations.

The talks broke down when Parachini turned his nose up at a $2 million offer to purchase his 25 percent share in the company. Parachini's counter-offer was $2.9 million for Roberta's and its spinoffs including a restaurant in the Rockaways and another $2.5 million for intellectual property.

"Roberta's has grown into a name representing quality and success that is synonymous with Brooklyn and recognized across the world," Parachini bragged in an September 2014 letter to his estranged partners, mentioning a pending deal in Asia and talks with the Ace Hotel chain.

When Parachini, who'd been absent from the Moore Street eatery for four months during buyout talks, showed up at the hipster pizzeria after his ouster his partners called the police, according to court papers.

"Our worst fears became a reality on Dec. 22, 2014 when Parachini appeared at the restaurant and began telling staff he was the 'boss' an 'owner' and they had to listen to him," Hoy says in an affidavit.

"We are concerned that this will end in a physical altercation before the police will take any action, based on the prior history with Mr. Parachini and his erratic behavior," Hoy says.

When cops refused to intervene Hoy, 37, and Mirarchi, 34, filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court to keep him away from the joint.

A judge granted the emergency order on Dec. 31, but also said that Parachini should be paid a salary and given him access to their books during the lawsuit.

In a written response to the allegations Parachini fumes, "I have no history of violence nor have I ever threatened any of my partners or employees. This is a total fabrication…presented to inflame the court."

He calls the legal attack "malicious, unconscionable" and "an attempted theft of my ownership."

The 42-year-old Arverne, NY resident says his relationship with his partners soured in July after a trip to Los Angeles to talk to reps for the Ace Hotel chain to open a restaurant in a new hotel that's slated to open on the Lower East Side.

Then Hoy went behind Parachini's back to make changes to a new takeout counter next to Roberta's, Parachini says in court papers.

The parties are due for a courtroom showdown in late March when Mirarchi and Hoy will bring 15 employees to testify against Parachini.

The threesome started the pizzeria with a measly $43,000.

Parachini projects that his partners will net $10 to $15 million over the next 10 years with the New York business alone, according to court papers.

Gloria Steinam and "The Big Lebowski" director Joel Coen joined Bill and Hillary Clinton for a 2012 fundraiser. Beyonce stormed out of the joint last year when she was dining with her husband Jay Z days after their famous elevator blowout, according to reports.

Parachini and his lawyer did not return calls.

Hoy and Mirarchi's attorney, Kevin Sean O'Donoghue, said that Roberta's has been "more successful than ever" since Parachini was fired.

"His involvement is not a material need for the company," O'Donoughue added.


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Earl Lloyd, first black player in NBA, dies at 86

Earl Lloyd, the first black player in NBA history, died Thursday. He was 86.

Lloyd's alma mater, West Virginia State, confirmed the death. It did not provide details.

Lloyd made his NBA debut in 1950 for the Washington Capitals, just before fellow black players Sweetwater Clifton and Chuck Cooper played their first games.

"The State family mourns the loss of a fellow Yellow Jacket and trailblazer who was a true champion both on and off of the basketball court," West Virginia State President Brian Hemphill said in a statement. "When Earl stepped out on the court on that fateful date in 1950, this remarkable man rightfully earned his place in the historic civil rights movement and, more important, he opened the door to equality in America."

Lloyd helped the Syracuse Nationals win the 1955 NBA title, joining teammate Jim Tucker as the first black players to play on a championship team.

The 6-foot-5 forward averaged 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 560 regular-season games in nine seasons with Washington, Syracuse and Detroit. He missed the 1951-52 season while serving in the U.S. Army.

Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003 as a contributor, Lloyd was 22-55 as Detroit's coach in 1971-72 and the first nine games in the 1972-73 season.

Lloyd, a native of Alexandria, Virginia, lived in Crossville, Tennessee.


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A-Rod playing first? Girardi says ‘he is willing to do anything’

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 26 Februari 2015 | 17.08

TAMPA — Judging from Alex Rodriguez's eyes when the possibility of attempting to play first base surfaced, Joe Girardi is convinced the disgraced slugger is on board with an idea that would give the Yankees lineup flexibility.

"He is willing to do anything,'' Girardi said after talking face-to-face with Rodriguez at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday. "He said, 'I am here to do anything to help this team win.' So, he is willing to do it.''

Earlier in the week, Rodriguez said he has never taken a ground ball at first base. However, Girardi said that won't be trouble if he decides to test Rodriguez, who finished a physical before going to the minor league complex to work out, at the position.

"I don't think the actual catching and throwing will be a problem. It's knowing how to come off the base and be prepared. Knowing where to be on cuts and relays,'' said Girardi, who has Mark Teixeira and Garrett Jones to play first base. "Alex studies the game so I think he can pick that up.''

Asked if Rodriguez apologized to him for being suspended last season for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal, Girardi said, "That sort of thing, I will keep between us.''

Rodriguez's introduction to first base might come in the minor league complex on a day he isn't in the lineup for a big league exhibition game.

"We talked about what our goals are in spring training and I told him I would get him as many at-bats as I could that he could physically handle,'' said Girardi, who added Rodriguez would play some third base.


If Rodriguez hits six home runs and ties Willie Mays for fourth on the MLB all-time home run list at 660, the Yankees remain confident they won't have to pay him a $6 million bonus even though the clause is included in the 10-year, $275 million contract Rodriguez signed following the 2007 season.

"The language is pretty clear," said a person with knowledge of the contract, which describes the possible $30 million in bonuses for milestones.

The Yankees believe Rodriguez's involvement in the Biogenesis mess that led to a year's suspension, the longest for performance-enhancing drugs in baseball history, means tying Mays no longer has any "milestone value.''

In addition to $6 million for tying Mays, Rodriguez could collect $6 million for matching Babe Ruth's 714 homers, Hank Aaron's 755 and Barry Bonds' 762, and for eclipsing Bonds' all-time record.

Alex Rodriguez signs an autograph for a fan after his workout Wednesday.Photo: N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg

At this point, there is no guarantee Rodriguez will play another big league game. He will be 40 in July, is operating on two surgically repaired hips, and has played in 44 games the past two seasons and no games since 2013.

Even if Rodriguez plays the final three years of the deal (worth $61 million) it's
hard to see him hitting 54 more homers to tie Ruth's 714.

Since surfacing Monday at the Yankees' minor league camp, Rodriguez has been coy about questions relating to Biogenesis and the milestone issue.

