November 27, 2002

WILLIAMSON BRINGS 'LIFESTYLE' LINE HERE

Matthew Williamson is turning color into fragrance. The British designer, known for his use of vibrant pinks, oranges and blues, is applying his sensibility to a new "Lifestyle" collection of...

BMG GETS FLEECED - SHELLS OUT $2.74B FOR ZOMBA, WITHOUT CALDER

Clive Calder took the money and ran. Bertelsmann agreed yesterday to pay Calder $2.74 billion for a majority stake in his independent record company Zomba, and Calder promptly resigned. While...

DOW TUMBLES 172 ON GROWTH WORRIES

Following an age-old tradition of buying the rumor and selling the fact, stocks rallied Monday on the hint that third-quarter GDP would be revised up, and then fell yesterday when...

CLEAR THE DECKS - CRUISE INDUSTRY COULD BE HURT BY FLU OUTBREAK

Walt Disney's golden goose is getting seasick. The company's profitable cruise line fleet - one of its best financial performers - is being plagued by stubborn flu-like illnesses, despite thorough...

MARIO MONTI HAS RUN AMOK

The super Mario game may be going too far. New powers handed to Mario Monti, the deal-busting antitrust czar for the European Commission, let his investigators raid executives' homes and...

E*TRADE GOES FROM A BROKER TO BANKER

Continuing its transformation from online discount brokerage to traditional lending bank, E*Trade Group acquired Ganis Credit Corp., Deutsche Bank's motor-home and boat loan unit, for $101 million. The move culminates...

KOZLOWSKI BURNS DEVILS

Despite its success on the ice, the New Jersey Devils franchise is in dire financial straits. The team is trying to get $50 million from investors to pay bills and...

PRODUCER JAFFE MAY BE NEW ARTISAN SUITOR

A new suitor may be trying to conjure up yet another deal for the "Blair Witch" studio. Industry insiders have been buzzing for weeks that former USA Films Chairman Scott...

QUATTRONE IS BACK IN CROSSHAIRS

CS First Boston's Teflon-coated investment banker Frank Quattrone may finally get scorched. Quattrone will be subpoenaed by Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin early next year for a grilling...

HE'S GOT A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE - DENNIS IS DISTRIBUTING THE WEEK IN U.S. PRISONS

BRITISH publishing mogul Felix Dennis has cooked up a new way to find captive readers of his news-digest magazine The Week. He's sending it free to prisoners across America this...

NYSE NEIGHBOR LIKELY TO REOPEN TO RENTERS

WITH the prospects of an expanded New York Stock Exchange all but faded, sources said the city is but a few weeks away from letting Rockrose Development reopen neighboring 45...

BRIT TRIES TO POACH MARTHA MINION

Someone's trying to hone in on Martha Stewart's territory. Pretender-to-the-throne Anne McKevitt, a British interior decorator to the stars, is playing dirty while trying to get to the Queen of...

MARIO MONTI'S POWER GRAB

The super Mario game may be going too far. New powers handed to Mario Monti, the deal-busting antitrust czar for the European Commission, let his investigators raid executives' homes and...

DEADBEAT INVESTORS PUT NHL'S DEVILS ON THIN ICE

Despite its success on the ice, the New Jersey Devils franchise is in dire financial straits. The team is trying to get $50 million from investors to pay bills and...

STARR REPORT

November ratings . . . November ratings . . . Fox News Channel had another good month as the only cable news network to post yearly increases in prime time...

YOU CAN IGNORAH SANDLER'S MENORAH

ADAM SANDLER'S EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS [ 1/2] Bah, humbug. Running time: 75 minutes. Rated PG-13 (frequent crude and sexual humor, drinking and brief drug references). At the Empire, the Lincoln...

A SPACE ODDITY

TREASURE PLANET [ 1/2] Better than OK, but no "Spirited Away." Running time: 95 minutes. Rated PG (cartoon violence and peril). In IMAX and regular format. At the Lincoln Square...

