Priest and rabbi: Giants need an act of God (courtesy of New York Post)

THE ODDS COUPLE: Father Peter Colapietro (left) and Rabbi Dovid Cohen pray for a Big Blue win. The two Manhattan holy men believe prayer can help lead this team to the promised land. ("Football 'pray'-offs" was their other corny tag) By BRAD HAMILTON Last Updated: 7:05 AM, December 30, 2012 Posted: 12:22 AM, December 30, 2012 Keep the faith, Giants fans. With the team needing a win today and help from above to make the playoffs, Father Peter Colapietro and Rabbi Dovid Cohen are praying for a holiday miracle: Another postseason for Big Blue. “That’s why we’ve got Saint Jude,” said Father Pete, referring to the patron saint of lost causes. “It’s for this specific situation. Hey, it worked for Mickey Rourke,” he said, noting the deeply depressed actor prayed to Saint Jude in 1995 before resurrecting his career. Cohen was similarly confident in a higher authority. “In the Talmud, it’s forbidden to give up hope. Even when they have a sword on your neck, God can still save you.” “When things are dire, one speaks to God in his own words,” said Cohen, who, as rabbi at Young Israel of the West Side on West 91st Street, serves a congregation packed with fans of the defending Super Bowl champs. “If you’re a Giants fan, I can imagine saying something like: ‘Please, God, let the Giants make the playoffs. I will be so thankful.’ ” Or you could strike a deal with the Almighty. “Some people will make an offer, like a promise to attend services more often, if their team wins,” Cohen said. Father Pete, pastor at the Holy Cross Church in Times Square, knows the gridiron like he knows the scriptures. He’s attended 17 Super Bowls, two of them won by the G-men. His game-day ritual? “Simple sign of the cross,” he said. But he acknowledges that this team — which lately has stunk to high heaven — could use divine intervention. “It’s not only a win” they need, the priest noted. “It’s three other things.” At 8-7, the Giants can only make the playoffs if they beat the Eagles today at home (1 p.m. kickoff, Ch. 5) — and if Dallas, Chicago and Minnesota all lose. If all those stars do not align, they’ll miss the chance for the team’s first back-to-back Super Bowl titles — and to move into a tie with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys for second-most Vince Lombardi trophies. “Now is the time to pray,” said Cohen.

Additional reporting by Gary Buiso and Cynthia Fagen

Not a good day to be homeless on the streets of NYC...

Only 26F (-3C) today and at lunch time there was an hour of this wet snow/ice, which set in more steadily later in the afternoon. Xavi will be very disappointed he missed it, although not much accumulation except on surfaces like car windshields.

I'd be moving to Florida this time of year if I was her (yes, her. Very sad. Same problem with community-based mental illness here as in Sydney {Tale of 2 cities, chapter 3} and in fact according to the NY Post, one thrid of the 33,000 homeless on the streets of NYC have a mental illness and many are capable of acts of violence, including the crazy schizophrenic woman who pushed an innocent Indian man under a subway train in Queens last week as an act of "revenge" for 9/11)

Xavi not having any trouble adapting to driving on the wrong side of the road

Tale of Two Cities version 1.2: the white whale & the brown berry

in NYC this hour its 0 deg C, -6C in the wind, with a wintry mix of rain, ice and snow. They chose the right time to leave. Glad they arrived safely.

Christmas Day 2012

Cold and clear here this morning, 36F (2C) and 31 (-1C) in the wind, after 3.5 mm of "wintry mix" including some wet snow overnight but no accumulation. Good weather for flying, which M&X are doing this afternoon.

Christmas Eve in NYC

Hi! We believe it's hot and Christmassy in Sydney. Very cold here but no snow, although there is a storm tracking up the Appalachians that could bring some wet snow on Tuesday. Here we are this morning on the East River ferry coming back from a coffeee and egg and bacon roll at Toby's Estate in Williamsburg. It was 3 deg C, and -1 in the wind. Then this afternoon we went to the Lord & Taylor flagship store near Bryant Park for their Christmas window display, replete with fake snow. Xavi was fooled.

Look who's getting all spruced up for his trip to Australia!