Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, aka MCA, announced yesterday that he has a “very treatable” form of salivary-gland cancer that will not affect his famously raspy voice.

Yauch, 44, said in a generally upbeat Web video that he has cancer on the left salivary gland known as the parotid, as well as on a nearby lymph node. He said he could undergo surgery as early as next week to remove the cancer, and will receive radiation later.

“The good news is that they did scans of my whole body and it’s only localized in this one area,” he said. “It’s a little bit of a setback.”

Yauch, who appeared in the video with band mate Adam Horowitz, aka Ad-Rock, said he first noticed a lump in his throat about two months ago.

Continue reading "Beastie Boy MCA stricken with cancer" »

Fall 2009 fashion from designer Betsey Johnson is modeled during Fashion Week in New York, which slipped in its rankings as the world's fashion capital. (AP photo)

By Heather Haddon

New York's reign as the world’s fashion capital is coming apart at the seams.

Milan has strut past New York for the first time in five years in an annual ranking of the fashion status of international cities.

Milan, the home of Gucci, Prada, Armani and Versace, also soared past Rome and Paris this year in the results released Monday.

The Big Apple came in second, but still led among the seven other American cities ranked by Global Language Monitor, a Texas company that tracks reporting about fashion among different cities.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation declined to comment on the findings, but emphasized that the city's industry employs more than 175,000 fashionistas and generates $10 billion in wages.

Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro made the biggest leaps in the poll, with the Brazilian cities ranking in the top 20. Swimwear helped Miami sashay up the list to number 13.

Continue reading "Study: Big Apple no longer the fashion capital" »

Kayaking, and other water activities, are offered on Lake George.

By Monique Stringfellow
Special to amNewYork

After a rain-filled June, New Yorkers face more pressure than usual to make the most of remaining summer weekends.

Upstate New York’s bucolic Adirondack Mountains are just three hours up the Hudson — a surprisingly short distance to what feels like another world. Towns and resorts began to pop up around Lake George in the 1800s, drawing vacationers with fresh air and untouched landscape. Unlike other popular getaways, the area retains much of its early rustic character even today – making it the perfect nearby destination for a weekend in the great outdoors.

Where to stay
Built in 1883, The Sagamore Resort is a grand old property. This year, the resort underwent a major renovation on all rooms and common areas, including restaurants and the spa. An outdoor pool is scheduled to open later this month. The gabled L-shaped main house has 137 high-end rooms and suites.

For a more woodsy experience and a bit more privacy, you can stay in the Lodges, also part of the Sagamore but located apart from the main hotel. Families or bigger groups often prefer these accommodations.

Face-lift notwithstanding, the hotel’s sense of history is alive and well. Guests meet for drinks or afternoon tea on the wicker-furnished veranda, as has been the custom for over a hundred years.

Continue reading "Lake George: A short trip to a far away place" »

Visit the San Diego Zoo and stay at the Ramada for $66-$80. Credit: Getty.

Lofty Leisure Getaway: There is no better time to see Iceland than now, when the hours are longest and the sun brightest. Packages for an Iceland getaway start at $879 per person, and include round-trip air, three nights in Reykjavik and daily breakfast. The package requires a three-night minimum and 14-night maximum. This offer is available through Aug. 31. For more information and to book, visit icelandair.us

Continue reading "Wanna get away? This week's travel deals" »

A former amNewYork intern respected for her quick wit and prodigious work ethic was struck and killed by a van Friday while she walked to her summer job in Ocean City, N.J.

Casey Feldman, 21, was crossing an accident-plagued intersection in the Jersey town just before 5 p.m. when she was hit, according to the Press of Atlantic City. She was pronounced dead at Atlantic City Medical Center five hours later.

Feldman, a senior at Fordham University, lived with her family in a Philadelphia suburb and was on her way to work at Bob's Grille on the Boardwalk, according to the Press report. The driver, Anthony Lomonaco, 58, was charged with careless driving and failing to yield to the pedestrian and could face additional charges, according to NBC-WMGM in New Jersey.

“She was a bright, engaging and determined young woman,” said Fordham president Joseph M. McShane. “I cannot imagine the grief her family, friends and classmates feel today—it is a painful, shocking loss.”

Continue reading "Casey Feldman, 21, former intern at amNewYork, is struck and killed by van in New Jersey" »

Chanterelle in TriBeCa.

Upscale TriBeCa eatery Chanterelle will close for renovations for two months, starting August 17. It will reopen with the addition of an intimate bar and an expanded menu in October. The last day for general reservations is Friday, August 14 and Chanterelle will host a Sunday Salon celebrating blues, beer and smoked foods on Sunday, August 16.

The restaurant will celebrate its 30th anniversary this fall.

To celebrate "raising the bar" on its food choices, Starbucks is offering a free pastry with purchase of a drink tomorrow morning, from opening until 10:30 a.m. Download the invitation at Starbucks.com or show it to the barista from your handheld device, and receive a free muffin, bagel, croissant, pound cake, coffeecake, danish, doughnut, scone and more!

