New York City

Dancer by Colum McCann (Dublin, 1965) was a very intense read, almost painfully so in the opening sections set among Russian soldiers in WWII being evacuated in railroad cars, novel based on the life of the great Russian ballet dancer, Rudolph Nureyev. This is the third novel by McCann which I have read. Prior to this I have read his Let the Great World Go On Spinning dealing largely with post 9/11 attack New York City life and his wonderful book about a post WWII European Roma, Zoli. Normally if one says, "the book was 337 pages long but it felt longer", it is not a complement but somehow in this case it is as there is just so much in this incredible novel. We begin with Nureyev as a very young boy dancing for the people in his home town in Russia. We see the tortuous process that took him into training to be a dancer in Russia. We come to understand his family. We are with him when he defects in Paris and for his great triumphs in New York City, London, and elsewhere. We get to know others in his life as the novels varies both the narrator and narrative modes. In one very powerful section we enter the drug fueled world of rich artistic gay New York as personified by a Venezuelan street hustler raised to the status of superstar by his affiliations. McCann frankly depicts the extreme sexual promiscuity of Nureyev, in one scene he and the Venezuelan stage a contest to see who can perform oral sex on the most men in a row without tiring. Nureyev wins with nine. There are some wonderful characters like his shoe maker, Margot Fonteyn with whom he danced over 500 times, his housekeeper, Andy Warhol makes an appearance as does Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams. We see how Nureyev spends the fortune he makes. in one crazy scene he buys a painting for $50,000.00 and then takes it home in a cab to avoid the $100.00 delivery fee. There are lots of things we never understand about Nureyev. His ego was massive and he never really rose above his Tarter roots. He could be cruelly capricious, and very generous almost simultaneously. Somehow one is deeply drawn to Nureyev, his flaws make him real, his art transcends our normalcy.,Dancer is a great novel. I endorse it to all but the homophobic who I suspect probably do not read a lot of books based on ballet dancers anyway. There is much to be learnt from in this novel. I have his Songdogs and hope to read it and his forthcoming Transatlantic soon. Mel u

LoJack, if you’re familiar with their software for computers and laptops, have made the jump into mobile device territory with the Samsung Galaxy S4 as their first supported device. With this software you’ll be able to trace, lock, and of course, remotely wipe your device if you choose to do so. Unlike other soft wares, LoJack stays in your phone no matter what you do to it, such as factory resetting the device. More importantly you’ll get LoJack’s experience with their years of success in the laptop and computer industry, so you know their representatives are highly trained to retrieve your device. So far no date of the release has been set, but we expect it to be around this summer. Prices have yet to be confirmed but it should range depending on the longevity of your desired subscription. Hit up the break for the full press release! Absolute Software Launches an Industry First with a Consumer Theft Recovery Solution for Android Smartphones Available Soon for the Samsung GALAXY S4 Vancouver, Canada: May 21, 2013 – Absolute® Software Corporation (TSX: ABT), the industry standard for persistent endpoint security and management solutions for computers, laptops and ultra-portable devices today announced it is first to market with a consumer theft recovery solution for Android smartphones. This solution is the result of the Absolute Software and Samsung global partnership announced in early April 2013. Samsung has embedded patented Absolute persistence technology into select Samsung GALAXY devices starting with the Samsung GALAXY S4. Leveraging the same Absolute persistence technology used in LoJack for Laptops, once installed and activated it cannot be removed even if the device is restored to factory settings. When a protected Samsung GALAXY S4 is stolen, the Absolute Investigations and Recovery Services team will work with law enforcement globally to get the device back. Users can also remotely lock, locate their device or delete sensitive files to prevent identity theft. Smartphone theft is on the rise, more than 40 percent of all robberies in New York City involve smartphones and other cell phones. Other major US cities have similar statistics, with robberies involving cell phones comprising 30-40 percent of all robberies.* “Absolute’s unique approach to investigations and theft recovery is exactly what is needed to solve this serious epidemic of smartphone and mobile device theft that is sweeping across our nation,” stated Sheriff Leon Lott, Sheriff, Richland County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Department. “With the rapid growth of smartphone use, mobile theft has increased extensively putting consumers at personal risk. I am thrilled we can provide consumers with a solution to address this serious issue,” said Mark Grace, Vice President, Consumer at Absolute Software. “With our consumer theft recovery solution installed and activated on Samsung GALAXY S4s, users can rest assured that their device can be recovered in the event it is stolen with the help of the Absolute Investigations and Recovery Services team, which has assisted in more than 29,000 successful recoveries in 98 countries.” *FCC, Announcement of New Initiatives to Combat Smartphone and Data Theft, April 10, 2012 Availability The consumer theft recovery solution for Android smartphones will be available early this summer starting at $29.99 with several subscription options ranging from one year up to four years. For more information: www.LoJackforLaptops.com/android About Absolute Software Absolute Software Corporation (TSX: ABT) is the industry standard in persistent endpoint security and management for computers, laptops, ultra-portable devices and smartphones. The Company, a leader in device security and management tracking for more than 20 years, has over 30,000 commercial customers worldwide. Positioned as a Visionary vendor in Gartner, Inc.’s Magic Quadrant for Client Management Tools, Absolute’s solutions – Computrace®, Absolute Ma