If Rodriguez reaches 660 and the Yankees refuse to hand him $6 million, Rodriguez could fight it. However, that could lead him to having to talk about his Biogenesis involvement, which he has been reluctant to do since starting workouts.


Masahiro Tanaka will throw his third bullpen session of the spring on Thursday at GMS Field.

"I haven't seen him hold back, I didn't see him hold back in his bullpen the other day,'' Girardi said of the right-hander, who is coming back from a small tear of the ulnar collateral ligament and rehabbed it instead of undergoing Tommy John surgery.

"I think he feels pretty good about it."


If Rodriguez doesn't remember Jeff Pentland, it won't sour the relationship between him and new Yankees hitting coach.

"I talked to him once [since being hired],'' said Pentland, who was the hitting coach for the Cubs, Royals, Mariners and Dodgers. "Whether he remembers me or not, I don't think is important. I am here now and we will definitely have a relationship. Hopefully, a good one.''

Pentland has not worked with Rodriguez yet since Rodriguez worked out at the minor league complex Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The first full-squad workout is Thursday at GMS Field.


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Mets, Collins glad to have this late-game secret weapon

PORT ST. LUCIE — The key to being a good pinch hitter, Matt Stairs said Wednesday, is to embrace the role.

"I did not want to play every day," Stairs, now a Phillies color commentator for Comcast SportsNet, said Wednesday in a telephone interview. "I didn't get paid enough to play every day."

John Mayberry Jr., one of Stairs' many students scattered throughout the game, wouldn't mind playing every day. On his new team, the low-payroll Mets, his $1.45 million salary will place him above regulars Travis d'Arnaud, Wilmer Flores and Juan Lagares. Yet the Mets' second-most expensive acquisition of the offseason, after Michael Cuddyer, gets it (his status on this team) and will work hard at it (pinch hitting). The Mets are happy to have it (a late-inning offensive asset).

"I think the biggest key for any part-time player is to always be thinking ahead and thinking of different scenarios where you might enter a ballgame," Mayberry, 31, said Wednesday. "So I think over the past few years, I've gotten better at anticipating situations I might be put in. I think that gives you a better chance to be successful."

"Maybe one of our lefty-hitting outfielders, [Matt] den Dekker or [Kirk] Nieuwenhuis [is hitting]. They've got [Detroit lefty Tom] Gorzelanny or somebody coming out of that bullpen," manager Terry Collins said. "They know John Mayberry's sitting over there? They've got to decide, 'Who do I want to face? Because jeez, this guy kills lefties.' … So I think he brings that presence to the bench as that quality right-handed hitter."

Last year, splitting his time between Philadelphia and Toronto, Mayberry tallied a .400/.438/.933 slash line in 32 games as a pinch hitter, hitting four homers and driving in 12 runs. Against lefty pitchers, he posted a .243/.341/.571 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 82 plate appearances. The 2014 Mets went .230/.305/.328 with 22 homers and 118 RBIs in 1,452 plate appearances versus southpaws, so you can understand why they picked up a pair of righty bats in Cuddyer and Mayberry while they hope, too, that captain David Wright enjoys a bounce-back season.

The son of former Royals and Blue Jays slugger John Mayberry — he was born in 1983, the year after the elder Mayberry wrapped up his career with a lackluster Yankees experience — he played for Stanford then got selected by Texas in the first round (19th overall pick) of the 2005 amateur draft. So he arrived with hopes of a high ceiling. However, the more frequently Mayberry has played, the worse he has performed. In 2012 and 2013 with the Phillies, the seasons in which he received the most at-bats (479 and 384, respectively), he was a below-average National League hitter.

Mets' John Mayberry Jr. takes fielding practice Wednesday.Photo: Anthony J. Causi

Hence the logic in preserving him for the opportunities in which he is most likely to excel. When the Mets face lefty starters like Washington's Gio Gonzalez, Atlanta's Mike Minor and Mayberry's old Phillies friends Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee, assuming they don't get traded, Mayberry will be in the starting lineup. When a righty starts, Mayberry will sit on the bench and put into action the tips he learned from Stairs, his Philadelphia teammate in 2009, and Greg Dobbs, with whom he shared the Phillies' clubhouse in 2009 and 2010.

"The first few innings, I'm kind of just watching the game, getting in the flow of the game and seeing how things are going, obviously," Mayberry said. "[In the] fourth inning, I kind of start moving around and go to the cage. It obviously differs depending on the stadium you're in. If you're in Chicago or something (Wrigley Field has limited facilities), you don't have access.

"Each inning I progressively get warmer and warmer" — by swinging, throwing, running and stretching, he explained — "and by the sixth, seventh inning, I should be ready to go."

"I think when Junior came up, we talked quite a bit. I think the main thing was not to expect to get a hit every time up here," Stairs said. "You don't put too much pressure on yourself, and a lot of players do when they pinch hit."

The Mets believe they finally have reached a place where they will be playing high-pressure games, in high-pressure months. If that actually happens, watch the opposing manager contemplate whether to leave in a lefty reliever with Mayberry sitting in the Mets' dugout. You might even see Collins, proud to own this piece in the chess game, crack a small smile.


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Rule 5 pick will get every chance to win a spot in Mets bullpen

PORT ST. LUCIE — Sean Gilmartin has one distinct advantage over the others battling for a potential second left-handed reliever's role in the Mets bullpen this spring.

As a Rule 5 draft selection, Gilmartin must be placed on the 25-man roster by the end of spring training or offered back to his former team, the Twins.

Manager Terry Collins said he expects to give Gilmartin every chance to succeed this exhibition season in a lefty competition that also includes Scott Rice, Jack Leathersich and Diego Alvarez. As it stands, Josh Edgin is the only lefty assured a spot in the bullpen.

If the Mets go without a second lefty, they could give the job to veteran Buddy Carlyle, who has an opt-out in his contract.

"You have to give [Gilmartin] an opportunity to pitch," Collins said Wednesday. "He's got to show us what he can do. In that situation you don't want to send him out there once or twice. As we get into spring training we're going to find out, 'Can he get that left-handed hitter out?' "

Gilmartin, 24, said it will be strange preparing this spring not knowing if he will be property of the Mets or Twins on Opening Day. He may also be placed on waivers if neither the Mets nor Twins want him.

"I'm not really putting too much emphasis this spring training on [the job competition]," Gilmartin said. "Just go out there and get ready for the season, wherever I'm going to be at."

Gilmartin split time between Double-A and Triple-A last season with the Twins. At Triple-A Rochester he was 2-4 with a 4.28 ERA in 14 appearances.


