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NSFW: TV’s 14 Sexiest (And Strangest) Sex Scenes of 2014 (Gallery)

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 31 Desember 2014 | 20.49

NSFW: TV's 14 Sexiest (And Strangest) Sex Scenes of 2014 (Gallery) | Decider | Where To Stream TV & Movies on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant, HBO Go
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December 31, 2014 // 8:00am

2014…what a year, amirite? During each of the final 14 days of the year, the Decider staff will be counting down our favorite and most memorable moments of 2014. If you happen to miss an installment along the way, don't fret! You can follow all the action on our official Best 14 Of '14 hub page.

2014 was a groundbreaking year for televised coitus. How To Get Away With Murder showed us how it's done in the copy room, while Oberyn Martell of Game of Thrones taught us a thing or two about keeping an open mind in the brothel — er, bedroom. Plus, who could forget when audiences got all bent out of shape (no pun intended) after the "it slipped!" incident on The Mindy Project, or when everyone on House of Cards started getting it on. Whoa, we're getting hot and bothered just thinking about it! Here are the tube's most memorable sex scenes of the year, ranked from weirdest to downright sexy.

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Photo: Everett Collection

Three cheers, or should we say jeers, for the unsexiest, most awkward threesome in primetime for 2014. Leave it to Don Draper to make a perfectly fun situation totally weird.

[Where to stream Mad Men, "The Runaways"]

Gif: Jaclyn Kessel; Image: AMC

"I SLIPPED!" Danny confessed after he tried to see how far he could go now that he and Mindy are totally in love. Only she wasn't in love with his, er, forwardness. Though it wasn't explicitly shown, the series was the first to televise anal sex on a broadcast network.

[Where to stream The Mindy Project, "I Slipped"]

Gif: Jaclyn Kessel; Image: Fox

Not gonna lie: we might have fantasized about Jason and Eric getting' it on way back when. But the show built up the suspense too much, as this dud of a sex scene was a total let down.

[Where to stream True Blood, "I Found You"]

Gif: Jaclyn Kessel; Image: HBO

So April and Daniel did it on canvas. With paint. From what we saw, it looked pretty sexy, but c'mon, like this would

really

happen. That would be the most annoying, unsexy clean up process ever.

[Where to stream Mistresses, "Boundaries"]

Gif: Jaclyn Kessel; Image: ABC

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Silver, donor under investigation are longtime friends

A lawyer whose firm made unexplained payments to Sheldon Silver is so close to the Assembly speaker that the attorney attended a young Shel's bar mitzvah nearly 60 years ago, The Post has learned.

Jay Arthur Goldberg and his firm, Goldberg & Iryami, are under scrutiny by US Attorney Preet Bharara, who is investigating whether they funneled money to the powerful Democratic leader — funds that were not disclosed as required by state law.

Goldberg, 75, has known the 70-year-old speaker for more than five decades and was a guest at his bar mitzvah, according to a source.

The two have since done very well for themselves, Silver as the powerful head of state Democrats in Albany and Goldberg as a successful tax lawyer.

Prosecutors have linked them again, sources said, naming Goldberg's law firm, which specializes in real-estate tax reductions, as Silver's source of unreported income

At issue is Silver's apparent failure to include on his financial-disclosure forms payments he received for a decade from the firm.

Unclear is how much money Silver took in from the firm and what he did to earn the money.

Silver was in lockdown mode Tuesday and would not comment.

In addition to the payments, Goldberg has donated $7,600 to Silver's campaigns since 2001, including $1,800 in February of this year, according to campaign-finance records.

The probe has some lawmakers on the other side of the political aisle questioning Silver's leadership.

"I think that, first of all, the speaker actually should provide a public explanation now, before we get into next year, regarding outside income, political donations and disclosure requirements," said Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-Canandaigua).

Even Blair Horner, legislative director for the New York Public Interest Research Group, a left-leaning organization, let loose.

"The ball's in the speaker's court," he said. "He has to let the public know what's going on."

NYPIRG may file a complaint with the state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics if Silver doesn't provide details, Horner said.

But Assembly Democrats stood by their leader, saying Bharara's probe is a fishing expedition.

"Investigation by leaking seems to be the new way of trying to discredit people without actually producing any evidence," said Assembly member Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan). "It won't have any particular effect in the course of the [next Assembly] session."


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The 14 Hottest, Weirdest, And Shocking Sex Scenes Of 2014 (Gallery)

The 14 Hottest, Weirdest, And Shocking Sex Scenes Of 2014 (Gallery) | Decider | Where To Stream TV & Movies on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant, HBO Go
  • Sign in / Register Sign Out
  • or email tips@nypost.com

Photo: Everett Collection

Three cheers, or should we say jeers, for the unsexiest, most awkward threesome in primetime for 2014. Leave it to Don Draper to make a perfectly fun situation totally weird.

[Where to stream Mad Men, "The Runaways"]

Gif: Jaclyn Kessel; Image: AMC

"I SLIPPED!" Danny confessed after he tried to see how far he could go now that he and Mindy are totally in love. Only she wasn't in love with his, er, forwardness. Though it wasn't explicitly shown, the series was the first to televise anal sex on a broadcast network.

[Where to stream The Mindy Project, "I Slipped"]

Gif: Jaclyn Kessel; Image: Fox

Not gonna lie: we might have fantasized about Jason and Eric getting' it on way back when. But the show built up the suspense too much, as this dud of a sex scene was a total let down.

[Where to stream True Blood, "I Found You"]

Gif: Jaclyn Kessel; Image: HBO

So April and Daniel did it on canvas. With paint. From what we saw, it looked pretty sexy, but c'mon, like this would

really

happen. That would be the most annoying, unsexy clean up process ever.

[Where to stream Mistresses, "Boundaries"]

Gif: Jaclyn Kessel; Image: ABC

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Use an account with your email address

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Slash files for divorce after 13 years

Another day, another divorce in Hollywood.

On Tuesday, Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash filed for divorce from his wife of 13 years, Perla Ferrar Hudson, in Los Angeles, reports TMZ.

The couple, 49 and 39 respectively, are no strangers to marital strife.

Slash, who's real name Saul Hudson, is citing irreconcilable differences and is seeking joint custody of their two boys: 12-year-old London and 10-year-old Cash. He also claims their separation date was June 15.

#family

A photo posted by Perla Hudson (@perlafhudson) on

Things between Slash and Perla hit a new low after she unexpectedly flew to Hawaii with the kids on Sunday.

Sources tell the site that upon leaving, she delivered an ultimatum urging Slash to right his wrongs by New Year's Day or else.

This isn't the first time Slash and Perla have traveled down the road to divorce. In 2010, Slash filed but eventually withdrew his petition two months later.

Hudson appears to be taking the divorce news in stride Instagraming a quote about betrayal hashtagging it "newyearnewlife" and "surprise."


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Temptations outshine Four Tops in B’way show

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Ron Tyson, Otis Williams, Bruce Williamson, Terry Weeks and Joe Herndon of The Temptations (main) and Lawrence Roquel Payton, Harold Spike DeLeon, Ronnie McNeir and Abdul Duke Fakir of The Four Tops (inset) perform on stage on April 1, 2014 in Leeds, United Kingdom. Photo: Andrew Benge/Redferns via Getty Images

Back in their respective heydays, the Four Tops and the Temptations both occupied spots near the summit of the Motown hierarchy, and that competition was renewed Monday on Broadway, where the two groups kicked off a weeklong residency.

While the Tops sang some of the same old songs, it was the Temps who dished out some old showbiz schooling. Following an opening salvo of trash-talking, the Tops went first but faltered quickly. Only Abdul "Duke" Fakir is left from the original lineup, and newer members Lawrence Payton Jr. and Harold Bonhart lack the vocal power of the late, great lead singer Levi Stubbs.

The Temptations always had better songs, slicker moves, flashier threads and more charisma — and it's the same more than 50 years on. Like the Four Tops, the quintet has only one original member, Otis Williams. But the full-bodied bellow of Bruce Williamson and the falsetto of Ron Tyson nearly make up for the sorely missed David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks.

The Temps delivered with the rousing soul of "Get Ready," the dreamy R&B of "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)," and even the streetwise funk of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone."

Although this friendly match-up continues till Sunday, the fight for bragging rights is already looking remarkably one-sided.

"The Temptations & the Four Tops" continues Thursday through Sunday at the Palace Theatre, 1564 Broadway; 212-730-8200.


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No. 15 St. John’s kicks off Big East slate against rival Seton Hall

Now we truly find out about St. John's.

Are the Johnnies really this good, No. 15 in the nation good? Are they 11-1 good? Capable of beating anyone in the nation good?

