March 7, 1999

A PRIME EXAMPLE OF A HIGH-TECH BARGAIN

Of the 22 analysts who follow Nextel, 16 have "buy" recommendations, including two who characterize it as a "strong buy." YOU can't call them the high-flying technology stocks any longer....

A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM ; 'NET BROKERAGES TO BRING AFTER-HOURS TRADING TO THE MASSES

Brace yourself for live after-hours trading over the Internet. Even as online brokers grapple with the problem of keeping their computer systems working during regular stock-trading hours, they're now venturing...

LACK OF IMPULSE POWER HOBBLES E-COMMERCE

IMPULSE buys. It most often happens at the grocery store, when I go to buy milk and end up buying Pepperidge Farm Mint Milanos. Many companies, such as the makers...

GOURMET'S STAFF CAN'T STOMACH RUTH

LOOKS like former New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl may not have to take out the long knives when she comes aboard as editor-in-chief of Gourmet on May 1....

THERE'S NOT A SOUL IN HOLLYWOOD

Hollywood is a town without pity. Consider the recent run of soulless cinema: 'Cruel Intentions,'' '8mm,'' and 'Jawbreaker.'' As a porn peddler tells Nicolas Cage's detective in '8mm,'' 'There are...

DON'T OVERLOOK UNDERGROUND

THIS isn't your father's film fest. No, it's the sixth-annual New York Underground Film Festival, a mix of nine features, seven full-length documentaries and more than 100 shorts from the...

TABLE HOPPER

ABSTRACT- AUREOLE 34 E.61 ST. 212-319-1660

MEALS & DEALS

ABSRACT- CAFE MARAUX 175 AVENUE B 212-260-7960

HAPPY TOGETHER BUT NOT WEDDED

ABSTRACT- WHEN PAUL JACKS, A MANAGER FOR A FANCY FRENCH RESTAURANT IN HARFING TOWNSHIP, N.J., MOVED IN WITH HIS GIRLSFRIEND IN 1997 THEY THREW A "COMMITMENT" PARTY TO LET FRIENDS...

LAWYER PUTS TRAGIC CASE ; ON WEB TO HELP OTHERS

A Manhattan law firm is offering detailed advice on the Web on how to battle HMOs in memory of a client whose victory in a long-running court battle for a...

HE SHOOTS A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF CITY

There's never a dull moment in New York - and veteran photographer Ralph Ginzburg has proven it once and for all by chronicling the Big Apple in pictures taken every...

PHONES HAVE AN EAR-Y FUTURE

Get ready for a time when household appliances talk to each other and telephone calls are received inside your head, say telecommunications experts. In the coming millennium, a single wire...

BOSNIA INTRIGUE PLAYED OUT HERE, AMBASSADOR SAYS

On the day that U.S.-sponsored peace talks on Kosovo recessed in Rambouillet, France, Bosnia's U.N. ambassador had an urgent message to send his superiors in Sarejevo. Despite official pronouncements from...

APPLE KNOWN FOR THE SPIES OF LIFE ; TOWN AWASH IN SECRET AGENTS THANKS TO U.N.

"The U.N. is a nest of spies, and New York is ... the hotbed of espionage."JOHN GIBBONS, ECONOMIC ESPIONAGE SPECIALIST Gritty intrigues are played out daily in the U.N. delegates...

WHY RUDY'S FEELING LONELYAMIDST THE DIALLO TRAGEDY

AS Ed Koch told the story, Jesse Jackson had come to pay his condolences to Moses Stewart, the father of Yusuf Hawkins, who 10 years ago had just been murdered...

U.S. BELIEVES BIN LADEN IS HIDING IN CIA-BUILT CAVES

The caves "are very deep . . . and were built to withstand carpet bombing."DIRECTOR OF HOUSETASK FORCE ON TERRORISM Saudi millionaire terrorist Osama bin Laden is believed to be...

HOW TO FIGHT; AND WIN THE HMO WAR; DON'T MISS OBVIOUS PLAN OF ATTACK: PROTEST LETTER

It pays to fight your HMO. When New Yorkers appeal managed-care decisions, they win a surprising 50 percent of the time, state Insurance Department records reveal. "You can only benefit...