Collins said he expects to address the team Thursday before the initial full-squad workout of the spring, but wouldn't divulge what his message will be.


Matt Harvey is scheduled to throw batting practice on Friday. It will be the right-hander's first time facing hitters since undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2013.


The Mets have scrapped their Sunday bowling nights that had become a spring-training staple in an effort to build team unity. According to a club source, so many fans were showing up at the local bowling alley and asking players for autographs and pictures, it was almost defeating the purpose of the nights.


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What Derek Fisher is looking for from Carmelo when he returns

BOSTON — Derek Fisher is hoping Carmelo Anthony rejoins the club soon to serve as an off-the-court leader.

Anthony has stayed away from the Knicks since his knee surgery Thursday. He is still on crutches. The Post reported Monday the surgery repaired an undisclosed partial tear of his left patellar tendon that he played on almost all season.

Fisher said he speaks to Anthony daily, but hasn't seen him since the operation. Fisher hopes Anthony will soon return to extend some leadership to a 10-46 club that is bare bones and crying for a veteran presence with Anthony done and Amar'e Stoudemire nopw with Dallas.

"I think eventually he will [be with the team],'' Fisher said. "Once he's cleared to start moving around, he'll be around the team and back at the facility as his rehab picks up. He's looking forward to being back around the team from a leadership standpoint. Even though physically he's not able to play, the team still feels his impact. He's a smart basketball player. His eyes and ears can help a lot of guys out there.

"I'm checking on him each day, making sure he's good. We're looking forward to seeing him back.''

Anthony won't be allowed to scrimmage for four to six months. That Anthony played on a torn tendon brings a new perspective to his season of struggles, which was also marred by back spasms. He played 40-of-53 games — plus the All-Star Game — before he shut it down.

"I don't think any of us doubt he was limited with his movement due to his knee and the back spasms that popped up in Houston,'' Fisher said. "It was a disjointed stretch for him physically. We saw a lot of those limitations. But some of it was also trying to fit into what we were doing [in the triangle offense] and trying to balance how we're playing now and not do too much to overexert himself to make sure we have balance as a team.''

Anthony averaged 24.2 points on 44 percent shooting, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists. His offensive rebounding, ability to get to the foul line and help with defense was most affected by the tear in his knee.

Jose Calderon is battling a sore Achilles tendon.Photo: NBAE via Getty Images

"When he's back, he'll be able to find that balance right from the beginning and not spend a lot of time trying to figure it out,'' Fisher said. "He's looking forward to the day when he can just play and not think about what's going on physically.''


Jose Calderon left the locker room with his left foot in a walking boot with what was termed a sore Achilles tendon. Calderon said more testing will be done. He said he's felt pain there for "a few weeks'' and it worsened after getting hit on a layup attempt in the first half.

Calderon said the pain is sharper, which is why he wore the boot for precautionary reasons.


Knicks rookie Cleanthony Early had been shooting bricks recently so Fisher has told him make an impact somewhere else, even play with the same passion he displayed during his career at Wichita State.

It seemed to help as Early had a better game. He had eight points, four rebounds, two steals and shot 4-for-7 from the field.

With Anthony out, Fisher has vowed to give Phil Jackson's first draft pick the playing time needed to work through his mistakes and started him last week.

Early is shooting just 33 percent.

"We talked to him about not worrying about the shot as much as a young player, to find what it is you can do to help the team,'' Fisher said. "Defensive energy and being a guy who plays with passion is what attracted everyone to him and why we drafted him. Those are the things we want to see from Cle every night. And if he makes a shot, we'll take that as well."


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How the Red Sox are starting to look like the Evil Empire 2.0

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Yankees have much to worry about these days. One of their biggest concerns has to be the championship commitment from Red Sox ownership.

Not only in dollars spent, but in mindset as well.

Larry Lucchino, one of those Red Sox owners, recently got banged up in a motorcycle accident in California on a road leading to the Point Reyes Lighthouse.

Lucchino has been riding a motorcycle for many years and counts himself a big fan of "Sons of Anarchy.''

The Yankees and Red Sox have long had a turf war in the AL East, a war the Red Sox are winning on and off the field.

They have won three championships over the last 11 years. The Yankees have one over the past 14 years.

"We're in it to win championships,'' Lucchino said Wednesday at JetBlue Park. "We're not in it to be consistently second or consistently third. We want to win championships.''

Noted Tom Werner, another of the Boston owners: "We have a strong commitment to winning. We play for championships. We were all smarting over the [last-place] finish we had last year.

"It's our intention to play baseball in October every year. We know that we made some mistakes last year and those mistakes were compounded by injury.''

The Red Sox are beating the Yankees at their own game, with the signing this week of 19-year-old Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada the latest victory.

Some maintain the Red Sox have become the new Evil Empire, the nickname Lucchino mockingly stuck on the Yankees.

Lucchino, though, didn't want any part of that comparison.

"There are a lot of things people could get me to say, but I could never admit to that," Lucchino said. "Not by a long shot in my mind.''

The Red Sox have become more of an empire, evil or not.

The Red Sox outbid the Yankees for Cuban star Yoan MoncadaPhoto: AP

They have spent $329 million on acquiring players in recent months.

"We are different. We run our clubs differently,'' Lucchino said of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. "There's a commonality in our willingness to invest in sizable sums for baseball players, whether they be short-term additions or long-term development projects.''

It's not simply about writing checks, it's about identifying talent and the Sawx have found more ways to win championships than the Yankees have in recent history. That is a testament to ownership and management.

Even though the Red Sox have only one postseason appearance over the last five seasons, Werner looks at the 10-year window from 2004 to 2013. "I look at it that we've won three championships of the last 10,'' he said. "When I look at the group of players this year, it gives me a feeling similar to 2013.

"I feel a great sense of optimism.''

The signing of Moncada, who arrived here Wednesday and then headed to Boston for a physical, speaks volumes.

"Our baseball operations people all had a very, very strong review and recommendation for this player,'' Werner said. "We put a lot of weight into our baseball [operations] people. We wanted to add depth to our organization.''

The Yankees thought highly of Moncada, too, but didn't close the deal like the Red Sox did by spending $63 million.

"It speaks volumes about our commitment to winning that we've been talking about since we got here,'' Lucchino said. "That's the basic rock on which the church is built.''
The Red Sox will cross over the $200 million mark in payroll this season after finishing in last place for the second time in three years.

"In 2003 with a disappointing season, we increased our payroll about $35 million the next year because we didn't want to finish second,'' Lucchino said.