The season begins for real Wednesday at noon, when the Red Storm visit the Prudential Center to take on Seton Hall, off to an impressive start of its own, to kick off the Big East conference season. That's followed by two more interesting tests at the Garden, Butler Saturday afternoon and No. 6 Villanova on Tuesday.

"I'm pleased with the development of our team yet we realize we have to continue to improve," St. John's coach Steve Lavin said Tuesday.

St. John's — off to its best start since 1985-86 — isn't talking big so far this year. The Johnnies, winners of seven straight games, are letting their impressive play do the talking. The ranking hasn't gone to their heads. Since breaking into the top 25, in fact, they have played even better, winning their last five games by an average of 18.2 points.

"They're arguably the best team in the Big East right now," Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said. "I love the way St. John's is playing as a team, both offensively and defensively."

While young and inexperienced Seton Hall (10-2) will be without star freshman Isaiah Whitehead (broken foot) — the McDonald's All-American from Coney Island who picked Seton Hall over St. John's — and have looked overmatched against their top two opponents, No. 16 Wichita State and Georgia, the Red Storm aren't taking them lightly. Said Lavin, "If we don't execute at a high level we will be shellacked again."

"We know it's going to be a tough game," St. John's senior D'Angelo Harrison said. "They're right up the street, so with all the talk since Big East media day, we just want to go in there and get the 'W.' "

Though that may be a stretch, it's hard to argue with anything Lavin has said or done this season. Senior forward Sir'Dominic Pointer and junior forward Chris Obekpa have taken major leaps after being pushed in the offseason coming off down years. Senior Jamal Branch has provided a steadying hand at point guard since replacing talented though inconsistent sophomore Rysheed Jordan in the starting lineup.

Jordan, too, has provided glimpses of his immense talent off the bench, scoring 25 points in a rout of Fordham.

"Jamal and Rysheed give us a terrific playmaking and shot-making tandem," Lavin said.

Not only is St. John's not taking bows for its big start, the only loss, a seven-point setback to No. 7 Gonzaga at the Garden, still stings.

"After the Preseason NIT, we let one of the top teams in the country slip away," Harrison said, referring to the loss to Gonzaga. "We were right there and we should've had that one. We should be 12-0 but we let that slip away. It gave us fire for the next few games until now."


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Daily Blotter

Bronx

Police are looking for a thug who beat and tried to rob an elderly man on a Bedford Park street. The assailant grabbed the 67-year-old victim from behind and threw him to the ground on Briggs Avenue near East 197th Street last Saturday at about 2:20 p.m. in an attack which was caught on surveillance video. The thug then punched the man several times as he lay helpless on the ground before hurling him against a parked car and attempting to take his belongings, cops said. A second suspect in a red hooded sweatshirt, who acted as lookout, can be seen in the video before fleeing with the attacker. The men ran off empty handed and the victim was taken to Montefiore Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, cops said.

Brooklyn

A man from Prospect-Lefferts Gardens who was shot while seated in his idling minivan earlier this month has died, authorities said. Calvin George, 43, was sitting in his Honda Odyssey on Rogers Avenue near Lenox Road at about 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 15, when a gunman walked up to the window and shot him in the neck, cops said. George, who lived on the block, succumbed to his injuries Monday at Downstate Hospital, officials said. The shooter, believed to be about 5-foot-9, was last seen wearing a brown jacket and black pants. Investigators have yet to identify a motive in the slaying.

Manhattan

A brute grabbed a 45-year-old woman and attacked her with a beer bottle outside a jail in Washington Heights on Christmas morning, police said. A video of the assault shows the suspect dragging the woman on a sidewalk outside the Edgecombe Correctional Facility on West 163rd Street and Edgecombe Avenue at about 7:50 a.m., cops said. He then cracked a beer bottle over her head and continued to hit her with it, police said. The victim fled to safety in the jail and alerted authorities, cops said. She was taken to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in stable condition, authorities said. The suspect, described as a 6-foot-1 man in his 40s, was last seen wearing black jeans, boots and a black jacket.

This man is suspected of breaking into a luxury Midtown hotel room where a 79-year-old woman was sleeping and emptying her purse, police said. The suspect entered The New York Palace on Madison Avenue on Nov. 19 at about 11:45 p.m., cops said. The burglar went through the woman's bag and took $100 in cash, a credit card, and jewelry, cops said. The suspect, believed to be in his mid-20s, was caught on elevator security surveillance wearing black dress shoes, a black overcoat and blue jeans, cops said.

Queens

Cops have arrested two suspects in the fatal shooting of a romantic rival in Richmond Hill on Christmas Day, police sources said. Abu Quick, 23, and Jamar Alexander, 25, allegedly gunned down 20-year-old James Bryant near 126th Street and 89th Avenue just before 2:35 p.m., authorities said. First responders rushed Bryant to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a single gunshot to the neck. Police sources said it's believed Bryant had been feuding with Quick and Alexander over a woman. Quick and Alexander were arrested Monday, and charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

Staten Island

A Port Richmond man drunkenly slammed into the rear of another car, according to a Criminal Court complaint. Seth Wolchok, 43, was standing near the driver's side door of his 2004 Chevy Malibu at Clove Road and Fairway Lane when police arrived on Dec. 23 at about 9:15 p.m., law-enforcement sources said. The keys were in the ignition and officers saw rear-end damage to a gray Ford SUV, cops said. "I was driving and I didn't realize that she had her signal on to make a left," Wolchok said. He had bloodshot eyes and was slurring his speech, cops said. Wolchok was charged with driving while intoxicated and driving while ability impaired, the documents state.

A senior citizen admittedly downed six shots of vodka in a Mariners Harbor bar before getting into a car crash and fleeing the scene, law-enforcement sources said. Verner Garrison, 74, crashed into a white Ford at the corner of Forest Avenue and Harbor Road last Friday at about 7 p.m., injuring the driver, a Criminal Court complaint states. Garrison ran off, but was caught nearby.
"I was driving from my buddy's bar," Garrison told cops, according to court papers. Garrison was charged with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident.


18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Accused slasher of ‘Mob Wives’ beau surrenders to cops

Rodolfo "Rudy" LopezPhoto: NYPD

A man accused of slashing the face of a "Mob Wives" star's boyfriend has turned himself in, police said.

Rodolfo "Rudy" Lopez — who allegedly sliced "Mob Wife" Natalie Guercio's beau on Sunday in Brooklyn — was jolted after catching a glimpse of himself on a TV news segment, a law-enforcement source said.

Lopez, 35, of Jersey City, surrendered to cops at the 94th Precinct in Williamsburg on Tuesday. He is charged with felony assault, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.

Lopez allegedly slashed the curvy reality star's boyfriend, London Rene, 37, outside the trendy Club Output on Wythe Avenue near North 12th Street, leaving him with gashes requiring more than 250 stitches.

On Sunday, Guercio posted pictures of Rene's bloody face at Woodhull Hospital on social media.

Lopez and Rene are believed to be acquaintances.


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$300k in wine stolen from famed Napa Valley restaurant

Vino, vidi, vici!

Some sticky-fingered wine snobs broke into a California eatery dubbed the "best restaurant in the world," stealing only the most expensive bottles, including some worth $15,000 a pop.

In all, they lifted 76 bottles valued at a total of $300,000 from The French Laundry restaurant in the Napa Valley town of Yountville north of San Francisco, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The restaurant's owner, Thomas Keller, who also runs Per Se in Hell's Kitchen, bemoaned the loss of his valuable vino.

"Specific wines of specific value were stolen," Keller tweeted about the Christmas Day heist, asking for help from anyone with possible info to spill.

"We ave complete trust in the authorities leading the investigation & welcome any information our community may have."

The haul included three bottles from the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti winery in Burgundy, France, worth at least $15,000 each.

After Christmas Eve, the establishment closed its doors for six months to ­undergo renovations.

The restaurant is one of only 13 in the United States to receive a coveted three-star rating from Michelin and was called "the best restaurant in the world, ­period!" by chef Anthony Bourdain.


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Silver, donor under investigation are longtime friends

A lawyer whose firm made unexplained payments to Sheldon Silver is so close to the Assembly speaker that the attorney attended a young Shel's bar mitzvah nearly 60 years ago, The Post has learned.

Jay Arthur Goldberg and his firm, Goldberg & Iryami, are under scrutiny by US Attorney Preet Bharara, who is investigating whether they funneled money to the powerful Democratic leader — funds that were not disclosed as required by state law.

Goldberg, 75, has known the 70-year-old speaker for more than five decades and was a guest at his bar mitzvah, according to a source.

The two have since done very well for themselves, Silver as the powerful head of state Democrats in Albany and Goldberg as a successful tax lawyer.

Prosecutors have linked them again, sources said, naming Goldberg's law firm, which specializes in real-estate tax reductions, as Silver's source of unreported income

At issue is Silver's apparent failure to include on his financial-disclosure forms payments he received for a decade from the firm.

