September 22, 2002

GOOD GUY AWARDS FOR CEOS - HOPING 'OSCARS' WILL KEEP THEM IN LINE

CEOs will get a new chance to clean up their image with the launch of the business world's own Oscar awards. Since "CEO" is almost a dirty word because of...

TRIMMING HEDGES - MANAGERS WORRIED ABOUT SEC PROBE

Hedge Funds are under the gun. Three years ago, hedge funds were the darlings of the investment world, loved by wealthy investors and basically ignored by regulators. These days, though,...

MARTHA IS A FASHION 'DON'T'

You never know who will turn up on the runway. New York's Fashion Week, taking place in the tents at Bryant Park until tomorrow, has seen the likes of supermodels,...

FASHION PACK RAT ON THE MOVE

Though she camps out in the tents at Bryant Park twice each year, IMG's Fern Mallis does have an office on 45th Street . . . for now. The executive...

BIG FIRMS' WOES, SMALL FIRMS' OPPORTUNITIES

Pity the poor National Association of Securities Dealers. Not only does the parent of the electronic stock market have to battle the New York Stock Exchange and a host of...

GENERIC DRUG COMPANIES RIDING HIGH

Just as generic medications offer low-cost alternatives to branded drugs, stocks of generics manufacturers can provide more bang for the buck than those of pharmaceutical giants. That's because the generics...

STRONG FUND IS LOSING ITS GRIP

Each time you open a communiqué - especially a quarterly statement - from your mutual fund, you become more convinced the pros haven't a clue how to handle this market....

BULL'S EYE

MONEY BETS MISS MARK When Money magazine released its 2002 mutual fund guide earlier this year, Editor-in-Chief Bob Safian boasted that readers call it "the mutual fund bible." Perhaps he...

LOTS IN STORE FROM STELLA

She's been snapped walking red carpets with close friend Gwyneth Paltrow, having a romantic dinner with her fiancé, former Wallpaper publisher Alasdhair Willis (she wears a gorgeous diamond engagement ring...

GWYN'S EVERY-WEAR PALTROW PLAYING THE FIELD WITH DESIGNERS

Schlepping around town every day during New York Fashion Week, Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow proved she's an equal-opportunity muse: Just about every top designer can dress her up and trot...

EVES OF DESTRUCTION

The new series at the Thalia is called "All About Eves," a look at what the Upper West Side revival house describes as "wicked women, femme fatales, scheming starlets and...

SLEEPOVER JITTERS, BATHROOM BLUES

I CAN sleep happily almost anywhere - on benches at French railway stations, on friends' floors, in hammocks, bunk-beds, tents. But I still get nervous the first time I sleep...

STYLE & SUBSTANCE: EMILY PROCTER

'It's not a bad thing to be known as the girl who dated Rob Lowe." Emily Procter is, of course, referring to her recurring role on "The West Wing" as...

HIGH NOTES & LOW NOTES

Ass-kicking rock show of the week: Alabama's Drive-By Truckers crashed into the Bowery Ballroom to show New York what rock 'n' roll is all about as they blasted southern rock...

BOTTOMLESS TAPAS

Dust off your castanets. This month, Spain reigns with a trio of tasty tapas events from uptown on down. On Monday, Wild Tapas Night, hosted by Divine Bar Midtown and...

VICTORIA GOTTI

IF there was a better party during Fashion Week than Helen Yarmak's fur and diamonds extravaganza on Fifth Avenue on Friday night, I haven't heard about it. It was the...

LIVING AND EATING HIGH ON THE HOG

EAT, drink and be merry for tomorrow you live! In fact, supersize them fries, my friend, because a new government study just out has disproved everything we've ever been told...

AIN'T IT TIME SHE SAID GOODBYE?

DISGRACED Tyco titan Dennis Kozlowski, whose excesses make Enron execs' excesses look like exercises in restraint, has proved one thing: Excess, at least where your ex is concerned, is the...

WRESTLING WITH CREDIBILITY HERE

NOT to downplay sexual harassment or anything, but it's kinda tough to buy the story that wrestler Nicole Bass, formerly with World Wrestling Entertainment, was relentlessly hit on by the...