"In 2006 we increased our payroll about $30 or $35 million. So we have invested in the future. Many times it has worked out in the short-term, sometimes there are longer-term investments. We are willing to sacrifice some profits for a winning baseball team.''

That is the way to get the championship job done.

Evil or not, the Red Sox have become the better Empire.


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State Dept. official charged with soliciting sex from a minor

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 25 Februari 2015 | 17.08

A U.S. State Department official was jailed Tuesday on a charge of soliciting a minor.

Daniel Rosen was arrested at his home in Washington, D.C., about noon Tuesday and was in custody at the D.C. jail Tuesday night, said Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Department spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell.

Rosen, 44, was arrested "following a series of online exchanges" with a detective assigned to the Fairfax County Police Department's Child Exploitation Unit, Caldwell said. He was charged with one count of "use of a communications device to solicit a juvenile."

Caldwell did not release any other details of the investigation. She said Rosen would be extradited to Fairfax County jail, but she did not know precisely when.

Caldwell said the occupation listed for Rosen is "director of counterterrorism" for the U.S. State Department.

In a statement issued Tuesday night, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the department was aware that one of its employees had been arrested and charged but "for issues related to Department personnel and for privacy reasons" could not identify the person or the charges.

"His security clearance will be suspended and he will be put on administrative leave while this proceeds to its end through any judicial process," Psaki said.


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Sheldon Silver nearly takes a tumble after court appearance

Sheldon Silver is certainly skating on thin ice legally — and after court Tuesday, the embattled former Assembly speaker almost fell flat on his keister!

Minutes after pleading not guilty to sweeping corruption charges, the once-powerful politician barely dodged another embarrassing fall from grace when he slipped on a mound of ice and barely avoided landing on his butt.

Silver, 71, avoided injury after losing his balance outside Manhattan federal court on Centre Street as a TV newsman and one of the Manhattan assemblyman's lawyers, Joel Cohen, grabbed him by his shoulders to catch him before he could fall.

Inside the courthouse, meanwhile, Cohen and Silver's team of legal eagles insisted the charges should be dropped — because the pol's accuser has a big mouth.

The lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the charges — which allege Silver lined his pockets with nearly $4 million in bribes and kickbacks in a stunning abuse of power dating to at least 2000 — claiming public statements that Manhattan US Attorney ​Preet Bharara made about the case "caused irreparable harm by tainting" the grand jury that indicted him on Feb. 19.

Silver's lawyers say those same statements would ultimately taint any future jury should the case head to trial.

"Mr. Silver has been deprived of his presumption of innocence," defense lawyer Steven Molo said after Silver pleaded not guilty to the wire fraud, mail fraud and extortion raps.

Assistant US Attorney Carrie Cohen said there has been "nothing extraordinary" and "nothing premeditated" about Bharara's remarks on the case.

Silver faces up to 60 years behind bars.


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Dad on trial for molesting son says it was a ‘sex lesson’

The Brooklyn father who is representing himself in his trial for molesting his son took the stand Tuesday, telling the jury that he was just teaching his son about the "birds and the bees" and "about sex with a woman."

The 39-year-old father tried to explain the sexual attacks — which prosecutors say began when his son was just 8 years old — by saying he was actually acting as an instructor.

"Am I allowed as a father to teach my son about the birds and the bees? Yes," the father said, admitting sexual behavior with his son but denying any contact.

"Am I allowed to teach him about sex with a woman? Yes. Teaching, yes. Touching, no. I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't touch my son."

The jurors didn't react to his testimony, but when they filed out afterward, at least one juror could be heard laughing loudly.

Last week, the father made his now-14-year-old son face him over two days of probing questions about the abuse.

The father was supposed to testify Monday but when he got to court he said another inmate at Brooklyn House of Detention had attacked him after reading a news story published about him.

The father claimed the attack had upset his plans to prepare for his testimony, so it was pushed back a day.


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NYPD cop claims store harassed him for ‘shopping while black’

A Brooklyn man claims workers at a New Jersey electronics store detained him, frisked him and even called local cops on him for "shopping while black" — and he's an NYPD cop!

Officer Sammari Malcolm, 40, who works out of Staten Island's 120th Precinct, is suing the PC Richard & Son in Lawrenceville for $5.75 million, claiming its staff detained and frisked him, and then called local cops on him, after he tried to buy a pricey Sony flat-screen TV with his own credit card, even showing his driver's license as backup ID.

Malcolm says he bought the $3,000 TV and over $1,000 worth of other electronics on Sept. 30 — but even after his credit card was accepted, store staff surrounded Malcolm and said he was under arrest for using a stolen credit card and a fake driver's license, according to his Brooklyn Supreme Court suit.

They detained him for at least two hours, called cops to report a "suspicious male black" and asked him how he got his credit card, according to the lawsuit.

"When plaintiff asked, 'Did you profile me?' [manager] Benedetto Aiello responded, 'Yes, because we get hit a lot with people from New York.'"

Store manager Aiello, reached by phone, declined to comment. Local police referred calls to Lawrence Township, which declined to comment.


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Obama’s nuclear vow to Iran a potential catrastrophe

Reports that President Obama agrees Iran should be free to make a nuclear bomb in about 10 years put the lie to his repeated vow never to allow an Iranian nuke. The broken promise is the international twin to his domestic whopper that you "can keep your doctor."

You can't, but Iran can keep its enriched uranium, making this lie an even bigger bombshell. As in, bombs away.

It is impossible to overstate the potential catastrophe of the emerging deal. If the terms reported by The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal and others become final, it would mean the United States and leading UN powers give their blessing for the world's largest sponsor of terrorism to have the ultimate weapon, effectively rewarding Iran for decades of criminal behavior and acts of war against America, Israel and others.

The deal also would launch a new round of nuclear proliferation among Arab states, with Saudi Arabia long promising to get a bomb if Iran does. Others fearful of Iran's dominance are sure to follow, escalating the tit-for-tat patterns in the region into a nuclear nightmare.

In addition, an unbound Iranian nuclear industry and spreading enrichment technology make it likely that one or more of the Islamic terror groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, al Qaeda, Boko Haram and Islamic State, is likely to get the bomb. And there is no doubt they would use it.

In short, the unfolding nuclear landscape presents the whole of mankind with unprecedented peril.

The terms of the developing agreement, as explained to reporters by negotiators, vindicates concerns that Obama would surrender to Iranian demands while claiming otherwise. He caved in with a deal that envisions a decade-long phase-out of restrictions, allowing Obama to say that there will be no bomb on his watch.