Unclear is how much money Silver took in from the firm and what he did to earn the money.

Silver was in lockdown mode Tuesday and would not comment.

In addition to the payments, Goldberg has donated $7,600 to Silver's campaigns since 2001, including $1,800 in February of this year, according to campaign-finance records.

The probe has some lawmakers on the other side of the political aisle questioning Silver's leadership.

"I think that, first of all, the speaker actually should provide a public explanation now, before we get into next year, regarding outside income, political donations and disclosure requirements," said Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-Canandaigua).

Even Blair Horner, legislative director for the New York Public Interest Research Group, a left-leaning organization, let loose.

"The ball's in the speaker's court," he said. "He has to let the public know what's going on."

NYPIRG may file a complaint with the state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics if Silver doesn't provide details, Horner said.

But Assembly Democrats stood by their leader, saying Bharara's probe is a fishing expedition.

"Investigation by leaking seems to be the new way of trying to discredit people without actually producing any evidence," said Assembly member Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan). "It won't have any particular effect in the course of the [next Assembly] session."


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Personal trainer accused of threatening cop charged with harassment

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 30 Desember 2014 | 18.19

A Brooklyn personal trainer was charged with aggravated harassment Monday for threatening an NYPD officer just one day after two cops were gunned down in Bed-Stuy.

Clifton Jean-Pierre sent a text message to NYPD drug cop Katrina Weekes and eight others that read, "FOR EVERY ONE THEY KILL, WE KILL TWO," court papers charge.

Jean-Pierre, 36, met Weekes months before at Blink Fitness in Flatbush, where he had recruited her as a client, law-enforcement sources said. He was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.


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Cashman’s ‘stalker’ shouldn’t use his name in trial: prosecutor

Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman's former mistress — and alleged stalker — should not be allowed to use his name at her upcoming housing-fraud trial, prosecutors argue.

"There [should] be no mention of Brian Cashman or . . . other stalking victims," ADA Kenn Kern said in Manhattan court papers.

Louise Neathway, 37, is set to go on trial Jan. 6 for allegedly making false claims to score below-market rent on her Tribeca flat. Her attorney Peter Gleason said, "The very person who created this situation, Brian Cashman is now being protected."


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Daily Blotter

Brooklyn

Police are looking for a man who went on a rampage in a Coney Island deli and threw bottles at a worker, authorities said. The suspect walked into Big Sam Food Corp. on Mermaid Avenue on Nov. 27 at about 12:40 p.m. and began throwing merchandise around, cops said. When a 48-year-old employee approached, the suspect chucked a 3-liter plastic soda bottle at the worker, striking him in the head, cops added. The employee refused medical attention at the scene. The suspect is described as having short hair and was last seen wearing a black jacket, cops said.

A Crown Heights deli worker was shot after trying to fight off an armed robber, authorities said. The thug entered Pacific Street Grocery & Deli on Pacific Street near Troy Avenue with a pellet gun Sunday at about 8 p.m. and demanded cash, cops said. When the worker refused, the two struggled for the weapon, resulting in the employee getting shot in the leg, cops said. The suspect fled empty-handed and the victim was taken to Kings County Hospital for minor injuries, cops added.

Bronx

A perverted woman tricked an elderly woman into letting her into her Fordham home before groping her, authorities said. The woman knocked on the 81-year-old's apartment door last Friday at about 10:45 p.m. and told her she was from the hospital, cops said. Believing the suspect was there to care for her husband, the woman let her in before the sicko touched her groin and breast area, cops added. The groper fled after the woman pushed her away, cops said. The suspect, believed to be in her 30s, 5-foot-6 and 135 pounds, was caught on surveillance video wearing a black skirt and sneakers, police said.

A teen was shot twice after getting into a dispute with a group of men in Claremont, cops said. The 18-year-old was shot in the butt and arm outside an apartment building on Grand Concourse near East 172nd Street on Sunday at about 10:30 p.m., police said. The victim was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, authorities said.

Manhattan

A woman fought off an attempted rapist in the East Village, cops said. The fiend followed the 22-year-old victim into East Sixth Street apartment building Sunday at about 6 a.m., cops said.
He tried to take off her skirt in the hallway, but she resisted and he ran off, sources said. The woman was taken to Beth Israel Hospital and treated for minor injuries, cops said. The suspect is about 25 years old and 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a dark baseball cap, a black bubble jacket, blue jeans, and black sneakers, cops said.

A DJ hired to work a private event near Madison Square Garden was robbed when he tried to scoot out early, police sources said. The 28-year-old mixed tracks for about three hours on Nov. 28 inside Hotel Affinia on Seventh Avenue near West 31st Street before the crowd began to make him uncomfortable sources said. He packed up his gear at about 11:30 p.m. and headed for the door before being intercepted by four men, cops said. One of them told him, "You can't leave, we're gonna f–k you up." Another guy took his mixer case and smashed it on the floor, sources said.
Then they took his back pack, his speakers and his mixer from the case before fleeing, cops said.

Queens

Police are looking for a group of thugs who robbed three people in the Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City last summer, authorities said. The gang of five men and one woman stopped the victims as they left an apartment on June 28 at 2:30 a.m., cops said. Two of the men pulled guns and one pistol whipped a 22-year-old man in the face before stealing jewelry, an iPhone, a G-Shock watch and credit cards, cops added. The injured man was hospitalized with a fractured orbital bone, cops said. Two of the crooks, Jerrel Lewis, 17, and Malik Harris, 16, have been arrested and charged with robbery, while their four cohorts are still on the loose, police said.


18.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

More than 200 to sue city over East Harlem gas explosion

More than 200 people plan to sue the city over the East Harlem gas explosion that killed eight and leveled two buildings in March.

The Comptroller's Office confirmed Monday that 205 people — including victims' relatives, survivors and first responders — have filed notices of claim, a pre-cursor to a lawsuit.

The city could get stuck with a more than $1 billion bill for payouts, DNA Info, a news Web site, reported.

The blast was centered in aging gas lines under 1644 and 1646 Park Ave.

Among those going to court is FDNY firefighter Dale Scott, who was hurt responding to the blast.

Kadeisha Joseph, 20, who lived in a first-floor apartment adjacent to the blast, slapped the city with a $25 million suit, saying she was so badly hurt that day, she can no longer work.

"I thought it was a terrorist attack. I had no idea what was going on," she said.

Carmen Quinones, the mother of Griselde Camacho, 48, one of the eight dead in the blast, submitted a $40 million notice of claim, alleging the city failed to maintain the 127-year-old gas lines.

Quinones, too, suffered injuries.

Residents in the area said they smelled gas that morning, but only one person called Con Edison.


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State legislators will get pensions while still in office

It's going to be a very happy new year for nine veteran state lawmakers who will "retire" Jan. 1 to collect their pensions — but remain in office on full salary.

A wacky loophole in state pension law allows legislators who are at least age 65 and elected before 1995 to retire for pension purposes.

In essence, the double dippers — many of whom make $100,000 or more between their base legislative salary of $79,500 and leadership stipends — will be giving themselves pay hikes of 30 percent to 100 percent, depending on years of service.

The legislators re-elected last month who filed for retirement with the state comptroller's office are a bipartisan bunch.

They include five Republican senators — John DeFrancisco of Syracuse; John Bonacic of Orange County; Kemp Hannon of Nassau County; Kenneth LaValle of Suffolk County; and Tim Libous of Binghamton.

In the Assembly, three Democrats and one Republican filed for the added benefit — Jeff Aubry (D-Queens); Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon); William Magee (D-Madison County); and David McDonough (R-Nassau).

Pension reformers blasted the practice as a sweetheart deal.

"It's a loophole that shouldn't exist. But as long as this is the law, people are going to exploit it," said Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Suffolk).

Fitpatrick has introduced legislation that would require elected officials and government workers to enter a 401(k)-style pension system.

E.J. McMahon of the Empire Center agreed. "If legislators were in a 401(k)-type system, like the vast majority of their constituents, this simply wouldn't be an issue. The existing system shouldn't simply be mended, it should be ended."

The lawmakers defended their double dipping.

"I had a heart attack 10 years ago," said Aubry, 67, first elected in 1992. "Everyone has to look at their own situation. I don't know if this makes a huge difference to people in my district."

Aubry, who makes about $100,000, expects a monthly pension of about $2,400 or close to $30,000 extra a year.

Bonacic, 72, told The Post his wife would collect lower benefits if he dies in office without being retired.

"If I were to die while in active service in the state Legislature, the law does not allow my wife to collect my pension. I put this decision off for as long as I can, but I thought it was appropriate at this time to protect my wife," he said.