BUSH-WACKERS

GEORGE Bush is resolved to wage war against Iraq. And so is his son. But anyone who says this is Big George's war and not Dubya's is badly mistaken. Look,...

VICTIM SOUGHT 'FRIENDSHIP' BEFORE TIMES SQ. RAMPAGE

The Midtown office "love triangle" that ended in double murder and suicide was an affair that may have existed only in the killer's head, according to an e-mail his female...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

Mike "Eat Your Children" Tyson is losing his baby-sitting gig. Fox Sports Net has yanked a commercial promoting its "Best Damn Sports Show Period" that featured the boxer baby-sitting an...

ESCALATOR PLUNGE KILLS BOY, 9, AT B'KLYN MALL

A 9-year-old boy with a developmental disorder plunged to his death from an escalator inside a Brooklyn mall yesterday, police said. The tragic incident unfolded around 11 a.m. in the...

YEMEN TROOPS GRAB 4 AL QAEDA SUSPECTS

Yemen is questioning four al Qaeda suspects who were captured after a bloody gun battle that killed a fifth alleged member of the terror network. Two Yemeni soldiers and a...

CARL GOES DIALING FOR ELECTION $$

Just six weeks from Election Day, the campaign trail in the governor's race was quiet yesterday, as Carl McCall tried to boost his campaign coffers and Gov. Pataki stumped in...

9/11 KIN HOPE FOR SWEEPING INQUIRY

Several Sept. 11 victims' relatives yesterday said they were "heartened" by the White House's sudden support of an independent probe into the events around the attacks - but that it...

GENERAL TELLS BUSH: WE'RE READY TO SMACK IRAQ

The commander of the U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf says his troops are ready for war with Iraq when and if President Bush gives them the order. "We are...

'GETTING OFF' ON BOARD: THREESOME NABBED IN LIRR 'SEX ROMP'

Meet the strap-bangers. A Long Island couple and the hubby's brother gave new meaning to riding the rails yesterday when they treated stunned commuters to a raunchy three-way sex romp...

COPS MAKE 4TH BUST IN ROB-SLAY

The fourth and final suspect in a Washington Heights robbery plot that led to murder has been arrested, police said. Darnell Sylvester, 38, of West 112th Street in Manhattan, was...

CHEKHOV, ANTON AND ON AND ON

The play is over. Hamlet is dead, poisoned and lying in a pool of his own blood. At least we know what happened to him. But how about Horatio? Whatever...

COPS BUST NUT IN BIAS 'BLOOD' ATTACK

A deranged man shouting racial remarks and - crying "this is American blood!" - smeared blood across the shirt of a Bangladeshi-American store clerk yesterday in what police were calling...

SCHWARZ MAKES DEAL: ACCEPTS 5 YEARS FOR LYING AS ALL OTHER CHARGES DROPPED

Ex-cop Charles Schwarz struck a deal with federal prosecutors yesterday in which he was sentenced to five years in prison for a prior perjury conviction in return for authorities dropping...

INFAMOUS 'HILLSIDE STRANGLER' BUONO DIES IN CALIF. PRISON

"Hillside Strangler" Angelo Buono Jr., whose 1970s killing spree claimed the lives of nine Los Angeles women, died yesterday in a California prison, corrections officials said. Buono, 67, was found...

LAUREN ON A ROLL - MR. AMERICANA DOES IT AGAIN

RALPH Lauren can't lose. His past two collections, devoted to prairie cool and Edwardian chic, have been stellar, selling out and inspiring knock-offs galore. For spring 2003, Mr. Americana has...

MTV2 MAKING (COURTNEY) LOVE FOR 24 HOURS

MTV's ongoing social experimentation on the nation's youth continued last night as Courtney Love kicked off MTV2's "24 Hours of Love" - wearing exactly what she wore the night before...

BRAVE SEX-SLAVE VICTIM SET TO FACE ACCUSED KIDNAPPER

The teen sex slave who was raped, tortured and then passed around by a twisted Long Island couple in August 2001 is ready to confront her alleged attacker in court,...