The ugliness of these temporary signs has struck a nerve at the Daily News. (Photo via MTA New York City Transit / Marc A. Hermann) As Second Ave. Sagas skips moves toward its seven anniversary, I’ve seen transit beat writers across the city come and go, and right now, we’re in a bit of a golden age of transit coverage. From Matt Flegenheimer at The Times and Ted Mann at The Journal to Matt Chaban at Crain’s New York and Stephen J. Smith at The Observer, a bunch of smart, open-minded reporters are tackling the city’s transportation beat, and they’re doing a great job of it. Yet, some coverage in other papers makes me slump my shoulders in defeat or throw my hands up in disgust. Today’s Daily News features one of those pieces, and although the story is a minor one, it’s worth a few minutes of our time. The piece in question comes to us from not one but two reports, and it focuses on obviously temporary signage at Smith/9th Sts. and the way the signs look. The sub-hed on this groundbreaking piece of reporting tells us all we need to know: “Fake signs are only temporary. But they are ugly.” At issue are some identification signs at the ends of the Smith/9th Sts. platform. At some point, the MTA will install proper mosaics in these locations, but to ready the station for passenger service after years of delay, the agency posted temporary paper signs designed to mimic tiling. “The signs were fabricated and installed as a temporary measure for the station reopening and will be replaced by the contractor with new mosaic tile signs,” a Transit spokesman said. Meanwhile, in typical man-on-the-street fashion, two Daily News reporters even managed to track down someone to complain. This is, after all, still New York. “That’s pretty terrible considering the amount of money that went into renovating the place,” said Dennis Nemirovskiy, who likely hadn’t even noticed the signs let alone dwell on them before the reporters approached him. (Another rider had a more practical take. “Unless it’s going to improve the service it really doesn’t matter,” she said.) And that’s the key to the Daily News article. Even though I’ve spent 300 words discussing it, it really doesn’t matter. The MTA is facing myriad problems that actually matter. It’s recovering from a crippling hurricane that has drastically reduced the expected lifetimes for key pieces of equipment. It’s heavily in debt with no end to the borrowing in sight. It can’t get out of its own way on capital projects and can’t garner political support for needed expansion efforts. And the Daily News is making a scandal out of a temporary sign. When everyday New Yorkers bemoan the state of the subways, think back to this article because this is why. It’s lowest common denominator coverage that leads to politicians who don’t know how the subways are run or why services are constantly being threatened or cut. It’s why two sets of books has persisted for ten years. It’s great for instant outrage and absolutely terrible at generating a modicum of support transformative, long-range solutions to regional transportation problems.

