Inside Black Car

WORST CABBY EVER ON THE LOOSE IN NY

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:42:00 +0000

Meet Ramez Akladious, the worst - and most dangerous - taxi driver in the city.

He allegedly slashed a passenger with a boxcutter, drove drunk and, to cap it off, hurled ethnic slurs and lunged at a rider - who happened to work for the Taxi and Limousine Commission.

Beware: Even though his taxi license was revoked Friday, he still could be rolling on the streets of New York.

Despite several arrests last year - and the fact that he had only a suspended probationary license - Akladious, 26, kept driving.

It wasn't until he crossed the wrong passenger - the TLC operations manager - that he was technically stripped of his cab license.

But even then, he didn't show up at the hearing to hand over his license, a source said. "He just blew it off," a source said.

The TLC worker, Phedra Braxton, who took her case to a city administrative law judge, said Akladious became enraged during a Jan. 5 ride down Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, screaming and cursing at a bicyclist in his way.

She also noticed he did not have his hack license properly displayed.

When she asked him to take her to an ATM - after he told her his credit-card machine wasn't working - he locked all the car doors and threatened to call the cops, Braxton said.

"He grabbed my jacket and bag through the partition window. I said, 'Get off me, what are you doing?' " she said. "He tried to spit on me . . . When I got out and started screaming, he said, 'I should have never picked your black ass up. You black people never pay.'

"Here I am, an employee for the TLC, and all the years I caught cabs, I never had an encounter like that before," Braxton said. "It's unbelievable that people like that are allowed to drive and deal with the public . . . The worst part of this is that he never should have been driving."

She warned that Akladious "will never get a license with the TLC again."

TLC Commissioner Matthew Daus upheld the administrative law judge's recommendation to revoke Akladious' probationary license - he'd never gotten a permanent one - and fine him $4,350.

Akladious never responded to the decision.

Efforts to reach him at home were not successful.

"The [judge] characterized your misconduct in this case as 'serious,' and I agree," Daus wrote Friday. "It is apparent you cannot comport to TLC rules."

Sources noted a check of the driver's credentials should have been done by the company leasing the cab to him. The TLC did not know what company Akladious drove for.

Akladious' arrest record began less than three months after his probationary TLC license was issued.

On May 15, he allegedly assaulted another driver by smashing his side-view mirror, then his face. That incident was followed June 7 by his alleged boxcutter-slashing of a cab rider who accused him of taking an unnecessarily long route, a source said.

On Sept. 22 in Queens, Akladious was arrested for allegedly striking a man in the face.

On Oct. 9 in Manhattan, he was slapped with a charge of DWI.

MTA fare hikes looming unless state Legislature comes to the rescue

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Straphangers could get socked with another fare hike next year - an unprecedented third in a row - if the state Legislature doesn't come to the rescue, transit sources revealed Thursday.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority projects a $300 million budget gap in 2010 - even if it increases fares by as much as 30% in June and implements sweeping service cuts this spring.

MTA board members have been summoned to an emergency meeting at headquarters this morning to start grappling with the crisis.

The agency had hoped the Legislature would agree to a bailout, including putting tolls on the city's now-free bridges, but no deal has been reached.

Without a pact, double-digit fare hikes and deep service cuts are almost certain this summer. The MTA is ready to set new fares on March 25. A monthly MetroCard, now $81, could rise to $103.

The MTA today will start looking at worse scenarios for 2010 and beyond, sources said.

"I think they are doing the responsible thing," former MTA Chairman Richard Ravitch said. "The public has a right to know - and the board has the responsibility to figure out - what kind of system it can operate with the revenues they have. They have to start thinking about shrinking the system."

Ravitch headed a state commission that recommended tolling the city's free East and Harlem River bridges, and enacting an employer-paid payroll tax.

The cash would enable the MTA to scale back fare hikes to 8% and avoid shutting some bus routes and subway lines.

The Ravitch plan also would help fund the MTA's capital program, which pays for day-to-day maintenance, upgrades and system expansion.

With Glenn Blain

Bailed-Out Bankers Still Prefer Cushy Car Service

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 03:09:00 +0000

Paste Linke for a very good video on the recession and black car service. http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/business/Who_Foots_the_Bill_for_Wall_Street_Bankers__New_York.html

Four of the largest American banks received a total of $75 billion in the recent federal bailout, so it's safe to assume they're limiting some of their luxury expenses.
You'd assume otherwise if you spent Thursday in front of the offices of Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. If you'd have done that, you'd have seen suit after suit hopping into black car after black car, hustling off into the evening.

From Battery Park City to Midtown, the locations may have been different, but the scenes were similar. Buses and yellow cabs passed on by as fancier, roomier, more expensive modes of transport were snapped up by bankers in need of a ride to presumably a nice restaurant or a house in the suburbs.

Drivers told News4 that some of the rides were round-trip to and from bars or restaurants, others out to Westchester or Fairfield County at the end of another long day.

"It's not even cool, man," one taxpayer told News4. "They need to get me one."

A train to towns like Greenwich, Scarsdale or Garden City shouldn't cost more than $10, but the nicer cars to the same locations command a fare closer to $90.

Morgan Stanley issued a statement that said employees "are only permitted to use black cars for travel with clients or to client-related events, or if employees work past 9 p.m. in the office."
New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez said the banks might want to re-evaluate certain practices.