SHORT THRIFT: FILM NETS LENNON SOUNDTRACK

If you're an independent filmmaker, working on a shoestring budget, you don't expect to get a high-profile soundtrack. But one tenacious director, Germany's Annette Solakoglu, scored a major hit: John...

CRAZE IN THE CARDS: NEW KID FAD 'DECKS' FAMILY POCKETBOOKS

Pack it in, Pokémon: There's a new kid craze in town. Fresh from Japan, home of sushi, Godzilla and all things electronic, is a new mystical trading-card game complete with...

JEN IS EMMY FAVE BUZZ LIKES RACHEL - AND FRIEND JOEY TONIGHT

Logic would dictate that before the end of tonight's Emmy Awards show, hosted by Conan O'Brien, "Friends" star Jennifer Aniston should be whimpering through a "You really like me" speech....

I'VE GOT A WAY FOR DOT-COM BRATS TO REALLY CLEAN UP

BOY, have I got a job for you. Believe me, guy, I sympathize with your plight. I know how it feels to rise to the top of the food chain,...

9/11 LETTER LENDS CLUES TO SUICIDE FIEND'S CARNAGE

One year ago, after escaping from the north tower of the World Trade Center, John Harrison celebrated life and condemned the killing of innocent people. "It's good to be alive!"...

CRANKY YANK FOE: BOMBER 'SLUGGER' RAN ROWDY SALOON

The diminutive man who decked Yankee powerhouse pitcher David Wells in an Upper East Side diner two weeks ago is no stranger to the world of booze and bad behavior,...

E-MAIL CALL

FROM Amarc46271: "Linda, I don't have to tell you, you're dealing with the scum of the earth." . . . From Savemartha: "As a representative sample of many thousands of...

PALS RIP TALE OF 'ROMANCE'

Isabel Munoz was a caring mother of two, said friends and co-workers, not a home-wrecking Jezebel. If there was an affair between her and killer boss, John Harrison, they didn't...

ROSIE'S PARTING SHOT : NEVER KEPT THE TRUTH 'CLOSETED,' SHE SAYS IN SLAP AT MAG EXECS

The day after she pulled out of her eponymous magazine, Rosie O'Donnell claims her partners can't say they didn't know who they were getting into bed with. As observers of...

'LOOTER' TYCOON BATTLES TO KEEP HIS FIFTH AVE. CO-OP

Quirky co-op rules could help disgraced tycoon Dennis Kozlowski keep his tony Fifth Avenue address - for the moment at least. Although his former employer, the troubled Tyco International Ltd.,...

'BLOOMY' BOARD STARTS SCHOOL

A new era in city education kicks in tomorrow as the revamped 13-member school board holds its first meeting. The proceedings, being held at Evander Child HS in The Bronx,...

CITY SERVED TASTY TREAT TO MCD'S: FREE LABOR

City officials provided a Manhattan McDonald's with free labor, using welfare recipients mandated to work for their benefits, The Post has learned. At least three welfare workers in the city's...

BEN AGAIN "GRADUATE" STAR DUSTIN' OFF HIS OLD NAME IN A NEW FILM

In some ways, Dustin Hoffman will always be Benjamin Braddock, the character that shot him to stardom in 1968's "The Graduate." But in his new film "Moonlight Mile" (opening Friday),...

EVICTION NOTICE: ISRAELIS ORDER ARAFAT TO GET OUT OF HIS HQ

JERUSALEM - Israeli troops last night ordered Yasser Arafat to come out of his West Bank headquarters or be forced out, as shells started to destroy parts of the Palestinian...

DNA 'BEHIND' HEFTY HEINIES

Those genes do make your butt look big. According to a study released last week, DNA is to blame for a big tush. The two-year study by the U.S. Department...

PULITZER'S PRIZES: FUN DESIGNS MAKE LILLY A WINNER

LIKEweddings, fashion shows should include neither children nor pets. They're simply too unpredictable. Speaking of children - and how they should neither seen nor heard at fashion shows -Palm Beach...

CELEBS MAKING THE SCENE

Who ever said New York Fashion Week was about the clothes on the runway has never been to New York Fashion Week. It's all about the number of celebrities the...