SWEET ANIMAL DREAMS AT THE NEW VICTORY

A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOADAt the New Victory Theater, 209 W. 42nd St. Telecharge, (212) 239-6200. Through Dec. 1. ------ THE current offering at the New Victory is the...

OSBOURNES KIDS CLAIM SOME SHOWS ARE F***** (NO, FAKED)

JUST as the much-anticipated second season of "The Osbournes" got underway last night, Kelly and Jack Osbourne say MTV staged several scenes of last season's hit reality show. On yesterday's...

THE KING AND US... - 'ELVIS LIVES' SPECIAL HAILS 'THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROCK STAR THERE EVER WAS'

"Elvis Lives" [ ] Thurdsay at 10 on NBC ---- HAS it ever occurred to you that "lives" is an anagram for "Elvis?" Maybe everyone already knows this, and I'm...

COLOR THEM TOTALLY NUTS

BLUE/ORANGEAt the Atlantic Theater Company, 336 W. 20th St.; (212) 239-6200. ------- WHO is more insane, the man on the psychiatrist's couch or the shrink? And does race play a...

HOT SHOTS FIRE AGAIN

EVERYTHING old is new again - especially if you're fans of "Hunter" stars Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer. NBC is thinking about resuscitating "Hunter" as a regular series after a...

MODERN CHEKHOVIAN FARCE GOES TOO FAR

THE FOURTH SISTERAt the Vineyard Theatre, 108 E. 15th St. Through Dec. 8. Call (212) 353-0303. ----- WHAT is life like today in Moscow? Let's imagine, suggests Polish playwright Janusz...

A BIRD IN THE HAND - STILL TIME FOR DINNER

READY or not, tomorrow's Thanksgiving. If you still haven't figured out who's cooking the turkey, all the more reason to let someone else handle dinner. Luckily, there were still tables...

GEORGE SWOONY - HIS BEST YET IN DREAMY SCI-FI LOVE STORY

SOLARIS [] Slow but haunting. Rated PG-13 (sexuality, brief nudity). Running time: 98 minutes. At the Ziegfeld, the Chelsea, the Kips Bay, others. ----- THE best performance of George Clooney's...

THE OTHER THANKSGIVING TRADITION... WHY LIONS ALWAYS COME WITH TURKEY

LIKE all great American traditions, the annual telecast of the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day began as a shrewd publicity stunt. The first-ever NFL broadcast was the 1934 Thanksgiving game...

KNOCK ON BOLLYWOOD - 'DREAMS' MAY COME FOR MUSICAL ON B'WAY

OF all the popular shows in London's West End that have set their sights on Broadway, the one that will have the most challenging - and, if its novice producer...

'ALIAS' CONFUSES ABC, TOO

ABC execs are scratching their heads trying to figure out why "Alias" has yet to become a ratings smash. The show, an award winning spy-drama adored by critics and a...

NO PLANS? NO PROBLEM

NOT everyone is headed out of town for the holiday weekend - from craft markets to eating tours to some big department store's annual parade, there's plenty to stick around...

LAST-MINUTE SHOPPING IS GRAVY

NO matter how well you plan your at-home holiday feast, there's usually one thing you remember you forgot at the last minute. Don't panic: You'll probably be able to find...

HARLEM TREASURES

If you're looking to add a little pepper to your holiday stew, then head for Harlem and stuff your stockings with hot gifts. Here's a roundup of some very unique...

FUN AND GAMES

Kids are saturated with TV ads and peer pressure, but will the wish list include goods actually worth having? We road tested a cross section of toys and games and...

SOHO-HO - SHOPAHOLICS SHOULD HEAD DOWNTOWN TO THE MAZE OF STREETS SOUTH OF HOUSTON, WHERE ALL MANNER OF ECLECTIC SHOPS AWAIT

Chimera 77 Mercer St. (212-334-4730) You'll think it's just for kids - the yellow bumblebee umbrella is deceiving. Every spot has its own theme. There's a pink piggy spot, a...