Pretlow, 65, said he was thinking of his own mortality.

"I've been to six funerals in the past two weeks, 28 to 55 years old. No one was older than me. Life is short," he said.


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Death toll from Greek ferry fire now at 5

Written By Unknown on Senin, 29 Desember 2014 | 20.50

Death toll from Greek ferry fire now at 5 | New York Post
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December 29, 2014 | 6:45am

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The burning ferry "Norman Atlantic" adrift off Albania. Photo: Getty Images

BARI, Italy — The Greek coast guard says the death toll from a fire on board a Greek ferry in the Adriatic between Albania and Italy has increased to five.

Coast Guard spokesman Nikos Lagadianos said four more people were found dead on Monday. One Greek man died on Sunday after becoming trapped in a lifeboat chute. Of the 478 passengers and crew on board the ferry, 391 have been rescued so far.

The fire broke out on a car deck on board the Norman Atlantic before dawn Sunday as it sailed from Greece toward Italy.

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Smoke rises from the ferry stranded in the Adriatic Sea.

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Decider Editor-In-Chief Mark Graham’s Top 14 Everything of 2014

December 29, 2014 // 8:00am

2014…what a year, amirite? During each of the final 14 days of the year, the Decider staff will be counting down our favorite and most memorable moments of 2014. If you happen to miss an installment along the way, don't fret! You can follow all the action on our official Best 14 Of '14 hub page.

As the intro above says, what a year, right? Looking back over the last 12 months, there are a great many pop culture moments that people will not soon forget. However, for me, when I look back at the year 2014, here are the Top 14 things that will stick out to me as being representative of the year that was. Some are movies, some are TV shows, and some are musical moments, but they all have one thing in common: They're all #BEST.

1

'They Came Together'

If you loved how Wet Hot American Summer parodied the "summer camp" genre of films from the '70s and '80s, you're gonna flip out when you see what the WHAS creative team (writer Michael Showalter, writer/director David Wain) did with rom-coms in They Came Together. The film tracks the tumultuous relationship between friends turned lovers turned enemies turned soulmates Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler, all the while alternately paying homage to and mocking the films of Nora Ephron, Nancy Meyers and more. I loved this film so much that I rented it on VOD on three separate occasions, but luckily for you, it's now available to rent on Amazon Instant, iTunes and more. [Where to stream They Came Together]

2

The Six Minute Uncut Shot From 'True Detective', "Who Goes There" (Season 1, Episode 4)

The first three episodes of True Detective worked very hard to set-up the show's nihilistic, supernatural and stoned universe/worldview, but it wasn't until the fourth episode of the series that viewers were clued into the show's masterful masterplan. The six-minute tracking shot that puts Matthew McConaughey squarely in the middle of a botched robbery at a drug house in the New Orleans projects was as pulse-pounding as either television or movies gets, on top of being a near virtuoso work of cinema by director Cary Fukunaga. This will be one of those television moments that people talk about for years and years to come. [Stream True Detective on HBO Go]

3

Future Islands Perform "Seasons" On 'The Late Show With David Letterman'

Only a handful of bleeding edge hipsters had any awareness of Baltimore-by-way-of-North-Carolina band Future Islands before David Letterman invited them to perform on The Late Show on March 4, 2014. However, thanks to a ridiculously energetic and charismatic performance of their single "Seasons" —particularly frontman Samuel T. Herring's captivating and unusual dance moves—the song went viral, propelling Future Islands onto the festival circuit and the band onto a number of Top 10 lists at the close of 2014.

4

'Boyhood'

You've no doubt heard about the gimmick by now—the film was shot in small chunks over the course of 12 years—but believe us when we say that there is SO MUCH MORE to this movie than how long it was in development for. If there's a feeling in the range of human emotion that this outstanding picture from Richard Linklater doesn't hit, we have yet to find it. [Where to stream Boyhood]

5

'30 for 30: Bad Boys'

I grew up in Detroit as a diehard Pistons fan, so this documentary holds a special place in my heart that I don't expect it to hold for you. That said, I watched this doc with my wife, who grew up in the suburbs of New York City and holds no real interest in either Detroit or the sport of basketball and she LOVED IT. If you have a soft spot in your heart for scrappy underdog tales, this is the film for you, my friend. [Watch 30 For 30: Bad Boys on Netflix]

6

'Under The Skin'

Fascinating yet frustrating. Gorgeous yet glum. Poignant yet perplexing. It's been a long while since a film has inspired so many conflicting feelings in me, which is why I become more and more fond of the film with each viewing. [Watch Under The Skin on Amazon Prime]

7

'The Greatest Event In Television History: Part 4'

The fourth and sadly final installment of Adam Scott's Adult Swim show, this iteration of The Greatest Event in Television History has Adam and Paul Rudd setting out to remake the opening credit sequence of Bosom Buddies. Keep your eyes peeled for cameos from both Tom Hanks AND Billy Joel; how many other shows that aired in 2014 can boast that?

8

Sky Ferreira performs "I Blame Myself" On 'The Tonight Show'

Night Time, My Time, Sky Ferreira's extraordinary 2013 debut album, was overshadowed by releases from pop powerhouses like Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga. It wasn't until spring of 2014 that her label got around to booking her for any U.S. television appearances, but when she got the call from Jimmy Fallon and the Tonight Show on April 4, she made the most of her shot with a performance that could not have possibly been any more "cool."

9

Sarah Silverman's Red Carpet Vape

This drama at this year's Emmys ceremony paled in comparison to the hijinks of the E! pre-show. No, we're not talking about the Mani Cam; rather, the moment when Giuliana Rancic nearly crapped her pants after a possibly (probably?) stoned Sarah Silverman pulled her vape out of her pocketbook on the red carpet. Bless you, Sarah Silverman!

10

That shootout scene from the "Buridans Ass" episode of 'Fargo' (Season 1, Episode 6)

First things first: Don't compare this to the True Detective shootout scene above. Fargo is a totally different animal, and if we're being real (which we always are), it stands on equal artistic footing with the HBO show. This shootout scene, which features Billy Bob Thornton's straight up malevolent performance as Lorne Malvo, gives you a good sense of the show's balance between ultraviolence and dark humor. [Where to stream Fargo]

11

The Orwells Perform "Who Needs You" On 'The Late Show With David Letterman'

If you have watched TV anytime in the last two months, you'll no doubt recognize this song from the iPad commercial that has been running non-stop. However, back when the Orwells appeared on Letterman in January, the band's attachment to Apple was not yet existent. The band's performance was instantly memorable, but made even more so by what happens AFTER they finish playing. This is a video you're going to want to watch all the way through, believe you me.

12

'The Guest'

The Guest only grossed $332,000 during its short stay in theaters this year, so you're forgiven if you've never heard of the 264th most popular film released in 2014. The fact that it was poorly marketed, however, should not dissuade you from seeing one of the most viscerally intense films to come out in recent memory. Directed by Adam Wingard (You're Next) and starring Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens, this story about a family struggling to cope with the death of their son in the military spins off in directions you'll never see coming. [Where to stream The Guest]

13

'John Wick'

Whatever you do, DO NOT KILL KEANU'S DOG. Just trust us on this one. [Where to stream John Wick]

14

'Married'

FX's You're The Worst garnered the lion's share of critical buzz this year, but I like to zig where others zag, which is why I am recommending Married. Nat Faxon and Judy Greer star as a married couple looking to recapture that proverbial spark, as well as remember what kind of people they were when they first met (and, notably, before they had children). Rather than wallowing in depression, the show is always centered around the true sense of love between Faxon and Greer, one of the most winning and realistic couples to hit the small screen in some time. [Where to stream Married]

P.S. I couldn't help but include one honorable mention. It's two words: Adele Dazeem.

Tags Best 14 Of '14, Amazon Prime Instant Video, Netflix, YouTube, Decider Lists, Fargo, Married, Saturday Night Live, True Detective, Boyhood, John Wick, Nightcrawler, The Guest, The Trip To Italy, They Came Together

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How do 2015’s career books stack up?

With just a few days left before ringing in the New Year, it's resolution time. Aside from losing weight, scaling the Alps or finding that special someone, many of us will insist on getting more out of the hours we spend on the job. Some will resolve to rock the enterprise, to start new businesses or to find a way to leave work — on time — with a sense of satisfaction and without guilt. With that in mind, we've plucked a few new additions that may be of assistance. Take a look:

For the disenchanted drone

"The Business Romantic" by Tim Leberecht.Photo: Anne Wermiel

Forget using big data, statistics and ratings all the time, according to Tim Leberecht's new book, "The Business Romantic." Relying on numbers to determine how we work and what we work on is not only cold and calculating, it doesn't feel good, either. No wonder only 13 percent of employees are fully engaged in their jobs, while 63 percent report some disengagement, reports Leberecht, citing a recent Gallup poll.