OLD BURIAL SITE UNEARTHED AT QNS. PARK

Construction work at a Queens park has ground to a halt after workers made a grisly find: a human skull and other bones dating from a century-old burial ground, sources...

SEND THIS MÉNAGE A TRASH STRAIGHT TO JAIL

THERE has to be something more punishing for these skells than just a simple wrist-slap of a charge like public lewdness. After that vile desecration by two out-of-towners at St....

BIZ-AID WOES PUT THE 'DOWN' IN DOWNTOWN

IN the days when his fortunes shined like the gold and diamonds he sells, Marvin Rafeld never imagined the hard times would be so hard. But there he was, a...

HOBBLED PECA DOING ALL HE CAN FOR ISLES

LAKE PLACID - Under the sign that reminds visitors of this sacred arena of what happened on the ice here in 1980, a group of Islanders were hanging on every...

BRYANT'S MAKING IT LOOK EASY

GIANT NOTES His welcome into the NFL could not have been scripted any better for Matt Bryant, the unlikely placekicker for the Giants. The 27-year old rookie, a supposed non-contender...

DEVILS' HOLIK-BASHING REEKS OF SOUR GRAPES

MONTREAL - There's the silly talk coming from New Jersey again, not from everyone, not even close, but still, the Devils should know that when they say foolish things about...

MCCANN HEADIN' TO CADDIE HALL

LOCAL GOLF Peter McCann, the pride of Alpine Country Club, is going to the Hall of Fame. McCann, a 78-year-old former tour caddie who now loops at the Demarest, N.J.,...

MISSING MARTIN HAS TO BE PART OF MIX

MIAMI - The Jets' public message has been rather clear this week as they've prepared to play the Dolphins today at Pro Player Stadium. Beginning with Herman Edwards and continuing...

JETS MUST FRY FISH: ADDING TO STREAK CAN TURN SEASON

MIAMI - Let's be honest up front about a couple of things regarding Jets vs. Dolphins today at Pro Player Stadium. Most importantly, the direction of the 1-1 Jets' season...

THOMAS' ROOKIE SEASON ON BRINK OF FALLING APART

JET NOTES MIAMI - It looks like Bryan Thomas' dream rookie season has hit a bit of a wall. The polite, soft-spoken No. 1 draft pick out of Alabama-Birmingham who...

'ONLY SEPTEMBER' A DANGEROUS TRAP

VINNY Testaverde engineered a five-minute drill Wednesday at the end of the allotted 45-minute media locker room access and on Thursday appeared only to stop off briefly at his locker...

IRISH COLT HOPING JAMAICA IS LUCKY

Will the third time be the charm for the Irish colt Jazz Beat in today's Grade 2, $200,000 Jamaica Handicap at Belmont Park? One of three Europeans among a field...

WAGNER BACK ON TRACK

PSALWagner 20Bayside 0 Wagner isn't used to losing, so after the Falcons dropped their PSAL opener to Fort Hamilton last week, they showed up extra early the next day. "We...

JOSE'S RAPID PROGRESS A REYES OF HOPE

You can see the progress Jose Reyes has made from spring training, even if you couldn't tell a fastball from a kickball. Reyes, a 19-year-old shortstop who was at Shea...

YANKS COP 5TH STRAIGHT EAST CROWN

DETROIT - The public celebration was low-key. Knuckles collided with knuckles and there were hugs galore after the Yankees clinched their fifth straight AL East title yesterday at Comerica Park....

TORRE & ZIM BEAT BOSS

DETROIT - Joe Torre and Don Zimmer had success on and off the field yesterday. At Comerica Park the Yankees clinched the AL East. At Belmont, a horse named Torre...

GIAMBI SITS OUT CLINCHER

DETROIT - Jason Giambi moved from his locker to the trainer's room table and then to a couch in the players' lounge. That was as close as Giambi got to...

BONAPAW ROLLS TO EASY VICTORY IN VOSBURGH

When a speed horse is pressured through a hot pace, and there's a powerful closer behind him ready to pounce, the front-runner's chances are usually slim. That appeared to be...