"When you have the taxpayers' money ... at the end of the day, you have to look at your entire operation and say, 'I need to be ... more responsible,'" he said.

Livery driver killed and 3 hurt in Bruckner crash

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:52:00 +0000

A livery car driving into the Bronx from Manhattan careened into a family in a minivan on the Bruckner Expressway, killing the cab driver and seriously wounding three others.

A young girl who police said is either 4 or 5 years old was among the injured after the livery car driver smashed into the family of three around 8 p.m. Friday night.

A 22-year-old female driver in the minivan and a 28-year-old male passenger were also taken to area hospitals in serious condition, a police spokesman said.

City Council takes up livery cab passengers' bill of rights

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:31:00 +0000

Passengers of the city's 40,000 livery cabs are finally getting a bill of rights of their own.

The list of what riders are entitled to in a livery or black car will be posted in the passenger section, under a bill set to be passed Wednesday by the City Council.

The exact language is yet to be determined by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, but some of the rights include: displayed driver's license; a safe and courteous driver who obeys all traffic laws; clean air in the vehicle that is smoke and scent free; a preapproved fare quoted by the dispatcher, and the right to decline to tip.

"Today when you get into one of these cars, passengers truly have no idea what their rights are, if any," said chief sponsor, Councilman Daniel Garodnick (D-Manhattan).

Yellow cab passengers have had a similar bill of rights since 1996.

Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) said passengers who summon livery cars may not widely know that they can complain about lousy rides or fare disputes to the TLC.

Even so, Garodnick said about 1,000 complaints are filed each year by passengers of for-hire cars.

TLC Commissioner Matthew Daus said, "We look forward to supporting the legislation that we crafted together, and seeing that it is properly implemented once the mayor signs it into law."

Too many NY taxi drivers, not enough cabs for them

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:48:00 +0000

Many of the thousands of New Yorkers laid off in the financial crisis have turned to driving taxis, but now there are too many drivers and not enough cabs.

Garage owners say they're turning away drivers. Harlem Yellow Cab manager Syed Zahoori says on every shift people get sent home without cabs.

City officials say the number of hack licenses is at an all-time high of nearly 46,000. The number of new licenses is up 19 percent over the last three months compared with the same period last year.

There are about 13,000 taxis.

Taxi and Limousine Commission Chairman Matthew Daus says there's always an influx of drivers when the economy is bad but this period "appears to be setting some records."

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES NEW INCENTIVE / DISINCENTIVE PROGRAM TO REACH GOAL OF GREEN TAXI FLEET

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:41:00 +0000

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has announced a series of initiatives to increase the use of fuel efficient and environmentally friendly taxicabs, though new financial incentives and legislative initiatives. The Mayor’s announcement follows a recent decision in Federal District Court that prohibited the City from mandating the use of cleaner, more fuel efficient taxicabs. The new program announced offers financial incentives for taxi fleet owners to purchase fuel efficient vehicles and financial disincentives for the continue use of less efficient vehicles. The Mayor was joined at the announcement by Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) Chairman Matthew W. Daus, Council Member David Yassky, Richard Kassel of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Meir Yakuel, Co-Owner of the Yakuel Taxi Garage where the announcement was made, and Rati Sharma, a taxicab driver.

MYSTERY LIMO THUGS TAKE WOMAN ON HELL RIDE

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 15:45:00 +0000

A woman was abducted by two men in a black limousine outside a notorious Upper East Side bar and taken on a nightmare ride that ended with her being robbed and dumped on a downtown street, The Post has learned.

"It was really horrible. The cops are working on it," said the terrified 26-year-old New Jersey victim, whose name is being withheld by The Post.

Workers at Dorrian's Red Hand - where the victim's hellish experience began at about 12:45 a.m. on Dec. 2 - are warning patrons not to get into unmarked cabs, especially with the two thugs at large.

The watering hole, on Second Avenue at East 84th Street, is where "Preppy Killer" Robert Chambers met Jennifer Levin in 1986, before killing her in Central Park.

The limo victim's trouble began when she was unable to find a cab, and the black car pulled up, with the driver offering her a ride to the Port Authority, sources said.

She got into the back seat, where a man offered her a cocktail. She refused, but accepted a bottle of water, took a swig, and then felt as if she had been drugged, the woman said.

When the man told the woman she was "pretty" and asked for a kiss, she started yelling, "Let me out!"

When the stranger moved in closer, the woman bit him on the right hand. Enraged, the thug kicked the woman out onto the pavement on West 18th Street at Tenth Avenue.

Missing from her pocketbook were two iPods, a $250 Burberry scarf and a bank card.

Traffic Alert!!

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:51:00 +0000

President Bush and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia will be meeting at the UN and New York Palace Hotel on Thursday morning and afternoon. This translates into shutdowns of the FDR Drive from the Battery to 63rd St. sometime in the late morning. In addition, the 42nd St. northbound exit from the FDR Drive will be shut most of the morning. First Ave. will have intermittent closures all morning.

Around noon, there will be a freeze of all avenues from First to Madison as the President and king head to the hotel at Madison and 50th St. Avoid that area from 11:30 p.m. to2 p.m.

From 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., expect another freeze of the avenues and a shutdown of the FDR Drive as the President travels to Wall Street to Federal Hall National Memorial todeliver remarks on the economy at 2 p.m. Afterward, a helicopter likely will take the President back to Kennedy Airport (expect abrief closure of the lower FDR and Battery underpass).

