SNL: Governor Paterson weighs his options on the future.

SNL: New Car Horns

SNL: We Are The World Cold Open

SNL's Telemundo Winter Olympics Coverage - LOL

Winter Wonderland In Dobbs Ferry - Part 2: Here come the Snow Plows!

ok, I've finished cleaning my walkway and guess who has just started cleaning Cedar & Main Streets - wait for it, wait for it - you guessed it The Town!

Winter Wonderland In Dobbs Ferry Today...

Well I must start out by saying that the road crews in this town once again didn't touch anything until close to 8am or even later.

Heck I had shoveled my own stairwell, curb and patio (where tree limb crashed onto last night) way before 9:37 and the sidewalks throughout Dobbs Ferry will still not touched. Try catching the train the way I did at 6:45am it was like walking through a tundra. The pathway to the trains was non-existant and you'd need a team of sled dogs to get you through it. Dobbs Ferry you truly dropped the ball on this storm and it was worse than the one earlier in the week.

By the time I returned home - yes, I took the Metro-North into the City and then caught a train right back home, the Metro North tracks and platform were still under a foot or more of SNOW! HELLO DOBBS FERRY is anyone there??? We could use some sidewalk cleaners stat!

But in the towns defense I must say that there are plenty of downed trees and people without power but again the roads have been bad and have only been getting worse since last night (Thursday) at around 4:30 pm onward. Sounds to me that they figured that it's just Friday so why clean the roads until the full storm is over and lets close the schools and let those who have to go to work fend for themselves.

I'd write to the Mayor but I don't think that would do any good. The last one said that he would take measures to insure that this never happened again and well it happened two more times with him in office so I can only imagine that it'll happen a few more times with this one.

So today I give my little ole' town of Dobbs Ferry, NY a great old Goose-Egg for their efforts in keeping the roads safe for it's residents.

Andrew Koenig's Body Found

The body of Growing Pains star Andrew Koenig was found in a Vancouver park Thursday, the victim of a suicide.

"My son took his own life," his father, Walter Koenig, said in an emotional news conference in the park.

The actor's body was found about 11:30 a.m. in a heavily wooded area just off a bridle path in 1,000-acre Stanley Park, a favorite place for Koenig to frequent during his visits to Vancouver.

The body was found by a private search team of his family and friends. His father was in the midst of searching when he received a cell phone call from other searchers who discovered the body.

"I went to the site," Walter Koenig said, adding that's when he discovered his son had committed suicide.

UFC's Chuck Liddell Workout Video Is a Reebok Ad

The Chuck Liddell workout video that has been burning up the Internet and even got on Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday night is an advertisement for Reebok.

50,000 Greek Workers Take to the Streets in Protest

This report just in from the Associated Press makes you wonder if we in the US should have done the same thing during the recent bail out crisis on Wall Street where we rescued banks that were deemed "to big to fail". The same banks that have done next to nothing to help Main Street and yet have reaped the benefit of having our hard earned tax dollars to prop them up while they - wait for it, wait for it - continue to spend foolishly and purchase other banks! I still can't understand how they managed that one AND for the most part made the deadline in paying back funds? To big to fail - really? I think not. However, as I've told people before had something like this happened in another country the people would have taken to the streets in protest and here I give you one such example. Perhaps America could learn something from the Greeks and get a spine!

Some 50,000 Greek workers took to the streets and a few protesters threw rocks and red paint in clashes with police during the widest strike yet against the government's austerity plan aimed at easing the country's debt crisis.

The unrest flared Wednesday amid a looming deadline for demonstrating tough cuts demanded by the European Union and fresh revelations over faulty Greek data reporting that triggered the financial turmoil.

Athens is battling to calm the crisis and European fears it could spread to other countries with troubled finances such as Portugal, Spain and Italy.

Strikes grounded flights, idled cargo ships and ferries, and left commuters in Athens without most public transportation. State-run schools, tax offices and municipalities all shut down and public hospitals limped by using emergency staff.

In the capital, some 50,000 people marched through central Athens to protest spending cuts already imposed. The march itself was peaceful, with clashes taking place after it ended, and comes after public opinion polls suggest many Greeks actually recognize the necessity of painful measures.

But Wednesday was the day for the unions to push back.

``We're all here for the same reason: the measures the government is taking. They have to listen to us,'' said musician Dimitris Petridis, who marched banging a snare drum with colleagues to a funereal rhythm.

``The rise in joblessness has really hurt us. The daily wage for working at a nightclub, for many of us, is the same as it was 20 years ago,'' he added.

