September 15, 2006

LET 'EM EAT CAKE - TIMES BIGS THROW MISERLY $2M AT STAFF BONUS POOL

In a move aimed at boosting morale within the New York Times newsroom, Chairman Arthur "Pinch" Sulzberger Jr. and his cousin, Vice Chairman Michael Golden, will forgo about $2 million...

MOTHER OF ALL LOSSES

Investors in the failed MotherRock hedge fund - the outfit founded by former Nymex bigwig Bo Collins - lost their last chance to recover any of their stake in the...

WAL-MART TARTS UP FOR TV IN 'WATCH OVER ME' SERIES

In a continuing effort to shake off its frumpy image and make itself synonymous with fashion as well as low prices, Wal-Mart has formed an alliance with MyNetworkTV to dress...

OUTSIDE MAG IS ON THE GO

LARRY Burke and magazine entrepreneur Don Welsh who last worked together on the launch of Outside 25 years ago, are teaming up again to launch a new quarterly magazine, Outside's...

THIS ONE'S A KEEPER

VENERABLE actress Maggie Smith is in fine fettle as a little old serial killer in the dark British comedy "Keeping Mum." Her Grace is a sweet-faced dear who looks as...

WHEN NIXON SAID: GIVE DEPORTATION A CHANCE

'THE U.S. vs. John Lennon" documents the Nixon administration's failed, almost comically inept attempt to deport the most political of The Beatles and his wife, Yoko Ono. Given the latter's...

IT'S WORST AND 10

SOME movies present their whole story in a two-minute trailer, but "Gridiron Gang" says it all in its poster: Imprisoned teens from South Central Los Angeles start a football squad,...

GEN X MEN'S CHEAT SHEET

IF I were a member of Generation X, I would be fed up with Hollywood's obsession with the idea that its men are genetically incapable of growing up. "The Last...

BRONX BUMMER

CHECK out the loser in the Yankee cap who can do nothing but strike out. "The Alex Rodriguez Story"? No, "Everyone's Hero," a tame CGI cartoon for the simple-minded: the...

HANDELED NICELY

WHAT do Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy have to do with a 262-year-old opera having its belated yet triumphant New York debut Wednesday night? Plenty - resulting in a...

'IDOL' LOTHARIO LOCKED UP AGAIN

COREY Clark, the "American Idol" wannabe who made headlines claiming he had a torrid affair with show judge Paula Abdul, is in trouble with the law. Clark was arrested in...

GRIM WEEPER IS A BIT TOO GRIM

AURORA BOREALIS [**] (Two stars) THINK you're depressed now? Wait till you see "Aurora Borealis," which spends almost two hours watching Ronald Shorter, a suicidal old man, die. Shorter, overplayed...

OFFSHORE AND OFF BALANCE

EVEN film noir needs a holiday now and then. In "Haven," bad luck packs up its flip-flops and its Speedo and takes a trip to the Cayman Islands to torment...

PETER'S A DEAD MAN FALKING

CHECKING OUT [*] (One star) PETER Falk's career hits a low point with "Checking Out." It's painful to watch the veteran actor play Morris Applebaum, a 90ish New Yorker who...

HELLO, DAHLIA! - LIKE VICTIM, LOOKS GREAT, ISN'T LIVELY; 'BLACK DAHLIA' A REAL LOOKER

LIKE so many of Brian De Palma's films, the visually dazzling but ultimately disappointing "The Black Dahlia" has style to burn. If this overcooked version of James Ellroy's novel -...

'DOG' ON A CHAIN - BOUNTY HUNTER ARRESTED

DUANE Chapman, aka A&E's "Dog the Bounty Hunter," was arrested in Hawaii yesterday on charges related to his 2003 capture of fugitive rapist Andrew Luster. Chapman, son Leland Chapman and...

VIEIRA GOOD RATINGS

KATIE who? Meredith Vieira's first day as the new co-anchor of "Today" got off to a rollicking start on Wednesday in the viewership department. Nearly 7 million viewers tuned in...

