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Krejci’s hat trick lifts Bruins in OT

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 09 Mei 2013 | 20.49

David Krejci scored his third goal of the game at 13:06 of overtime last night, giving the Bruins a 4-3 win over the Maple Leafs in Toronto and a 3-1 lead in their playoff series.

Krejci beat James Reimer with a shot from the faceoff circle after coming down the left wing.

Joffrey Lupul, Cody Franson and Clarke MacArthur scored for Toronto. Patrice Bergeron added a goal for Boston, with captain Zdeno Chara collecting four assists.

Goalies Tuukka Rask and Reimer were both busy in an end-to-end overtime, with Toronto's Matt Frattin hitting Rask's goalpost.

Red Wings 3, Ducks 2, OT

In Anaheim, Nick Bonino scored 1:54 into overtime as the Ducks took a 3-2 series lead.

Johan Franzen and Mikael Samuelsson scored for the Wings, who had two brief leads. Jimmy Howard stopped 31 shots.

Ryan Getzlaf tied it, Kyle Palmieri also scored, and Jonas Hiller made 29 saves for Anaheim.

Kings 3, Blues 2, OT

In St. Louis, Slava Voynov scored on an odd-man rush eight minutes into overtime and the Kings beat the Blues for the third straight time to take a 3-2 series lead.

Alex Pietrangelo scored on a wrist shot from the point with 44.1 seconds remaining in regulation and goalie Brian Elliott off for an extra attacker. That forced overtime for the second time in the series.


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Don't be a blockhead! Charlie Brown voice actor sentenced

Don't be a blockhead, Charlie Brown!

That's the message a judge sent to Peter Robbins, the man who voiced the cartoon character in "Peanuts" television specials. Robbins was sentenced Wednesday to a year in jail for threatening his former girlfriend and stalking her plastic surgeon, then immediately released to a residential drug treatment center.

A judge warned Robbins that he could be sent to prison for nearly four years if he violates the terms of his probation.

"Don't be a blockhead," Superior Court Judge Dwayne Moring told Robbins, borrowing a line from Charlie Brown's friend Lucy.

Robbins, 56, choked back tears as he told the judge that treatment for alcoholism and addiction to prescription medications would be a first step toward becoming "the fun-loving person" he was. He said he loved his former girlfriend, and he apologized to her and her plastic surgeon "for any fear that I caused."

Robbins, who has been in jail since his arrest in January and pleaded guilty in April, received five years' probation and must undergo treatment for domestic violence and stalking. He was ordered to pay the plastic surgeon $15,082 in restitution and to avoid contacting her for 10 years.

Prosecutors have said Robbins called the former girlfriend as many as 37 times over 24 hours, threatening to kill her and her son if she didn't return his dog and car. He allegedly followed the plastic surgeon, calling her office so frequently that she moved to a hotel and hired an armed guard. Prosecutors said he demanded a refund for his ex-girlfriend's breast enhancement.

The plastic surgeon wrote to the judge that Robbins wrote a note on her office door, threatening to break her "in half."

Robbins starred as Charlie Brown in the 1965 debut "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and held the role in five other television specials, including "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" in 1966.

Scott McGuire, who helps run a Peanuts history website called FiveCentsPlease.org, said every "Peanuts" producer since Robbins' final television special in 1969 has sought actors who can match his voice. McGuire said they have generally succeeded, but Robbins "remains the definitive version of Charlie Brown."

Robbins, whose acting career ended soon after his final Peanuts show, told National Public Radio in 2006 that he was living in the Los Angeles area, where he owned and managed several apartment buildings. At the time, he said he was single and had a dog named Snoopy.

The former child actor was recently the voice of Charlie Brown for a version of the 1965 animated classic that was made for smartphones.


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Sony back to profit in most recent fiscal year due to weaker yen, healthier sales

TOKYO — Sony Corp. is back in the black for its fiscal fourth quarter, recording a 93.9 billion yen ($948 million) profit, with big help from a weaker yen that boosts overseas earnings.

The Japanese electronics and entertainment company also dragged itself back to profit for the fiscal year ended March 31, following four straight years of red ink.

It reported Thursday annual earnings of 43 billion yen ($434 million), a reversal from a loss of 457 billion yen ($5.7 billion) the previous year — the worst in the company's nearly seven-decade history.

REUTERS

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai

Tokyo-based Sony expects the recovery to continue, and projected a 50 billion yen ($505 million) profit for the fiscal year through March 2014, up 16 percent.

A weak yen helps Japanese exporters, and the dollar has gained 20 percent against the yen in recent months.

The favorable exchange rate is expected to continue in the coming months because of the policies of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who took office last year.

Sony had sunk to a 255.2 billion yen loss for the January-March period in 2012, slammed by its money-losing TV business and competition from rivals Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

Sales for the January-March period rose 8 percent to 1.7 trillion yen ($17 billion), mainly from a favorable currency rate.

Sony's annual earnings were better than its own forecast for a 40 billion yen ($404 million) profit, and that of analysts surveyed by FactSet at about 33 billion yen ($333 million).

In an effort to achieve a turnaround, Sony has been shedding jobs and selling assets and parts of businesses in recent years.

The brand has lost much of its glamour as the maker of the Walkman portable music player, a pioneering product, as well as the PlayStation video-game console, once a must-have for holiday shopping.

Chief Financial Officer Masaru Kato said that despite the return to profitability, the company's electronics sector, including camcorders and digital cameras, was struggling compared to its entertainment projects.

"We must answer to the challenge of making our electronics business profitable, no matter what," he said.

The recent weaker yen, which will make Sony products cheaper abroad, was almost certain to work as a big plus, and Kato welcomed it.

Sony gained 182 billion yen ($1.8 billion) in its sales and operating revenue for the January-March quarter due to favorable exchange rates. The company reiterated that it will turn its TV business profitable by the fiscal year ending March 2014. That business has bled money for nine straight years.

Sony said it is beefing up its TV lineup, including models with 4K liquid crystal displays, which deliver even better image quality than current LCD TVs.

Sony said games sales will be boosted significantly with the planned introduction of the PlayStation 4 this fiscal year.

Sony is also doing better in its mobile-phone business with its Xperia Z, which went on sale earlier this year. Sony had fallen far behind rivals like Samsung and Apple in smartphones.

Sony sold its U.S. headquarters building on New York's Madison Avenue in January, as well as other buildings in Tokyo. It sold stocks in Japanese game maker DeNA.

It also ended its liquid-crystal display venture with rival Samsung, while inking a new capital alliance with Japanese electronics and camera maker Olympus Corp. to strengthen its medical equipment business.

Still, some analysts say catching up and selling assets isn't enough, and Sony needs to come up with a more unique product.

For the fiscal year just ended, Sony has continued to lag in its device, digital camera and game sectors. But it scored better sales and income in Sony Pictures Entertainment, with the success of "Skyfall" and "The Amazing Spider-Man."

Sales and income were flat in its music business. Best-selling titles included One Direction's "Take Me Home" and Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience."


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Unemployment aid applications fell to new five-year low last week

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits fell by 4,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 323,000, a fresh five-year low. The decline signals fewer layoffs and possibly more hiring.

The Labor Department said Thursday that the four-week average, a less volatile figure, dropped 6,250 to 336,750. That the fewest since November 2007, before the recession began.

Applications are a proxy for layoffs. Weekly applications have fallen about 9 percent since November and are now at a level consistent with a healthy economy.

The job market has also improved over the past six months. Net job gains have averaged of 208,000 a month from November through April. That's up from only 138,000 a month in the previous six months.

Still, much of the job growth has come from fewer layoffs — not increased hiring. Layoffs fell in January to the lowest level on records dating back 12 years, though they have risen moderately since then. At the same time, overall hiring remains far below pre-recession levels and unemployment remains high at 7.5 percent.

For hiring to increase enough to rapidly lower the unemployment rate, companies must gain more confidence in the economy. But some have held off adding new workers in recent months, possibly because of concerns about the impact of federal spending cuts and tax increases. And an increase in Social Security taxes could slow consumer spending, which drives nearly two-thirds of economic activity.

The Federal Reserve said last week that the federal government's policy changes are "restraining economic growth."

Still, even modest job gains could provide consumers with more money to offset the impact of the tax increase. Total wages rose 3.6 percent in April compared with a year earlier. That's comfortably ahead of the 1.5 percent inflation rate.

The economy grew at an annual rate of 2.5 percent from January through March, a big improvement from the anemic growth of 0.4 percent in the final three months of last year. But most economists expect growth will slow in the current quarter to 2 percent or lower.


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Ohio kidnap fiend Ariel Castro bond set at $8M

REUTERS

Ariel Castro appears in court for his initial appearance in Cleveland this morning.

CLEVELAND — A Cleveland man was arraigned Thursday on charges of rape and kidnapping after three women missing for about a decade and one of their young daughters were found alive at his home earlier in the week.

Ariel Castro looked down at the ground for almost the entire court proceeding, biting his collar and signing documents with his handcuffed hands. He didn't speak. Bond was set at $8 million.

The women found alive after a decade in captivity endured lonely, dark lives inside a dingy home where they were raped and allowed outside only a handful of times in disguises while walking to a garage steps away, investigators say.

The 52-year-old former school bus driver has emerged as the lone suspect.

At his arriangment, his lawyer said the fiend was on unemployment benefits. The case is set to go before a grand jury in Cuyahoga County.

Castro has been charged with four counts of kidnapping — covering the captives and the daughter born to one of them — and three counts of rape, against all three women.

The women and Castro have given lengthy statements to police that have helped build their case, said Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba.

None of the women, though, gave them any indication that Castro's two brothers, Pedro and Onil, who've been in custody since Monday, were involved, Tomba said. Prosecutors brought no charges against the brothers, citing a lack of evidence.