As the march ended, riot police clashed and fired tear gas at scores of anarchist youths in the latest sign of unrest in recession-hit European countries. Groups of youths vandalized banks and storefronts, hurling rocks, red paint and plastic bottles near parliament. Three people were arrested.

Windows were also smashed at the Finance Ministry's General Accounting Office, which has been accused by the European Union of faking statistics for years to hide Greece's dire situation.

Greece is considering tougher austerity measures to ward off a financial crisis that has undermined the euro currency used by 16 European nations. Its troubles have raised fears that financial market contagion will spread to other weak eurozone economies such as Portugal, Spain and Italy.

The pressure on the Greek government to deliver on its promise to rein in the country's borrowing levels ratcheted up further Wednesday with the news that Standard & Poor's, one of the three leading credit ratings agencies, could downgrade its rating on the country within a month.

And the EU statistics agency, Eurostat, said Greek national debt figures would be revised upward after it received explanation from Greece on a currency-swap deal with Goldman Sachs in 2001.

The U.S. bank says the transactions reduced Greece's debt by a total of euro2.37 billion. Greece's total debt is estimated euro300 billion in 2009.

The EU has issued a vague promise to support Greece, which has some euro53 billion ($72 billion) in debt coming due this year, but Prime Minister George Papandreou's new Socialist government has pressed for more specific guarantees to shore up market confidence.

Greece has already imposed broad spending cuts but says it is under pressure from the EU to cut salaries in the civil service. Unions say cutting Greeks' so-called 14th salary — part of annual pay held back as a holiday bonus — for public workers would be taken as ``an act of war.''

``If all these measures are enforced, unemployment will skyrocket. Our country will enter a massive recession and unemployment will reach a Europe-wide record,'' union spokesman Stathis Anestis said. ``This will be tragic because it will provoke social (unrest) and clashes.''

Officials from the EU and International Monetary Fund are in Athens to inspect public finances, ahead of a March 16 deadline to show signs of fiscal improvement or face imposed additional austerity measures.

Greece has promised the EU it will reduce the bloated budget deficit from 12.7 percent of gross domestic product to 8.7 percent this year. The country's woes have caused the euro to sink against the dollar and hiked the country's borrowing costs.

Greek unemployment hit a five-year high of 10.6 percent in November 2009, up from 9.8 percent in October.

New Madonna App For Your iPhone

With a number of features, fans can stay up-to-date with nearly everything Madonna-related. There's a tab for news, her music videos, track downloads, photos and even what her fans are saying about her on the fan page.

True, the "It's Britney!" app does much of the same, but here’s the crucial difference: Spears’s app is selling for $1.99 while Madonna’s is completely free.

Snow Storms A Comin' How to Shovel Your Snow Without Throwing Your Back Out

Well it seems like we are in for another burst of snow this week. Below are some tips on how to shovel your snow without throwing your back out.

Shovelers should follow a few simple rules:

• Stay in shape. People who are in shape year-round have less to worry about when the flakes start falling.

• Work up to it. Warm up inside, and incorporate stretches (especially for the hamstrings) as well as core-strengthening exercises such as mini sit-ups, crunches, or working an exercise ball.

• Don't try to do it all at once. Shovel small amounts of snow at a time, especially if the snow is heavy and water-laden. "If you're not used to exercising or you've had a back problem in the past, the smart way of approaching this is to do a little bit at a time," says Dr. Khabie. Shovel for 5 or 10 minutes, then go back inside for 10 minutes to do more stretching.

• Practice proper technique. The AAOS advises pushing the snow-containing shovel instead of lifting it. But if you do have to lift, "do more of a knee squat, your back arched as if looking to the sky," Goitz advises. Don't bend from your waist. When disposing of the snow, keep the shovel close to your body and, again, squat with your legs, Goitz says. Walk over to where you're going to dump the snow, as opposed to leaning over and throwing it. By no means should you rotate or twist your body.
"That's the worst thing you can do for your back in general," says Burger. "That's how you herniate disks."

• Pick the right tools. Ergonomic shovels "tend to take the stress off the back," Khabie says. Adds Burger, "The bent handle gives you a better angle. You don't have to go down so far and you don't have to go all the way back up."

• Layer with warm clothing. Being underdressed will leave you vulnerable to a painful strain. "You don't want to go out there and really freeze because it will tighten up your muscles," Khabie says.

• Wear snow boots with good traction. "If your feet slip, it throws off your entire balance," Khabie says. "Find a good, sturdy snow boot that's made to be out in the snow."

Consider keeping a set of spikes in your car, Burger adds. "They take two minutes to put on -- versus six weeks off from work if you injure yourself."