Veteran's Day 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:29:00 +0000

The New York City Veterans Day Parade!

Tuesday Nov. 11, 2008

This parade is the largest of its kind in the nation, providing an opportunity for New Yorkers and visitors from across our country (and around the world) to honor those who have preserved our freedoms. The theme for 2008, "Legacy of Honor," pays tribute to veterans of all eras, and also serves to welcome home the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (a New York City icon and herself a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam).

This year's 2008 New York City Veterans Day activities will include:

* Mayor's Breakfast for Veterans
* Opening Ceremony
* New York City Veterans Day Parade
* Crosstown March - One time only event!
* Veterans Day Street Fair
* Commemorative Newspaper - New!
* Parade Program
* Thank You For Serving Video

Mayor's Breakfast for Veterans
8:30 - 9:30 A.M (by invitation only)
New York City's Veterans Day activities begin with an invitation-only breakfast reception hosted by the Mayor at Gracie Mansion. Through our relationship with the Mayor's Office, we offer tickets to our partners and their guests.

Opening Ceremony
10:00 - 11:00 A.M.
Eternal Light Monument, Madison Square Park
Fifth Avenue @ 24th Street > map

The parade is preceded by our traditional Opening Ceremony, at the Eternal Light Monument in Madison Square Park. This ceremony of remembrance and reflection features remarks by the Mayor, other senior elected officials, and special guests, as well as musical tributes and readings. It is open to the public, with preferential seating available for veterans.

The ceremony culminates in a wreath laying, 21-rifle salute and playing of "Taps." This year's ceremony will include a special moment of remembrance for the 90th anniversary of the end the First World War (Armistice Day, which later became Veterans Day).

Veterans Day Parade
11:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Fifth Avenue, from 26th Street to 56th Street
The New York City Veterans Day Parade features over 20,000 participants, including veterans of all eras, active duty military, ROTC and JrROTC units, civic and youth groups, all accompanied by music performed by a dozen of our nation’s best high school marching bands.

Floats, military and vintage vehicles and other special contingents add to the spectacle and excitement of the parade, which is viewed by over 400,000 spectators. The parade route is approximately 1.5 miles, and takes 30-40 minutes to complete. Participants march or ride in review past our official Reviewing Stand, located at 41st Street in front of the world-famous facade of the New York Public Library. Bleachers are available next to the Reviewing Stand for veterans and their guests who wish to sit and view the parade.

Crosstown March
From Intrepid Sea, Air Space Museum
42nd Street from 12th Avenue to Fifth Avenue

A special contingent will depart the Grand Re-Opening ceremony of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on the West Side Highway and march along 42nd Street, joining the main parade in progress on 5th Avenue.

More information on this one-time-only event will be available soon; check back here for updates!

Veterans Day Street Fair
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
56th Street between Madison & Sixth Avenues

Yes We Can America!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:38:00 +0000

The transcript of the full speech follows.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Election Day: Mcain vs. Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:55:00 +0000

JetBlue Opens New Terminal 5 At JFK

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:56:00 +0000

JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq:JBLU) today welcomes its first customers to Terminal 5, the airline's newly constructed home at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Commencing today, all JetBlue departures from JFK will operate from T5, as will all domestic arrivals and international arrivals that pre-clear U.S. customs prior to arriving in New York. The first flight scheduled to arrive at T5 was JetBlue Flight 358 from Burbank at 5:05 a.m. The first departure scheduled for T5 was JetBlue Flight 709 to San Juan, with a scheduled departure time of 6:00 a.m.

One of the first terminals in the U.S. to be completely designed and built post 9/11, T5 focuses on efficiency and customer comfort. The 635,000-square-foot terminal boasts 26 gates distributed throughout three concourses and includes a 55,000-square-foot central retail and concession Marketplace. T5 is designed to accommodate up to 20 million annual customers with up to 250 daily departures.

"From day one Terminal 5 will welcome more than 30 percent of JFK's annual customer traffic," said Dave Barger, CEO of JetBlue Airways. "The terminal is designed specifically with our customers in mind, and we have created a new standard in both comfort and service that everyone can enjoy. Its unique amenities will create a stress free on-the-ground experience for JetBlue customers that will match the innovative and award-winning experience JetBlue is known for in the air."

The design of T5 allows customers to control their own movement and experience through the terminal. There are two check-in areas with a total of 65 e-ticket kiosks and 40 traditional check-in counters, a large central security checkpoint -- the largest single checkpoint in the United States -- capable of accommodating 20 screening lanes, and an automated "in-line" baggage system that efficiently moves bags from the check-in lobby through screening and to the ramp for delivery to waiting aircraft. Customers will be able to enjoy free Wi-Fi throughout the terminal, grandstand seating under a 40-foot-diameter digital ring of LCD monitors in the Marketplace, spacious gate areas with ample seating, expansive windows that bring in natural light and offer unparalleled runway views, a children's play space, and a lounge-like area in the East Concourse filled with whimsical and colorful furniture by Italian designer Moroso.