U.K.'S COMBAT ROCK

BRITPOP'S Kasabian, whose sophomore disc, "Empire," swirls rock with druggy electronics, used to open for like-minded Oasis. Like their combative Britpop predecessors, the bandmates, led by Tom Meighan, don't hold...

A DISS G(RACE) - SLEAZY 'SURVIVOR'

MAYBE we should just call it "Amazing Racist." I'm talking about last night's newest, much-hyped season of "Survivor," in which the teams are divided by ethnicity - or, as host...

MARY'S HOT PICK

WHEN the Bad Plus (right) recently performed at Carnegie Hall as part of a tribute to the Village Vanguard's Lorraine Gordon, the somewhat quirky jazz trio got a standing ovation....

CASINO BEAT

NEW JERSEY * The sweet-voiced songman ART GARFUNKEL performs Saturday at 9 p.m. in Harrah's Concert Venue. Tickets: $40-$50; harrahs.com, (800) 2HARRAH. * DEF LEPPARD and JOURNEY are together on...

CHIC MATE - SET TO TAKE OVER THE 'RUNWAY'

Clear the runway - the "Project Runway" finalists are ready for takeoff. Four "Project Runway" contestants - only three of whom are finalists - will get a chance to strut...

STARR REPORT

Barbara Walters, whose sense of humor remained intact throughout this week's "talking dog" brouhaha, received the 2006 Giants in Broadcasting Award yesterday at the Grand Hyatt (along with Bob Schieffer...

FALL FROM GRACE - TV OUGHTA BE ASHAMED OF ITSELF

I'M mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore. And for once, I'm actually in a position to do something about it. Thank God for the much-maligned...

3 ARRESTED IN INWOOD SHOOT

Three men who allegedly shot and killed an innocent bystander during a botched robbery of an upper Manhattan store have been arrested, police said yesterday. Kwame Edwards, 31, Dana Booth,...

CRADLE OF HATE - ISLAM'S MIDDLE EAST PROBLEM

ISLAMIST terror is a deadly threat we have barely begun to address. Yet religion-fueled fanaticism in the Middle East shouldn't surprise us: The tradition pre-dates the Prophet's birth by thousands...

L.I. JURY TO SEE WRECKAGE OF '05 DWI HORROR

The horrific wreckage left by a head-on DWI crash on Long Island that killed a limo driver and decapitated a 7-year-old flower girl returning from a wedding will be brought...

STATS SHOW BABY BOON

The rate of infant deaths among blacks and Puerto Ricans in the Big Apple plummeted last year, the city Health Department reported yesterday. The infant mortality rate for black babies...

BOGUS VET EYES TIME IN CAGE

A bogus pet doctor charged with treating - even operating on - cats and dogs without a license or degree is mulling a plea deal that could put him away...

PATAKI VETOES FEE-FREE SHRINE

ALBANY - Gov. Pataki yesterday vetoed legislation designed to keep entry to the World Trade Center memorial and museum free. The bill, which was vehemently opposed by Mayor Bloomberg, would...

B'KLYN FIRE 'CRIME' 1 OF A KIND

The Brooklyn landlord whose East River property went up in a massive fire last May is in a class by himself - or nearly so, when it comes to the...

PSST, NONVOTER

Medgar Evers' widow yesterday urged nonvoters to register as she helped Mayor Bloomberg launch Voter Awareness Month, a five-borough campaign. "You took your life into your hands when you went...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

THE BRONX * An Eastchester teen was busted after cops raided a garage and found a bootlegging operation where he churned out tens of thousands of bootleg DVDs of current...

MOB CANARY IS A CHICKEN - 'BALKS' IN DON TRIAL

A Brooklyn mobster who made himself a Miami club king and then saved himself years in prison by ratting out his cohorts has finally decided there's one man in the...

JIM MCGRIEVOUS - GAY EX-GOV ISN'T PLAYING IT STRAIGHT

THERE are several words in the English language that can better describe Jim McGreevey than his chosen title, "gay American." One word would be "whore." In a TV show airing...