So what's the problem? Far too often, we check passion, playfulness and intimacy at the door when we walk into work and, as a result, everyone loses. Leberecht provides the inspiration and the tools to do it differently — such as giving everything or nothing, he says: "Overpromise, overcommit, over deliver." And don't forget to laugh at your own imperfections.

For the time-starved trooper

"Work Simply" by Carson Tate.Photo: Anne Wermiel

Busyness is an epidemic — and it doesn't get us very far. If you want to be satisfied in work and in life, you have to dial down the noise to make the ways you spend your time and energy count more — and Carson Tate's "Work Simply" is full of tools to help you do that according to your personal productivity style.

Don't fight your wiring, says Tate. Most of us fit into one of four productivity-style categories: Arrangers think about projects in terms of the people involved; prioritizers concentrate on hitting goals; visualizers look at the big picture; planners fixate on details. The book includes questionnaires that help you discover your style and instructions and advice to work and live in a way that makes the most of it.

For success seekers who occasionally stumble

"Always in Fashion" by Mark Weber.Photo: Anne Wermiel

We've all heard the story about the guy who starts his career in the mailroom, makes all the right moves and becomes CEO a decade later. Mark Weber isn't one of them: His memoir, "Always in Fashion," chronicles his 30-year "one step forward, two steps back" climb to the top rung at Phillips-Van Heusen. What's refreshing is that he openly shares about his big screw-ups — like cursing out his boss on a multiparty conference call — and how he recovered.

Weber also holds nothing back about how he felt when he got canned from that job, the obstacles he encountered trying to land a new gig, and the rigors endured while interviewing with Donna Karan and the brass at Louis Vuitton Moët Chandon — where he was eventually hired to run the Donna Karan Company.

For pitchmen seeking engagement

"Captivology" by Ben Parr.Photo: Anne Wermiel

Don't shout, captivate — that's the key to capturing attention. And you don't need to be especially good-looking, loud or charismatic to do so — there's actually a science behind it. In "Captivology," Ben Parr doesn't get all geeky explaining how it works; instead he draws on examples from Beyoncé, Steve Jobs and the creators of "Game of Thrones."

Whether you're an entrepreneur, manager or up-and-coming worker bee, "Captivology" has tips for you — for example, don't bother pitching your boss or your customers during the morning commute, because their minds are focused on the task at hand. Subway musicians know this — it's why you don't see them on your way to work.

And if you're dealing with someone who's upset, ask them to step out of the office for a cup of joe and get something warm into their hands, it will literally calm them.

For the kind-hearted entrepreneur

"Do the Kind Thing" by Daniel Lubetzky.Photo: Anne Wermiel

You don't have to choose between making money and making the world a better place — such is the premise of Daniel Lubetzky's "Do the KIND Thing." And Lubetzky's not just talk — he's actually doing it at his snack bar company, KIND, and is among the new breed of social entrepreneurs who are intent on balancing both profit and social good. The trick is thinking "and" rather than "either or" when making important choices — in KIND's case, it involves creating a great tasting product, a commercially viable business and serving the community, all at the same time.

For the hair-trigger reactor

Peter Bregman's "Four Seconds."

Bad habits happen to good people — and it's often because we're too quick to react. Our default settings, it seems, are completely out of whack.

Four seconds is all we need to pause, breathe and course correct — or, in other words, to change our mental habits, according to Peter Bregman's "Four Seconds." Bregman uses anecdotes and lessons learned from his professional and personal life and makes them ours for the taking, such as "sometimes, doing nothing at all works better than doing something," and "if you're stuck in an argument, change tactics and listen. It's your only chance to change the other person's mind."


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I misbehaved at my office holiday party. Can I recover?

I know a hard-working 18-year-old who works full time by day and wants to get an electrician certification part time in the evening. He is settling on the first school he visited that he knows he can afford. I don't want him to settle — can you advise which schools in New York are reputable?

I can advise you on how you can research which schools are reputable. The first thing you want to do is make sure the school is accredited, which you can easily determine through the Better Business Bureau and the New York State Education Department. Another place to check is to contact the electrical workers' union — the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) — and ask for recommendations from the local chapter. You'll also want to research the job-placement history for graduates from the school, and potentially speak to some of the alumni to get their opinions of the institution. And while I can be handy around the house when pressed into action, when it comes to electricity I'm barely comfortable changing a light bulb — so when the kid gets his license, tell him to give me a call.

I think I may have been "that guy" at the holiday office party — from what I can remember, anyway. How does one recover from having a little too much holiday spirit and punch?

Depends on what you did, Lampshade Larry. Did you grope the boss' daughter — or the boss? Have what appeared to be "an episode" on the dance floor — for an hour? Or were you just a giant hot mess in general? Some things you can't recover from, and you might be ringing in the new year looking for a new job. Regardless, if apologies are in order, then in-person, heartfelt contrition is a good first step, whether for a specific act or simply for making a spectacle of yourself. However, before you try to recover, make sure you aren't overreacting: Ask a buddy or anyone you trust if any damage control is necessary. You might be fine simply by never speaking of the evening, hoping your company has a short news cycle — and waiting until someone else takes the spotlight for bad behavior, which is inevitable.


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Jets clean house, firing Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik

In a move that has been expected for days, Jets owner Woody Johnson cleaned house on Monday – firing both general manager John Idzik and coach Rex Ryan.

The firings came after a dismal 4-12 season that started included an eight-game losing streak, tied for the longest one-season losing streak in team history. The Jets beat the Dolphins on Sunday 37-24, but it was too little, too late for Idzik and Ryan.

Idzik's stay with the Jets was extremely brief. He was hired in January 2013, but a shaky draft record, failure to address holes in the roster and an embarrassing midseason news conference doomed him.

Ryan, 52, leaves the Jets with a record of 50-52, including the postseason. He guided the Jets to consecutive AFC Championship game appearances in his first two years, but his teams missed the playoffs in each of the past four seasons. Ryan will be remembered for his bravado, outspokenness and larger-than-life persona as much as he will for his coaching.

The Jets hired Ryan in 2009 after firing Eric Mangini, and Ryan breathed life into the franchise. He vowed to win the Super Bowl in his introductory press conference, the first of many promises that went unfulfilled. He got as close to returning the Jets to the Super Bowl as any Jets coach has since Weeb Ewbank's team won Super Bowl III. Ryan showed his defensive genius and a devotion to the running game that came to be known as "Ground and Pound" in 2009 and 2010 when they went 9-7 and 11-5, respectively. Those factors helped the Jets win four road playoff games, even though inexperienced quarterback Mark Sanchez, Ryan's first draft pick, was under center.

After losing to the Steelers in the 2010 AFC title game, things began to fell apart. The lockout hurt the Jets entering 2011 and the team had a different look. The Jets went 8-8 in a season marked by locker room turmoil and Sanchez's 26 turnovers.

GM John IdzikPhoto: Anthony J. Causi

The following spring the Jets traded for Tim Tebow and Ryan hired Tony Sparano as his offensive coordinator. Things went from bad to worse as the Jets finished 6-10, Ryan's first losing season. The Tebow experiment blew up in the Jets' face and general manager Mike Tannenbaum was fired. Johnson decided to keep Ryan as coach and force the new general manager to work with him. That move looked risky then and foolish now.

After a lengthy search, the Jets hired Idzik to replace Tannenbaum. The move seemed ill-conceived from the start because Idzik's background was in salary cap management, similar to Tannenbaum. He had very little personnel experience, something the Jets needed in the GM chair.

Idzik inherited a bad salary-cap situation and got it in order quickly, but he struggled with roster building. He traded Darrelle Revis three months into the job, a move Johnson pushed for, and got a good return from the Buccaneers for the star player, landing a first-round pick in 2013. That pick became Sheldon Richardson, who won Defensive Rookie of the Year. But Idzik's other moves did not work out as well.

He drafted quarterback Geno Smith , who has been inconsistent and turnover-prone, in the second round of the '13 draft.. In the first round, he took cornerback Dee Milliner in addition to Richardson. Milliner struggled as a rookie and has struggled to stay healthy.

The Jets overachieved in 2013, going 8-8, prompting the Jets to extend Ryan's contract. Idzik and Ryan shared a memorable hug in the postgame locker room after the season finale in Miami when the news was announced that Ryan would return.

Entering 2014, Idzik failed to address a major hole at cornerback after releasing Antonio Cromartie. He did sign wide receiver Eric Decker to bolster the offense, but appeared overly frugal when he entered the season with more than $20 million in salary cap space despite major holes on the roster.

The Jets had 12 draft picks in the 2014 Draft and Idzik used all of them instead of packaging them in a trade. His draft picks have had little impact this season, especially the three wide receivers he picked. The trio has 0 receptions between them and only two remain on the roster. This, despite this draft being the deepest for wide receivers in years.