In reality, that is meaningless. The American stamp of approval for a nuclear Iran instantly reshapes geopolitical strategies.

Israel faces a new era of extreme risk, simultaneously in the cross hairs of a genocidal enemy and betrayed by its longest and closest ally. The betrayal continued even yesterday, with Secretary of State John Kerry blasting critics, presumably including Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Anyone running around right now, jumping to say we don't like the deal, or this or that, doesn't know what the deal is," Kerry said in Senate testimony. "There is no deal yet."

That's only technically accurate because Obama and Kerry are keeping the details secret. The scam recalls how the White House hid the details of ObamaCare until the bill was passed; it's what the FCC is doing with Internet regulations.

The timing is especially suspect, with the nuclear deal moving toward finality on the eve of Netanyahu's planned speech to Congress next week. Iran recently said the US was "desperate" for an agreement, and the reasons are obvious. Getting Iran's signature on a document, any document, before the visit would allow Obama to take the steam out of Netanyahu's warning by spinning the settlement as the best possible and making it seem unstoppable.

It will be — unless Congress finds a spine. The White House says Obama does not plan to send the agreement to the Senate for ratification, arguing it falls outside the definition of a treaty.

That shouldn't fly, given the stakes to us, Israel and our Arab allies. But that all depends on whether Democrats continue to put loyalty to Obama ahead of their duty to America's national security.

Even a handful of Dems joining with majority Republicans would be enough to reject any terms that allow Iran to get a nuke. In doing so, those senators would be enforcing the refrain that no deal is better than a bad deal.

And make no mistake — Obama has produced a very bad deal. Bad for America, and bad for the world.

Left's got own view of police serve-us

It has been said that one is an example, two is a coincidence and three is a trend. By that standard, progressive New York pols have a police problem.

Their problem is that they have no respect for cops and feel entitled to treat them like personal servants.

Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson is the latest to join the police crap list, with The Post reporting that he sends his security detail on family food runs and has them take out the trash.

His actions are a slight variation on those involving Scott Stringer, who got into a tiff with his security detail when he reportedly turned them into family chauffeurs.

The problem begins at the top. Mayor de Blasio got elected by demonizing the NYPD, and many officers returned his insults by turning their backs on him.

Tensions have been reduced, but not because de Blasio mended his attitude. The ideological retraining of the entire force to meet Al Sharpton's demands looks like an expensive flop, as well as an insult.

Instructions for cops to use breath mints, close their eyes in moments of stress and take deep breaths smack of faculty-lounge baby talk. The amateurish approach illustrates how little the left understands about the dangers of policing and the successful strategies that drove crime to historic lows.

What's next — a replay of the television fantasy that cops should be able to shoot the guns out of perps' hands?

The pattern reveals a class prejudice, with the pols revealing themselves to be snooty bigots who see cops as inferior and alien beings.

Perhaps the NYPD should file a civil-rights lawsuit for discrimination. That would be delicious turn-about.

Rudy's aim is true

Now that Rudy Giuliani has conceded some of the language he used to criticize President Obama was over the top, it's time to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The former mayor's basic point was that no president in memory talked down the country the way Obama does. He was accused of both racism and McCarthyism, before the truth came out in the most unlikely of places — The New York Times.

Taking up a Giuliani challenge, two of its reporters searched Obama's speeches and found a telling pattern: to his "most emphatic expressions of patriotism," the president often attaches a scalding criticism of America, including when he is on foreign soil.

In other words, Giuliani was right. End of story.

Oscar 'Snow' job

If you were keeping score at the Oscars, you saw this coming. A film hailing Edward Snowden, a fugitive traitor to America, wins in the documentary category. "American Sniper," the story of a real-life military hero, gets the brushoff.

Of course, "Sniper" suffered from another hurdle, too. It was widely popular with ordinary Americans, which is usually a curse among Hollywood elites.

NY, who we gonna call? Dirt buster!

Calling all prosecutors.

A Siena College poll yesterday contained a welter of sometimes confusing numbers, but one finding stands out for its absolute clarity: 92 percent of New Yorkers believe corruption remains a serious problem in Albany.

Go get 'em, Preet.


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NYPD using ‘Road House’ movie to teach cops how to ‘be nice’

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 24 Februari 2015 | 17.08

The NYPD has turned to Patrick Swayze to teach city cops how to behave.

Police bosses are using a scene from the 1989 action flick "Road House" as part of the mandatory, three-day retraining course for 22,000 cops, The Post has learned.

"You have to have a thick skin," an instructor told cops forced to take part in the $35 million program before hitting play on the two-minute clip from the cult classic, sources said.

In the scene, Swayze — playing the tough guy bouncer, Dalton — teaches his goons at the rowdy bar Double Deuce how to handle unruly customers.

First, he spells out three rules, with the third being simply "Be nice."

"If somebody gets in your face and calls you a c–ksucker, I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk. Be nice. If he won't walk, walk him. But be nice. If you can't walk him, one of the others will help you, and you'll both be nice," he says.

"I want you to remember that it's a job. It's nothing personal."

When another bouncer in a cut-off plaid shirt asks if "being called a c–ksucker isn't personal," Swayze responds: "It's two nouns combined to elicit a prescribed response."

"Well, what if somebody calls my mama a whore?" the other bouncer asks.

"Is she?" Swayze answers to chuckles from the group.

The scene also includes Swayze's most important message: "I want you to be nice, until it's time to not be nice."

"Well, how are we supposed to know when that is?" asks a mush-mouthed bouncer with a big black eye.

"You won't. I'll let you know," Swayze says.

The clip had the audience at the Police Academy smirking and stifling laughter.

"It's just ridiculous, the stuff they're showing us," the cop said. "It's crazy. They're showing us something from a movie and they want us to act like that in real life. It's not realistic — its Hollywood."

The use of "Road House" as a training tool was revealed after The Post exclusively reported that the lecture portions of the sessions were so boring that many cops have been falling asleep in their seats.

Cops also told The Post that they were told to "take a step back, close your eyes and take a deep breath" when dealing with angry people, despite the potential danger in that advice.

Mayor de Blasio on Monday tried to down play those reports as coming from "some disgruntled individuals," and insisted that the retraining program — ordered after the police chokehold death of Eric Garner — was "going to have a transcendent effect."

An NYPD spokesman also claimed that cops "are not being trained to shut their eyes while in a possible confrontation situation."