COPS MAY DEAL ON SEIZED WHEELS

All may not be lost for drunken drivers whose cars are seized by police. Although the police are still hammering out their new "zero tolerance" DWI initiative, a look at...

SHUTTERBUG SUES FOR RETURN OF MONROE PIX

Photos of Marilyn Monroe wearing a Jackie Kennedy-style wig are worth a whole lot more than just a thousand words, a new suit claims. Renowned photographer Bert Stern is suing...

ST0RES LAX 0N TAX FACTS - & C0ST US ; CHARGING SALES LEVY ON WRONG PRODUCTS

CITY TAX STATS New York City residents are taxed on some services that are tax-free everywhere else in the state. A city sales tax of 4 percent is charged on...

CENTS-IBLE BUYERS STEAMED ABOUT OVERCHARGES

Steven Picca loves shopping and hates being ripped off. The retired printer's blood boiled when he noticed a Grand Union supermarket had charged him sales tax on the full price...

DEMS FEAR VOTERS THINK HE'S AL SNORE

There's something about Vice President Al Gore that has lots of Democrats nervous. Poll after poll shows him getting whomped by the Republican front-runner, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, who...

NYPD TO PONY UP $10M FOR MINORITY ADS

The Police Department plans to mount a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign to attract more African-Americans and other minority recruits, The Post has learned. Top police brass recently met with several of...

ANTI-BIBI STORIES HAVE CLINTON STAMP

JERUSALEM.THE Clinton administration is trying to weaken Benjamin Netanyahu's chances of being reelected prime minister by portraying him as damaging the special U.S-Israeli relationship. A top Netanyahu aide said one...

PUBLIC TIRED OF INTERN-ALIZING: POLL

Monica Mania is a big turnoff for many Americans, a new poll shows. The Sexgate siren's publicity blitz boosted her image among just 8 percent of those polled by Newsweek...

KOSOVO REBELS WILL SIGN DEAL: U.S.

WASHINGTON - President Clinton was assured yesterday that Kosovo's ethnic-Albanian rebels would sign a peace deal today, putting the pressure on the Serbs to go along. "He's very much aware...

MOM SKIPS SLAIN TEEN'S BURIAL

Mourners filled the pews of a Brooklyn church yesterday to bid farewell to Minerliz Soriano, the 13-year-old girl who was savagely strangled and tossed in a Bronx Dumpster. ''I'm in...

PAROLEE: LET ME BACK IN CLASSROOM

A paroled felon fired as a Queens schoolteacher after being busted for public urination claims he's innocent and wants his job back. "This is a guy who loves his job,"...

COLOMBIA SLAYS ENDED INSPIRATIONAL LIVES

Ingrid Washinawatok, one of the Americans found slain in the Andes, lived in Bay Ridge but dreamed of returning to the Native American reservation in Wisconsin where she grew up,...

B'KLYN MAN IS LATEST SUBWAY ATTACK VICTIM

A 29-year-old Brooklyn man was viciously slashed across his face and head early yesterday in a Harlem subway attack apparently carried out by members of the infamous Bloods gang, police...

MAYOR WAITS FOR CREW TO SAY IF HE'LL QUIT IN A FIT

Amid mixed signals from Rudy Crew's press office on the issue of school vouchers, Mayor Giuliani wants to know the chancellor's real position - straight from the horse's mouth. Last...

WIDOW, 85, OUTWITS CON TO SAVE HOME

An 85-year-old Brooklyn woman with only a first-grade education foiled the plan of a suspected career con woman who tried to bilk her out of her home. Grace Johnson, a...

CAN ONE HOT DATE LEAD TO A Y2K ; BABY? IT'S CONCEIVABLE

Babies conceived that day will have an expected birthdate of Jan. 1, 2000. Although experts say it's impossible without technological intervention to perfectly plan the day a child will be...

BRADLEY TAKES BEST SHOT WITH ALUMS

Ex-Knick Bill Bradley's speech about the fulfilling the promise of America was a slam dunk with law-school graduates and Geraldine Ferraro yesterday. Applause and cheers echoed through the Grand Ballroom...

STEPHANOPOULOS: W'WATER MADE HILLARY CRY

WASHINGTON - George Stephanopoulos says Hillary Clinton broke down and wept, "Nobody is fighting for me," when he told her a special prosecutor was needed to investigate the Whitewater scandal....