We’re not breaking news here, but just in case you still weren’t aware, the LES is f*cking done. Max Fish moving out was the proverbial nail in the coffin. Motor City, St. Jerome’s, Dark Room, and Welcome To The Johnson’s will likely all follow suit very soon, which is a sad state of affairs. We used to get hammered there in our 20′s, and restaurants like Tiny Fork moving in only kicks salt into the wound. Look, we’re all for an oyster and lobster roll joint with excellent beers on tap. In fact, places like that tend to be our favorite kind of dining establishments. But, it’s also important to take your surroundings into account. Tiny Fork legitimately feels like it was air lifted straight off a fancy block in Nantucket – Vineyard Vines, popped collars, and sweaters around the neck in tow. That sounds kind of awesome now that we think about it, but it unfortunately feels brutally out of place on the Lower East Side, regardless of how gentrified the neighborhood has become. The crowd here is hysterical. Did they open a country club inside The Ludlow we didn’t get a terrible press release about? If Tiny Fork were awesome, this whiny tangent about the Lower East Side probably wouldn’t have been nessecary. After all, good food has a way of making everything OK. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here. The $25 lobster roll? Not good. Oysters? Questionable. And if you’re going to name yourself after a tiny shellfish forks, at least have the wherewithal to explain what oysters you’re serving. Don’t just plop a dozen in front of a customer without pointing out where they come from and why they’re awesome. We’re not saying you can’t have an oyster bar on the LES. It’s definitely possible to execute this type of place appropriately for downtown NYC. Just look at Upstate Beer & Oyster Bar. We love that spot because they know what they’re doing and they’re passionate about the product. Tiny Fork just misses the mark. Photo Credit: Urban Daddy Food Rundown OystersThey have a nice selection of oysters, but as we complained about above, the overall execution wasn’t great. We like to know what we’re eating when it comes to oysters, and just dropping off a dozen assorted oysters sans explanation is bush league. As is serving oysters that suck, which more than one of these did. Oyster SlidersWay. Too. Much. Bun. That is all. Lobster RollAs we declared above, this wasn’t our favorite roll. It was no where near the complete debacle of Claw, but it just wasn’t our favorite. It looks huge in the photo, but, for $25, it was actually not as big as we had hoped. The lobster salad had nice chunks of lobster in it, but for some reason it didn’t have much flavor at all. The lobster needs to steal the show and for whatever reason, it didn’t. Hand Cut FriesGreasy, soggy and pretty gross.

Chelsea takes its act on the road to St. Louis on Thursday for the first of two end-of-season international friendlies against Manchester City in the United States. Uncle Roman's Flying Circus continues its globetrotting ways in an effort to appease its worldwide fanbase.Are you listening, Antarctica?Who: Chelsea FC vs. Manchester City FCWhat: International friendlyWhere: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri, USAWhen: Thursday, May 23, 2013Weather: The Weather Channel forecastTime: 1:30 GMT/8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PTTV: ESPN2, ESPN3 [ESPN3 Link] (US). Chelsea TV [Chelsea TV Link] (UK, Ireland)Odds: Chelsea +155, Manchester City +155, Draw +255Source: LVH SuperBook (Las Vegas, Nevada, USA)And if it seems like these two storied clubs were just playing in the English Premier League days ago, well, they were.So why more soccer so soon?Well, after a Premier League-record 69-game marathon, the Blues now find themselves just 14,572 miles short of a frequent flier bonus in which the club can qualify for a free Cristiano Ronaldo. So there obviously is a method to their royal blue madness.Anyway, the current Europa League and European champs (well, for at least two more days) sent 23 players to the Gateway City, and it's not to sample the Budweiser or skinny dip in the Mississippi River.Pretty much everyone on Chelsea's first-team roster except captain John Terry and Ryan Bertrand made the trip, meaning Blues fans in the Midwest can get a nice big dose of Frank Lampard if the vice-captain plays.Some younger guys who may be trying to prove their future worth to the club and who should get some minutes over the two matches are goalkeeper Jamal Blackman, defensive midfielder Nathan Aké, defender Andreas Christensen and midfielders Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Marko Marin.And while getting guys like these some valuable playing time against a quality opponent is a priority here, making sure that none of the key cogs for next year like Petr Čech, Juan Mata, David Luiz, César Azpilicueta and Eden Hazard get hurt surely must be another.For this reason, expect a somewhat loosey-goosey game from both sides.Besides the aforementioned Blues players, Chelsea will also have 37-year-old goalkeeper Hilário, Paulo Ferreira, Branislav Ivanović, Ashley Cole, Gary Cahill, Ramires, John Obi Mikel, Yossi Benayoun, Oscar, Victor Moses, Demba Ba and Fernando Torres at its disposal for the two games.Like Chelsea, Manchester City is looking for a new manager after Roberto Mancini was let go. Rumors from the Telegraph that Málaga's Manuel Pellegrini will end up getting the Sky Blues gig look to be coming to fruition.Exactly who Manchester City will choose to play, like Chelsea, is a mystery. But with players like goalkeeper Joe Hart, Carlos Tévez, Sergio Agüero, David Silva, Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Matija Nastasić, Gaël Clichy, James Milner, Yaya Touré, Gareth Barry and Samir Nasri, among others, to work with, the fans should be entertained even if the game is entirely meaningless.The two clubs met four times this past year with City going 3-1-0 in those meetings—a 3-2 win in the Community Shield (Aug. 12); a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge (Nov. 25) and a 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium (Feb. 24) in Premier League play; and a 2-1 triumph in the FA Cup semifinals (April 14).Wagering on a game like this one seems about as smart as buying little pastel sweaters for your twin pet ferrets, but hey, some people do that, so who are we to judge?If you feel the need, it may be a good idea to take a good look at the draw here with the steep payback (+255). Neither side will really care about the win and both would settle for a tie.So will there be a blue moon over St. Louis on Thursday night?Possibly. And if so, the big question is will it end up being sky or royal blue?The two clubs will meet again on Saturday at Yankee Stadium in New York City (Fox Soccer Channel, 5:30 p.m./2:30 p.m. ET). PREDICTION:

Q: You and your Manchester City teammates are in New York City preparing for a friendly against Chelsea at Yankee Stadium, how has America treated you so far? A: It's different for the players. Once the season is finished, it is usually time for holidays. The people in New York are so friendly and they have treated us so warm, we are looking to playing two good games here.Q: The match is being playing at Yankee Stadium, which is one of the hallowed grounds in American sports. Has it resonated in the City camp how historic the stadium is over here and can it compare to the likes of Old Trafford and Wembley Stadium in England.A: The players have spoke about it, it is going to be a big honor to play in a stadium as famous as Yankee Stadium. Q: What are your thoughts on the brand-new partnership between Manchester City and the Yankees in the formation of New York City FC? A: Everyone in England can see the progression that MLS is making, Every year it seems to get bigger and bigger.I think this next step is just another step to where it wants to be. It is a massive step for both teams.Q: Would you ever consider taking the David Beckham route and ending your career?A: Of course, you can never rule anything out, With the league getting bigger and bigger, it is something that is brought up in conversations across the Barclays Premier League. The players who have made the move seem to enjoy their football. Me personally, I would never rule it out, if the opportunity arose, it would be something that would definitely be considered.Q: Most people would consider finishing second place a success but in Manchester City's case, it resulted in the sacking of Roberto Mancini. What was the mood like in the dressing room after the season ended? A" i think because of last season, the target was obviously to retain the EPL title. we were slightly disappointed to finish second. It shows where the club are at right now and the progression we have made. We want to be winning the league every year, second is not that bad but we want to get it back next season.Q: Is there something that the current crop of players would like to see in terms of a new manager and new players at the club this summer?A" I think anything that will make the team and the club go forward,if that means a new manager and new players coming in to the club, then that's fantastic. To have success, you need competition.Q: You played with Aston Villa earlier in your career, did you keep track of their relegation battle this season?A: Yeah, of course. I spent 12 years at Aston Villa, it was a big part of my life, a lot of my friends are still in Birmingham. Their's is the first result I look at besides our own. It was pretty close but they finished the season in great form and they deserved to stay up.Q: Manchester City and Chelsea both have a foreign presence on the roster. A lot has been made in recent years about the FA developing English talent. Is there something that you would want to help along the further development of English players so that they can break into the EPL? A: I think its something that could be looked at. For a young English player, it is harder than ever now to break into the Premier League and play for the top English clubs. A lot of foreign-born players have boosted the quality of the league and it is a tough time for English players, maybe some changes can be to help the national team itself.Q: From being a member of the England squad, what do you see the Three Lions doing at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, have any expectations been set for Brazil at all? A: With England, our group is tough to qualify out of and that is the first goal before we go to Brazil. There are some big games ahead for England and it will be a tough battle to qualify.Q: With the Yankees partnership, it has been mentioned that the Yankees would play a match at the Etihad. How would a big team like the Yankees and the sport of baseball be received in Manchester if this were to h