At the hearing, Pedro, 54, pleaded no contest to a a July 2011 open container charge. The judge dismissed open container and drug abuse charges against Onil, 50.

Castro's brothers released from police custody after the hearing.

"Ariel kept everyone at a distance," Tomba said.

In newly released police audio tapes, a 911 dispatcher notifies officers on Monday that she's just spoken to a woman who "says her name is Amanda Berry and that she had been kidnapped 10 years ago."

An officer on the recorded call says, "This might be for real."

After police arrive at the house, women can be heard crying in the background. Then an officer tells the dispatcher: "We found 'em. We found 'em."

Tomba said of Berry, "Something must have clicked and she saw an opportunity and she took that opportunity."

He said the women could remember being outside only twice during their entire time in captivity. "We were told they left the house and went into the garage in disguise," he said.

Also in the house was Berry's 6-year-old daughter. A paternity test on Castro was being done to establish whether he fathered the child.

While prosecutors announced charges against Castro, federal agents searched a vacant house near where the women had been held. Officials would only say their search was an attempt to get evidence in the case against Castro, but they refused to say what they found or what led them there.

Castro was in custody and couldn't be reached for comment. A brother-in-law has said the family was shocked after hearing about the women at the home.

REUTERS

Ariel Castro, right, Pedro Castro, center, and Onil Castro in court today.


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Today's Sports on the Air

Baseball 3 p.m. Yankees at Rockies YES, WCBS 880 AM 7 p.m. Pirates at Mets SNY, WFAN 660 AM/101.9 FM 10 p.m. Braves at Giants MLBN Golf 1 p.m. PGA: Players Championship,
First Round GOLF NHL Playoffs, First Round 7 p.m. Islanders at Penguins, Game 5
MSG Plus, WRHU 88.7 FM, ESPN 98.7 FM 7 p.m. Senators at Canadiens, Game 5 CNBC 9:30 p.m. Wild at Blackhawks, Game 5 NBCSN Horse Racing 12:45 p.m. Churchill Downs Ch. 71/1994 1 p.m. Belmont Ch. 71/1994 4 p.m. Hollywood Ch. 71/1994 7:10 p.m. Yonkers Ch. 71/1994
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The Post Line

The Post Line - NYPOST.com

  • Last Updated: 3:09 AM, May 9, 2013
  • Posted: 3:09 AM, May 9, 2013
NBA Playoffs
Saturday
Favorite Line Underdog
PACERS 3 1/2 Knicks
GRIZZLIES 4 1/2 Thunder
NHL Playoffs
Favorite Line Underdog
PENGUINS $180-220 Islanders
CANADIENS $110-130 Senators
BLCKHWKS $230-280 Wild

Home team in CAPS


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Krejci’s hat trick lifts Bruins in OT

David Krejci scored his third goal of the game at 13:06 of overtime last night, giving the Bruins a 4-3 win over the Maple Leafs in Toronto and a 3-1 lead in their playoff series.

Krejci beat James Reimer with a shot from the faceoff circle after coming down the left wing.

Joffrey Lupul, Cody Franson and Clarke MacArthur scored for Toronto. Patrice Bergeron added a goal for Boston, with captain Zdeno Chara collecting four assists.

Goalies Tuukka Rask and Reimer were both busy in an end-to-end overtime, with Toronto's Matt Frattin hitting Rask's goalpost.

Red Wings 3, Ducks 2, OT

In Anaheim, Nick Bonino scored 1:54 into overtime as the Ducks took a 3-2 series lead.

Johan Franzen and Mikael Samuelsson scored for the Wings, who had two brief leads. Jimmy Howard stopped 31 shots.

Ryan Getzlaf tied it, Kyle Palmieri also scored, and Jonas Hiller made 29 saves for Anaheim.

Kings 3, Blues 2, OT

In St. Louis, Slava Voynov scored on an odd-man rush eight minutes into overtime and the Kings beat the Blues for the third straight time to take a 3-2 series lead.

Alex Pietrangelo scored on a wrist shot from the point with 44.1 seconds remaining in regulation and goalie Brian Elliott off for an extra attacker. That forced overtime for the second time in the series.


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Don't be a blockhead! Charlie Brown voice actor sentenced

Don't be a blockhead, Charlie Brown!

That's the message a judge sent to Peter Robbins, the man who voiced the cartoon character in "Peanuts" television specials. Robbins was sentenced Wednesday to a year in jail for threatening his former girlfriend and stalking her plastic surgeon, then immediately released to a residential drug treatment center.

A judge warned Robbins that he could be sent to prison for nearly four years if he violates the terms of his probation.

"Don't be a blockhead," Superior Court Judge Dwayne Moring told Robbins, borrowing a line from Charlie Brown's friend Lucy.

Robbins, 56, choked back tears as he told the judge that treatment for alcoholism and addiction to prescription medications would be a first step toward becoming "the fun-loving person" he was. He said he loved his former girlfriend, and he apologized to her and her plastic surgeon "for any fear that I caused."

Robbins, who has been in jail since his arrest in January and pleaded guilty in April, received five years' probation and must undergo treatment for domestic violence and stalking. He was ordered to pay the plastic surgeon $15,082 in restitution and to avoid contacting her for 10 years.

Prosecutors have said Robbins called the former girlfriend as many as 37 times over 24 hours, threatening to kill her and her son if she didn't return his dog and car. He allegedly followed the plastic surgeon, calling her office so frequently that she moved to a hotel and hired an armed guard. Prosecutors said he demanded a refund for his ex-girlfriend's breast enhancement.

The plastic surgeon wrote to the judge that Robbins wrote a note on her office door, threatening to break her "in half."

Robbins starred as Charlie Brown in the 1965 debut "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and held the role in five other television specials, including "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" in 1966.

Scott McGuire, who helps run a Peanuts history website called FiveCentsPlease.org, said every "Peanuts" producer since Robbins' final television special in 1969 has sought actors who can match his voice. McGuire said they have generally succeeded, but Robbins "remains the definitive version of Charlie Brown."

Robbins, whose acting career ended soon after his final Peanuts show, told National Public Radio in 2006 that he was living in the Los Angeles area, where he owned and managed several apartment buildings. At the time, he said he was single and had a dog named Snoopy.

The former child actor was recently the voice of Charlie Brown for a version of the 1965 animated classic that was made for smartphones.


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Parsons cancels John Galliano workshop

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 08 Mei 2013 | 20.49

AP

John Galliano

Parsons The New School of Design in New York City has canceled a four-day workshop by the controversial fashion designer John Galliano.

Galliano was creative director at Christian Dior when he was fired in 2011 for an anti-Semitic rant. He's currently involved in a lawsuit against his former employer.

The school said in a statement that his appearance was to include "a candid discussion about the connection between his professional work and his actions in the world at large." It said it canceled the workshop after the two sides couldn't reach consensus on the conditions of the conversation.

A spokesman for Galliano didn't immediately return a request for comment Wednesday.

Earlier this year, the designer began a temporary artist residency at the studio of Oscar de la Renta in New York.


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WATCH: Hero neighbor Ramsey gets 'songified'

That didn't take long.

A day after hero next-door neighbor Charles Ramsey captivated the world with his colorful account of rescuing a kidnapped woman in Cleveland, a YouTube comedy/music group have turned his narration into a song.

The Gregory Brothers — mixmasters who shot to fame for their "Bedroom Intruder Song" and "Backing Up" in 2010 — give Ramsey the Auto-Tune treatment in a video they uploaded to YouTube yesterday.

The latest song, in which the Brooklyn-based comedians put news interviews to music, and which as of 7:30 a.m. had been seen more than 156,000 times, hinges on Ramsey's most-noticed line: "I knew something was wrong when a pretty white girl ran into a black man's arms. Dead giveaway."

Ramsey on Monday famously heard Amanda Berry's cries for help from the Cleveland house where she had been kept prisoner and repeatedly raped for 10 years and helped her escape. Berry, 26, as well fellow captives Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus, and Berry's 6-year-old daughter, escaped the hell house after a decade of of rape and torture.

Ariel Castro, 52, and his brothers Pedro and Onil have been arrested in connection with the abductions, which took place between 2002 and 2004.


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3 Long Island men indicted in lottery scam

AP

Orhan Ozturk

CENTRAL ISLIP — Three Long Island men have been indicted on charges of swindling a lottery winner of nearly $75,000.

Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota says they deceived the winner by paying him $774 when he redeemed the ticket at a Riverside gas station on March 18.

Two of the suspects worked at the Valero gas station.

Police say the victim, Marvin Choy Nij, was a 28-year-old construction worker from Guatemala who didn't speak or write English.

Spota says Orhan Ozturk, his brother Yunis and Yalcin Nergiz cashed the winning ticket at the lottery's Garden City customer service center. He says the three gave themselves $48,000 each after taxes.

The suspects are being held without bail. They're due in court in Central Islip on Wednesday.

Information about their lawyer wasn't immediately available.


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'Miss America' song cut from pageant

AP

Miss New York Mallory Hagan is crowned Miss America 2013

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — The next Miss America won't hear a familiar refrain when she's crowned in Atlantic City in September.

The song, "Miss America," which starts with the words, "There she is, Miss America," will not be part of the pageant.

Miss American Organization vice president Sharon Pearce tells The Press of Atlantic City the tune, which was first played in 1955, is no longer included. She says no decision has been made on a final song.

The song was replaced by instrumental music at the 2013 pageant in January after the widow of the songwriter filed a licensing lawsuit in federal court in California in 2012. The complaint was dismissed in December following a confidential settlement.

The song was not used for three years in the 1980s after a contract dispute.