'JUNI0R' TAXES PR0BERS; 'METICULOUS' $$ RECORDS HIDE LAUNDERING: FEDS

Reputed mob heir John A. "Junior" Gotti certainly isn't following in his father's footsteps when it comes to reporting income to Uncle Sam. Young Gotti, who faces trial next month...

TEEN KILLS PAL IN GUN STRUGGLE: COPS

A Brooklyn teenager was fatally shot while struggling with a friend over a handgun on an East New York street yesterday afternoon, police said. Cops said Kareem Harper, 14, was...

COUNTRY STAR JONES IS NEAR DEATH AFTER CRASH

Country legend George Jones was fighting for his life last night after he smashed his car into a bridge while talking on a cell phone to his stepdaughter. The 67-year-old...

FASHION KING VERSACE HAD AIDS VIRUS: BOOK

A magazine writer is sticking by her story that Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace covered up a troubling secret - he had the AIDS virus. Versace buttoned his lips about...

BRIT DUO DITCHES BALLOON ATTEMPT

Two British balloonists were rescued today after ditching their balloon off the coast of Japan because of bad weather. Andy Elson and Colin Prescot were rescued by Japanese military forces...

RUDY IS MANE ATTRACTION AT MEDIA ROAST

Call him King of the Hill - as in Capitol Hill. Mayor Giuliani, roasted as a lame duck by the city's scribes last night, nevertheless brought the house down when...

DEVILS WANT HOME OF THEIR OWN ; MCMULLEN CALLS ARENA KEY TO SURVIVAL

BOSTON - Writing with a sense of desperation without a no-trade contract as the trade deadline approaches: He has kept remarkably quiet the last couple of seasons while increasingly surrounded...

PLEASE!! NO MORE CABLE TV PROBLEMS

DEAR Readers: I don't know how to put this in a nice way, so I'll just cut to the chase: Leave me alone. Go away. I don't want to hear...

MIKE & MAD DOG GONNA KEEP YELPING ON FAN

CHRIS RUSSOMIKE FRANCESA WFAN's Mike and The Mad Dog Show, 10 years old this September, appears headed for another four years, at least. According to WFAN sources, Chris Russo has...

THE DEC IS SEEKING HUNTER INPUT

THE NEW York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced plans Thursday for directly involving sportsmen in setting duck hunting seasons for the coming year. "In past years, we have heard...

RICKEY GOOD TO MET KIDS ; REMEMBERS HOW REGGIE SNUBBED HIM

PORT ST. LUCIE - For many of the Mets' players and coaches, the fans who come to watch spring training and even some of the hardened media members, watching Rickey...

KEEP ON TRUCKIN', BLAZERS ; UPSTARTS FROM NORTHWEST JUST MAY BE BEST

PORTLAND - Have I told you lately how much I love the Blazers? Well, being they're in excellent standing(s), owning the second-best record (12-3) in the NBA, and having already...

BRAVES STILL CLASS OF EAST ; PITCHING, 'D' KEEP ATLANTA AHEAD OF METS

"We're going to lose 45, 50 homers and 130 ribbies, but by playing Otis [Nixon] in left we have more speed and better outfield defense."BOBBY COX KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Looking...

STOP THE MADNESS: PAY THE ATHLETES ; MONEY AT ROOT OF NCAA EVIL

E VERY year, it is the same story. March comes in like a lion and goes out with a scam. The scam is what some boneheads call "the greatest event...

JARVIS AND JOHNNIES BELIEVE IN EACH OTHER

THE St. John's Red Storm had champagne hopes and caviar dreams on the day they officially met Mike Jarvis for the first time in his office at Alumni Hall. Ron...

DEVILS STAY TOO PLACID WHEN GOING GETS TOUGH

Too many chiefs, not enough leaders: That is part of the Devils' trouble. They have plenty of problems, this team that still leads the Atlantic Division despite being only 13-12-4...

DARE TO BE GREAT ; RED STORM CAN LEARN FROM UCONN SUCCESS

The Big East Conference Tournament championship game last night at the Garden was a matchup of experience versus exuberance. On one bench sat the UConn Huskies, the No. 1 seed,...