Additional reporting by Michael Gartland


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Outside income limits won’t affect most New York legislators

Two-thirds of state legislators won't feel a pinch if their outside income is limited because they don't have that much to lose, according to a report Monday.

In all, 35 of 53 state senators and 97 of 134 Assembly members made less than $20,000 last year outside of their legislative salaries, the New York Public Interest Research Group found.

Blair Horner, director of the good-government group, said a cap on outside income would follow the model set by Congress and is the easiest way to solve Albany's rampant corruption scandals.

"It may well be the members don't know until today that the vast majority of them already live voluntarily under a system like the congressional model," said Horner.

"This is New York's Watergate moment."

Gov. Cuomo has linked passage of the state's budget to his proposed ethics reforms, which would require lawmakers to disclose their private clients, restrict their campaign spending and limit their travel expenses.

"That, I think, is the single most important thing we can get done this year."

But he did not propose a cap on outside income.

Horner argued that's needed to keep legislators in line ethically.

"Our view is, what he is proposing doesn't solve the problem as we see it," said Horner.


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Veterans Affairs secretary admits he lied about Special Forces service

President Obama's secretary of Veterans Affairs lied about his military career when he claimed he served in the Army's Special Forces.

Robert McDon­ald — who took charge of the agency amid a scandal over veterans dying while awaiting treatment at VA facilities — made the comment in a conversation with a homeless vet in LA.

"Special Forces? What years? I was in Special Forces!" McDonald, 61, tells the man.

The conversation was recorded by a CBS News crew.

McDonald graduated from West Point, completed Army Ranger training and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, the Huffington Post said.

But he never served in the Special Forces.

After his fabrication was revealed, McDonald released an apology Monday in which he admitted the lie.

"I incorrectly stated that I had been in Special Forces," his statement read. "That was inaccurate and I apologize to anyone that was offended by my misstatement."

Real Special Forces members were baffled by the secretary's dishonesty.

"What a boneheaded statement," former senior Special Forces Commander Col. Gary Bloomberg told the Huffington Post.

"Is this what we want from our senior government officials?"

Obama appointed McDonald to the position last year after then-Secretary Eric Shinseki was forced out over the scandal.

As many as 40 veterans died while waiting to be treated at a VA hospital in Phoenix. Other facilities soon vecame embroiled in the scandal.

The White House told ABC Monday that it was satisfied with McDonald's explanation.

"We take him at his word and expect that this will not impact the important work he's doing to promote the health and well-being of our nation's veterans," a spokesperson said.


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‘Pervy’ teacher says he was ‘doing crossword puzzles’ with student

A Riverdale prep-school teacher who is accused of bedding a 16-year-old student testified Monday that there was no hanky-panky going on — insisting they were merely doing a crossword puzzle when his fiancée walked in on them.

"I'm sure I was doing crossword puzzles," a haggard-looking Richard Hovan told Manhattan Supreme Court jurors.

Hovan, 33, who taught at Riverdale Country School, said he met with the victim, whose name is being withheld by The Post, multiple times because she was on a special dean's list for academic, social and emotional issues, including throwing tantrums and swallowing magnets during class.

He said that the girl was emotionally unstable and stopped by his Chelsea apartment three times — but that they never had sex.

"I put on the TV . . . I did crossword puzzles . . . Eventually she calmed down and left," he testified about the first time she came over in April of that year.

But on May 14, 2011 — the night before his ex-fiancée, Marina Bontkowski, busted them — the victim showed up at his doorstep "out of control . . . really distraught," Hovan testified.

"I was trying to talk to her and not getting a lot out," he said, adding that she stayed over that night instead of going to her friend's house.

The now-19-year-old testified last week that Bontkowski burst through the door and caught the two on the couch, just as "my shirt came off just as we were about to have sex" — a claim Hovan denied.

"She was livid. Marina is small in stature but she can be very scary," he said. "I didn't quite understand what was going on."

The former geometry teacher admitted to lying to Bontkowski about his relationship with the victim to "protect her privacy."

Prosecutors revealed that Hovan exchanged a staggering 10,000 text messages and calls with the victim between March and May 2011 — compared to the 3,000 he shared with Bontkowski.

"[The victim] had more difficulties than anyone else in my life at that time," he responded about the constant communication.

When pressed by defense attorney Vinoo Varghese for "the truth," Hovan reiterated, "Nothing happened sexually and I was just trying to help someone through some difficulties."

On cross-examination, Assistant District Attorney Shanda Strain tore into Hovan for not informing authorities of the victim's troublesome issues.

"You didn't feel the need to tell anyone . . . 'Maybe take a look at her, this behavior is crazy'?" Strain asked.

"Teens often swing wildly," Hovan replied. "She didn't want me to tell anyone."

The strawberry-blond victim and Bontkowski have both lied during the rape investigation in an effort to protect their alleged two-timing man.

The stunning brunette ex was convicted of perjury after having a change of heart about lying to a grand jury in 2013, destroying her goal of becoming an FBI agent.

Hovan testified that he told Bontkowski not to take the stand because he was afraid she would tell "lies" and that "she'd end up in trouble and I would end up in trouble for something I didn't do."


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DOE hiring tech firm linked to kickback scheme

The city's Department of Education plans to award a contract worth as much as $2 billion to a tech firm that got caught up in a kickback scandal four years ago while doing the very same work being proposed.

The deal, set for vote by the Panel for Educational Policy Wednesday, would give Long Island-based Custom Computer Specialists $1.1 billion over five years for "IT networking and installation services," DOE documents say.

It includes options to extend the contract four years for $900 million more.

City investigators confirmed CCS was cited in their 2011 probe of a multimillion-dollar kickback scheme that led to the conviction of contractor Willard "Ross" Lanham on fraud and theft charges.

Watchdogs were furious.

"It's just an immense contract, and the idea that it should be given to a company that was involved in a kickback scheme just a few years ago is mind-boggling," said Leonie Haimson, director of the group Class Size Matters who first blogged about the contract.

CCS was a subcontractor that for years worked on Project Connect, a federally funded program to give public schools computers and high-speed Internet.

The 2011 probe found CCS "facilitated the concealment" of Lanham's profiting off the DOE and also of the employment of consultants at inflated wages.

In one case, CCS charged Verizon $247 per hour for a staffer whom Lanham paid $60 an hour, the report said.

Investigators also found Lanham insisted Verizon hire CCS as its subcontractor even though the telecom company's officials said they could do the work more cheaply without him.

"[The firm] benefited by Lanham's threat to Verizon that they would lose millions of dollars in business if they did not hire CCS," the 2011 report said.