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Jacko's doc not qualified to treat him: expert witness

Michael Jackson's doctor wasn't qualified to treat The King of Pop, and made almost every misstep possible in the singer's dying moments, a witness in the family's lawsuit said today.

The plaintiff's expert, cardiologist Dr. Daniel Wohgeternter, walked jurors through a series of errors by Dr. Conrad Murray when Jackson passed away from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol on June 25, 2009.

"Dr. Murray did not have the appropriate training, experience or knowledge to administer propofol," Wohgeternter said. "Murray didn't have the proper equipment, or ancillary personnel. all of these factors were not present."

When Murray found Jackson unresponsive, the doctor administered CPR on the singer's bed.

Murray should have given him mouth-to-mouth on the floor, because Jackson needed oxygen in his lungs at that point, Wohgeternter said.

Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and is serving four years behind bars.

Jackson's family is suing concert promoters at AEG Live, claiming they should be held civilly responsible for hiring Murray.

The quack doc was a cardiologist, and Wohgeternter said he didn't understand why Jackson would need a heart specialist.

"Given that Michael Jackson had no history of heart disease, or high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, he didn't need a cardiologist," the witness said. "It's a mismatch. It's not what he needs."

During cross-examination defense lawyers tried to belittle Wohgeternter as a professional witness.

Wohgeternter revealed that he charges $8,500 for a full day of testimony, and has made more than $1 million over 30 years.

He's testified 400 times and given 200 depositions, mostly in medical malpractice lawsuits, the doctor said.


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Accused gangbangers in fatal Bx. shooting ordered held without bail

The two gangbangers accused of fatally gunning down an innocent bystander Bronx teen — whose killing was highlighted by Mayor Bloomberg as a case in point for using stop and frisk — were ordered held without bail today.

Raul Pachecho, 21, and Eric Landron, 23, had been extradited Monday from Rhode Island, where they fled after allegedly killing 17-year-old Alphonza Byrant as he stood with some friends on a Foxhurst street on April 21.

The duo are allegedly members of the Latin Kings gang.

Prosecutor Teresa Gottleib told Bronx Supreme Court Judge Harold Adler that Pacheho, "in an effort to send a message from the Latin Kings to the streets, shot into a crowd" that day.

Adler remanded Pachecho and Landron, even after Landron's lawyer argued that he was not a Latin King and claimed he was merely innocently standing among the crowd when Bryant was shot.

Bloomberg in a passionate speech had cited Bryant's death an example of why it was important that the NYPD should be allowed to continue its controversial stop-and-frisk program.

That program is being challenged in an ongoing federal civil rights trial.


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Harvey nearly throws perfect game, Mets win in 10th

Mets ace Matt Harvey has been open in his quest for greatness and his pursuit of perfection. He almost reached it Tuesday night, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning and completely smothering the White Sox in the Mets' 1-0, 10-inning win. He got a no-decision, but make no mistake, he was the star of the night.

Mike Baxter got a walk-off RBI single and closer Bobby Parnell (3-0) got the win. After Ike Davis worked a full-count walk, and Juan Lagares moved him over with a sacrifice bunt, Baxter — pinch-hitting for Parnell — sliced a ball to right field to finally end it, and keep the Mets from wasting Harvey's outing.

Harvey, who began his start with a bloody nose and pitched with gauze in his nostril to stop the bleeding, went 20 up and 20 down, perfect until Chicago right fielder Alex Rios beat out an infield hit with two out in the seventh inning. Rios hit a slow roller that shortstop Ruben Tejada had to go deep into the hole to field. Rios just beat his throw to first.

That one hit hardly diminished Harvey's dominance. He allowed just that one harmless hit in nine innings, not walking a batter and striking out a career-high 12 White Sox. He matched the Mets' longest perfect-game bid since Rick Reed's 6 ²/₃ innings in 1998 against Tampa Bay.

The 24-year-old right-hander has gotten no-decisions in his last three starts after winning his first four with a 0.93 ERA. Two off days and Saturday's rainout had left him with seven days' rest since his April 29 outing in Miami. Instead of rust, he gave the Mets brilliance last night, but they almost squandered it.

"He knows what comes with it,'' Terry Collins said before the game. "He's geared up to be great so he knows if you're going to be great you've got to deal with some things. That's where I think I'm the most impressed with him in how he deals with everything that's gone on.''

He's become so big, when team PR director Jay Horwitz jokingly tweeted Harvey had been given permission to miss tonight's game to attend the Rangers' playoff game in the Garden, it caused an uproar. Harvey even got angry tweets calling him a bad teammate, accusing him of letting success go to his head.

Clearly, the tweet was a joke, but Harvey wasn't, regularly hitting 97 mph and 98 mph with his fastball, and opening the sixth inning by buckling Chicago catcher Tyler Flower's knees with an 82 mph curve that would have made Doc Gooden proud.

White Sox starter Hector Santiago took his sweet time coming to the plate with two out in that inning, and one could hardly blame him. Harvey fanned him to end the inning.

Santiago was nowhere near as dominant, needing 48 pitches to get through the first two innings. But after Lucas Duda stranded two runners in the first and Ruben Tejada stranded two more in the second, the Mets had either their first or second batter on in each of the first five innings. But they couldn't scratch across a run.

Santiago left after seven innings, having allowed just four hits, two walks and striking out eight. But the Mets couldn't score in the eighth against Matt Lindstrom or the ninth against Nate Jones, with Harvey giving way to Parnell for a scoreless 10th inning.

brian.lewis@nypost.com


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Janitor convicted of beating & strangling 95-year-old man at assisted living home

The former janitor at an Upper West Side assisted living home is facing life without parole after a jury convicted him today of brutally beating and strangling a 95-year-old man who lived at the home.

Jurors were asked to literally connect the dots to convict crack-addled Wilfred Matthews of the slaying of WWII Coast Guard veteran Peter Lisi. Investigators had found drops of the victim's blood on the right sleeve of Matthews flannel jacket in his locker at the Williams Home on West End Avenue.

"It's the defendant's jacket. It's Mr. Lisi's blood. And it's in exactly the right place," assistant district attorney Matthew Bogdanos told jurors in closing statements yesterday, noting that the elderly victim bore the signs of having been strangled in a right-handed choke hold.

Steven Hirsch

Wilfred Matthews convicted of killing a 95-year-old man while working as a janitor in an assisted living home.

Then there was the blood that was not there. When murderous Lady Macbeth cried "Out, damned spot" as she scrubbed away at imaginary blood, "it's obviously a metaphor for the guilt," the prosecutor told jurors.

"In this case, the defendant's actions are not a metaphor," he said of Matthews, who was captured on surveillance video stripping and scrubbing his arms in a basement utility sink, "We don't need to ask ourselves why he was washing up, because we know where he was," the prosecutor said.

Matthews was further linked to the crime by his having a master key to all the residence's rooms, by what his friends described as his increasingly "frantic" requests for money, and by the victim's metro card, which he'd been using to commute from the Upper West Side to East New York.

Detective Mark Worthington of Manhattan North Homicide -- a former transit cop -- cracked the case. On the good hunch that Lisi, like many other seniors, had a Metrocard, Worthington discovered that Lisi's card was still in use, and caught Matthews by painstakingly staking out the 96th Street subway station.

It took the jury less than half a day for jurors to convict Matthews of the 2011 murder; Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro set June 3 for sentencing.

"This defendant's actions brought a brutal end to Peter Lisi's 95 years," Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. said in a written statement. "I hope that this verdict brings some measure of closure to the victim's many loved ones, and a sense of safety to Mr. Lisi's neighbors. I thank the members of the jury for their service in this case."


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Two stars for Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi’s new downtown spot, Carbone

headshot

Steve Cuozzo

FREE RANGE

CARBONE
181 Thompson St., 212-254-3000

Carbone lays a big, fat uovo. Chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi's adorable Torrisi Italian Specialties indulged in small-scale presentation that avoided being precious. But at the century's most slavishly anticipated new restaurant with four-star aspirations, everything's humongous — prices, portions and preening (look, Zac Posen waiter outfits!).

Carbone aims to re-create mid-20th century Italian fine dining. Its floor is inspired by Bronx restaurant Louis of "The Godfather." But Carbone's veal is not "the finest in New York" as per Mario Puzo's novel. A veal Parmesan chop twice as thick as the norm, ceremoniously sliced like a birthday cake, isn't twice as good as the ancient article, but half as tender.

Gabi Porter

Veal Parmesan at Carbone

(Since you ask, this dish creams the diner-quality version at the Midtown Carbone, but Midtown's fresh-made rigatoni puttanesca afforded as much pleasure for $14 as all but one of the new Carbone's twice-the-price "macaronis.")

The designer-goombah shtick includes linen tablecloths, brass chandeliers and quirky, Julian Schnabel-curated art. Fancy floor tiles are black and white in the curtained front room, navy and burgundy in the clubbier, rowdier rear. Guys jammed eight to a booth made truck noises, maybe to drown out Little Peggy March and "I Will Follow Him."

Chefs wishing to be taken seriously for Italian-American cooking believe it isn't enough to merely do it better than at Forlini or Isle of Capri. They must redefine, "interpret" or ironicize it.

Or overprice it. Carbone isn't quite as expensive as its notoriety. Some dishes, including $50 veal Parmesan, can be shared. Even so, it's rigged to make you spend and spend and spend, starting with the captains' suave pitch, "Crudo we can serve individually or build towers to your liking."

The main problem is how ordinary much of it tastes. At least Carbone's tomato sauces deliver the goods, from dreamy meatballs to pillowy tortellini al ragu.

Yet, despite an abundance of garlic and house-dried oregano, Carbone and Torrisi routinely dance around the real pomodoro. Dish after dish brought on so-whats? "Rocco chop," a $53, dry-aged T-bone steak, was so short on filet, we asked for a more generously endowed one when our captain displayed it uncooked. The replacement cut, still nearly all-sirloin, was just all right.