The Jets lost eight of their first nine games and Idzik's awkward relationship with the New York media became a story at midseason after a strange press conference that began with a 19-minute, rambling opening statement from Idzik.

Shortly after that a fan movement began to get Idzik fired. A group of fans launced the website firejohnidzik.com and raised money to buy billboards across North Jersey with their message. In mid-November, an airplane carrying a banner that read "Fire John Idzik" circled the Jets practice field with the team as well as Idzik, Johnson and Ryan on it.

The Jets managed to win three of their final seven games, but it became clear that Idzik was too much of a lightning rod with the fans to bring back. News broke last week that Johnson had secured former NFL GMs Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf to serve as his consultants in the event he made a change at GM and coach.

On Monday, those changes became reality.


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Elderly man in critical condition after almost drowning in Jacuzzi

An elderly man nearly drowned Sunday in a Jacuzzi at a Queens spa.

A group of women taking pictures spotted the man, in his 70s, alone and unconscious in the 3-foot-deep outdoor Jacuzzi at the Spa Castle in College Point. He was rushed to Flushing Hospital in critical condition.

"The Jacuzzi was bubbly and there was lots of steam," said witness Mariah Garcia, 20. "So it was hard for anyone to see him. He was underwater, face-down."

Spa Castle's new Manhattan unit was cited in a lawsuit brought by neighbors at a Park Avenue condo who complained about nudity.


18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Secretive club holds city’s oldest continuous liquor license

They've been pouring it on — legally — since Prohibition ended.

The city's oldest liquor license belongs to an Upper East Side club, a spirited review of state booze permits reveals.

The private Harmonie Club at 4 E. 60th St. has the city's oldest continuous liquor license.

The secretive club — which once counted Mayor Bloomberg as a member — was founded in 1852, but its license dates back to 1933, since all permits were null and void during Prohibition between 1920 and 1933, data shows.

Although Nathan's is best known for its hot dogs and gluttonous Fourth of July eating contest, the Coney Island institution has New York's oldest beer license, dating back to 1934, according to state records pored over by Pratt Institute Professor Ben Wellington.

Nearly all of New York's oldest watering holes have changed ownership over the years, and new proprietors often get their own license, so the data do not reveal which bar is the city's oldest.

" You always hear about this place or that place being the absolute oldest," Wellington said, explaining his motive for this study.

"But I found that places have changed hands, so places you think were the oldest really didn't make it."


18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Father and son in lawsuit over Juice Press stores

Stop the juice presses!

A war over fruit and vegetable drinks is under way in the Big Apple, with a father and son in a legal rhubarb over their competing health stores.

Marcus Antebi, 45, who founded the celebrity-magnet Juice Press stores mushrooming around the metropolitan area, complains in court papers that his dad, David, is displaying competing signs and serving unapproved menu items at the father's Upper East Side Juice Press franchise.

Marcus says he expanded the company to 25 stores, selling healthy beverages such as the $11 Doctor Green Juice. In 2011, he brought his retired dad into the fold with his own franchise.

David sued his son in October over an outpost he planned to open in Florida.

The rift widened when David, 72, hung a sign in the window of his Third Avenue store boasting: "We are the only independently owned and operated Juice Press store in the chain. We hope you will continue to purchase all your juices, smoothies and food from us."

Marcus' company is now countersuing to force David to take down the sign — and remove unapproved items from his menu, including the Chia Fireball juice and the Apple Cobbler.

David called the countersuit "a phony defense,'' insisting, "It's a simple sign thanking our customers.''


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Man accused of threatening cop was her personal trainer

A Brooklyn man accused of targeting a cop with a chilling threat that mirrored one posted by the killer who assassinated two NYPD officers was not some random dumbbell — he was the officer's personal trainer, The Post has learned.

The day after Ismaaiyl Brinsley murdered two police officers after writing on Instagram, "They Take 1 Of Ours….. Let's Take 2 of Theirs," Clifton Jean-Pierre sent NYPD drug cop Katrina Weekes and eight other people a text message that read, "FOR EVERY ONE THEY KILL, WE KILL TWO," court papers state.

Unlike Brinsley, Jean-Pierre, 36, knew his target, meeting Weekes months before at Blink Fitness in Flatbush, where he had recruited her as a client, law-enforcement sources said.

From April through June, he trained her twice a week, learning she was a cop, sources said.

Weekes called Jean-Pierre about the text, and he replied he "doesn't care" and "did mean it," sources said, adding he began bawling and hung up.

When Weekes called back, Jean-Pierre claimed that she wasn't the one he was targeting but that if she wanted to be his first, she could be, law-enforcement sources said.

The alleged threats sparked a major NYPD response, with snipers sent to Weekes' precinct, the 77th, and several others in Brooklyn, court papers say.

Clifton Jean-Pierre

Jean-Pierre, who, court records say, kidnapped and stabbed a man, was busted Dec. 23 and arraigned the next day on terroristic-threat and harassment raps and held on $100,000 bail. He is slated to be in Brooklyn Criminal Court Monday.

In the kidnapping case, Jean-Pierre and five others forced a man into a car at gunpoint and snatched his debit card and $465 in cash, court papers say.

The thugs beat and stabbed him, forcing him in the trunk after failing to withdraw any money with his debit card, court papers and sources say.

The crew dropped him off in a Suffolk County alley after trying in vain to extract a ransom, law-enforcement sources said.

Jean-Pierre, who advertises "total body" workouts, pleaded guilty to kidnapping in 2006 and did six years in prison before he was paroled in late 2012.

The lawyer who represented him at his arraignment didn't return a call for comment.

Meanwhile, cops are investigating threats by a man overheard saying Brinsley "killed the wrong cops" and, "Two white cops should've been killed," law-enforcement sources said.

The alleged threat echoes one that cops say Elvin Payamps, of Queens, made last week. He was being held on $500,000 bail.

Nine men have been arrested for threatening police since cops Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were killed on Dec. 20.

Additional reporting by Larry Celona


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Daily Blotter

A man was shot four times in Mott Haven — and lived, authorities said Sunday. The 20-year-old victim was feuding with a group of four or five men on Brook Avenue near East 147th Street at about 2 a.m. Saturday when one of the men lost his cool and pulled out a gun, according to police. The shooter blasted the victim four times in the torso and right leg, and the group fled, law-enforcement sources said. Despite his wounds, the victim was in stable condition at Lincoln Medical Center. The motivation for the shooting was not known, police said.

Police on Sunday were trying to identify the gunman who opened fire on the Sheale Deli Grocery in Foxhurst. The thug, about 18 years old, fired two rounds into the bodega on Prospect Avenue near East 166th Street at around 9 p.m. Friday, according to authorities. The bullets struck the front door and a wall, but missed workers and customers inside the store, police added.
The gunman was caught on surveillance video wearing a black Arizona Diamondbacks baseball cap, a black jacket and black jeans, according to cops.

Brooklyn

A masked bandit robbed an East New York deli at gunpoint, police said Sunday. The crook, dressed head-to-toe in black, walked into the Franciely Grocery on Glenmore Avenue near New Jersey Avenue at about 5:05 p.m. Saturday, pointed his gun at a worker and demanded cash, according to law-enforcement authorities. The clerk forked over about $400 and the thief fled, authorities said. The worker was not injured. The crook is in his 20s and stands about 6-foot-1, cops said.

A teen was shot during a basketball game in a Crown Heights housing development, officials said Sunday. The 18-year-old victim was part of a large group hanging out on the court in NYCHA's Kingsborough Houses near Bergen Street at about 10:15 p.m. Saturday when a tussle broke out, police said. During the fracas, someone pulled out a gun and opened fire, hitting the victim in the stomach, according to cops. The teen was rushed to Brookdale Hospital in stable condition. The group scattered and the gunman is still at large, police said.

Staten Island

A fraudster withdrew hundreds of dollars from a woman's bank account, authorities said Sunday. The thief used the 20-year-old victim's ATM card to siphon $800 from her account at a Chase branch in lower Manhattan at 7:50 p.m. on Oct. 25, cops said. It's not clear how the crook came into possession of the victim's card, although it's not believed they are known to each other, according to police sources. The thief was caught on surveillance video at the bank wearing a dark hoodie with a white, heart-shaped logo on the front.

Queens

A teen is clinging to life after being shot in the head in South Ozone Park, police said Sunday. The 18-year-old was in a fight with another man outside a home on 140th Street near 133rd Avenue at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, cops said. As the argument escalated, the shooter whipped out a gun and pumped a bullet into the teen's head, police said. The gunman ran off, leaving the critically injured victim on the ground. He was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital. The thug was wearing a red sweater and blue jeans, cops said.