After the probe, CCS was put on the city's vendor "caution list" for five years.

In August 2012, the firm submitted a corrective plan that included agreeing to report suspicions of wrongdoing to the city.

A call and e-mail to CCS went unanswered Monday.

DOE officials said that the contract is essential for schools and that it meets federal requirements.

They said CCS is partnering with Dell under a publicly bid contract that was renegotiated to $637.4 million for the first five years.

"This is a smart contract that will ensure smart classrooms," said DOE spokeswoman Devora Kaye.


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Rangers help on way as Jesper Fast nears return

Written By Unknown on Senin, 23 Februari 2015 | 17.08

Jesper Fast, sidelined since sustaining a sprained knee in Nashville on Feb. 7, could rejoin the Rangers as soon as Thursday for their match against the Coyotes at the Garden.

Fast participated in Sunday's morning skate at the club's practice rink wearing a non-contact jersey in advance of missing his eighth straight game hours later, the Rangers' 4-3 shootout victory over the Blue Jackets. The 23-year-old skated on his own on Saturday, marking the first time he had been on the ice since the injury.

"The training staff has been really happy with the progress he has made over the last week," coach Alain Vigneault said. "I would assume in the next couple of days he would be able to practice fully with the group."

The Rangers are at home Tuesday to the Flames, but it would be a stretch to envision a return that night for Fast, who had become a bottom-six staple and a regular on the club's third penalty-kill unit.


Henrik Lundqvist skated again on his own before the team took the ice Sunday, but there is no update on the four-to-six week timetable for The King's return from the vascular injury he suffered by taking a shot to the throat on Jan. 31. The club said Lundqvist is not due for a medical exam this week. Lundqvist said at his Feb. 8 press conference he would be reevaluated in three weeks.


Vigneault's rotation at the sixth defense spot continued on Sunday, with John Moore replacing Matt Hunwick against the Jackets. Starting Feb. 8, Moore has played every other game.

The coach acknowledged this rotation is likely making it difficult for either defenseman to get on a roll, but again said that both "are about the same … both are playing well.

"There will come some point where one guy is playing a little bit better than the other and I will stick with him, but that point has not yet come," Vigneault said before invoking the specter of the March 2 trade deadline.

"There are still a couple of days before the trade deadline," he said. "And we're looking at all options."

The Post has reported the Blueshirts' interest in Andrej Sekera, the Hurricanes' hot commodity on the blue line, but whose cost may be prohibitive.


Dan Boyle got back on the power-play unit in overtime on Sunday, but Vigneault was asked why he did not use the right-handed Boyle at the point on the Blueshirts' five-on-three first period power play in Buffalo on Friday night, when righty Derek Stepan was unavailable while receiving stitches to close a head wound he'd sustained minutes earlier.

The Blueshirts instead went with an all-lefty lineup for the 1:45 two-man advantage when Vigneault chose Marty St. Louis to join Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello and point-man Ryan McDonagh.

"We had worked with that group before with Marty on it," the coach said. "[Brassard] and [Zuccarello] are two guys I don't mind going up top. … It was one of those things. It was a quick decision."

Mackenzie Skapski got a loud ovation in the first period when he was shown on the scoreboard. Skapski made 24 saves in his NHL debut in a 3-1 win in Buffalo on Friday.


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Oscars showed no edge awarding ‘Birdman’ Best Picture

Narcissism, thy name is Oscar.

For the third time in four years, the motion picture academy gave its top honor to a movie with a show business background in a night filled with play-it-safe, pre-endorsed choices.

"Birdman" (washed-up actor trying to make a comeback on Broadway) followed "Argo" (Hollywood helps the CIA smuggle hostages out of Iran) and "The Artist" (silent-screen star washed up by the coming of sound) as Best Picture winners with distinct company-town feel (never mind "Birdman" was directed by a Mexican and "The Artist" was directed by someone from France).

You have to wonder if last year's Best Picture win by "12 Years a Slave" — the kind of serious historic epic the Oscars used to prefer — was some kind of anomalous choice by the motion picture academy, which has gotten younger and apparently more frivolous in its tastes in recent years.

For the first time in memory, Oscars were awarded to each and every one of the eight Best Picture nominees. What is this, elementary school? "Selma," for instance, went home with best song, while "American Sniper" — which grossed more than the seven other nominees combined — got an honorable mention for sound editing.

Only two other features won Oscars, "Still Alice" (Best Actress) and "Interstellar" (visual effects).

As much as I loved Eddie Redmayne's fantastic performance as Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything," does it really make sense to exclude the actor who "Birdman" was literally built around, Michael Keaton?

Or, for that matter, to reduce the accomplishment of "Boyhood" — filmed over 12 years — to a single award for Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette)?

With the Oscars merely rubber-stamping the choices of the guilds — "Birdman" won with the directors, producers and actors — maybe they've outlived their usefulness.


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The 10 craziest, most memorable moments from the 2015 Oscars

Throughout tonight's seemingly never-ending Oscars broadcast, there were a number of moments that made us clap, made us cry and some that just left us scratching our heads and wondering why.

John Travolta invades Scarlett Johansson's personal space…

As celebrities started flooding the red carpet, there was one quick moment you might have missed on the telecast: John Travolta planting an uninvited smooch on the cheek of Scarlett Johansson. Many couldn't help but notice the similarities between uber-creep Travolta and Vice President Joe Biden, who came under fire this week for whispering into the ear of Stephanie Carter as her husband was sworn in as defense secretary.

…and then Idina Menzel's

A year after welcoming "Adele Dazeem" to the stage for her performance of "Let It Go" at least year's Academy Awards, Travolta and Idina Menzel made nice – but perhaps got a bit too close for comfort.

Travolta caressed the singer's chin, saying, "But you, you my darling, my beautiful, my wickedly talented Idina Menzel!"

Holograms, holograms and more holograms

Host Neil Patrick Harris continued his tradition of opening awards show with a musical number, and he didn't disappoint in tonight's performance. "Today we honor Hollywood's best and whitest…I mean brightest," he quipped, acknowledging the heavily criticized lack of nominations for people of color in this year's ceremony.

Anna Kendrick joined him on stage as her Cinderella character from "Into the Woods" before the duo sang and danced through 87 years of movie history – including inserting Harris into scenes from some of the most iconic films from all time. Jack Black also made a belligerent cameo somewhere in the middle.

Harris' spoon joke falls flat with Reese

In a night riddled with ill-timed jokes, Harris introduced Reese Witherspoon by describing her as being "so lovely, you could eat her up with a spoon." What does that even mean, Neil?