Skate francese registered as a one-note wallow in butter and flour. Routine grilled sea scallops with couscous and acidic tomato vinaigrette cost $36.

"That's not lamb, it's dinosaur," my friend chuckled over awesome "double English cut rack." Thrilling, primordial flavor surged through a surfeit of juice and crust. But $50?

Pasta monotonously lacked contrast or texture. Only one of six I tried rang the bell: modestly named, immodestly priced ($30) spaghetti de mare. The joy lay less in showoff elements like rock shrimp, bay scallops and razor clams, than in crackling tomato, garlic, chili, parsley and garlic. Most others evoked mediocre trattorias, especially dry and clumpy angel hair begging for more olive oil.

Clams three ways batted .333; while oreganata clicked, neither lardo on top of casinos, nor sea urchin in a "fantasia" preparation was my idea of heaven. Several items plunged to howler depths: polenta liquid enough for a soup kitchen and — Madone — an inexplicable, vaguely-spiced blur called "Chinese Chicken."

Redemption came in shimmering grilled black sea bass "oreganata" boasting no breadcrumbs, but garlicky vinaigrette of house-dried oregano and Tuscan chickpeas. Luscious chicken scarpariello came in peppery, ochre sauce rich with cotechino sausage and morels.

Giant cakes to end the meal are fine but short of transporting. The best dessert is the one they don't first wheel to the table, a brobdingnagian banana split involving everything that made you happy as a kid.

A restaurant born of so much talent and expectation should dazzle us from inizio alla fine. Carbone flickers like a teasing moon through billows of pomp — in a town full of truly great Italian places, it's an offer I'll gently refuse.

scuozzo@nypost.com


18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

A-Rod: I feel like an 8-year-old again!

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 07 Mei 2013 | 20.49

TAMPA — Alex Rodriguez insisted yesterday he is not finished.

In fact, when he held the bat in his hand during the first day of his return to baseball activities and took about 30 swings off a tee, he said: "Man, I'm so excited to be back out there. It was like being 8 years old again when I first grabbed a bat. I'm really looking forward to getting back.''

This is now about "unfinished business.''

When Rodriguez will take care of that business remains to be seen. That is the $114 million question. There has been much talk about him returning to the Yankees after the All-Star break.

AP

HAPPY RETURN: Alex Rodriguez gestures to a photographer as he arrives at the Yankees' minor league complex in Tampa for his first day of baseball activities after hip surgery in January. A-Rod took about 30 swings off a tee and said he looks forward to 'unfinished business' when he returns to the Yankees.

When I pressed him about returning this year — asking: Will you definitely be back this season? — Rodriguez answered: "I really hope so, I really hope so. That is [as] specific as I'll get. … I'm working 24/7 to get back on the field. The way the season ended last year was very embarrassing. It was very tough on me and obviously our team; it was a devastating sweep against Detroit [in the 2012 ALCS].

"I have a lot of unfinished business and I'm looking forward to getting back and helping my team win. I'm really looking forward to getting back on the field where I am close to 100 percent and being who I am.''

Just who is Alex Rodriguez now at the age of 37 after so much shadow and success in his baseball life and after this latest extensive hip surgery in mid-January?

"It's been a rough stretch with the rehab,'' he said. "I've been through it before in '09 but obviously this one was a lot deeper, a lot more severe, it was five anchors and it shaved the bone, they didn't do any of that in '09.''

A-Rod is not putting a timetable on his return, noting, "That's wise around here these days.''

This was only the first day of light baseball activity in a long road back. He ran a little, threw a little and took those "30 hacks.''

A-Rod is breaking down this comeback into 30-day increments and a four-week plan. Then he will huddle with doctors again for part two of the plan.

Rodriguez signed about 40 autographs, stopping traffic along the way as one car pulled off to the side of the road as its occupants dashed over to get his autograph, screaming "We love you A-Rod!''

Dressed in khakis and a white pullover, Rodriguez was relaxed and comfortable. He is proud of what the Yankees have done without him.

"It's been extremely inspiring to watch the way the guys have played, the team effort, working together,'' he said. "They get an A-plus.''

Rodriguez pushed aside a question about Biogenesis, saying: "I can only control what I can control. I'm really focused on getting healthy and just getting back and helping the Yankees win a championship.

"When I get back in the flow of things, things are going to feel a lot more like normal,'' he added. "I'm here for at least a month, two months, it depends you know.''

Mark Teixeira, one of many Yankees rehabbing at the team's minor league complex, said: "It's great seeing [A-Rod]. He's a little bit further behind than we are obviously, but he's just happy to be back doing some baseball activities and he has a big smile on his face right now, which is good.''

As for all those injuries and so many Yankees rehabbing here, Rodriguez said: "We always talk about injuries are part of the game, but this is crazy, but I have to tell you the way those guys are playing up there and the job the front office has done putting these guys together last minute, hats off to everyone. It's inspiring and also, hopefully it sets the stage for when some of us go back to add on to the great things they've been doing.''

With those words, Rodriguez got into his Maybach, a vehicle that sells for about $416,000, and was off — finally, his first day of baseball activities behind him.

kevin.kernan@nypost.com


20.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mother Lode

TRUE COLORS

Could Mom's wood-paneled breakfast nook or floral-themed powder room use a bit of freshening up? Book her a private, in-home color consultancy service with the paint and wallpaper pros of Farrow & Ball. No pressure: An expert will stop by to discuss décor, finishes and pattern preferences, as well as assess light, space and architectural details. $200/hour. Call 888-511-1121.

COOKING UP A TREAT

What's almost as fun as eating cupcakes? Making them! At Sur La Table's "Mommy and Me Bake: Cupcakes" cooking class, you'll whip up tasty batters and icings to create three sweet treats — Tuxedo, Peanut Butter Cheeky Monkey and Strawberry Ladybug. Even better? You don't have to clean up the mess. May 12, 10 a.m. to noon. $35/person. Sur La Table, 306 W. 57th St., 800-243-0852; surlatable.com.

IT'S A CAKE WALK

Forget the brunch – bring on the cupcakes! The "Cupcake Crawl Across Manhattan" visits six boutique bakers across the city, including Sprinkles, City Cakes and Sweet Revenge, to sate Mom's sugar cravings. Requirements: comfy shoes, a Metrocard and an empty stomach. Wed. to Sun., 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. $50/person. 800-838-3006; sugartoothtours.com.

SEA CHANGE

Bid sayonara to your average brunch, and ahoy to the Mother's Day Brunch Cruise, a 2 3Ž4-hour trip circumnavigating Manhattan. Soak up the city sights — the George Washington Bridge, Governor's Island, the Statue of Liberty and the United Nations — while sipping mimosas and chowing down on a bountiful breakfast spread from the deck (or glassed-in observatory) of the gorgeous, 1920s-style yacht, the Manhattan. 10 a.m. Chelsea Piers. 212-913-9991; sail-nyc.com.

SHE WON'T SEE THIS COMING

If he's good enough for Jennifer Lopez and Courteney Cox, he's good enough for your mom. Thomas John, clairvoyant to the stars, specializes in psychic readings and mediumship — which means he can do everything from talking to dead people to predicting the future in love, career and relationships. What better way to bridge the generation gap than to talk about past lives during the Mother-Daughter (or -Son) Reading Package, which includes two back-to-back 30-minute readings. $200. 347-637-8592; mediumthomas.com.

UP ON THE ROOF

She'll dive right into this Mother's Day package at Le Parker Meridien. Along with a one-hour massage or facial at Moonshine Spa, a blowout at Drybar, a signature manicure and lunch at the hotel's Petit Blue Dog, Mom gets a whole month of access to the hotel's awesome 40-foot-long, glass-enclosed rooftop pool, 42 floors up. Plus, there's an outdoor sundeck with artificial grass and comfy beach chairs, where she can work on her tan. $350. 212-708-7444; moonshinespa.com.


20.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Search drags on for burial spot for bomb suspect

BOSTON — Despite more than 100 offers, a Massachusetts funeral director is striking out in his search for a burial location for the body of a Boston Marathon bombing suspect who was killed in a gun battle with police.

On Monday, Worcester funeral home director Peter Stefan said he'd received 120 burial offers from the United States and Canada for the body of Tamerlan Tsarnaev. But he said when he talked to officials in the cities and towns where the graves are located, nobody wanted the body there.

Tsarnaev's mother said she wants her son's remains returned to Russia. Stefan, however, said he doesn't think Russia will take Tsarnaev's body. He said he made calls to Russia, but that it was hard to get anyone to respond. He said he is working on other arrangements, but declined to be more specific.

AP

Tamerlan Tsarnaev

AP

Harry Lindner of Worcester, waves an American flag on Main Street, as he joins forces with about a hundred other protesters, across the street from the Graham, Putney & Mahoney Funeral Home, where the body of Boston bombing suspect, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, has been brought for funeral arrangements, last week.

The wrangling over Tsarnaev's body came as a friend of the surviving suspect in the bombings was released from federal custody Monday amid a swell of support from family and friends, but remained under strict house arrest.

And Monday evening victims of the bombing met with the administrator of the One Fund Boston charity, which has already taken in more than $28 million in donations to help those injured in the bombing.

Kenneth Feinberg, who will hold a second public meeting Tuesday morning, said the families of those who lost loved ones and individuals who suffered double amputations or permanent brain damage would receive the highest payments.

Those who received physical injuries and suffered the amputation of a single limb will be the next highest priority followed by those who were physically injured and hospitalized for one or more nights.

"Money is a pretty poor substitute for what you are going through," Feinberg told those who attended the meeting. "If you had a billion dollars you could not have enough money to deal with all of the problems that ought to be addressed by these attacks."