(AP photo)

By Marlene Naanes

First came the Giant Leap. Then came the Giant Thud.

Man last visited the moon in 1972, and the space shuttle era that followed lacked much of the space race’s drama and milestones.

Still, NASA’s human space travel plan includes outposts on the moon. Astronauts would study the moon during extended stays and train for travel to our planetary neighbor, Mars.

However, the future of NASA's moon program, Constellation, remains unclear as an Obama administration blue ribbon panel reviews the Ares rockets and Orion spacecraft that would take astronauts to the moon by 2020. The panel, which is reviewing less costly alternatives, is set to release its findings in August.

“There are such enormous pressures to rein in our spending,” said Michael Allison, an expert at Columbia University's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

Continue reading "Is travel to Mars in the stars?" »

(AP photo)

Neil Armstrong, 78
-Apollo 11 commander
-Lives near Cincinnati
-Became an astronaut in 1962; left NASA in 1971. Taught engineering at the University of Cincinnati and later joined the board of directors of various U.S. companies
-Armstrong thought he said, or at least meant to say, “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” The first moonwalker, however, omitted the “a.” One researcher believes Armstrong actually said “a man” and poor technology made it inaudible, but NASA never backed up the claim.
“Looking back, we were really very privileged to live in that thin slice of history where we changed how man looks at himself and what he might become and where he might go. So I’m very thankful that we got to see that and be part of it.”

Continue reading "Moon man facts: about the Apollo 11 astronauts" »

By Heather Haddon

Getting through Brooklyn could soon get easier for riders on one of the city’s busiest bus routes.

The popular B61 route, which runs from Long Island City to Red Hook, would be split into two bus lines to cut wait times in January,

Under the plan, NYC Transit would create a B62 bus traveling north from downtown Brooklyn to Long Island City, while the B61 would run south to Red Hook from downtown Brooklyn.

Currently, the 10-mile route slogs through Brooklyn traffic and is frequently delayed. The B61 averages 18,000 weekday riders and is the 40th busiest route, according to 2008 figures.

Continue reading "B61 in Brooklyn will likely be split for faster service" »

These Manhattan locations are hiring: Several Pinkberry locations, including 13th Street and Sixth Avenue and Broadway btwn 70th and 71st sts.; several Starbucks, including one on 34th, btwn 7th and 8th; the U.S. Open is hiring for part-timers (apply at amerivents.com and click under Talent Registration).

Tuesday, July 21: National "Career Stimulus Package" Empowerment Tour
Location: Vanderbilt YMCA 224 E 47 St.
Time: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
To Register: empowermenttour.com

Tuesday, July 21: North Bronx Economic Development Summit
Location: Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Blvd W., btwn Goulden and Paul Ave.
Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
To Register: Free, contact Clarence Stanley at clarence.stanley@lehman.cuny.edu or 718-960-8697

Continue reading "Looking for work? This week's job fairs and events" »

Nowadays you must be financially conservative. Financial expert David Monberg suggested having nine- to 12-months' worth of savings. Preferably not just in a piggie bank.

By Lucy Cohen Blatter

Whether you’re unemployed, afraid the ax could fall or just looking for a little security in this time of insecurity, you’ll want to get your finances in order.

“It’s a time to be increasing savings and reducing your debt,” said David Monberg, wealth manager with Stephen A. Kohn and Associates*, an expert in financial planning and asset management.

Savings
It pays to be extremely conservative. “In the past, 3-6 months of savings was the rule of thumb when it came to emergency savings.

Now it’s more like nine months to a year,” he said. Monberg suggested investing in laddered CDs. You create a "ladder" with some CDs maturing in three months, six months, a year, and so on, so you have different CDs maturing at different times — giving you the opportunity to exploit any changes that may occur in interest rates. The ones with longer intervals usually have better interest rates.

And while he stressed that they don’t have to be with your brick and mortar bank, he suggested building a relationship with those bankers. "There is no faster way to access your money than walking directly into your local branch," he said.

Continue reading "Getting your finances in order" »

(Parks department photo of Central Park viewing party of lunar landing)

By Marlene Naanes

Forty years ago today, the planet was moonstruck.

In the U.S., Americans watched the likes of Walter Cronkite as Apollo 11 satisfied a wanderlust that could be marked in millennia — walking on the moon.

“Man on the moon. Oh jeez! Oh boy! Whew!” exclaimed Cronkite on CBS after the Eagle had landed, and the world could relate.

“My wife and I were absolutely amazed when we saw the landing,” said Alex Harvey, 92, a physics professor emeritus, who watched from his home in Queens.

Neil Armstrong set foot on the powdery surface at 10:56 p.m., later joined by Buzz Aldrin while Michael Collins orbited above in the command module. The 2 1/2-hour walk on the moon that Sunday evening capped a space race that was fueled by the Cold War and the United States’ need to make history after the Russians racked up a number of firsts, including sending the first human to space.