RED SOX TURN INTO PALE HOSE UNDER THE DUKE

TAMPA - Roger Clemens was in Haines City, wearing Yankee grays, making the middle of nowhere seem like someplace. Mo Vaughn was wearing an Angels uniform, his batting practice shots...

IT'S TIME TO CASH IN ON STABILE, CHECKPASSER

WHEN a trainer saddles just two winners in eight years, smart handicappers run the other way when he enters a horse. But that's not the case with Tony Stabile, whose...

MATHIS SPEECH SENDS ; JFK TO GARDEN

Kennedy56 Wadleigh49 With his team terribly out of tune in the first half yesterday, an outraged Johnny Mathis belted out an angry locker-room speech at intermission. For the John F....

BONILLA, LASORDA SPEAK PEACE ; BONILLA CLEARS AIR OVER PARTING SHOT AT LASORDA

PORT ST. LUCIE - Bobby Valentine popped outside the clubhouse door and met Bobby Bonilla just as he was finishing a morning workout that included everything from batting practice to...

SPENCER STAYS OUT OF YANKS' SPOTLIGHT

"I will do anything, even catch. As long as I get a chance to swing the bat, I don't care."SHANE SPENCER TAMPA - With Roger Clemens stuffed inside a Yankee...

VAN: STOP BEING WIMPS ; JEFF ORDERS KNICKS TO GET TOUGH

Jeff Van Gundy had a simple message for his team yesterday following two road losses where the Knicks refused to flex their muscles: Get tough. No more New York Wimps....

ACHIN' JAYSON PLAYIN' FOR NETS' SAKE

Jayson Williams emerged from the trainer's room after practice yesterday and he was smiling - as usual - despite wearing a soft cast on his left wrist. Williams, who participated...

CARTE DE AMOR ROLLS

Carte de Amor, reigning queen of Aqueduct's inner dirt track, stamped herself ''horse of the meet'' yesterday by toying with the boys in the Grade 3 Grey Lag Handicap. Saddled...

VG HINTS CHANGES COMING

The third quarter has been Losing Time for the Knicks. In each of the last two games, both losses, they came out in a complete funk in the third and...

MUCKLER WILL RIDE RICHTER ; RANGERS WON'T ROTATE GOALIES IN PLAYOFF CHASE

BOSTON - With 20 games to go and trailing the eighth-place Bruins by four points in what has become a legitimate race for the playoffs, John Muckler is damned if...

VALENTINE WON'T SEE HUNDLEY DH

PORT ST. LUCIE - Dodgers manager Davey Johnson said yesterday he expected to have Todd Hundley DH in today's B game against the Mets at Vero Beach. Bobby Valentine is...

STRAW PLEASED WITH KNEE'S PROGRESS

TAMPA - A running session that involved cutting around cones in the Legends Field outfield late Thursday afternoon has Darryl Strawberry encouraged about the condition of his left knee. So...

POOF! GOES THE VICTORY

Islanders3 Flyers3 PHILADELPHIA - Only the Islanders can disgrace themselves while picking up a point on the road against the Flyers. Sitting pretty with a 3-0 lead yesterday, the Isles...

ROGER STRUGGLES IN DEBUT, BUT HE'S JUST WARMING UP

HAINES CITY, Fla. - Roger Clemens was trying to find synchronicity with his catcher, Jorge Posada. He was toying with a two-seam fastball. He was operating under the principle that...

UCONN READY TO NIX TOURNEY HEX

The more answers they supply, the more the question surfaces, eating away at this magnificent Connecticut team that has piled on victories but continues to crave that first Final Four...

HUSKIES TRAMPLE ON STORM DREAMS

THE Red Storm had champagne hopes and caviar dreams on the day they officially met Mike Jarvis for the first time in his office at Alumni Hall. Ron Artest had...

GONE TO THE DOGS ; CHAMPION HUSKIES CHEW UP ST. JOHN'S

TITLE GAME UConn82 St. John's63 It was over before it started - when the rabid Husky fans had turned the Garden into the house that Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun built....

JOHNNIES COULD BE ON SPOT IN EAST

In addition to losing the Big East Conference Tournament championship to Connecticut 82-63 last night, everything that could go wrong for St. John's did yesterday. The buzz is that the...