Feinberg said he deliberately did not include specific dollar amounts for specific types of injuries because there isn't a secure tally yet of the injuries and in part because the fund could still grow. But he did say the families of those killed or those who had limbs amputated could end up receiving as much as $1 million or more.

The question of where Tsarnaev will be buried dragged on for another day.

Stefan said when he made follow-up calls on all the grave offers, he got the same result each time.

"It's not only Massachusetts that doesn't want him," Stefan said. "Nobody wants him. And all these people who have donated graves, I've made some calls and said to somebody in the cities and towns where the graves were, 'Hey, we would like to bury the guy there that was part of the marathon bombing.'"


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Crews battle smoky bodega fire in Williamsburg

Firefighters battled a smoky blaze in Williamsburg this morning, authorities said.

Sixty of the Bravest rushed to a fire that started in a bodega on the first floor of a South 4th Street building near Hooper Street about 6:50 a.m., according to an FDNY spokesman.

Smoke filled the three-story building, and residents had to be evacuated, according to a witness.

It was extinguished shortly before 8 a.m., and no one was hurt.

it was not immediately clear what sparked the flames.


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Cops probing alleged bias attack near MSG

Police are investigating a possible bias attack near Madison Square Garden, cops said.

Two men were attacked as they were walking arm in arm down Eighth Ave. near the arena when a group of Knicks fans approached the men and began using anti-gay slurs, police said.

The four thugs — at least one of which was wearing a Carmelo Anthony jersey — started punching the 28-year-old victim in the face, breaking his nose, according to cops. His 22-year-old-partner suffered a hand injury. Both men were taken to Bellevue Hospital where they treated and released.

DCPI

Police have released this photo of a possible suspect in an alleged bias attack near Madison Square Garden.

Getty Images

Madison Square Garden

The attackers are described as Hispanic males in their 20s, cops said.


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Christie reveals secret stomach surgery to lose weight

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie secretly underwent lap-band stomach surgery to aggressively slim down for the sake of his wife and kids, he revealed to The Post last night.

The Garden State governor agreed to the operation at the urging of family and friends after turning 50 last September.

He told The Post he was thinking of his four kids and how it was time to start improving his health when he decided to have the procedure.

"I've struggled with this issue for 20 years," he said. "For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them."

HEAVY DUTY: Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told The Post last night he had lap-band surgery Feb. 16 because he wants to stay alive for his kids.

AP

HEAVY DUTY: Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told The Post last night he had lap-band surgery Feb. 16 because he wants to stay alive for his kids.

He also insisted that, contrary to what observers may say, the effort to slim down was not motivated by thoughts of a presidential bid.

"It's so much more important than that," he said.

Christie checked in to a surgery center on Feb. 16. A source said he registered under a false name.

The operation included placing a silicone tube around the top of his stomach, where it restricts the amount of food he can eat at one time and makes him feel fuller, faster.

"A week or two ago, I went to a steakhouse and ordered a steak and ate about a third of it and I was full," he said of his newly tamed appetite. He declined to say how much he lost, but sources said he has already shed nearly 40 pounds.

Christie has struggled with his weight for decades. He sometimes jokes about it, while other times, it's a sensitive topic. Insiders said it was the only thing keeping the straight-talking executive from higher office.

Despite Christie's denials, political fund-raisers say that the surgery is a clear sign that he's going to join the 2016 race — and will do whatever it takes to win.

"This means he's running for president. He's showing people he can get his weight in control. It was the one thing holding him back," a top political donor told The Post.

Sources said Christie didn't make the decision lightly — he even had private conversations about the operation with once-rotund Jet coach Rex Ryan.

Ryan lost about 100 pounds — down from a massive 350 — after he had the same procedure done in 2010.

Christie has never revealed his weight, but estimates have run from about 300 to 350 pounds.

He hired the same ace laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon as Ryan — Dr. George Fielding, head of NYU Medical Center's Weight Management Program.

Christie employed cloak-and-dagger tactics to hide the operation. First, he never went into Fielding's office for medical visits — instead, the doctor came to the governor's house in Mendham, the sources said.

He managed to keep it under wraps for nearly three months.

Christie said he went under the knife at 7 a.m. for 40 minutes and was home the same afternoon.

As he drops pounds, doctors will pump more saline solution into the lap band, restricting his stomach further and forcing him to eat even less.

In 2006, Christie said in an interview that getting a more involved surgery — gastric bypass — was never a consideration because it was "too risky."

Christie, a Republican who is running for re-election as governor this fall, saw his girth become a campaign issue in the 2009 governor's race, when Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine's campaign ran TV ads with extremely unflattering videos of his rival.

But Christie defeated Corzine.

The enlivened pol said that he knew the clock was ticking on his health and that the time had come to do something drastic.

"I know it sounds crazy to say that running for president is minor, but in the grand scheme of things, it was looking at Mary Pat and the kids and going, 'I have to do this for them, even if I don't give a crap about myself,' " he said.

tpalmeri@nypost.com


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MVP voter fesses up

Hours before LeBron James was honored with a brief on-court ceremony to commemorate his fourth NBA MVP award, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe was revealed as the writer who did not choose James — picking the Knicks' Carmelo Anthony instead.

Washburn wrote Anthony "meant more to his team," saying the Knicks would not have made the playoffs without Anthony while the Heat have plenty of other talent besides James.

James collected 120 of 121 first-place votes. The NBA never has had a unanimous MVP selection. Washburn wrote he was "flabbergasted" to learn he was the lone dissenter.


18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spurs win in 2 OTs

SAN ANTONIO — Manu Ginobili's 3-pointer from the wing with 1.2 seconds left in double overtime lifted the Spurs to a thrilling 129-127 victory over the Warriors and Stephen Curry's 44 points in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals last night.

The Spurs trailed by 16 points with 4 minutes left in regulation before going on an 18-2 run to close the fourth quarter and force overtime.

They trailed 127-126 with 3.9 seconds left in the second overtime before Ginobili hit his 3-pointer off a cross-court inbounds pass from Kawhi Leonard.

Golden State had one final chance but Jarrett Jack's 3-pointer from the top of the key was off.

Tony Parker scored 28 points to lead San Antonio while Danny Green added 22 points, Leonard had 18 and Ginobili 16.

Tim Duncan finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. Duncan, who is battling a stomach bug, left the game with three minutes left in regulation and only played the final seconds of each overtime.

Curry had 11 assists and was 18 for 35 from the field and 6 for 14 on 3-pointers for Golden State, which has lost 30 straight in San Antonio dating back to Feb. 14, 1997.

Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes each added 19 points.

Golden State trailed by five with one minute left in overtime before the Warriors scored six straight points to take a one-point lead on Kent Bazemore's reverse layup that gave the Warriors a 127-126 advantage with 3.9 seconds left.

The Warriors missed eight of their final nine shots in regulation, including a desperation heave by Curry at the buzzer.


18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

A-Rod: I feel like an 8-year-old again!

TAMPA — Alex Rodriguez insisted yesterday he is not finished.

In fact, when he held the bat in his hand during the first day of his return to baseball activities and took about 30 swings off a tee, he said: "Man, I'm so excited to be back out there. It was like being 8 years old again when I first grabbed a bat. I'm really looking forward to getting back.''

This is now about "unfinished business.''

When Rodriguez will take care of that business remains to be seen. That is the $114 million question. There has been much talk about him returning to the Yankees after the All-Star break.

AP

HAPPY RETURN: Alex Rodriguez gestures to a photographer as he arrives at the Yankees' minor league complex in Tampa for his first day of baseball activities after hip surgery in January. A-Rod took about 30 swings off a tee and said he looks forward to 'unfinished business' when he returns to the Yankees.

When I pressed him about returning this year — asking: Will you definitely be back this season? — Rodriguez answered: "I really hope so, I really hope so. That is [as] specific as I'll get. … I'm working 24/7 to get back on the field. The way the season ended last year was very embarrassing. It was very tough on me and obviously our team; it was a devastating sweep against Detroit [in the 2012 ALCS].

"I have a lot of unfinished business and I'm looking forward to getting back and helping my team win. I'm really looking forward to getting back on the field where I am close to 100 percent and being who I am.''

Just who is Alex Rodriguez now at the age of 37 after so much shadow and success in his baseball life and after this latest extensive hip surgery in mid-January?

"It's been a rough stretch with the rehab,'' he said. "I've been through it before in '09 but obviously this one was a lot deeper, a lot more severe, it was five anchors and it shaved the bone, they didn't do any of that in '09.''

A-Rod is not putting a timetable on his return, noting, "That's wise around here these days.''

This was only the first day of light baseball activity in a long road back. He ran a little, threw a little and took those "30 hacks.''

A-Rod is breaking down this comeback into 30-day increments and a four-week plan. Then he will huddle with doctors again for part two of the plan.

Rodriguez signed about 40 autographs, stopping traffic along the way as one car pulled off to the side of the road as its occupants dashed over to get his autograph, screaming "We love you A-Rod!''

Dressed in khakis and a white pullover, Rodriguez was relaxed and comfortable. He is proud of what the Yankees have done without him.

"It's been extremely inspiring to watch the way the guys have played, the team effort, working together,'' he said. "They get an A-plus.''

Rodriguez pushed aside a question about Biogenesis, saying: "I can only control what I can control. I'm really focused on getting healthy and just getting back and helping the Yankees win a championship.

"When I get back in the flow of things, things are going to feel a lot more like normal,'' he added. "I'm here for at least a month, two months, it depends you know.''

Mark Teixeira, one of many Yankees rehabbing at the team's minor league complex, said: "It's great seeing [A-Rod]. He's a little bit further behind than we are obviously, but he's just happy to be back doing some baseball activities and he has a big smile on his face right now, which is good.''