Manhattan

He's no Santa Claus. A crook broke into a Hell's Kitchen apartment using a ladder he propped up against a neighboring church, and then attacked an elderly woman inside, cops said Sunday. The daredevil thief made his way onto a fifth-floor balcony of the building on West 57th Street near Ninth Avenue at about 5 p.m. Saturday, and let himself in, according to police. Once inside the apartment, he confronted the 75-year-old and 78-year-old tenants, and demanded money, according to cops. The plucky 78-year-old woman tried to fight off the home invader, but the creep overtook her, punching and kicking her before fleeing with about $300, police sources said. She was not seriously injured. The thug, about 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds, was wearing a brown skullcap, cops said.


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Burglar attacks elderly woman, makes off with $300

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 28 Desember 2014 | 20.50

He's no Santa Claus.

An acrobatic crook broke into a Hell's Kitchen apartment through the balcony, attacked an elderly resident, and fled with hundreds of dollars Saturday evening, cops said.

The death-defying thief somehow made his way onto a fifth-floor balcony of the building on West 57th Street near Ninth Avenue at about 5 p.m., Saturday, and let himself in, police said.

Once inside, he confronted the female tenants, 75 and 78, and demanded money, according to cops.

Authorities said the plucky 78-year-old tried to fight off the home invader, but the creep punched and kicked her before fleeing with about $300.

The senior was not seriously injured.

Investigators are still trying to figure out how the prowler got onto the balcony half-way up the ten-story building.

The suspect, believed to be about 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds, was last seen wearing a brown skullcap.


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Our troubled foster system needs more support, good parents

It's still a hard knock life. Almost 90 years after the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie" debuted and almost 40 years after the first performance of the Broadway musical, things still aren't great for kids whose parents can't take care of them.

But some things have changed. The remake of the movie "Annie," is set not in an orphanage — there are almost none left in the United States today — but in a foster-care home. Annie is stuck with a mean foster mother who plays host to multiple children on a "temporary" basis.

Today there are about 400,000 kids in foster care, about a quarter of whom are permanently separated from their parents and eligible for adoption as a result. In 2011, 26,000 foster children turned 18 and aged out of the system — up from 17,000 in 1998. Those kids are more likely to be homeless, arrested and even engage in prostitution.

The average length of stay in foster care for a child is 33 months. The longer children are in the system, the more likely they are to experience multiple placements. This kind of instability leads to even greater problems for children whose lives are often in chaos to begin with.

And that doesn't even address the kind of neglect and abuse that characterize some foster homes. Earlier this year, three private New York foster agencies paid $17.5 million to settle a suit with eight people who claimed they were abused, starved and imprisoned in a "house of horrors" by a woman who fraudulently fostered and adopted at least 22 children. The city of New York paid almost $10 million to the victims because the Administration for Children's Services failed in its oversight responsibilities.

Earlier this month, a federal judge began to hear testimony in a class-action lawsuit brought by Children's Rights Inc., a New York-based advocacy group, on behalf of 12,000 children in long-term state care in Texas. The suit alleges that the state of Texas violated the children's civil rights: moving them around repeatedly, placing them in unsafe care and keeping them there too long.

An investigation by the San Antonion Express-News "showed that constant caseworker turnover and management problems have contributed to the repeated abuse of children and even death."

Children's Rights said it has filed similar lawsuits in 19 states, resulting in 15 settlements or judgments in its clients' favor. One case in Massachusetts, Connor v. Patrick, was dismissed last year because the district judge ruled that the plaintiffs had not shown their constitutional rights had been violated. Nonetheless, he found that there were significant problems with the system resulting from "budgetary shortfalls." Taxpayers, he noted, "are complicit in this financial failure."

Indeed, the lack of resources is often blamed for the failure of the foster-care system. If only workers had smaller caseloads, they would be able to pay more attention to each child. Robin Fretwell Wilson, a professor of family law at the University of Illinois thinks this criticism is "spot-on." In Texas, some foster-care workers failed to show up for monthly meetings with children. And when they did, they were around for too brief of a time to detect any problems.

But the problems of foster care go beyond money. Our system also fails to attract the people you'd want to be foster parents. Taking in a troubled child is not something you want people doing for money. Broadcasting messages about "Wednesday's Child" on the evening news is not the way to actually get good, stable parents to feel responsible for those kids who are living on the fringes.

Increasingly, churches are getting involved. A program in Georgia called FaithBridge helps connect churches with kids in need of temporary homes in their ZIP code. Not only does the organization look for foster parent volunteers, it also enlists and trains dozens of other adults to help provide transportation, babysitting and other support for the families who take these kids in. Having all that help makes good foster parents less likely to burn out quickly and more likely to volunteer again.

Some additional funds help make these support systems and training more feasible. But what makes it more effective is the fact that these kids are placed in good homes to begin with and there is an entire community taking responsibility for their well-being.

It's not quite being adopted by Daddy Warbucks, but it's a lot better than the alternative.


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In book excerpt, ex-‘SNL’ writer takes aim at proud NYC parents

In his new collection of stories, "Spoiled Brats," former "Saturday Night Live" writer Simon Rich takes aim at the self-absorbed, the hipsters, the hypercompetitive — in short, New Yorkers. In this excerpt, "Gifted," Rich mocks the Manhattan parents who can't see their children as anything but the most special creatures in the world.

"Spoiled Brats" by Simon Rich

When the nurses handed me my son, I couldn't believe how perfect he was. Ben was so robust, nearly 50 inches tall, including horns and tail. Even the doula was impressed.

"My God," she said. "My holy God in heaven."

Alan and I knew instantly that our child was exceptional. He was just so adorable, with his pentagram birthmark and little, grasping claws. His red eyes gleamed with intelligence. When the doctors came in with all their charts, they just confirmed what we already knew. Our child was "one of a kind" and "unlike any creature born of man."

Alan and I were ecstatic — but also a little bit nervous. Raising a gifted child is a huge responsibility. And we were determined not to squander Ben's talents. We vowed then and there that we would do all we could to ensure he achieved his full potential.

The first step was getting him into the right preschool. We figured it would be a breeze, given Ben's obvious star quality. But, to our great surprise, he struggled with the interview requirement. At Trevor Day, a teacher asked him how old he was. Instead of saying "three," he gored open her stomach and then pinned her to the ceiling with his mind. We were able to get him an interview at Trinity, thanks to a family connection. But when Ben saw the crucifix in the lobby, his eyes turned black and the walls wept blood. Why was Ben behaving this way? There was only one logical explanation: attention deficit disorder. We took him to a specialist on Park Avenue, and within five minutes our son had his first prescription for Ritalin.


At first Ben wouldn't take his pills. Padma, our nanny, had to chase him for hours around the apartment, blowing incense in the air to try to scare him down from the ceiling. Sometimes we had no choice but to crush up the pills and slip them into his ram's blood.

Within months, though, Ben got used to his medication. He became calmer, more alert, and far less murderous. He was a real joy to be around.

In some ways, Ben still lagged behind most children. He spoke only one word: arrgh. And he was unable to tie his shoes or blink his eyes. We didn't care, though. Because, by the age of 5, he'd finally found an outlet for his gifts. Art!

Ben always had a creative temperament. He could grip crayons by his second birthday (which is very rare), and by the age of 6 he was drawing every day. His favorite colors were black and red.
Sometimes, while composing a sketch, he would become so excited that his crayon would break apart in his claws and he would start to ram his horns against the wall as noxious steam emitted from his ears. If Ben's art supplies were taken from him, he would respond with so much violence that Padma would have to subdue him, using one of the sleeper holds she'd learned.

It didn't take long for Alan and me to realize we had a true artiste on our hands.

One time, my friend Carolyn — whose daughter, Esther, is Ben's age — came over to our apartment for tea. When I showed her Ben's drawings, she was so impressed, her face turned pale. Her daughter was still doodling fluffy clouds and rainbows, and here was Ben, already sketching three-dimensional bone altars. Carolyn would never admit it, but I could tell she was a teensy bit jealous.


We decided to enroll Ben at Dalton, because of its emphasis on creativity. I wasn't going to let Ben's talent go to waste at some cookie-cutter public school where every child is forced into the same dull mold. I wanted him to have a chance to find himself.

The truth is, both Alan and I had secretly hoped that our child would be a "creative." We each harbored artistic dreams in our youth (Alan wrote poetry and I made collages). Our parents, though, discouraged us from pursuing "les arts." In their opinion, it was just too financially risky. I'm thrilled that I ended up at Synergy Unlimited, and Alan loves his job at the Globex Corporation. But even though we've made successful careers in business, there's still a part of us that wonders, What if? With Ben (who's five times more talented than Alan and I ever were!) we finally had the chance to answer that question.