GOT GAME? - HOTTEST NEW PROGRAMS FOR YOUR FAVORITE GAMING DEVICES

Sims lovers are in for a holiday surprise with the release of The Sims Unleashed, which allows players to add furry friends to their growing Sims families! And for those...

MURDERER CAN ELUDE NEEDLE FOR DECADES

John Taylor, the Wendy's massacre mastermind, has been condemned to death - but he's not likely to feel the executioner's needle any time soon. Taylor, 38, will likely spend the...

GROCERS: NO FAT PROFITS FROM BIG BIRD

Turkey may be king in the poultry pecking order but at least one grocer claims he's "never heard of anybody making a buck" on it. This Thanksgiving, the price of...

CUNYS COMMIES - HONORING A FELLOW TRAVELER

FEW New Yorkers today will recognize the name of Vito Marcantonio which no doubt explains why the City University is actually paying tribute next month to a man of whom...

WHY ARE YOU IN NYC AND NOT BAGHDAD, MR. BLIX?

Weapons inspectors today will begin scouring Saddam Hussein's Iraq for weapons of mass destruction - but the head of the operation, Hans Blix, will not be there getting his shoes...

SAVE TURKEY FROM EUROPE

TURKEY planned to send troops into Kurdish areas of Northern Iraq in the event of an American-Iraqi war? It seems the U.S. government hasnt been paying enough attention to a...

'SEXIEST' NATIONS - SORRY, WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR NO. 1

Americans love sex - and hop into the sack about 138 times a year, a new survey has revealed. But, believe it or not, we're far from the horniest nation...

ISRAELIS KILL TWO 'MOST-WANTED' TERRORISTS

JERUSALEM - Two terrorist chiefs, both high on Israel's most-wanted list, were killed in an air raid on a West Bank refugee camp at Jenin, Palestinian witnesses and doctors said...

CHUCK DEMANDS NEW DWI LAW

The number of drunken-driving accidents has skyrocketed across New York - and could get even worse if the state Legislature doesn't pass a law lowering the blood-alcohol level for DWI,...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

Working as a cop in South Africa is so dangerous that even police dogs are being fitted with bulletproof vests. The 4 1/2-pound jackets, tough enough to stop knives and...

FED WARNING ON NEW STATE LABOR LAW

ALBANY - The feds have "serious concerns" about a new state law - viewed as an election-year gift to the state's unions by Gov. Pataki - that gags employers during...

$OAK THE RICH: POLS - COUNCIL EYES BIG BOOST IN TAX RATES FOR THE WEALTHY

The City Council is considering a plan to raise the personal income-tax rate - with the wealthiest New Yorkers getting hit hardest, The Post has learned. Several different scenarios are...

GRAND ARMY GUN HORROR

A night of partying ended in a barrage of bullets that killed one man and critically injured another early yesterday morning. Four people, returning from the Midtown hot spot BKs,...

JAYSON'S UNBORN BABY ILL

The unborn baby of ex-NBA star Jayson Williams is fighting for survival on Thanksgiving Eve, as Dad steels himself for his upcoming manslaughter trial, The Post has learned. Williams raced...

ZANY ZAPS VIOLENT GAMES

Video games are getting the hook at Zany Brainy. The upscale toy merchant said the industry concentrates too much on violent fare - and doesn't make enough family-oriented games. "Our...

25% OF SCAFFOLDS ILLEGAL

A spot check of Manhattan construction sites found that workers at one in four had put up scaffolds without required permits, the Buildings Department said yesterday. Commissioner Patricia Lancaster, speaking...

B'KLYN GANG-RITE KILLER COPS PLEA

A Brooklyn man will spend 15 years behind bars for murdering a short-order cook who was leaving a bar with his cousin - a cold-blooded killing that was part of...