As for all those injuries and so many Yankees rehabbing here, Rodriguez said: "We always talk about injuries are part of the game, but this is crazy, but I have to tell you the way those guys are playing up there and the job the front office has done putting these guys together last minute, hats off to everyone. It's inspiring and also, hopefully it sets the stage for when some of us go back to add on to the great things they've been doing.''

With those words, Rodriguez got into his Maybach, a vehicle that sells for about $416,000, and was off — finally, his first day of baseball activities behind him.

kevin.kernan@nypost.com


18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mother Lode

TRUE COLORS

Could Mom's wood-paneled breakfast nook or floral-themed powder room use a bit of freshening up? Book her a private, in-home color consultancy service with the paint and wallpaper pros of Farrow & Ball. No pressure: An expert will stop by to discuss décor, finishes and pattern preferences, as well as assess light, space and architectural details. $200/hour. Call 888-511-1121.

COOKING UP A TREAT

What's almost as fun as eating cupcakes? Making them! At Sur La Table's "Mommy and Me Bake: Cupcakes" cooking class, you'll whip up tasty batters and icings to create three sweet treats — Tuxedo, Peanut Butter Cheeky Monkey and Strawberry Ladybug. Even better? You don't have to clean up the mess. May 12, 10 a.m. to noon. $35/person. Sur La Table, 306 W. 57th St., 800-243-0852; surlatable.com.

IT'S A CAKE WALK

Forget the brunch – bring on the cupcakes! The "Cupcake Crawl Across Manhattan" visits six boutique bakers across the city, including Sprinkles, City Cakes and Sweet Revenge, to sate Mom's sugar cravings. Requirements: comfy shoes, a Metrocard and an empty stomach. Wed. to Sun., 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. $50/person. 800-838-3006; sugartoothtours.com.

SEA CHANGE

Bid sayonara to your average brunch, and ahoy to the Mother's Day Brunch Cruise, a 2 3Ž4-hour trip circumnavigating Manhattan. Soak up the city sights — the George Washington Bridge, Governor's Island, the Statue of Liberty and the United Nations — while sipping mimosas and chowing down on a bountiful breakfast spread from the deck (or glassed-in observatory) of the gorgeous, 1920s-style yacht, the Manhattan. 10 a.m. Chelsea Piers. 212-913-9991; sail-nyc.com.

SHE WON'T SEE THIS COMING

If he's good enough for Jennifer Lopez and Courteney Cox, he's good enough for your mom. Thomas John, clairvoyant to the stars, specializes in psychic readings and mediumship — which means he can do everything from talking to dead people to predicting the future in love, career and relationships. What better way to bridge the generation gap than to talk about past lives during the Mother-Daughter (or -Son) Reading Package, which includes two back-to-back 30-minute readings. $200. 347-637-8592; mediumthomas.com.

UP ON THE ROOF

She'll dive right into this Mother's Day package at Le Parker Meridien. Along with a one-hour massage or facial at Moonshine Spa, a blowout at Drybar, a signature manicure and lunch at the hotel's Petit Blue Dog, Mom gets a whole month of access to the hotel's awesome 40-foot-long, glass-enclosed rooftop pool, 42 floors up. Plus, there's an outdoor sundeck with artificial grass and comfy beach chairs, where she can work on her tan. $350. 212-708-7444; moonshinespa.com.


18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bieber ‘stage fright’

Written By Unknown on Senin, 06 Mei 2013 | 20.49

Justin Bieber was nearly pummeled by an overzealous fan during his concert yesterday in Dubai, according to a report.

A male fan, rushing the stage to greet the teen pop star as he performed in the elite Persian Gulf city, caused a wild melee that knocked over the Biebs' piano in the process, according to Abu Dhabi's The National newspaper.

The crazed Belieber made it across the stage — but was mauled by security guards when he leaned in for a hug.

The star barely missed a note — sauntering across the stage as the unruly fan was dragged off behind him.

Bieber is doing fine. He took a three-minute break and finished the concert, according to The National.

The ruckus followed another regional Bieber crisis — a concert originally scheduled for yesterday in the Islamic state of Oman was canceled when his act was reportedly deemed "too sexy" by Muslim leaders.


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Justin in full bloom at Roseland

SEXY is coming back — sooner than we expected.

Justin Timberlake will release the second part of his hit album "The 20/20 Experience" on Sept. 30, the pop superstar told fans at his intimate, sold-out show at Roseland Ballroom last night. That came as a welcome surprise to fans, who waited seven years between 2006's "Future/Sex/Love/Sounds" and March's release of the first part of "The 20/20 Experience," which drew an overall "meh" reaction from fans.

"Obviously, I take my time with my records," the dapper "Suit and Tie" artist told the crowd, the first to see him play a New York City concert in six years. "I'll see you again on Sept. 30."

Justin Timberlake last night performs for an intimate crowd at Roseland, where he announced that Part 2 of his new album will be released Sept. 30.

Kristina Bumphrey/Starpix

Justin Timberlake last night performs for an intimate crowd at Roseland, where he announced that Part 2 of his new album will be released Sept. 30.

Roseland is smaller than a usual Timberlake audience, so he took the news to Instagram earlier in the day, posting a picture of himself in the studio holding a guitar. He treated Roseland to a collection of hits — and even a perfect-fit Michael Jackson cover — although the only guest star of the night was Timbaland, who was sadly underused, spitting his minor, aging lyrics on the closer of the night, "SexyBack."

Timberlake wasted no time jumping back into the timeless crooner vibe he set with his Grammy's performance, using the same stage arrangement and launching into the crowd-awakening "Like I Love You," while he strummed an acoustic guitar.

He led the band — which consisted of a four-piece brass section, two drummers, two keyboardists, three guitarists and four backup vocalists — into an assault of hits: "My Love" and then "Cry Me A River," mixing in a few verses of Kanye West and Jay-Z's "Niggas in Paris," followed by "Pusher Love Girl" and "Rock Your Body."

The relatively small, 3,500-capacity venue let Timberlake show off a more casual, playful tone. The highlight of the night was his lively cover of the Jacksons' "Shake Your Body," which brought Timberlake center stage to dance with five of his band members as backup dancers, and further solidified his claim on the King of Pop's vacant title.

The show was preceded by a red-carpet entrance, although the only big name to walk it was Timberlake's comedy buddy, Andy Samberg.

But for fans, the news of the album coming in the fall was a sweet bonus to a fun night.

"I'm really excited about it," said Tribeca's Renee Wittingstall, 35, who defends Justin's other recent release. "The more you listen to it, the more you like it."

Timberlake's return to the stage clearly showed off what he does best.

"He seems like he's really enjoying himself," said Jean Scott, 38, of Cobble Hill.

tdonnelly2@nypost.com


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‘Iron’ is new gold standard

"Iron Man" reigns as the standard-bearer of Hollywood superheroes, with a $175.3 million domestic opening weekend for its latest sequel and an overseas haul of a half-billion dollars in less than two weeks.

According to studio estimates yesterday, "Iron Man 3" raced to a worldwide total of $680.1 million.

No other solo superhero — not Batman or Spider-Man — has managed that kind of business. "Iron Man 3" had the second-biggest domestic debut ever, behind the $207.4 million start over the same weekend last year for "The Avengers."


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Pol surrenders after being caught in Huntley wiretap

Embattled New York state Sen. John Sampson was taken into custody this morning following a public corruption probe, an FBI official has confirmed.

Sampson of Brooklyn turned himself in to authorities after being ensnared in a bribery scandal involving former colleague-turned-rat Shirley Huntley, sources said.

Sampson is now in the custody of US Marshals at the detention facility inside the Brooklyn federal courthouse, where he will be arraigned by a judge sometime after 2 pm this afternoon.

Sampson was moved to the courthouse this morning from the FBI's New York headquarters at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan.

John Sampson

William Farrington

John Sampson

Sampson told his aides over the weekend that he was preparing to surrender to the feds, reaching out to staffers to give them the news, the sources said.

Loretta Lynch, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, will hold a press conference later this morning at her office in downtown Brooklyn.

The move comes after authorities last week revealed that wiretaps show an unnamed state senator — whom sources identified to The Post as Sampson — allegedly helped broker an illicit deal between Huntley and a cargo company at JFK Airport in March 2012.

As The Post revealed Saturday, the federal probe into allegedly crooked Queens and Brooklyn pols has already led to other investigations into Sampson and US Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-Queens).

According to sources, Sampson had approached Huntley — then a Democratic state senator from Queens — to intercede with the Port Authority to land the company more airport rental space. Huntley did — and netted a $1,000 bribe for her efforts, the feds said.

Sampson's lawyer, Zachary Carter, did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.

Sampson, 47, the former Senate Democratic majority leader, is already being probed by the feds as part of another investigation involving Meeks and $40,000 that Meeks received from shady real-estate broker Edul Ahmad.

Sources say Sampson also took money from Ahmad — who pleaded guilty in October in a separate, $14 million mortgage-fraud scheme.

Sampson worked as a real-estate lawyer for Ahmad.

The feds also have been said to be examining Sampson's fund-raising.

After the feds got on to Huntley, she agreed to wear a wire to win leniency. She wore the bug between June and August.

She wound up recording nine people, including Sampson and six other elected officials, a consultant and a staffer, according to sources and court documents.

Huntley, 74, has copped to funneling more than $87,000 in taxpayer funds to a bogus charity and then using the money to splurge on lavish shopping trips with pal and state Assemblywoman Vivian Cook, who has not yet been charged with any wrongdoing.

Huntley faces up to two years in jail as part of a plea deal.

mitchel.maddux@nypost.com


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Justin in full bloom at Roseland

SEXY is coming back — sooner than we expected.