"Everything is Awesome"

Will Arnett as Batman, Tegan & Sara and The Lonely Island took to the stage to perform the hit song from "The Lego Movie" in an eclectic musical number that also included confetti. But while anyone who has ever seen the movie was over the moon about the awesome-ness of the performance, many older viewers were left scratching their heads in a huge WTF moment.

Harris strips on stage

In homage to Best Picture nominee "Birdman," Harris stripped down to his tighty whities for a brief moment during the ceremony. But the only thing on everyone's mind was: What did he have stuffed into those briefs?

Meryl Streep steals Patricia Arquette's thunder

In a speech for the ages, Patricia Arquette used her win as Best Supporting Actress in "Boyhood" to shed light on gender discrimination, an issue still prevalent in 2015. "To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else's rights. It's our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America," she said.

Then the camera cut to Meryl Streep, who jumped out of her chair to give a resounding, "Yes!" in what will likely be the most meme-d moment of the night.

Not everything sounds better with a British accent

Harris tested a bit about whether or not everything sounds better when spoken by a Brit, using "Selma" star David Oyelowo to test his theory. Harris set up the joke, and asked Oyelowo to deliver the punch line.

"This year, we said goodbye to some beloved movie franchises," Harris began, before Oyelowo took over.

"We saw the last every 'Hobbit' movie, the last-ever 'Night at the Museum' movie and the last-ever attempt to remake 'Annie.' "

"See, no, with the British accent it's not at all insulting!" Harris concluded, to minimal laughter.

Lady Gaga does her best Julie Andrews impersonation

The recently-engaged Gaga took to the stage to pay tribute to "The Sound of Music" for the film's 50th anniversary, performing a medley of memorable songs from the iconic musical. While her singing was fine, it was just the image of seeing Mother Monster singing such a quaint song such as "My Favorite Things" that was a bit visually upsetting.

Octavia Spencer is so over it

In a long-running gag throughout the broadcast, Harris demanded Octavia Spencer keep a watchful eye on a secret suitcase on the back of the stage, locked in a glass case. He checked in on her periodically throughout the show to ask if anyone had tampered with the suitcase – and each time he did so, the actress seemed less and less amused with the skit. And many on Twitter couldn't help but notice that it seemed as though Harris was diminishing Spencer's achievements as an award winning-actress.


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Martin St. Louis has ignored his supposed demise for 9 years

This was the wisdom espoused by Brendan Shanahan, when the winger was 37, off to a dreadful start in his second season with the Rangers in 2007-08 and eulogies were already being penned on his Hall-of-Fame caliber career.

"When you're 27 and have a cough, people figure you have a cold," he told The Post columnist who had rushed to catalog Shanahan's demise. "When you're 37 and have a cough, people react like you have pneumonia.

"A 37-year-old can have a cold, too, you know."

Martin St. Louis, 39 and having just endured a cold spell befitting this northeast winter, understands exactly what Shanahan meant.

"Yeah, for sure," the winger told The Post before the Rangers 4-3 shootout victory over the Blue Jackets at the Garden on Sunday. "People look at you differently and draw different conclusions when you're older.

"But I don't look at myself differently, not at all."

St. Louis is looking much better these days to everyone else after scoring twice and adding a shootout marker against Columbus. The goals give St. Louis four in his last four games following an ungodly stretch in which the winger went 15 straight without one before breaking the schneid during Monday's third-period comeback at the Coliseum.

"You're always looking for that one good play, that one shot to get you going," St. Louis said after the pockmarked victory that moved the Blueshirts to within two points of the division-leading Islanders while holding three games in hand. "You're always that one goal away from feeling good about yourself."

The two goals against the Jackets' Curtis McIlhenny boosted St. Louis' total to 18. That's not only second on the Rangers to Rick Nash's 37, it is 11th in the NHL among right wings.

That's not all that shabby for a guy for whom eulogies had been prepared, especially so with St. Louis on the final year of his contract and perhaps destined to go on the open market for the first time in his career if he and the Rangers are unable to agree on a new deal before July 1.

"That's not on my mind; I'm only focused on doing whatever I can do to help this team win," St. Louis said. "This is not about my age, or anything else.

"When I was 30, I had a 60-point year and people thought I was never going to be the same player I had been. The following year I had 100 points."

That was a flashback to Tampa Bay. In 2003-04, then then-28 year-old led the league in scoring with 94 points (38-56) while capturing the Hart Trophy in the Lightning's Stanley Cup season. There was no NHL the following year, wiped out by Owners' Lockout II, but when play resumed in 2005-06, a 30-year-old St. Louis recorded 61 points (31-30).

The next year, 2006-07, St. Louis went for a career-high 102 points with 43 goals and 59 assists. The man has a memory, but his career isn't one. Not now. Not yet.

"For an athlete, the mind-set can be fragile; confidence comes and goes, and that doesn't have anything to do with age," St. Louis said. "When you have confidence, you want to hang on to it as long as possible and when you lose it, you want to get it back as quickly as possible.

"The difference when you're younger is that you pay more attention to goals and assists, instead of putting that aside and concentrating on doing whatever is necessary to help the team win, which is where I am now. A lot of times, by focusing on goals or points, you can lose sight of the big picture.

"The big picture is the team winning games."

The Rangers are 7-1-2 in 10 games since Henrik Lundqvist was ruled out for an indefinite, extended period of time. They are not only closing in on first place in the division, they are only three points behind Eastern Conference-leading Montreal while holding a game in hand on the Canadiens.

"We've found ways," St. Louis said. "That's what it's about."

St. Louis' play has improved immeasurably over the last week following a stretch in which he was rarely part of the picture, either big or small. He and linemates Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan formed the Blueshirts' most dangerous unit in this one and in three of the last four games, beginning with the 6-5 victory at the Coliseum.

"You try and pull your weight and do what you can for your linemates and your team, but sometimes your linemates make the plays that get you going," St. Louis said. "That's the way it works."

That is the way it has worked throughout a decorated career for St. Louis, universally renowned for his work ethic on and off the ice, in season and during the offseason.

"You have to be mentally strong as an athlete in order to be able to pull through these things," he said. "You can't feel sorry for yourself. There's no time for that."

This is one case in which time is not of the essence, at least not if the time frame has anything to do with the past.

"I feel the same on the ice as I always have," St. Louis said. "There's no question about that."

And by the way? Martin St. Louis doesn't even have a cough.


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