Twenty-two concessions, created exclusively for T5 by OTG Management, and 25 specialty retail stores present customers with unique dining and shopping options. T5 includes nine full-serve restaurants, bars and cafes; a gourmet food hall featuring eight quick-serve eateries; grab-and-go gourmet markets; three coffee bars; six bars/lounges; and an innovative gate area program called re:vive that allows customers to use touch-screen monitors to order meals for delivery to the gate areas.

T5, designed by Gensler and created in collaboration with Turner Construction Company, Arup, AECOM (as DMJM Harris) and Rockwell Group, provides operational efficiencies while offering a customer-friendly experience for today's traveler. The terminal was majority funded by and built in collaboration with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Kennedy Airport's operator. T5 is located behind the iconic Eero Saarinen-designed TWA terminal, which remains under the control of the Port Authority. The Port Authority is rehabilitating and restoring the landmark structure in order to reopen it to the public under an adaptive reuse program. The design of JetBlue's new T5 began in March 2004 with groundbreaking occurring in December 2005.

About JetBlue Airways
New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue is now pleased to offer customers Lots of Legroom and super-spacious Even More Legroom seats. JetBlue introduced complimentary in-flight e-mail and instant messaging services on aircraft "BetaBlue," a first among U.S. domestic airlines. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 51 cities with 500 daily flights. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JETBLUE (1-800-538-2583) or visit www.jetblue.com.

IBC NEWS: Stocks Fall Sharply on Credit Concerns

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:18:00 +0000

The selling on Wall Street began at the opening bell on Monday and only intensified as the morning went on. Shares moved sharply lower as the banking crisis tightened its grip on the global economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell below 10,000 for the first time since 2004 after losing more than 500 points in the first hour. The index has lost more than 1,100 points — or about 10 percent — in slightly more than a week.

Shortly after noon, the Dow was down 450 points or 4.3 percent.

The broader American stock market was down more than 4.9 percent, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index, its worst decline since last Monday’s 8.8 percent drop. At the same time, oil dropped below $90 a barrel.

The precipitous declines, which accelerated as the morning wore on, came a day after European governments were forced to scramble to save several major banks and lenders from collapse. The moves reinforced the global reach of the current crisis and alarmed depositors and regulators in the United States and abroad.

European stocks fell even further, with the major indexes in London, Paris, and Frankfurt down nearly 7 percent.

The sharp slides came despite a morning announcement from the Federal Reserve, which said it would significantly expand the amount of money it makes available to major banks. The Fed will now lend up to $900 billion in credit, an enormous sum that officials hope will reassure banks that the government will provide them with adequate capital.

The moves were aimed at resolving a problem at the center of the current credit crisis: the reluctance of banks to lend. The healthy functioning of the world’s economy is dependent on the easy flow of short-term loans among banks, businesses and consumers, a stream that has been cut off as banks become more fearful of giving out cash.

Borrowing rates remained very high on Monday despite the passage of the American bailout plan, although proponents of that package argue that its longer-term benefits will take time to carry out. Still, some gauges of anxiety in the market again reached record highs as the week began, and a benchmark overnight borrowing rate, the Libor rate, moved higher. A measure of volatility, the VIX index, jumped to its highest intraday level ever.

“It’s not just a question clearing problem assets,” said Bob McKee, chief economist for Independent Strategy, a research consultancy. “If banks don’t have enough capital they will be paralyzed.”

Oil prices tumbled nearly $4 a barrel to below $90, the first time it has fallen that low since February, before recovering slightly to $90.90 around 10 a.m. The euro continued to fall against the dollar.

Falling oil prices provoked a decline of just over 1,000 points, or nearly 9.9 percent, on the Toronto Stock Market. The drop brought the S&P/TSX index below 10,000 points for the first time since May 2004.

Energy stocks drove the decline, falling 13 percent. Financial industry shares were down 7 percent in mid-morning trading with the Royal Bank of Canada, the country’s largest bank, down 8.43 percent. That drop came despite the fact that the Royal Bank, like most of Canada’s major banks, has relatively little expose to troubled debt in the United States.

Strong prices for oil and gas as well as commodities like metals, have allowed most of Canada to escape the economic downturn in the United States. But the Bank of Nova Scotia report released on Monday said that weakness in the manufacturing sector, which relies heavily on exports to the United States, will push likely Canada into a recession.

In Europe, governments worked over the weekend to prevent the collapse of two lenders, Hypo Real Estate in Germany and the Belgian operations of Fortis. The German government also said it would guarantee all private bank deposits as it sought to avert the spread of the financial contagion.

The FTSE 100 index in London fell 5.6 percent; the Frankfurt DAX was down 5.2 percent and the CAC-40 in Paris lost 5.9 percent.

A similar sell-off occurred in Asia, the Nikkei 225 stock average in Tokyo fell 4.3 percent, while the Kospi index in Seoul fell 4.3 percent. The Standard and Poor’s/ASX 200 index in Sydney fell 3.3 percent, while the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was down 5 percent.

“People are really disappointed by the inability of Europe to react on a concerted basis,” said Andrew Popper, a fund manager at SG Hambros in London. “It’s still very much a country by country approach. There is also a realization that we haven’t seen any effects on economic growth so far but that now is starting and that’s having an effect on non-financial shares.”

Two 26-year-old women struck and killed by taxis in East Village

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:42:00 +0000

A pair of young women were killed after a night on the town - one hit by a yellow cab and the other struck by two, police and witnesses said.