Justin Timberlake will release the second part of his hit album "The 20/20 Experience" on Sept. 30, the pop superstar told fans at his intimate, sold-out show at Roseland Ballroom last night. That came as a welcome surprise to fans, who waited seven years between 2006's "Future/Sex/Love/Sounds" and March's release of the first part of "The 20/20 Experience," which drew an overall "meh" reaction from fans.

"Obviously, I take my time with my records," the dapper "Suit and Tie" artist told the crowd, the first to see him play a New York City concert in six years. "I'll see you again on Sept. 30."

Justin Timberlake last night performs for an intimate crowd at Roseland, where he announced that Part 2 of his new album will be released Sept. 30.

Kristina Bumphrey/Starpix

Justin Timberlake last night performs for an intimate crowd at Roseland, where he announced that Part 2 of his new album will be released Sept. 30.

Roseland is smaller than a usual Timberlake audience, so he took the news to Instagram earlier in the day, posting a picture of himself in the studio holding a guitar. He treated Roseland to a collection of hits — and even a perfect-fit Michael Jackson cover — although the only guest star of the night was Timbaland, who was sadly underused, spitting his minor, aging lyrics on the closer of the night, "SexyBack."

Timberlake wasted no time jumping back into the timeless crooner vibe he set with his Grammy's performance, using the same stage arrangement and launching into the crowd-awakening "Like I Love You," while he strummed an acoustic guitar.

He led the band — which consisted of a four-piece brass section, two drummers, two keyboardists, three guitarists and four backup vocalists — into an assault of hits: "My Love" and then "Cry Me A River," mixing in a few verses of Kanye West and Jay-Z's "Niggas in Paris," followed by "Pusher Love Girl" and "Rock Your Body."

The relatively small, 3,500-capacity venue let Timberlake show off a more casual, playful tone. The highlight of the night was his lively cover of the Jacksons' "Shake Your Body," which brought Timberlake center stage to dance with five of his band members as backup dancers, and further solidified his claim on the King of Pop's vacant title.

The show was preceded by a red-carpet entrance, although the only big name to walk it was Timberlake's comedy buddy, Andy Samberg.

But for fans, the news of the album coming in the fall was a sweet bonus to a fun night.

"I'm really excited about it," said Tribeca's Renee Wittingstall, 35, who defends Justin's other recent release. "The more you listen to it, the more you like it."

Timberlake's return to the stage clearly showed off what he does best.

"He seems like he's really enjoying himself," said Jean Scott, 38, of Cobble Hill.

tdonnelly2@nypost.com


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‘Iron’ is new gold standard

"Iron Man" reigns as the standard-bearer of Hollywood superheroes, with a $175.3 million domestic opening weekend for its latest sequel and an overseas haul of a half-billion dollars in less than two weeks.

According to studio estimates yesterday, "Iron Man 3" raced to a worldwide total of $680.1 million.

No other solo superhero — not Batman or Spider-Man — has managed that kind of business. "Iron Man 3" had the second-biggest domestic debut ever, behind the $207.4 million start over the same weekend last year for "The Avengers."


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Pol will surrender after being caught in Huntley wiretap

Embattled state Sen. John Sampson of Brooklyn is set to turn himself in to authorities today after being ensnared in a bribery scandal involving former colleague-turned-rat Shirley Huntley, sources said.

Sampson told his aides over the weekend that he was preparing to surrender to the feds, reaching out to staffers to give them the news, the sources said.

The move comes after authorities last week revealed that wiretaps show an unnamed state senator — whom sources identified to The Post as Sampson — allegedly helped broker an illicit deal between Huntley and a cargo company at JFK Airport in March 2012.

John Sampson

William Farrington

John Sampson

As The Post revealed Saturday, the federal probe into allegedly crooked Queens and Brooklyn pols has already led to other investigations into Sampson and US Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-Queens).

According to sources, Sampson had approached Huntley — then a Democratic state senator from Queens — to intercede with the Port Authority to land the company more airport rental space. Huntley did — and netted a $1,000 bribe for her efforts, the feds said.

Sampson's lawyer, Zachary Carter, did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.

Sampson, 47, the former Senate Democratic majority leader, is already being probed by the feds as part of another investigation involving Meeks and $40,000 that Meeks received from shady real-estate broker Edul Ahmad.

Sources say Sampson also took money from Ahmad — who pleaded guilty in October in a separate, $14 million mortgage-fraud scheme.

Sampson worked as a real-estate lawyer for Ahmad.

The feds also have been said to be examining Sampson's fund-raising.

After the feds got on to Huntley, she agreed to wear a wire to win leniency. She wore the bug between June and August.

She wound up recording nine people, including Sampson and six other elected officials, a consultant and a staffer, according to sources and court documents.

Huntley, 74, has copped to funneling more than $87,000 in taxpayer funds to a bogus charity and then using the money to splurge on lavish shopping trips with pal and state Assemblywoman Vivian Cook, who has not yet been charged with any wrongdoing.

Huntley faces up to two years in jail as part of a plea deal.

mitchel.maddux@nypost.com


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Bieber ‘stage fright’

Justin Bieber was nearly pummeled by an overzealous fan during his concert yesterday in Dubai, according to a report.

A male fan, rushing the stage to greet the teen pop star as he performed in the elite Persian Gulf city, caused a wild melee that knocked over the Biebs' piano in the process, according to Abu Dhabi's The National newspaper.

The crazed Belieber made it across the stage — but was mauled by security guards when he leaned in for a hug.

The star barely missed a note — sauntering across the stage as the unruly fan was dragged off behind him.

Bieber is doing fine. He took a three-minute break and finished the concert, according to The National.

The ruckus followed another regional Bieber crisis — a concert originally scheduled for yesterday in the Islamic state of Oman was canceled when his act was reportedly deemed "too sexy" by Muslim leaders.


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'Hangover' stars dress like Jennifer Aniston on 'SNL'

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 05 Mei 2013 | 20.49

NBC video still

"Hangover" stars Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms dressed as Jennifer Aniston for a skit on this weekend's episode of "Saturday Night Live."

What a pretty look, Bradley Cooper.

Host Zach Galifianakis was joined on this weekend's episode of "Saturday Night Live" by his "Hangover" co-stars Cooper and Ed Helms, with the triumvirate dressing in drag for a Jennifer Aniston lookalike contest.

Galifianakis's character, Paul Nevin, went for the "rugged" Aniston look, complimenting his beard with a blonde wig, "Friends" T-shirt and polka-dotted skirt. Nevin stormed the stage after finishing in last place in the contest, berating the other contestants while stumbling over references to Aniston's popular sitcom role as Rachel Green.

"My bad, I didn't realize this was a Jabba the Hutt convention," Nevin said. "Also, who is Ross?"

The contest winners? 'Radley Cooper' and 'Ted Pelms,' both clad in blonde wigs and jean jackets. Cooper and 'Pelms' joined Galifianakis's character onstage.

"I've been a real monster here tonight," Paul says. "The truth is, this hasn't been my day, my week, my month or even my year."

"I'll be there for ya," Radley responded, before the group started singing "That's What Friends Are For," which definitely wasn't the show's theme song.

Galifianakis showed off his humor during his monologue, discussing the difficulties of playing Charades with a deaf couple – and getting urinated on in a Cracker Barrel parking lot.

"Craigslist," he said.

Galifianakis later approached the piano, sharing his musings with musical accompaniment, a rose draped across the piano's lid for aesthetic touch.

"I like to stump Google. Like the day I Googled 'how many Mexicans live in North Korea?' Google didn't know."

Another mystery? How many candles guitarist Dave Navarro owns – 14,000, Galifianakis says, and it might as well be true.

He closed the monologue by analyzing the MTA's security campaign slogan.

"Here's something you'll never see in Braille: if you see something, say something," he said.

This was Galifianakis's third time hosting "Saturday Night Live," with the comedian shaving backstage during his previous hosting gigs.


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Five women die in limousine fire on California bridge: authorities

SAN MATEO, Calif. — A limousine traveling on a major bridge in the San Francisco area burst into flames, killing five female passengers who were trapped inside and injuring four others who escaped, authorities said Sunday.

The limo was carrying nine female passengers and a male driver when it caught fire late Saturday on the San Mateo bridge, California Highway Patrol officer Art Montiel told The Associated Press.

Five occupants became trapped, while four others suffered injuries but managed to get out after the vehicle came to a stop on the bridge, the patrol said. The driver escaped uninjured.

Montiel said that the victims were all in their 30s. Authorities said the names of the dead would be released once families have been notified.

The blaze occurred around 10 p.m. on westbound lanes of the bridge, which connects San Mateo and Alameda counties, about 20 miles southeast of San Francisco.

The patrol said that smoke started coming out of the rear of the limo, and the driver pulled over as the vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames. Officers were trying to determine the cause of the blaze, which wasn't the result of an accident.

"We have no idea right now where they were going or where they were coming from," CHP officer Amelia Jack told KGO-TV.

Two of the women who escaped were taken to Stanford Hospital and the two others were taken to Valley Medical Center in San Jose. All four are being treated for smoke inhalation and burns.

The westbound lanes of the bridge were closed as officers investigated the cause of the deadly fire, but the patrol said one lane of traffic reopened early Sunday.


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'Hangover' stars dress like Jennifer Aniston on 'SNL'

NBC video still

"Hangover" stars Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms dressed as Jennifer Aniston for a skit on this weekend's episode of "Saturday Night Live."

What a pretty look, Bradley Cooper.

Host Zach Galifianakis was joined on this weekend's episode of "Saturday Night Live" by his "Hangover" co-stars Cooper and Ed Helms, with the triumvirate dressing in drag for a Jennifer Aniston lookalike contest.