RIVERA'S PERFECT IN RETURN

DETROIT - Clinching the AL East was neat, but when it comes to the Yankees' big picture, sewing up the division took a backseat to Mariano Rivera's return from the...

GATORS BAG BIG ONE: MAKE VOLS PAY FOR MISTAKES TO GET ZOOK HIGH-PROFILE WIN

Florida 30Tennessee 13 KNOXVILLE - Florida was supposed to be the team with fragile psyche. Having absorbed a punishing home loss to Miami two weeks ago, the Gators, ranked 18th...

GET KNICKS TIX & MEET PLAYERS, TOO

The Knicks are turning Friday's annual single-game ticket sale into a ticket festival. As usual, fans will be able to purchase single-game tickets for Knick games, beginning at 10 a.m....

88'S ANSWERED ALL QUESTIONS

OVERTIMECanadiens 2Rangers 1 MONTREAL - He made the trip here last night not to play in the Rangers' first exhibition game, but to undergo a routine, pre-season neurological exam administered...

NO TOKING MATTER - MET WOES START AT TOP

HOW you feeling today, Met fans? While the Yankees clinched their fifth straight AL East title yesterday, you're suffering through the final stages of another humiliating season. While George Steinbrenner...

AMAZIN'S WIN IN 11

It was exactly a year since the most emotional, resounding highlight of the Mets' 2001 season, and it was hard to believe the organization could have been in a lower...

IT'S TIME TO TALK TURKEY

THE fall turkey hunting is little more than a week away and reports from state wildlife biologist predict that the numbers will be down this fall. The turkey hunting season...

SO, YOU'D LIKE TO WALK IN SHOCKEY'S SHOES

Coming in October to a select Steve Madden store near you: The Shockey. It's true. Jeremy Shockey, the heralded rookie tight end who in a matter of months has made...

EASIER SAID THAN DONE : BIG BLUE NOT VIEWING SEAHAWK INVASION AS ANY KIND OF BREATHER

For the first time, the space in front of Shaun Williams' locker this past week was not continually filled with inquiring minds, wanting to know how in the world the...

IT'S NO WONDER THE SICKOS ARE TAKIN' OVER

THE anything-for-a-buck boys who are responsible for the current state of commercial entertainment and sports aren't going to identify themselves for what they are, what they do and what they've...

TORRE: MO COMPLETES THE PUZZLE

DETROIT - There was a wee bit more life in Mariano Rivera's step as he prepared for yesterday's game at Comerica Park. Not only were the Yankees on the verge...

VALENTINE CAUGHT IN A BIND: PLAYERS' PROBLEMS WEIGH ON MET PILOT

Bobby Valentine candidly admits rumors of drug and alcohol problems among his players are nothing new. The issue has come up numerous times over the past few years for the...

THE INSIDERS: THE POST TAKES YOU BEHIND THE LOCKER-ROOM DOORS

Watcha talkin' 'bout Willis? Garden moles swishing and dishing hoop scoop think they know why Willis Reed told our colleague Fred Kerber this week that Patrick Ewing - and not...

NEVER A DOUBT! YANKS TAME TIGERS FOR 5TH STRAIGHT EAST CROWN

Yankees 3 Tigers 2 DETROIT - The Yankees took the first step in what they hope is a four-step process to a World Series victory yesterday when they clinched their...

JUST THE FAX, GUYS : GATORS AND VOLS SAY PLAYBOOK FLAP IS ANCIENT HISTORY

KNOXVILLE - The pages came popping out of the fax machine in the Florida football office. There it was in black and white: page after page of Tennessee plays, many...

ANOTHER WORLD: TIGER WOODS & THE RYDER CUP JINX

It's about the only thing Tiger Woods has failed to conquer when it comes to golf. The one event where his individual performance has been subpar, if not embarrassing. Who...

SHOCKS TO THE SYSTEM: BASEBALL'S SURPRISE HITS & MISSES

ABSTRACT Welcome to this surprise party. We celebrate those who came from nowhere to take their teams to the most important somewhere - playoff contention.. Of course, not all surprises...