Stephanie Dees and Ann Sullivan, both 26, left Bella's Famous Brick Oven Pizza about 3:30 a.m. yesterday and were trying to cross 14th St. near First Ave.

A yellow cab - traveling west on 14th St. - hit the women, bouncing Dees into the opposite lane of traffic, police said. A second taxi then plowed into her, police said.

"I saw the two girls standing at the intersection side by side in the middle of the road," said Dexton McKenzie, 37, who was a passenger in the second cab.

"The next thing I saw was a head fly into the windshield and another girl flying toward a garbage can," McKenzie said. "I ran out of the car and saw tire tracks on the one girl's body and blood coming out of her mouth."

The two friends were seen playfully taking pictures of each other at the restaurant shortly before the East Village accident.

Dees and Sullivan died at Beth Israel Medical Center. Neither taxi driver faces criminal charges, police said.
"They were just two girls having fun," said an employee at the pizzeria.

"They saw a guy asleep on a table and they went behind him and snapped pictures of themselves," the worker said. "They appeared real good-natured. This is such a shame."

Picture Of The Week

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:53:00 +0000

"It Makes Cents" :)

BUSH SIGNS AUTO LOAN PACKAGE

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:47:00 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC -- President George W. Bush on Tuesday signed into law
a mammoth spending bill that includes a $25 billion loan package for
troubled automakers.

The bill sets aside $7.5 billion in taxpayer funds needed to guarantee
$25 billion in low-interest loans to help General Motors Corp, Ford
Motor Co and Chrysler LLC produce more fuel-efficient cars and trucks.

U.S. automakers have said the taxpayer-backed loan package would give
them access to capital at a time when credit markets are shut and they
are being driven to invest in new technologies to meet tough new
federal fuel economy standards.

The $25 billion loan package, the biggest federal subsidy for the auto
industry since the 1980 bailout of Chrysler, cleared Congress last
weekend when the focus was on the debate over the $700 billion
financial rescue package.

Both presidential candidates, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican
John McCain, backed the auto loan package, which had strong support in
battleground election states like Michigan and Ohio.

Citigroup Buys Bank Operations of Wachovia

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:27:00 +0000

Citigroup reached an agreement early Monday morning to acquire the banking operations of the Wachovia Corporation after making a daring bid that pulled the deeply troubled company from the brink of collapse.

Citigroup will pay $1 a share, or about $2.2 billion, according to people briefed on the deal.

Federal regulators worked around the clock this weekend to orchestrate the sale, finally reaching an agreement at 4 a.m. on Monday morning. In the end, the government agreed to provide Citigroup with a financial guarantee on Wachovia’s most risky assets. It is similar to the deal that the Federal Reserve established with JPMorgan Chase’s emergency takeover of Bear Stearns.

Citigroup will assume the first $42 billion on losses tied to Wachovia’s riskiest mortgages and will pay the Federal Insurance Deposit Corporation $12 billion in preferred stock and warrants. In exchange, the F.D.I.C. will absorb all losses above that amount.

Federal regulators said the move was necessary to stave off what could have been the second big bank failure in less than a week. On Thursday, the government seized Washington Mutual and sold the bulk of its operations to JPMorgan Chase.

“This morning’s decision was made under extraordinary circumstances with significant consultation among the regulators and Treasury,” said Sheila C. Bair, the chairwoman of the F.D.IC in a statement. “This action was necessary to maintain confidence in the banking industry given current financial market conditions.”

Wachovia customers should not notice any changes. “There will be no interruption in services and bank customers should expect business as usual,” Ms. Bair added.

The deal further concentrates Americans’ bank deposits in the hands of three banks: Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup will control more than 30 percent of the industry’s deposits.

Together, they will have unrivaled power to set prices for their loans and services. The institutions would probably come under greater scrutiny from federal regulators, given their size and reach. And some small and midsize banks, already under pressure, might have little choice but to seek suitors in order to compete.

The deal highlights just how bad the banking industry’s problems have gotten as well as the progress that Citigroup after being one of the first to suffer huge losses. Citigroup’s chief executive, Vikram S. Pandit, has recently been making the case to employees and investors that Citigroup is a “pillar of strength” in turbulent times. If he is successful, this transaction could be an important milestone.

Under the deal, Citigroup will buy all of Wachovia’s assets and liabilities — a move that should protect Wachovia’s bondholders. It will also acquire Wachovia’s big retail operations as well as its corporate and private banking. It will also takeover Wachovia’s relatively small investment banking operations, which have catered to real estate and medium-size corporations. Citigroup is leaving behind the A.G. Edwards retail brokerage operations and Evergreen Investments, Wachovia’s money management arm. Senior management decision have not been worked out, according to people involved in the talks.

With Wachovia’s branch network, Citigroup will now have one of the biggest retail banking franchises in the country after years of false starts. That should give Citigroup a larger platform to sell home loans and credit cards, and would give it access to more than $400 billion in more stable customer deposits. The bank has been aggressively trying to reduce its dependence on outside investors for funds.

The risk is that Citigroup could be saddled with tens of billions of dollars in losses tied to Wachovia’s giant loan portfolio. Wachovia has been hurt badly by its 2006 purchase of Golden West Financial, a California lender specializing in so-called pay-option mortgages. And the bank also faced mounting losses on loans made to home builders and commercial real estate developers.