PITT MAYOR JOINS MIKE

The new mayor of Pittsburgh came to City Hall yesterday to sign on to Mayor Bloomberg's coalition of mayors against illegal guns. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who recently took office after...

GRANDKID'S MISSION - FIGHTS TO KEEP COP'S KILLER JAILED

A murdered cop's feisty granddaughter, who led a campaign to rename a Brooklyn street corner in his honor 25 years after his death, has a new mission - keeping his...

'HARMLESS PERV' DEFENSE

An alleged cyber-sicko - accused of posing online as a co-ed to trick college women into sending him their nude photos - has hired a top forensic shrink to prove...

WEIRD SCIENCE: 'GUYS SMARTER THAN GALS'

A controversial study conducted by males and certain to infuriate females says men are smarter than women. The study, conducted by two Canadian psychologists, concludes that men's IQs are almost...

STREET CLEANERS WINNING WAR ON GRIME

Ninety-three percent of city streets were clean last year, the highest number ever achieved by sanitation workers since the mayor's office began keeping track in 1975. The annual Mayor's Management...

COLD WATER ON W. SIDE DEAL

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is in no rush to sell the Hudson Rail Yards on the West Side before Gov. Pataki leaves office in January - and will consider other...

LANDLORD SLAIN - SHOT DEAD IN TENANT FEUD: COPS

A tenant-landlord dispute turned deadly yesterday after a friend of the renter gunned the owner down in front of his horrified family, cops said. Paul Siddo, 41, was shot in...

3 THUGS FOILED BY KEY MOVE

A quick-thinking woman who watched in horror as her off-duty FDNY hubby was savagely beaten Monday night - allegedly by twins and their brother, an ex-con just out of prison...

PAWS FOR BREATH - 4G CAT SAFE FOR ALLERGIC

Joshua, my blind date, was short, stubby, and covered with fur - but at least he didn't make me sneeze. Josh is a $4,000 cat, bred to keep from setting...

MOM OF 5 STABBED TO DEATH NEAR BATTERY PARK

A Bronx mother of five on her way to work was knifed to death yesterday morning near Battery Park in Manhattan, police said. Karen Allende, 40, was walking alone around...

HEART KILLED GIRL IN GYM

The 16-year-old girl who died Wednesday after collapsing on the track during gym class at her Queens high school was felled by a relatively common heart condition, the medical examiner's...

'SAD'-SACKED COOK - BARES REGRET OVER CHRISTIE

Christie Brinkley's cheating hubby, Peter Cook, is heartbroken that his attempts at reconciliation failed and his supermodel wife has sued him for divorce, his attorney revealed yesterday. "He is sad....

LEGENDARY GOSSIP GAL THE MODEL OF GREAT REPORTING

A GENTLEMAN never asks a lady's age but I can reveal that we both covered the siege of Stalingrad together. We first met in Hong Kong - "just before the...

'CRIPS' DRUG BUST IN QUEENS

Nearly 100 members of the Crips gang and their associates have been charged in a sweeping NYPD undercover investigation designed to destroy their drug operations in three Far Rockaway housing...

DAD 'TRIGGERED DEATH'

A combination of underage drinking, teenage bravado and a gun led to the death of an unarmed 17-year-old boy on Long Island, prosecutors said yesterday. John White, 53, pleaded not...

HARD TIME FOR PIMP IN BRUNO CASE

The self-proclaimed pimp who got caught with state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno's missing granddaughter in Times Square last month was sentenced yesterday to up to four years for violating...

RATE HIKE WORTH WAIT: CABBIES

Cabbies promise they won't swear or swerve nearly as much if the city moves ahead with plans to double the price of a New York minute. The Taxi and Limousine...

FROM PIRRO TO 50 - HUBBY SPEEDING WOE

ALBANY - The husband of Republican attorney-general candidate Jeanine Pirro has landed in trouble again - nabbed yesterday for going more than twice the speed limit through a school zone....

