Manhattan Monday

– The nine day old Broadway strike will continue though the Thanksgiving weekend as negotiations were broken off again on Saturday. No new talks are scheduled. Analysts are now describing the strike as a “disaster” for holiday tourism. Unrelated: the vanity plate on this car parked in front of my building.

– The feds have approved $1.3B for the construction of the Second Avenue subway line, which has been started and stopped several times since 1929. The first leg of the line should be ready for riders in about 600 years.

– NY 1 anchor Gary Ramsay was canned this week after he made a crank call to one of the station’s live shows to rail against one-time Giuliani protege Bernard Kerik. Ramsay worked at the station for the last 15 years. “Journalistic suicide”, indeed.

– Angering activists, openly gay City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is “adamantly opposing” a bill that would expand HIV outreach and services for the poor and homeless in New York City. Quinn says she is concerned about the program’s costs and about setting precedent for offering assistance to those with HIV but not for those with other diseases. Quinn is expected to run for mayor when Bloomberg leaves office. I’m liking her less and less.

– Kept off the air by the writers strike, the cast of Saturday Night Live performed the show at the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy theater in Chelsea. Hosted by Michael Cera, the show was described as much racier than broadcast rules would have allowed.

– Inspired by the story of the Brooklyn hipster who found the “girl of his dreams” after seeing her on the subway and creating a website about her, a stockbroker has created SawYouOnTheTrain.com, where Gothamites can post their photos and descriptions of fellow riders upon whom they’d like to make creepy advances. Hey, it beats having them sit next to you.
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