Galifianakis's character, Paul Nevin, went for the "rugged" Aniston look, complimenting his beard with a blonde wig, "Friends" T-shirt and polka-dotted skirt. Nevin stormed the stage after finishing in last place in the contest, berating the other contestants while stumbling over references to Aniston's popular sitcom role as Rachel Green.

"My bad, I didn't realize this was a Jabba the Hutt convention," Nevin said. "Also, who is Ross?"

The contest winners? 'Radley Cooper' and 'Ted Pelms,' both clad in blonde wigs and jean jackets. Cooper and 'Pelms' joined Galifianakis's character onstage.

"I've been a real monster here tonight," Paul says. "The truth is, this hasn't been my day, my week, my month or even my year."

"I'll be there for ya," Radley responded, before the group started singing "That's What Friends Are For," which definitely wasn't the show's theme song.

Galifianakis showed off his humor during his monologue, discussing the difficulties of playing Charades with a deaf couple – and getting urinated on in a Cracker Barrel parking lot.

"Craigslist," he said.

Galifianakis later approached the piano, sharing his musings with musical accompaniment, a rose draped across the piano's lid for aesthetic touch.

"I like to stump Google. Like the day I Googled 'how many Mexicans live in North Korea?' Google didn't know."

Another mystery? How many candles guitarist Dave Navarro owns – 14,000, Galifianakis says, and it might as well be true.

He closed the monologue by analyzing the MTA's security campaign slogan.

"Here's something you'll never see in Braille: if you see something, say something," he said.

This was Galifianakis's third time hosting "Saturday Night Live," with the comedian shaving backstage during his previous hosting gigs.


18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Five dead in limousine fire on California bridge: authorities

SAN MATEO, Calif. — A limousine traveling on a major bridge in the San Francisco area burst into flames, killing five female passengers who were trapped inside and injuring four others who escaped, authorities said.

The limo was carrying nine women passengers and a male driver when it caught fire late Saturday night on the San Mateo bridge, California Highway Patrol officer Art Montiel told The Associated Press.

Five occupants became trapped, while the four others suffered injuries but managed to get out after the vehicle came to a stop on the bridge, the patrol said. The driver escaped uninjured.

Montiel said that the victims were all in their 30s. Authorities said the names of the dead would be released once families have been notified.

The blaze occurred around 10 p.m. PDT on westbound lanes of the bridge, which connects San Mateo and Alemada counties, about 20 miles southeast of San Francisco.

The patrol said that smoke started coming out of the rear of the limo, and the driver pulled over as the vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames. Officers were trying to determine the cause of the blaze, which wasn't the result of an accident.

"We have no idea right now where they were going or where they were coming from," CHP officer Amelia Jack told KGO-TV.

Two of the four women who escaped were taken to Stanford Hospital and two others were taken to Valley Medical Center in San Jose. All four are being treated for smoke inhalation and burns. The driver was not injured.

The westbound lanes of the bridge were closed as officers investigated the cause of the deadly fire, but the patrol said one lane of traffic reopened early Sunday.


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Home Team Lineups

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 04 Mei 2013 | 20.49

TODAY
May 4 SUN
May 5 MON
May 6 TUE
May 7 WED
May 8 THU
May 9 FRI
May 10 Yankees Oakland
1:05
YES Network
WCBS 880 AM
Oak.
1:05
YES
WCBS
NO
GAME
Col.
8:40
YES
WCBS
Col.
8:40
YES
WCBS
Col.
3:10
YES
WCBS
K.C.
8:10
YES
WCBS
Mets Atlanta
7:10
SportsNet NY
WBBR 1130 AM Atl.
1:35
SNY
WFAN NO
GAME
Chi. Sox
7:10
SNY
WFAN Chi. Sox
7:10
SNY
WFAN Pit.
7:10
SNY
WFAN Pit.
7:10
SNY
WFAN Knicks NO
GAME Ind.
3:30
ABC
ESPN
TBD TBD
TBD TBD TBD Nets Chicago
8:00
YES/TNT
WFAN 660 AM/101.9 FM
TBD
TBD TBD
TBD TBD TBD Rangers Washington
12:30
NBC
ESPN 98.7 FM NO
GAME
Wash.
7:30
MSG
ESPN NO
GAME Wash.
7:30
MSG
ESPN
NO
GAME
* Wash.
7:30
MSG
ESPN
Islanders NO
GAME
Pit.
Noon
NBC
WRHU
NO
GAME
Pit.
7:00
MSG+
WRHU NO
GAME Pit.
7:00
MSG+
WRHU
NO
GAME
Red Bulls Columbus
4:00
NBC Sports Net.
NO
GAME NO
GAME
NO
GAME
Mon.
7:30
MSG+
NO
GAME NO
GAME

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The Post Line

The Post Line - NYPOST.com

  • Last Updated: 2:36 AM, May 4, 2013
  • Posted: 2:36 AM, May 4, 2013
NBA Playoffs
Tonight
Favorite Line Underdog
NETS 6 1/2 Bulls
Monday
SPURS 8 1/2 Warriors
Odds to Win Series
Spurs $700-1100 Warriors
NHL Playoffs
Favorite Line Underdog
CAPITALS $110-130 Rangers
BRUINS $160-180 Maple Leafs
RED WINGS $110-130 Ducks
KINGS $135-155 Blues

Home team in CAPS


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Turcotte remembers Secretariat’s injury scare before Kentucky Derby

This Sunday will mark the 40th anniversary of Secretariat's Kentucky Derby victory en route to his stunning Triple Crown performance. Plenty of Classic races have been run since, but if you ask his rider Ron Turcotte about those days leading up to the coveted race, they vividly return to his memory, but lost in time is the fact there were many hectic and worrisome days leading up to the first Saturday in May for the then- 31-year-old rider.

""It sure doesn't feel like it's been forty years. It's like the legend grows. He was the gift that keeps on giving. It's been forty years and all his legends are still intact."

Secretariat was headed to the Derby just a year after his Meadow Stable captured the Roses with Riva Ridge in 1972. Turcotte returned with a Derby win on his resume, and now had claim to another hopeful, a big red colt who watched planes fly overhead, loved to eat and effortlessly ran increasingly faster as the distance lasted when given the chance.

After winning the Bay Shore and the Gotham, the then-later scheduled Wood Memorial on April 21 would be the final prep race before departing for Kentucky. A disappointing third-place finish in that race won by his stablemate Angle Light, put the big red colt's future in doubt and gave Turcotte plenty to question in the next two weeks.

"When I went to the gate in the Wood, he went through the gate doors before the race," Turcotte said. "He never did that before, and I've never seen it written anywhere or talked about since. He broke through. I pulled him up, and just brought him around easy, then he went back into the stall good. He put his head in there and then I just turned him loose. We broke all right, and I let him go. I pulled him a bit and he threw his head up in the air. I tried again, same thing. I didn't know what the heck was wrong."

Rumors spread that Big Red was hurt. Was he suffering from knee problems? Bone chips? His trainer Lucien Laurin was blamed as being an incompetent trainer. Turcotte himself was blamed for the ride. The trainer, jockey and owner Penny Tweedy, known affectionately as Team Secretariat, was collectively at a loss for reason.

Big Red walked in the shedrow at his Belmont barn for the next two days before heading to Louisville that Monday where he returned to the track at Churchill Downs that Wednesday and Thursday and galloped under exercise rider Charlie Davis. Unbeknownst to Turcotte, the answer to the thousands of questions surrounding the upset was found when Dr. Manuel Gilman, the veterinarian, looked for the colt's tattoo number stamped inside his upper lip earlier that morning when he was to run in the Wood.

"That Friday after I worked him in 1:12 I didn't like the way he worked," Turcotte said. "I asked Dr. Gilman, about him. He said 'well the abscess came to a head.' I said what abscess? He said there was an abscess in his mouth. Then I said thank God, you just solved my problem. It was an abscess! The following week, I find that Charlie Davis had known about it. The groom Eddie Sweat knew. When you put the bridle on him he threw his head up. After that week, he started eating good again. He came back to himself. Davis and Sweat, they weren't at liberty to tell anybody. I didn't want to put them in trouble. I didn't tell the owner or trainer. That's how it was done. You learn to say nothing sometimes. It was different then.

"I was not worried about the Wood after I knew about the abscess. When I went back to work the next time, Charlie and Sweat said the horse was doing better. He worked 58 flat that day. They [the clockers] said 58 and two, but I thought, no, it was 58. I told Charlie, 'I think were in the same place we were last year on the first Saturday in May'. When the Derby came, I just took it easy the first part, just let him gallop the first mile, which was the instructions Lucien gave me. He took off. He was back."

Backed by a loyal fan base, Secretariat was sent off as the 3-2 favorite and broke from post 10. He went on to win by 2 1/2 lengths and set the record for the 1 ¹/‚„ miles in 1:59.2/5. The split times would reveal that Big Red ran each quarter mile in a faster time as the race continued to the finish line. Turcotte was again in the winners' circle donning the blue and white silks and fittingly his teammate was draped in a blanket of roses.

"I told a friend of mine at the time, 'Secretariat's going to win,' " Turcotte said. "He says, 'No, I think Sham.' I just told him I think you're wrong. When I told him I was going to win, I just couldn't tell him the reason why. Dr. Gilman wasn't at liberty to say anything then either. He was working for the Association (NYRA). He had the confidentiality to the owner and trainer. It's a shame the people didn't know anything about the abscess until after the Derby. After that race, I thought we were a cinch for the Preakness.

"It goes to show you that you need to have a horse that is versatile and tough to make all three of the races. You need the right team to be successful, the right trainer, the right owner and the right rider. They all have to stick together."

aaffrunti@nypost.com


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