DA: DUO BUILT & BILKED - 9/11 FIRMS VICTIMIZED

A pair of heartless Chelsea architects stole more than $300,000 by inflating construction costs and pocketing the difference - including from clients trying to rebuild from the 9/11 attacks, officials...

BLOOMY: I AM SO NOT RUNNING

Reacting to a poll that found most Americans willing to consider voting for an independent presidential candidate, Mayor Bloomberg yesterday said that the news had brought a smile to his...

STILL OUR HOTTEST DISH - CITY SALUTES POST'S LONG-RUNNING CINDY

New York today is celebrating Cindy Adams - the tart-tongued tattler who has informed and entertained New York Post readers for a quarter-century with her razor-sharp reporting about the rich,...

SHOT DOWN - WOUNDED REAGAN AIDE RIPS W. FILM; BRADYS WARN OF W.-SLAY FLICK

Former White House press secretary James Brady and his wife, Sarah (right), whose lives forever changed when he was wounded in the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, are warning that...

MIKE FINALLY SEES THE LIGHT ON 9/11 ILLNESS

After saying recently that he saw no link between Ground Zero and first-responder illnesses, Mayor Bloomberg yesterday said he found it "very troublesome" that workers were getting sick and worried...

JUNIOR'S 'CHARADE' RETIREMENT

Federal prosecutors yesterday took aim at John "Junior" Gotti's claims that he left the Mafia - arguing that prison tapes expose the mob scion's retirement as an elaborately contrived charade....

ASTOR WILL TWIST - SON'S CHARITY-$$ GRAB

Society doyenne Brooke Astor would not have been the only victim of her son's alleged elder abuse, legal papers charge. Anthony Marshall schemed to use nearly $8 million she had...

DAD CHARGED IN SLAY OF L.I. TEEN

An explosive combination of underage drinking, teenage bravado and a gun led to the death of an unarmed 17-year-old boy on Long Island, prosecutors said. John White, 53, pleaded not...

MIKE: I'M SO NOT RUNNING

Reacting to a poll that found most Americans willing to consider voting for an independent presidential candidate, Mayor Bloomberg yesterday said that the news had brought a smile to his...

BREAST FEED 'BAN' - TOYS 'R' US FURY

An outraged Brooklyn mom says staffers at the Toys 'R' Us in Times Square tried to stop her from breast-feeding her 7-month-old son within view of other customers, which state...

SEXTORTION DILEMMA - BARING 'PLOT' WOULD EXPOSE GAY LIFE: MCG

In his new tell-all book, former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey says he ruled out telling authorities a vengeful male ex-lover was allegedly blackmailing him for $50 million because it...

FEDS' $1.7B JUNKET RORT

WASHINGTON - Federal bureaucrats have spent $1.7 billion on outrageous junkets, jetting to conferences about turtles in Greece, elephant training in Orlando and maritime issues in Fiji - all at...

MCGRIEVOUS ISN'T TELLING IT STRAIGHT

THERE are several words in the English language that can better describe Jim McGreevey than his chosen title, "gay American." One word would be "whore." In a TV show airing...

EAST SIDE ATM STICK-UP SPREE

A brazen bandit pretending to have a gun has robbed ATM customers four times in three months at the same Upper East Side bank, authorities said yesterday. The thief simulates...

HUSBAND GRILLED IN SAVAGE SLAY NEAR BATTERY PK.

A Bronx mother of five on her way to work was knifed to death yesterday morning near Battery Park, and authorities were questioning her estranged husband, police sources said. Karen...

JUNIOR'S RETIREMENT 'CHARADE'

Federal prosecutors yesterday took aim at John "Junior" Gotti's claims that he left the Mafia - arguing that prison tapes expose the mob scion's retirement as an elaborately contrived charade....

BOGUS VET FACES TIME IN THE CAGE

A bogus pet doctor charged with treating - even operating on - cats and dogs without a license or degree is mulling a plea deal that could put him away...

