| Historic cruise ship rendezvous
It was the first and only time the three ships will ever meet. The Queen Victoria was launched in December and the QE2 will be retired later this year and turned into a floating five-star hotel in Dubai. Thousands of New Yorkers stood along the waterfront of Lower Manhattan to watch the three grand vessels twinkling in the winter darkness as they lined in front of the Statue of Liberty amid fireworks. "They are big!" said Brammy Sturley, 8, who watched from aboard a Circle Line boat nearby in the harbor. Brammy's dad Steve described the boy as a "Cunard fanatic." A cold rain began to fall on the crowd on shore before the fireworks were over, but Manhattan resident Nadine Ellman, who sailed twice on the QE2, wasn't about to leave early. "This is for the die-hards," she said.
All-Star game brings in business
This was a Herculean effort to put this together. Selling the 47 [thousand] plus tickets to get a full house last night and tonight. So nothing is easy," said organizer Bob Moppert.
The year of planning came to an end with thousands of hockey fans filling the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena to see the AHL's best players.
"I make no bones about it. We wanted to have, and I want to have, the best event ever. But saying that, I want next year's event in Worcester to be even better," Moppert said.
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Broadband refocus boosts D Telekom
Deutsche Telekom last year gained almost as many new customers for high-speed internet lines in Germany as it lost clients abandoning old-style phone contracts, a sign the restructuring of its domestic operations is bearing fruit. At the same time, Europe's largest telecoms group said cost cuts would have to continue to help it recover from a crisis in Germany that is expected to see 2007 profits, due at the end of next month, sag below those seen the year before. It also said that it had made “major progress" in its search for a partner for the computer-systems integration unit of T-Systems, the corporate services division, a step that is meant to focus Telekom's portfolio more sharply. The Bonn-based group said that new pricing and improved service had seen it gain 1.9m new customers for so-called broadband lines, giving it a 44 per cent share of new clients in its home market.
Cash-strapped states resort to extra taxes
It's the idea that you can get away with raising taxes as long as you don't say the word 'tax,''' said New York Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, a Democrat who represents affluent suburbs north of New York City. ‘‘And the consequences are disastrous for the average middle class or poor people, and a boon to big business and the wealthy.'' In New Jersey, officials are weighing reforms to the highway system that could allow a nonprofit corporation to operate toll roads. The agency could also raise money by putting solar panels on sound barriers, erecting windmills along the roadways and selling naming rights for rest stops. That could mean New Jersey Turnpike rest stops now named for famous residents such as Thomas Edison, Walt Whitman and Red Cross founder Clara Barton could be renamed for corporations.
Brooke Berman: Apartment Hunting as Art
In a city in which real estate is an obsession, Brooke Berman's experience is so unique, she felt compelled to turn it into a play. After all, how many New Yorkers can say that they've lived in more than 30 apartments around the city? Berman's new play, Hunting and Gathering, now having its world premiere at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters with an enviable cast (Mamie Gummer, Keira Naughton, Jeremy Shamos and Michael Chernus) directed by Leigh Silverman, follows four young New Yorkers in search of "their place." It's a topic that Berman, a Juilliard graduate who began her career as a solo performer, has obviously thought about a lot—and her lyrical Broadway.com essay gives an intriguing (and personal) preview of how the idea of "coming home" can be presented on an off-Broadway stage.
The Wall Street Journal
Page Six speculates about the relationship between Hevesi and Council member Melinda Katz. Hevesi's top adviser went from preeminent to invisible, but now he's trying to save the Hevesi campaign. Speaking of invisible, Hevesi won't be partying with other Democrats on Election Night. And a lot of money pours into upstate congressional races. -- Azi Paybarah .
Djokovic Beats Tsonga for Aussie Title
He's a Grand Slam champion for real.Serving notice that his rapid rise in the rankings last year was no fluke, third-ranked Djokovic ended the Cinderella story of the Australian Open by beating unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (2) in Sunday night's final."I think every player dreams about winning a Grand Slam," Djokovic said. "It's something special."Top-ranked Roger Federer and No. 2 Rafael Nadal had combined to win the last 11 Grand Slams. Djokovic personally held up Federer's drive for Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam titles on hold by ousting him in the semifinals. Federer now will go for No. 13 at the French Open.Despite reaching at least the semifinals at the last three Grand Slams, Djokovic has been better known as "Djoker" for his wry sense of humor and impressions of other tennis players that have become hits on YouTube.It was easy to see that requests for the impersonations were wearing on him at Melbourne Park - he tried to beg off when he was asked to mimic Maria Sharapova after a match early in the two-week tournament - so Djokovic let his tennis do the talking.It spoke volumes.The 20-year-old Serbian, who said he listened to music, watched funny videos and told jokes in the locker room to relax before going on court, hadn't dropped a set in six matches until Tsonga stunned him with a pair of great shots to break and take the first set.Djokovic didn't crumble.
So long Time Warner Cable, hello DIRECTTV
The Toybox Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives Previous Post: Countdown to PMA: Digital cameras galore So long Time Warner Cable, hello DIRECTTV Posted in: Broadband Time Warner Cable DIRECTTV FIOS With a move pending in two weeks, my wife and I had to confront a bunch of issues - renovating the new apartment, finding movers, and of course the most important one of all - deciding whether or not to stick with Time Warner Cable, or make the jump to satellite. Currently we pay Time Warner about $155 a month for cable plus broadband service, which includes an HD-DVR (that freezes far more often than it should), and to be honest, more premiums than we ever use - in reality we just watch HBO and Showtime (Dexter is as close to must-see TV as we have in our house).
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