To pay for the deal, Citigroup expects to raise more than $10 billion by issuing new shares of its common stock. It will also slash its dividend to 16 cents a share, the second time in the last year.

Another risk is that Citigroup has had a poor track record of putting together mergers, although it now has a new management team. Citigroup shares were essentially flat in late morning trading on Monday.

Last week, Wachovia held discussions with Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Banco Santander of Spain, before the foreign bank’s interest cooled. But the talks intensified this weekend as lawmakers worked in Washington to hammer out the details of a $700 billion bailout plan. Wachovia executives, meanwhile, huddled in the Seagram Building offices of Sullivan & Cromwell on Park Avenue.

Robert K. Steel, a former top lieutenant of Henry M. Paulson Jr. at both Goldman Sachs and then the Treasury Department, who took over as Wachovia’s chief executive in July, arrived in New York to handle the negotiations in person, along with David M. Carroll, the bank’s chief deal maker. At 8:15 am. on Saturday, Citigroup and Wells Fargo took their first peek at Wachovia’s books.

Regulators pressed the parties to move quickly. Senior officials at the Federal Reserve in Washington, and its branches in New York, Richmond and San Francisco held weekend discussions with all the banks involved. Top officials at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Treasury were also in the loop.

Timothy F. Geithner, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, personally reached out to executives involved in the process to assess the situation and spur it along. Citigroup and Wells Fargo pressed regulators to seize Wachovia and let them buy its assets and deposits, as JPMorgan did with WaMu, or provide some sort of financial guarantee, as regulators did with JPMorgan’s acquisition of Bear Stearns, according to people briefed on and involved with the process.

Both Citigroup and Wells Fargo were deeply concerned about absorbing Wachovia’s giant loan portfolio, which is littered with bad mortgages, these people said. Bankers had little time to assess the risk.

Citigroup executives considered Wachovia a make-or-break deal for their consumer banking ambitions. With Wachovia, Citigroup would gain one of the pre-eminent retail bank operations after struggling to build one for years. It would also give Citigroup access to more stable customer deposits, allowing it to rely less heavily on outside investors for funds. If it failed to clinch a deal, Citigroup’s domestic retail operations would be far behind Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase. Mr. Pandit, the Citigroup’s chief executive, was personally overseeing the talks

Now, the challenge for Mr. Pandit will be making the deal work. Citigroup said on Monday it expected the deal to add to earnings in the first year, excluding a $3.7 billion restructuring charge. It also expects to reap about $3 billion in annual cost savings, though it did not disclose possible layoffs. If Citigroup can pull it off, it would be a symbolic victory of sorts. For Citigroup, the deal is the largest acquisition since the merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group forged the company a decade ago.

Although Citigroup has racked up nearly $50 billion in losses since the crisis began last summer and has watched the value of its shares sharply decline, the bank was also among the first to raise large amounts of capital. Mr. Pandit may point to the Wachovia deal as a sign of progress and an indication that the worst for the bank is behind it.

The deal will also be seen as a stamp of approval from regulators. Only a few years ago, the Federal Reserve took the unusual step of banning Citigroup from making "significant acquisitions." Gaining their approval to do a big deal on such short notice will probably be viewed as a big vote of confidence in Mr. Pandit’s management team.

Traffic Advisory

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:16:00 +0000

TRAFFIC ADVISORY

NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES STREET CLOSURES AND EXPECTED TRAFFIC DELAYS RELATING TO THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The New York City Police Department today announced street closures and anticipated traffic delays relating to the United Nations General Assembly. The United Nations is located at 1st Avenue and 42nd Street. The use of public transportation for the duration of the General Assembly is highly encouraged.

For the first week of the United Nations General Assembly, the following streets will be completely closed to traffic beginning Saturday, September 20th at 7 a.m. until 11: 59 p.m. Thursday, September 25th:

· 49th Street from Lexington Avenue to Park Avenue
· 50th Street from Lexington Avenue to Park Avenue
Please note: Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access:
* Park Avenue from 48th Street to 52nd Street
· Lexington Avenue 48th Street to 52nd Street

Traffic Advisory - The UN Summit

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:44:00 +0000

Traffic Advisory

New York City Police Department Announces Street Closures and Expected Traffic Delays Relating to the United Nations General Assembly

The New York City Police Department today announced street closures and anticipated traffic delays relating to the United Nations General Assembly. The United Nations is located at 1st Avenue and 42nd Street. The use of public transportation for the duration of the General Assembly is highly encouraged.

For the first week of the United Nations General Assembly, the following streets will be completely closed to traffic beginning Saturday, September 20th at 7 a.m. until 11: 59 p.m. Thursday, September 25th:

· 49th Street from Lexington Avenue to Park Avenue

· 50th Street from Lexington Avenue to Park Avenue

Please note: Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access:

• Park Avenue from 48th Street to 52nd Street

· Lexington Avenue 48th Street to 52nd Street

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST

The following streets will be completely closed to traffic beginning at 7 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. Monday, September 29th:

· 45th Street from Lexington Avenue to Madison Avenue

· 46th Street from Madison Avenue to Park Avenue

· Vanderbilt from East 44th Street to East 46th Street

Please note: Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access:

· Madison Avenue from 44th Street to 46th Street

Additional closures to vehicular traffic for Sunday, beginning at approximately 7 p.m. are:

• 1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street. The tunnel underpass from 41st Street to 48 Street will remain open passenger cars. Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access.