Throughout the history of sports, there comes the appearance of a generation of superstars whom along with their clubs, rival each other in terms of team superiority, statistical races, and award chases.In the NBA, you had Russell vs. Chamberlain in the 1960s, Larry vs. Magic in the 1980s, Jordan vs. everyone else in the 1990s, Kobe and Shaq vs. Duncan and Robinson in the late-'90s and early 21st century and now we have LeBron vs. Carmelo vs. Durant. In other sports, you have all-time great rivalries like Nicklaus and Palmer, Tiger and Mickelson, Sampras and Agassi, Ali and Frazier and Nadal and Federer.For its part, baseball has some of the most classic rivalries in the history of sport—rivalries that reflected their respective times.In the pre-WWI dead-ball era, the two greatest players were Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner, and they faced off in the 1909 World Series, with Wagner's Pirates defeating Cobb's Tigers.In the 1930s and 1940s, a time when America was trying to recover from the Great Depression and WWII, the legendary Yankees-Red Sox rivalry was highlighted by the performances of the Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio, and Boston's Ted Williams. Williams may have been the better overall hitter, but Joltin' Joe's Bronx Bombers consistently won it all, and DiMaggio won three MVPs to Williams' two (though voter bias played a role)Much like the rest of the world did in the 1950s, major league baseball of that era centered around New York City. The Yankees of the Bronx, the Giants of Manhattan and the Dodgers of Brooklyn were at their peak.Fans of the New York teams looked up to the franchise's three great Hall of Fame center fielders: "The Commerce Comet", Mickey Mantle, "The Say Hey Kid", Willie Mays, and "The Silver Fox", Duke Snider. Snider's Dodgers and Mays' Giants clashed almost annually for National League supremacy, and the Dodgers and the Yankees (led by Mantle) met in the World Series four times in a five-year stretch during the decade.The chaos of the 1970s was reflected in the magnitude of baseball's biggest events, and the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry became more intense than ever, centering around two clashing catchers, Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk, while also being driven by the in-house fighting of Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner.In the late 1990s and early 21st century, the position of shortstop took center stage in baseball as Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra and Alex Rodriguez became the central figures of their franchises. While the AL was competitive, Jeter's Yankees dominated—though A-Rod and Nomar put up the numbers and took home hardware for their individual exploits.Today, there is a clash between the game's newest young superstars: Washington's Bryce Harper and the Angels Mike Trout, both Rookie of the Year award winners in their respective leagues last year. It seems as if Harper and Trout were destined to be rivals. Harper was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old in Nevada. He idolized and based his game around another Midwestern kid who broke into the big leagues at 19: The Mick. But his cockiness and "I'm better than you" attitude resembles Alex Rodriguez. The same year Harper was touted as baseball's answer to LeBron James, Trout was a sleeper pick in the late first round out of high school in southern New Jersey. Although growing up a fan of the Phillies, he idolized another legend on East 161st St. and River Ave, Derek Jeter, and seems to pattern his game after Jeter's balanced approach—speed, patience, contact, defense, power...everything. His calmness and humility seems to be inspired by his pinstriped idol. Both young stars have already made their presence felt in the world of major league baseball.On his way to winning NL ROY, Harper became the first teen since Ken Griffey, Jr. to mash 20 HRs in a season. He led the Nationals to their first playoff appearance since they were the Montreal Expos. A few weeks in to the 2013 season, his game

OMG! Bo Jackson throws out Mike Gallego, Aug, 1993

Ashlee Simpson and her son Bronx arrived on a flight at JFK airport in New York City on Tuesday (May 21). Bronx, 4, held his mom’s hand while walking through the terminal. Bronx’s dad Pete Wentz praised Ashlee as a mom when he appeared on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live last month. He said, “I feel like we both realize that we’re parents and we’re in it for our kid. That’s made it really easy. I feel like, as a mom, she’s awesome. She’s an awesome mom and we get along really well when it comes to our kid now.” View Slideshow »» View All Photos »»