The cardinal rule is to practice a bit of common sense. As with any exercise, if you're out of shape, have had back injuries in the past, or have a history of heart disease, check with your doctor before tackling that snowdrift. This is wise even if you don't have heart problems but have high blood pressure or diabetes, or are overweight -- all of which are risk factors for heart disease.

Is Toyota the new Pinto?

Rep. Edolphus Towns compares Toyota's woes to the problems that engulfed one Ford model in the 1970's.

Cylon Teddy Bear

I FRAKIN' want one!

Winter Wonderland pictures by Max Sitnikov

Below are some pictures taken by a friend of mine during the past snow storm. Max Sitnikov, with his camera and gear in hand went out and documented the blizzard showing the beauty of the snowfall.

You can see more of Max's work at this link Brighton 2 and an earlier film on this link SNL’s Lazy Sunday.

For more on Max Sitnikov, who is originally from Belarus, check the following link for the Sheephead Bites article; http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2010/02/local-photographer-captures-beauty-in-the-blizzard/#disqus_thread

For more info, check out his IMDB profile.

Old Spice Commercial "I'm a Man"

Ok this commercial is funny and cool! But will it make you want to wear old spice.
Not this man - wore it when I was younger and just couldn't get over the smell. LOL

What You Need to Know about the New Credit Card Rules

Wondering what you need to know about the new credit card rules?

Next week new credit card provisions from the 2009 Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (CARD) will take effect, making it easier for consumers to understand their credit card bills and how interest charges are determined.

"Good Morning America" financial contributor Mellody Hobson explained what you should know about the credit card changes.



Two of the Credit CARD Act changes are already in place.

Consumers now have 21 days to send their payments in instead of 14 and credit card companies must give consumers 45 days notice if their terms change, instead of 15 days.

Although Hobson notes that one important exception to the 45-day notification rule is if your credit card company decides to reduce your credit limit – the company can do that without any warning.

Should this happen, Hobson said to call the company and ask for it to be reversed. If the company refuses, then pay any remaining balance as soon as possible since lowering your credit limit could affect your credit score.

On Feb. 22 another change will take effect that should help consumers better understand their credit card terms and debt, Hobson said.

New Credit Card Rules

Beginning on Monday, credit card bills must make clear how long it will take the consumer to pay off the balance and how much interest the consumer will pay if he or she only pays the minimum amount every month.

For example, if a consumer has $5,000 in credit card debt with a 14 percent APR, the credit card company must disclose that it would take 10 years to pay off the balance plus nearly $2,000 in interest fees if the consumer only paid the minimum balance every month.

Fee and Interest Rate Changes
After the Credit CARD Act was passed in May 2009, credit card companies pre-emptively raised certain fees and interest rates in order to replace the $50 billion in revenues they expected to lose, Hobson said.

In fact since June 2009, the top 12 banks and credit unions have increased their rates by approximately 23 percent, Hobson explained.

While the Credit CARD Act does not put a cap on increased interest rates, credit card companies must give customers 45 days notice on any change and they are not allowed to raise the current interest rate on consumers' existing debt, Hobson said.

Also, consumers can no longer be charged an additional fee for paying over the phone, by an electronic transfer or by mail, Hobson said. An extra charge will only apply if the consumer uses live services to expedite a payment.

Although the Credit CARD Act now requires 45 days notification of account changes, Hobson said it is still the consumer's responsibility to monitor all of the terms of their credit card statement.

Web Only Tip: Universal Default

The practice of universal default is also banned for existing credit card balances, Hobson said. This is when a card user's interest rate is increased based upon payment records for unrelated accounts, such as utility bills.

Changes Affect College Students

The last thing a college student needs is more debt. A Sallie Mae study found that in 2008, college seniors with at least one credit card graduated with an average of $4,138 in credit card debt.

To protect young people from incurring debt the Credit CARD Act has made it more difficult for college students to get a credit card, Hobson said.

Credit card companies can no longer offer a card to someone under 21 without a co-signer or proof of proper income, Hobson explained. Nor can the company increase the limit on the card unless both the co-signer and the student agree. Offering inducements to sign up for cards - such as free t-shirts or beach towels – on or near a campus are also banned.

Hobson recommends that if your child does need a card, to add him or her as an authorized user on your own credit card.

Being an authorized user will help teach them to live within their means and also help them build up their credit history and could improve their credit score if you make on-time payments, Hobson said.

Just What Exactly is the Black Smoke Monster on Lost?

I've found myself wondering just that while watching Lost. At first watching and recalling the ancient symbolisms I thought "Could the Black Smoke Monster be the Angle of Death that was part of the last plagues upon Egypt during the Exodus?" You have to admit there are many biblical parallels here with the characters.