• 44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

• 45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

• 46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd, 2008

The following streets in the vicinity of the United Nations will continued to be closed to vehicular traffic:

• 1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street. The tunnel underpass from 41st Street to 48 Street will remain open passenger cars. Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access.

• 44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

• 45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

• 46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

• 49th Street from 3rd Avenue to Lexington Avenue

On Monday the FDR DRIVE will be subject to intermittent closures:

• Southbound at 63rd Street

• Northbound at South Ferry

The following streets will be completely closed to traffic beginning at 7 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. Saturday, September 27th:

• 50th Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

• 51st Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

Please note: Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access:

· Madison Avenue from 44th Street to 46th Street

Additional closures to vehicular traffic for Monday, beginning at approximately 2 p.m. are:

• 50th Street from Park Avenue to 1st Avenue

• 1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 50th Street

The following streets will have one traffic lane dedicated to emergency vehicles for the duration of the General Assembly:

· 42nd Street from 1st Avenue to 5h Avenue

· 57th Street from 2nd Avenue to 5h Avenue

· 2nd Avenue from 42nd Street to 57th Street

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd, 2008

The following streets in the vicinity of the United Nations will continued to be closed to vehicular traffic:

• 1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street. The tunnel underpass from 41st Street to 48 Street will remain open passenger cars but will be subject to intermittent closures. Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access.

• 44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

• 45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

• 46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

• 49th Street from 3rd Avenue to Lexington Avenue

On Tuesday the FDR DRIVE will remain open, but at various times throughout the morning and early evening the FDR DRIVE will be subject to single vehicle traffic lane at:

• Southbound at 53rd Street

• Northbound at 34th Street

The following will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning at approximately 5:00 a.m.:

• 42nd Street from the FDR Drive to 2nd Avenue

• 42nd Street Exit and Entrance Ramps of the FDR Drive

Please note: These areas will reopen each evening after the day’s session

Additional intermittent closures to vehicular traffic for Tuesday beginning at 7 a.m. include:

• 50th Street from Park Avenue to 1st Avenue

• 1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 50th Street

· Lexington Avenue from 48th Street to 57th Street (morning)

· Park Avenue from 48th Street to 52nd Street (evening)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th, 2008

The following streets in the vicinity of the United Nations will continued to be closed to vehicular traffic:

• 1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street. The tunnel underpass from 41st Street to 48 Street will remain open passenger cars. Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access.

• 44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

• 45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

• 46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

• 49th Street from 3rd Avenue to Lexington Avenue

On Wednesday the FDR DRIVE will subject to intermittent closures:

• Southbound at 63rd Street

• Northbound at South Ferry

The following will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning at approximately 5:00 a.m.:

• 42nd Street from the FDR Drive to 2nd Avenue

• The 42nd Street Exit and Entrance Ramps of the FDR Drive

• These areas will reopen each evening after the day’s session

Additional intermittent closures to vehicular traffic for Wednesday beginning at 7 a.m. include:

Park Avenue from 50th Street to 68th Street
For the duration of the General Assembly, drivers should expect closures in different areas of the city related to security and increased motorcade traffic. Traffic in the vicinity of hotels and the U.N. will be especially heavy. This information may be subject to change.

IBC News: MTA bigs still have 20% of recalled MetroCards and E-Z Passes

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:18:00 +0000

Former MTA honchos kept one in five lifetime passes that the agency recalled after a Daily News exposé - and their electronic freebies will be switched off within days.

Ex-Metropolitan Transit Authority big shots still have three free E-Z Passes, 10 MetroCards and at least 16 suburban rail passes more than two months after they were told to hand in a total of 143 perks, officials said.

"Our former board members have been very cooperative, and we expect to have all of the passes returned shortly," MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin said.

Soffin refused to name those who failed to return the passes and said some of them may not know about the recall because of summer vacations.

He noted that nearly 80% of the passes were returned.

The agency plans to pull the plug on the E-Z Passes and MetroCards by the end of the week, meaning some of the ex-bosses may find themselves stuck at bridge toll gates or subway turnstiles, officials said.

The passes for Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road are paper and cannot be electronically deactivated.

For decades, the MTA doled out the lifetime perks to board members and some of their spouses, which the MTA called a token of appreciation for unsalaried service.

A firestorm about the perks erupted in May when The News reported on the distribution of free E-Z Pass tags to nearly 60 past and present board members.

Former MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow, a multimillionaire with an extensive classic car collection, had been granted eight E-ZPass tags.

After The News report, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo told the MTA that the passes were illegal compensation because board members are supposed to serve for free.

The MTA disagreed but ultimately decided not to fight it out in court, calling the freebies a distraction from more pressing problems, like major gaps in its operating and capital budgets.

In a June letter, the MTA ordered dozens of pass holders, including ex-board members and their spouses and spouses of sitting board members, to return the freebies.

Former board member Warren Dolny on Friday reluctantly mailed his E-ZPass tag and MetroCard to the MTA.

"I'm disappointed," Dolny said, adding that he plans to file a lawsuit and wouldn't comment further on the advice of his lawyer. He previously said he worked hard for no pay, adding that at age 79 he was still working to pay the bills.

The MTA can't do much about the commuter rail passes because those passes are shown to conductors, not swiped or scanned like MetroCards and E-ZPass tags.