PRISON FOR EMBEZZLER WHO STOLE FROM KIDS

A Brooklyn man who stole more than $1 million that was supposed to go to help city preschoolers will spend at least the next two years behind bars. State Supreme...

CITY BOOSTS HOMELESS BONUS TO LANDLORDS

In a bid to stem the growing tide of homeless families, the city will sweeten the pot of special payments for landlords willing to rent apartments to families now living...

DUBYA OUT TO DERAIL SAUDI MONEY TRAIN

WASHINGTON - President Bush is trying to find new ways to pressure Saudi Arabia to crack down on wealthy terror financiers. "The president believes that Saudi Arabia has been a...

POTHOLE PUZZLE AS WEIRD WAITING LIST UNEARTHED

It takes more than three times as long to repair a pothole in The Bronx as it does in Queens, according a report released yesterday. City Comptroller William Thompson's auditors...

LISA MARIE IS UN-CAGED

It wasn't quite "Gone in 60 Seconds," but actor Nicolas Cage's marriage to Lisa-Marie Presley has already crumbled - after only three months. The quirky star filed for divorce from...

CONSUMERS CASHING IN - SPENDERS POCKET PLASTIC AND GO WITH THE GREEN

It looks like a green Christmas. For consumers, wary of racking up any more credit-card debt, cash will be king for holiday shopping, experts say. "People are looking to control...

VILLAGE SEX FIEND GUILTY

A teen who has terrorized the Asian community in the East Village for years pleaded guilty yesterday to raping a woman inside a laundermat. Benjamin Carter, 17, faces a 24-year...

NAIVE GIRL CAUGHT UP IN WEB OF DECEIT

SHE recognized instruments of horrific torture yesterday - although the day before, she couldn't recognize the man who used them on her. In Judge Alan Honorof's Mineola courtroom, a court...

HOW KILLER'S CRUELTY SWAYED A FAITH

'GOD forgive me, but it's my brother." Sergio Nazario wants Wendy's killer John Taylor executed - even though it goes against his strong religious beliefs. He made the difficult choice...

TOYLAND TROUBLE - 2 PANELS WARN OF PERILOUS PLAYTHINGS

If you thought the worst thing Santa brought was a lump of coal - think again. There's the Power Gear Star Blaster, for example. The blaster can cause hearing loss...

HOW $CAM SUSPECTS DIALED UP BIG DOLLARS

It was as easy as picking up the phone. Sitting alone in his bedroom with a laptop computer, Linus Baptiste - a man hardly known to his neighbors in New...

RADIO ID THIEF GETS 6 TO 12

The ringleader of a huge identity-theft ring that stole personal information from radio station WNYC and other organizations was sentenced yesterday to six to 12 years behind bars. Albany County...

STRIPPER WANTS TO EVEN SCORES

A former Scores exotic dancer claims managers of the mammary mecca gave her a financial cold shoulder when she didn't lap up their sexual advances. In a suit filed in...

SEX - OR DEATH - 'CYBERSLAVE': PERV WOULD'VE KILLED ME

A soft-spoken teenager yesterday admitted she never asked her alleged sexual tormentors to stop abusing her and did not try to escape - because she feared for her life. "I...

'BARETTA' GETS NEW LEGAL TEAM

LOS ANGELES - Actor Robert Blake and his lawyer officially broke up yesterday over the accused killer's need to "talk to America." Los Angeles County Judge Lloyd Nash ruled that...

GOOD RECEPTION FOR FDNY RADIO

A fire captain toiling in an FDNY lab crafted a powerful new radio from $1,000 worth of parts that might help overcome widespread communication woes that contributed to firefighter deaths...

CITY BONDS TAKE A HIT

Standard & Poor's yesterday reduced the city's credit rating from "stable" to "negative" - a possible precursor to a downgrade that would make it more expensive for the financially strapped...