As Ben explored the chamber beneath the Others' temple that seems to be Smokey's lair, he comes across a variety of hieroglyphics etched into the walls. But one in particular caught his eye: A strange creature kneeling in front of a snake-like (Smokey-the-monster-like?) entity. The creature on the right looks like it could easily resemble the four-toed statue. Even though the only full-size glimpse we've had of the statue was from the back, many are speculating that the statue is of Anubis, the Egyptian god associated with the afterlife who protects the deceased and guides them to the great beyond. Anubis is usually portrayed as half-jackal (top), half-human (bottom).

Thinking on those grounds the animal-headed human in the hieroglyphic Ben is fixated on is probably based on Anubis, though in actuality, no Egyptian scene looks like what's shown on Lost. I suspect that the colossus is also meant to be Anubis, too. But it would appear to be actually more of a hybrid of Anubis and Taweret, the demon-wife of the Apep, the Egyptian's original god of evil. (It's said that Apep was only present at night, and therefore any evil happenings during the daytime were attributed to Taweret). The thing on the head definitely looks like Taweret's, but she never wears a kilt, which is clearly there in the back shot of the colossus. The colossus is probably holding two ankh-signs, like the one Anubis holds in this image, but he's holding them like Taweret holds the two signs she holds, which are 'protection' signs, not ankhs. We should also note that the four toes on the statue fragment are more Taweret than Anubis, who has a human body and therefore five toes.



Another interesting fact about Taweret: She's the goddess of maternity and childbirth, the protector of women and children who was said to guard mothers and their newborn children. The creatures she's made up of—hippopotamus, crocodile and lion— are all animals that would kill to protect their young. So if the statue does have elements of Taweret, and it was destroyed, could that explain why mothers who conceive on the island can't carry to term?

The other hieroglyphics in Smokey's Lair are actually quite good, even though they don't really say anything. I suspect they were copied from some publication of the Book of the Dead, the ancient Egyptian funerary text.

We could theorize until the cows come home about what this all means—is the smoke monster supposed to represent Apep, the god of evil, or is he more akin to Anubis, determining the afterlife of the dead? —but I'll leave that up to you.

"We are the world" - Remake - Should it have ever been redone?

A remake of Michael Jackson's 'We Are the World' to benefit Haiti has Jay-Z a little upset. And I have to admit that while I'm not as publicly outraged I do believe that to remake the song takes away something from the charm of the original. I think that we should stop remaking things and create some original new music that can in itself last through the years as the original "We Are The World" song has.

As for Jay - Z he says "I have a interesting take on that," he tells MTV News. "I know everybody is gonna take this wrong: 'We Are the World,' I love it, and I understand the point and think it's great. But I think 'We Are the World' is like [Michael Jackson's] 'Thriller' to me. I don't ever wanna see it touched."

"I'm a fan of music. I know the plight and everything that's going on in Haiti. I applaud the efforts: [Millions have been raised] through text [donations] to Haiti. So I appreciate the efforts and everything, but 'We are the World' is [musically] untouchable like 'Thriller' is untouchable. Some things are just untouchable. It was a valiant effort, but for me, it's gonna be untouchable," the rap mogul added.

What do you all think?

Can You Believe An 'Oceans 11'-Style Hit on Hamas Man?

Dubai Ruler's Media Office / AP
11 members of an alleged hit squad, seen above.

Cue up the Mission Impossible theme music - this one reads like a story ripped out of an episode of Mission Impossible. The assassination, as described by Tamim, could have been pulled from any number of great spy movies like James Bond, The Bourne Idenity, a John le Carré novel or a Jerry Weintraub movie.

Just as commonly seen in Mission Impossible, the hit men and women apparently used false European IDs to get into the country and disguised themselves with beards and wigs while stalking their target. Al-Mabhouh, the founder of Hamas' military wing, was then ambushed and slain by team members who had sneaked into his hotel room.

Dubai's attorney general today issued an international arrest warrant against the alleged 11-strong hit squad that tailed and killed a top Hamas official in his hotel room on Jan. 20.

R.I.P. Doug Fieger

Doug Fieger, lead singer of rock group the Knack, died at 57 after a battle with cancer, his brother Geoffrey confirmed today.

“My Sharona,” spent six weeks at No. 1 in 1979. The hit single was perhaps best immortalized (or at least revitalized) via a hilarious impromptu gas station dance party in 1994’s Reality Bites.

Two Friends singing with the help of T-Pain's Auto-tune

I'm N Luv Wit A Stripper...

Ok so what do you think? I know them both and I can tell you know - they'd take the stripper for $2000 Alex! LOL

From the Set of Desperate Housewives

Desperate Housewives Set Pictures