Ben's time at Dalton was not without incident. He's incredibly unique — every teacher said so. But his creativity could sometimes be a burden. If a subject didn't "grab" him, he would have trouble focusing — and instead create a game of his own design. For example, in fifth grade, a teacher asked him to calculate the area of a 4‑by-6 foot rectangle. Instead of multiplying 4 by 6, as a typical child might have done, Ben crab walked across the ceiling and blinded the teacher with a fire stare. A custodial worker was able to subdue Ben with a sleeper hold. But the incident was very traumatic for our son. Alan and I decided it was time to reexamine his treatment.

After consulting with our specialist, we chose to switch Ben from Ritalin to Focalin, which is a slightly stronger medicine. We also hired Han Cho, an astrophysics Ph.D. candidate at Columbia, to tutor Ben five days a week after school. When I mentioned the tutor to my friend Carolyn, she said, "It must be nice to be able to afford help." I had to laugh. Ben didn't need "help." His teachers all agreed, in report card after report card, that he was "one of a kind" and "incredible." What Ben needed was someone to translate his ideas to the page.

The sad truth is, our world is just not designed for differently abled children. Many assignments at Dalton require the use of pencils, which Ben cannot hold in his claw. Other projects involve calculators, which Ben considers food, or the use of English, which Ben cannot speak. Enlisting Han allowed Ben to complete his assignments at his own pace and in a way that showcased his distinct gifts. The implication that Han did anything beyond that is offensive and insulting.

Ben's grades soon improved. We were so grateful to Han for unlocking our son's potential that we started to hire him for weekends, too. We even took him with us to Greenwich every summer, so Ben could get a "head start" on the school year. Over time, Han became something of a big brother to Ben (although, of course, he was much, much smaller, physically). Once, they were studying vocab by the pool when I heard a loud splashing noise. When I went outside to check on them, Ben was holding Han upside down by the ankles and growling with delight.

"Help!" Han shouted, playing along with Ben's game. "I've lost control! I've lost control!"

One thing I find particularly interesting is that Ben never mentioned the fact that Han was of Asian descent. Many children Ben's age have problems befriending people from different racial backgrounds. But that's just not how Ben saw the world. He treated Han exactly the same way he treated everyone else in his life.


When Ben turned 13, and the pressures of his bar mitzvah were finally behind him, we knew it was time to start thinking about college. We met with a number of counseling firms before ultimately hiring Sterling Horizons, a small boutique company located near our weekend house in Greenwich.

They helped us structure a four-year strategy for Ben that would demonstrate his skill set — and we followed the plan to the letter.

By the time Ben was a senior, his résumé was absolutely glittering. He'd received five participation gavels from Model UN, been elected tri-captain of the Dalton golf team, and contributed numerous drawings to the school's Fine Arts Magazine. His GPA was a respectable 1.4, and even though he'd accidentally eaten several sections of his SAT he still managed to notch a 420.

Despite all of Ben's achievements, he did not seem excited about college. He'd spend hours in his room, playing violent video games and listening to moody, satanic music (I'll never understand today's bands — in my day it was ABBA!). The only time I'd see Ben was late at night, when he'd emerge from his room to raid the fridge for blood Popsicles. I worked to take advantage of these "sightings" as best I could. But when I tried to engage him in conversations about his future, he replied in typical teenage fashion, with a series of shrugs, grunts, and monosyllables.

"Do you want to go to a big school or a small school?"

"Arrgh."

"Do you want to be in a city or in the country?"

"Arrgh."

"Would you prefer lecture classes or seminars?"

"Arrgggh!!!!"

It was exasperating. In the end, we were able to persuade Ben to apply early to Bard. Alan and I had taken him there on a college tour and we were so impressed that we donated several tennis courts to their campus. When Ben was accepted, Alan and I were beside ourselves! But Ben wasn't as thrilled as you'd expect. Here he was, accepted into his dream school, and his smile was so faint I could barely see his fangs. It was obvious what had happened: Ben had burned out.


We met with Ben's psychiatrist and decided it would be best for him to take a "gap year." When I was growing up, this concept didn't exist, but it actually makes a lot of sense. The college process has grown so insanely competitive. By the time it's over, children need a chance to decompress.

The only question was: where would Ben go? It was difficult to decide. He had his heart set on Transylvania, which I found baffling. (Italy would make more sense, since it has such a grand artistic tradition.) In the end, we compromised. Ben would spend two weeks on his own in Transylvania, as a reward for all his hard work. Then he'd spend six months at a wonderful program I found in Costa Rica that builds eco-friendly houses for the poor.

When Ben returned from his time abroad, he was a changed man. He had a swagger to his step and a confidence I'd never seen before. Part of me wondered if he'd maybe met a girlfriend overseas, but I knew better than to ask. If there's one thing I've learned from my years as a parent, it's that the mother is always the last to know!

Unfortunately, though, Ben had trouble adjusting to college.

He thrived within his major, creating dozens of "splatter" paintings in the Abstract Expressionist tradition. But he had difficulty with his core curriculum courses. Once, during a Spanish midterm, he escaped into the Hudson Valley woods and lived as a beast for several months, taking residence in a cave and eating neighborhood pets to survive. The local authorities were able to subdue him. And, thankfully, they turned him over to the Bard police, so that his outburst could be handled internally by the school.

But the event was traumatic for Ben, and I decided it would be best for him to take a semester off. We also got him a prescription for Adderall, which is a slightly stronger medicine than Focalin.

It took nearly seven years, but Ben eventually earned his BA in painting. I'll never forget how handsome he looked on the podium, with his cute little horns poking out through his mortarboard.

No sooner had he snatched his diploma, though, than my heart began to race. All I could think was, What now?


Ben moved back home and quickly settled into his old teenage routine, sleeping past noon and drinking blood out of the carton. After several long months, Alan and I were beginning to get nervous. One day, though, we read an interesting article in the New York Times Magazine. It was a very long piece, but the gist of it was this: College alone does not prepare children for the modern workforce. Writing papers and taking tests is all well and good. But if a kid is really going to succeed in the rough-and-tumble business world, he needs hands‑ on experience in his chosen field.

Armed with this knowledge, I decided to hire the Apex Consulting Group (a small boutique firm that specializes in career planning). After several enjoyable meetings, they gave me their recommendation: Ben should intern with a working artist. When they told me this idea, I was so excited I could barely breathe. Finally, after decades of work, Ben would have a chance to fulfill his dreams.

When I told him the plan, he was so enthused he punched his fist through a wall.

"Aaaaaarrrrrgggh!" he screamed with obvious elation.

"Aarrrrrrrgh!"

Apex Consulting introduced me to Jean Petis, an award-winning painter based in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. After I showed him Ben's portfolio and committed to buy a series of 20-‑by‑-30 foot paintings, he agreed to take him on for a three-month period.

Ben's internship was not without incident. He gored some paintings, which Alan and I were forced to replace, and he did not get along with Jean Petis. After just four days, Ben quit his internship and disappeared into the Connecticut forest, where he lived as a beast for several weeks, drinking wild-deer blood to survive. I had to admit, part of me was disappointed. I'd trusted Bard to prepare my child for a career in the arts, and they'd completely "dropped the ball." I wondered if we had made a mistake by not seriously considering Oberlin.

After Ben was captured, we got him a prescription for Kilmax, which is a slightly stronger medicine than Adderall.

Then, on a rainy February morning, I sat down with him to talk about his future. As usual, it was difficult for us to connect.

"Do you think you'd like to try another internship?"

"Arrgh."

"Would you like us to rent you your own artist's studio in Williamsburg?"

"Arrgh."

The Kilmax, I noticed, had produced several troubling side effects. Ben's eyes — usually so bright and searing — had dimmed to a pale ocher. His horns were pointed downward and his fur was falling out in clumps. I was telling him about another option — the birthright trip to Israel — when he suddenly held up his claw, cutting me off midsentence.

"No . . . more."

I screamed for Alan, and he came running.

"Ben spoke!" I cried. We leaned in toward our son, keeping as still as possible. Ben gasped a few times, obviously struggling. Eventually, though, he managed to continue.

"No more . . . arrrrrgh! Pleeeeeaseeeearrrrrgh! Me . . . not . . . sick. Me . . . arrrrrrrgh! Monster. Let . . . be . . . monster. Let be monster."

My eyes filled with tears. I'd always assumed that Ben would never talk — and now here he was, carrying on a full conversation!

If Ben could master language, there was no limit to what he could achieve. I whipped out my iPhone and typed in Han's number from memory.

It was time to start thinking about law school.

Excerpted from the book "Spoiled Brats" by Simon Rich. Copyright © 2014 by Simon Rich. Reprinted with permission of Little, Brown and Company. All rights reserved.


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