MUSCLE MORONS IN AIDS RX $CAM

Taxpayers last year shelled out $47 million for an AIDS drug that often went to perfectly healthy body builders in an outrageous Medicaid scam, officials revealed yesterday. And 60 unscrupulous...

JUDGE SQUELCHES $1M SUIT VS. ELTON

Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice have won a big victory against a songwriter who had demanded more than $1 million from the duo after accusing them of swiping his...

JAILS BOSS QUITS AMID SCANDAL

Scandal-tinged city jails boss William Fraser has resigned amid probes by the Bronx DA and the Department of Investigation of his agency and his political activities, sources said last night....

MET OWNER'S SON VICTIM OF ID THEFT

A Brooklyn man has been busted for impersonating the son of Mets owner Fred Wilpon - obtaining credit cards in his name and trying to steal $25,000 from his bank...

FORECASTS FOR SNOW ARE ALL WET

Let it slush, let it slush, let it slush! Forecasters last night scaled back their predictions for a white Turkey Day - saying instead that city and coastal areas will...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

MANHATTAN * Cops are seeking the public's help in capturing a vicious thug who has assaulted and robbed seven women on the Upper East Side. The six incidents occurred from...

MAYOR BLOOMBERG SAID HE'S "INCREDIBLY PLEASED" BY THE NEW TERRORISM-INSURANCE LAW

WASHINGTON - Mayor Bloomberg said he's "incredibly pleased" by the new terrorism-insurance law signed yesterday by President Bush, adding it could pave the way for hundreds of millions of dollars...

JAMES BROWN'S $OUR NOTE

James Brown needs to "get on up!" and pay more than $7 million to two singers who accuse the Godfather of Soul of scamming them out of song profits dating...

JUDGE TURNS DOWN SONG SUIT

Flamboyant singer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice have won a big victory against a songwriter who had demanded more than $1 million from the duo after accusing them of...

MAYOR BLOOMBERG SAID HE'S "INCREDIBLY PLEASED" BY THE NEW TERRORISM INSURANCE LAW

WASHINGTON - Mayor Bloomberg said he's "incredibly pleased" by the new terrorism insurance law signed yesterday by President Bush, adding it could ease the way for hundreds of millions in...

CITY BOOSTS HOMELESS BONUSES TO LANDLORDS

In a bid to stem the growing tide of homeless families, the city will sweeten the pot of special payments for landlords willing to rent apartments to families now living...

DON'T BURY THEM YET - GIANTS MEDIOCRE ENOUGH TO KEEP PLAYOFF HOPES ALIVE

WHY bury the Giants now when there will be so much time to do it later? There does not need to be a rush to pronounce the Giants finished. Given...

CARTER EMERGES UNHARMED AFTER CARJACKING

GIANT NOTES When healthy, Tim Carter might be the fastest player on the Giants' roster, but not when he's on crutches, as he is at present following surgery to repair...

GIVE THANKS FOR LIONS - PATRIOTS CAN'T AF-FORD TO PLAY FAVORITE ON ROAD

THIS is a very dangerous spot for the Patriots, who haven't been dominant even in beating some of the NFL's lesser teams. And facing the Lions on Thanksgiving is tougher...

THE FAN'S CORNER

Blind dates really do work. Just ask Susan Davniero. "Our mothers hooked us up," said the former Susan Fischetti, who has been married to husband Bob for 23 years. "I...

HUBIE ADDS GRIZZLED TOUCH

(Second of two parts)MEMPHIS - Sixteen years ago this coming Sunday, Hubie Brown was exiled from Fun City and had been unseen on an NBA sideline until the eminently secure...

DAVID'S READY TUA RUMBLE

David Tua swears that he won't look past Russell Chasteen when he faces him Nov. 30 at the Taj Majal. "Knowing what I know now, you train just as hard...

ARMY, NAVY GEARED FOR 1-10 BATTLE

Despite the fact Army and Navy sport identical 1-10 records heading into their 103rd meeting on Dec. 7 at the Meadowlands, both teams remain incredibly upbeat. "It doesn't matter what...