Continue reading "Apollo 11 lunar landing captivated NYC" »

Since his death, street vendor-produced Michael Jackson memorabilia has gained steadily on the President Barack Obama T-shirts, buttons and photographs that dominated the New York market. Here's some creative MJ gear, Andy Warhol-esque portraits on canvas, sold on St. Marks Place in the Village:

— Emily Ngo

James Jeans
July 21 to 23, 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 500 Greenwich St., btwn Spring and Canal sts., suite 202, 212-221-4603
Straight and skinny-leg jeans that were $180 are now $80. Bootcut styles range from $70 to $90. One-of-a-kind samples are reduced to $50.

Clothingline Blow-out Sale
July 21, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; July 22, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 261 W. 36th St., btwn Seventh and Eighth aves., 2nd Fl.., 212-947-8748
This sale features pieces from brands including Free People, Tocca and Milly (shown at left) for 70 to 90 percent off. Free People dresses are $25, with tees as low as $5. All Tocca tops, shirts and pants are $15.

XCVI Wearables and Love Amour
Through July 24, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 260 W. 39th St., btwn Seventh and Eighth aves., 2nd Fl., 212-768-1060
Summer jackets, pants, skirts, dresses and tops from the two designers are up to 80 percent off. An XCVI jacket that was $130 is now $35. Love Amour tops are now $25, reduced from $98.

Send sample sale listings to jgordon@am-ny.com

Photo: A model at the spring 2009 Milly fashion show (Getty)

Sno-Cones, those classic summertime treats, are getting an adult makeover at Broadway 49 (at 1605 Broadway). An alcoholic Sno-Cone cart will be dishing out the $8 treats for rest of the month and part of August, Monday through Friday from 4 to 11 p.m. Flavors include Paradise Punch and Loaded Grape. Non-Alcoholic cones are available also, for $5.

Broadway 49
1605 Broadway

There’s a perfect solution to America’s crisis in health care. It’s as apt for today’s insurance-choked system as it will be if Obama-care ever becomes law.

Don’t get sick.

I promise: If you never get sick, you’ll be all right.

As for the rest of us? Well, don’t expect a health care panacea no matter what Congress does ­— especially for those of us in the vast middle zone of the U.S. economy.

If you’re really, really poor, you qualify for Medicaid. It’s not perfect, but the price is right. If you’re really, really rich, what do you care? But for people in the middle, the options going forward range from bad to worse to won’t-happen-anyway.

I’ve been riveted all week at the spectacle of congressmen and senators confronting the complexities of health care. The only thing I can say with confidence is that I want the health care they get — top doctors and hospitals, immediately available, paid for by the government. If this is socialism, where do I sign up?

Continue reading "The best health care is staying healthy" »

By Emily Ngo

Confused by President Barack Obama’s plan and the versions being offered by the House and Senate? You’re not alone. Here’s a primer on what a reform package could mean for you.

What will health care overhaul cost and who’s paying for it?
The reform is estimated to cost about $1 trillion over 10 years. To keep from adding to the deficit, Obama is counting on budget trims and new taxes. Drug makers and hospitals already have agreed to $235 billion in cuts. Almost all Americans will pay for the overhaul in indirect ways, such as through tobacco or income taxes.

What do Obama and the Democrats want to change?
Democrats want the approximately 50 million uninsured Americans to have coverage. Democrats also are stressing They also are stressing preventative care, which they say is more cost-efficient. Democrats and the GOP alike want to improve overall health care, but clash on exactly how to do so.

How will the reform package affect my coverage?
Obama argues that his proposal allows you to keep your doctor and plan; Republicans counter that the less-costly public option will lead employers to drop their current insurers, meaning you’ll lose your doctor, plan and options.

Is health care in America going to be “nationalized,” Canada-style?
Canada’s universal health care coverage involves government-run hospitals and government-employed doctors. Obama proposes allowing all Americans to choose between a government-sponsored “public option” and private insurance companies.

Continue reading "FAQ: Navigating health care reform maze" »

(AP)

By Jason Fink

In a rousing and impassioned speech that touched on his own rise from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of American life, President Barack Obama praised the NAACP on Thursday night for its century-long fight against discrimination.

In his first official trip to New York City, Obama urged delegates to the civil rights organization’s 100th anniversary convention in Manhattan to take an active role in their children’s education and to fight prejudice by raising their own expectations.

“There is no better weapon against inequality, there is no better path to opportunity than an education that can unlock a child’s God-given abilities,” Obama told the crowd, which burst into applause several times during the half-hour speech at the Hilton New York in midtown.

Echoing themes that have dominated the week-long convention, Obama said overt racism may have declined in the last century, but he pointed to inequities in access to health care, quality education and employment as among the civil rights challenges of the next generation.

Continue reading ""On the shoulders of giants": Obama visits NAACP for 100th b-day " »