Current board members were allowed to keep their passes, but they are supposed to use them only on official MTA business.

Soul singer Isaac Hayes, 65, is dead

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:30:00 +0000

Isaac Hayes, whose towering persona and musical brilliance on groundbreaking records like "Shaft" helped shape both the style and sound of his era, died Sunday in Memphis at age 65.

Steve Shular, a spokesman for the Memphis sheriff's office, said Hayes' wife found him unconscious at his home, near a treadmill that was still running. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Hayes suffered a stroke last year that had left him with residual speech impairment. A devout Scientologist, he followed a health regimen that included a 30-day fast every 12 months.

Although Hayes was a singer, composer, musician, arranger and radio host, he was best known for his 1970s concert-stage role as "Black Moses," a hugely powerful man with a glistening bald head rising in massive chains he seemed capable of snapping like twigs.

He reached the peak of his popularity in the early 1970s after winning an Academy Award and a Grammy for his score to Gordon Parks' movie "Shaft."

"People don't appreciate what an achievement that was," said friend and fellow artist James Mtume on Sunday. "It wasn't just a breakthrough for a black musician. It broke composing for all films into the modern era."

"He was more than an artist, he was a trailblazer," said the Rev. Al Sharpton. "He was an innovator, a creative genius."

Bobby Jay, the former WCBS-FM host who met Hayes at WDIA in Memphis in 1970, noted that Hayes was a central creative force for Memphis' legendary Stax label, where he and David Porter wrote songs like Sam and Dave's "Soul Man."

Hayes remained active in the music business throughout his life. From 1996 to 2001, he was a high-rated morning host at WRKS (98.7 FM) in New York.

"He was a good brother," said Bob Slade, his newsman at WRKS. "Just a real good guy."

In more recent years, he was the deep voice of the dashing Chef on the TV series "South Park." He left after the show mocked Scientology.

Mtume said Hayes "opened up music," helping clear the path to Barry White and rap. Jay recalled how Hayes' 1969 "Hot Buttered Soul" was "one of the first concept albums."

Hayes said in 1996 that while he was ambivalent for a time about the "Black Moses" image, he came to see that it represented "a black man rising in chains, as we were for so many years, and breaking free."

Born in a tin shack in Covington, Tenn., Hayes was raised by his grandparents. His family moved to Memphis in 1948, and he decided to go into the music business after winning a ninth-grade talent contest with Nat King Cole's "Looking Back."

Largely self-taught, he worked his way up to Stax in 1964. His honors over the years included induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

"Where are you going to find someone to replace Isaac Hayes, as a musician, writer, composer?" asked Jay. "Someday, someone will, but I don't know if it will be in our lifetimes."

Survivors include his wife, Adjowa, and their 2-year-old son Nana. He had three older sons.

Picture Of The Week

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:06:00 +0000

A large rock slide lies across the highway between Vancouver and the ski resort of Whistler in Porteau Cove, British Columbia, July 30, 2008. A small tour bus narrowly missed being crushed in a massive landslide in Western Canada that buried a highway that is scheduled to play a key role in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Tech Tuesday: BlackBerry Curve

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:07:00 +0000

The feature that differentiates this from other Blackberries is UMA - unlicensed mobile access. In contrast to the AT&T Blackberry 8820, this T-mobile 8320 allows one to SPEAK over wifi. The 8820 can only use wifi for data.

It roams seamlessly between wifi networks and EDGE/GSM networks without dropping the call. I started a call from a Starbucks wifi network and walked out of its range. The phone switched over to the GSM network without dropping the call - no problem. I then walked into my office where there is wifi, and the phone switched over to wifi.

BUY BLACKBERRY CURVEHere.

Hand injury to keep Shia LaBeouf off 'Transformers' sequel for month

noreply@blogger.com (Fausto Polanco) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:13:00 +0000

LOS ANGELES - "Transformers" star Shia LaBeouf will need a month off to recuperate after getting hurt in a car accident that got him busted on drunk driving charges.

His reps say he'll that much time to heal the mangled mitt he received when his truck smashed into another vehicle and rolled across a West Hollywood intersection around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

"Shia is currently recovering from extensive hand surgery with plans to return to work on the set of Transformers 2 within one month," a statement from LaBeouf's publicist and lawyers said.

The "Transfomers" sequel was scheduled to resume filming Monday in Los Angeles with the notoriously hard-driving director Michael Bay at the helm.

Sheriff's officials said LaBeouf showed "outward sings of intoxication" after he turned left at the intersection of La Brea Ave. and Fountain Ave. and hit another vehicle with his giant Ford pickup.

Originally facing felony charges, LaBeouf was booked for misdemeanor DUI after Sheriff's deputies followed him to the hospital and determined the injuries to his unidentified female passenger and the driver of the other vehicle were minor.

LaBeouf, who also appeared in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," has had minor scrapes with the law before.

The onetime star of Disney's "Even Stevens" TV show, LaBeouf was arrested Nov. 4 in Chicago after a guard in a Walgreens drugstore said the actor was drunk and refused to leave. The case was dismissed.

He was cited for unlawful smoking in Burbank last February and temporarily was the subject of a bench warrant when he failed to make a court appearance.

Last month he was busted for illegal smoking in the bathroom of the Smithsonian National Air and Space in Washington D.C. during filming for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."