SENS HEX BIG TEST FOR ISLES

The last time the Islanders beat Ottawa on the Coliseum ice was Jan. 6, 1996. Tommy Soderstrom was in net, Ziggy Palffy was on right wing and fish sticks adorned...

ROAD TRIP SHOULD BE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

DETROIT - Just as it should, travel will prove educational for the Devils. They may not like the lessons, though. In their next six nights on the road, the Devils...

BUSHMAN TO THE RESCUE

SOME of the most respected leaders in the outdoor industry told world-class tennis pro, coach and lifelong outdoorsman Jackie Bushman that it was impossible to unite America's deer hunters. In...

HOUSTON: NUMBERS DON'T ALWAYS ADD UP

Allan Houston's prolific scoring this season has been a drop in the bucket, the sweet-shooting guard readily admits. Houston realizes he's been one of the Knicks' few bright spots over...

CURTIS STAR HUNGRY FOR PSAL TITLE

Damian McCaig has had a close view of the PSAL Championship Game in each of his three previous years at Curtis. As a freshman on the JV, he was allowed...

WISE BEYOND HIS YEARS - AT 19, BLACKBURN'S A RANGER SAVIOR

IT'S becoming exhausting for Dan Blackburn, telling people he's not tired. He says he once played the last 25 regular-season, then 20 straight playoff games for Kootenay, where the bus...

TOBACCO ROAD BRINGS DOHERTY BACK HOME

When Matt Doherty was growing up on Long Island, he never dreamed of coaching. It wasn't until his playing days ended at North Carolina and he became part of the...

JETS' SZOTT LIVES TO SEE SON SMILE

The small yellow school bus arrives at 3:30 every afternoon, Monday through Friday, pulls into Dave Szott's driveway and stops in front of the garage. When the door opens and...

NETS BASK IN SUNLIGHT - KIDD READY FOR RETURN TO PHOENIX

PHOENIX - Apparently it was a day to not quite mean what you said and to say what you didn't quite mean. Take Jason Kidd. He is back here to...

BIG PRICE FOR COLON - JOHNSON, JUAN RIVERA COULD LAND EXPOS ACE

The Yankees' craving to add Bartolo Colon to their rotation is increasing even if the price tag is considered expensive by a few organizational voices. "It's real strong," an Expos...

GLAVINE'S WISH: $45M FOR 4 YEARS

At 1:10 yesterday afternoon, the Mets received a counter-offer from Tom Glavine's agent asking the club for the same deal the veteran lefty is seeking from the Phillies and Braves....

DRUG TEST KOS ERICK

Erick Barkley failed his Greek basketball league physical last week after testing positive for marijuana, a league official confirmed yesterday to The Post. "[A drug test] is part of the...

FLORIDA COPS BUST CEDENO ON DUI RAP

In what was another in a string of embarrassing off-field incidents involving the Mets, Roger Cedeno was arrested in Florida early yesterday and charged with driving under the influence. The...

SJU BRUSHES OFF HATTEN'S 'HAIRY' START

St. John's 68 - Stony Brook 57 The fate of St. John's season rests largely on the shoulders of guard Marcus Hatten. So it was surprising to see him spend...

METS SEND MOOKIE PACKING

New Met manager Art Howe yesterday named his coaching staff for the 2003 season, and one of the most popular Mets ever, Mookie Wilson, was not on the list. A...

STORM-Y NIGHT IN FORECAST FOR STONY BROOK

Good thing Nick Macarchuk has been around a while. Otherwise, the head basketball coach at Stony Brook might have been discouraged by his Seawolves' growing pains a year ago. "Last...

ANOTHER METS MESS - CEDENO ARRESTED ON DUI CHARGE IN WEST FLORIDA

In what was another in a string of embarrassing off-field incidents involving the Mets, outfielder Roger Cedeno was arrested early yesterday and charged with driving under the influence. The Florida...