Third Term Meltdown Watch: Standardized Test Cheats

That miraculous test score jump on which Bloomberg pinned his legacy? Airtight:

Annual allegations of test-tampering and grade-changing by educators have more than tripled since Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg took control of New York City’s school system, outpacing a broader increase in complaints of adult misconduct in schools during the same period, according to the special commissioner of investigation.

Truer Words Never Spoken

“‘Once you throw up, it’s over.'”

What’s That Again About New York Being A Great Sports Town?

Then again, The Situation has had a better year than four-fifths of the Yankees’ starting rotation:

Despite a red-hot battle with the Red Sox for first place and the playoffs looming, viewers in the New York City TV market overwhelmingly prefer fist-pumping to foul balls, according to Nielsen ratings.

A look at the latest available local ratings found that from Aug. 8 to Aug. 11, Yankees baseball averaged 506,000 viewers with two games on YES and one on WWOR/Ch. 9 against the Angels.

The same week, Snooki & Co. snared about 848,000 viewers for MTV.

Just Try Not To Pay Attention To The Petrol Notes In The Riesling

Perhaps you found yourself drinking more in the days and months after 9/11. Then we have a wine for you:

Lieb Family Cellars of Mattituck, L.I., says it will donate up to 10% of each sale of the 9/11 Memorial Commemorative Merlot and 9/11 Memorial Commemorative Chardonnay to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

. . .

“What’s next? A 9/11 pastrami sandwich?” asked Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Queens).

. . .

Retailers will pocket $6 from each bottle sold — at the tasteless price of $19.11.

New York City’s Red State Problem

Staten Island, known for its brisk prescription painkiller business, seems to be the place in the city to procure hillbilly heroin:

Prescription pills were illegally sold for $20 a pop alongside bagels and beer at a Staten Island deli, officials charge as part of a sting that led to 25 arrests.

. . .

Nel Boy Bagels on Amboy Road in Great Kills was targeted as part of an investigation begun last fall dubbed Operation Bitter Pill, officials announced on Saturday.

. . .

Undercover detectives bought 2500 Oxycodone pills, 368 Percocet pills and 245 Xanax pills as part of the sting, along with 300 grams of cocaine and two assault weapons, a Tec-9 and a 9mm gun, officials say.