THE FIRST NEW YORKERS

Long before we lived here, New York State was home to the powerful Iroquois. Today's Classroom Extra takes a look at this Native American nation, which formed a powerful confederacy....

DESIGN STARS - VERA WANG'S LABOR OF LOVELY LAYERS

Dance is hot. First, Michael Kors danced along the chorus line and now Vera Wang's gone to the ballet, though her aesthetic couldn't be further from his. Showing a collection...

GO JAPANESE - POSEN AND WANG'S LABOR OF LOVELY LAYERS

Zac Posen's theme for his spring show was Japanese design crossed with the underwater world of Esther Williams. Japanese water torture? No. Wacky? Yes. But for the girl who appreciates...

FEDS ARE $1.7B JUNKET JUNKIES

WASHINGTON - Federal bureaucrats have spent $1.7 billion on outrageous junkets, jetting to conferences about sea turtles in Greece, elephant training in Orlando and maritime issues in Fiji - all...

'SAD'-SACKED COOK - BARES REGRET OVER CHRISTIE DIVORCE

Christie Brinkley's cheating hubby Peter Cook is heartbroken that his attempts at reconciliation failed and his supermodel wife has sued him for divorce, his attorney revealed yesterday. "He is sad....

WEB CIG TAXES CLOUDED: POL

The city shouldn't make New Yorkers pay taxes on cigarettes they bought over the Internet because those companies never told them they had to, a local lawmaker says. City officials...

JUNKET JUNKIES - FEDS BLEW $1.7B TO SEND STAFF TO PARADISE

WASHINGTON - Federal bureaucrats have spent $1.7 billion on outrageous junkets, jetting to conferences about sea turtles in Greece, elephant training in Orlando, and maritime issues in Fiji - all...

ONCE IN A LIFETIME: STORY OF THE NEW YORK COSMOS (2006)

A documentary on the rise and fall of the now-defunct North American Soccer League's legendary New York Cosmos. Matt Dillon narrates the tale of how Pele and a host of...

KAAT'S CAREER ONE OF THE BEST

JIM Kaat's 23-year broadcasting career ends tonight with Red Sox-Yanks on Ch. 9. With his departure, New York loses much more than a calm, clear and wise voice. We lose...

BIG BLUE IS BACK IN EYE OF THE NORM

Normalcy returned this week for Eli Manning. No more talk about the "Manning Bowl" or stories of backyard basketball and comparisons with his brother, Peyton. The Colts' 26-21 victory last...

CARDS FIND LEADER IN FLORIDA NATIVE SMITH

COLLEGE NOTESTHE football power in his hometown of Tallahassee, Florida State, wasn't interested in Kolby Smith. Miami dropped him like a penny stock when Tyrone Moss committed. Florida never made...

NO SNEE-D FOR ALARM

GIANT NOTES The Giants offensive line may be at full strength against the Eagles. Right guard Chris Snee said his sprained left ankle is healing and is not ruling out...

NADY COULD SEE METS CELEBRATE

MET NOTES PITTSBURGH - At the trade deadline, the Mets moved Xavier Nady to the Pirates. Tonight they'll see their former teammate again. Nady, the Mets' starting right fielder for...

JFK-LINCOLN BATTLE FEATURES TWO STARS

Stephfon Green will likely have to cover some of the nation's best wide receivers when he plays at Penn State. The John F. Kennedy senior will get his first chance...

NEW-LOOK ISLES FACE QUESTIONS

YARMOUTH, Nova Scotia - The Islanders arrived here for training camp eager to finally turn the page on what, by all accounts, was a tumultuous summer that saw sweeping front...

NUMBERS GAME - DEVS' VETS FACE SALARY CAP CRUNCH

The salary cap dilemma has now turned into intrigue for the Devils. An Alexander Mogilny sighting was reported at South Mountain Arena yesterday, but there was no word of Vladimir...

AFRASHAD BOUNCES BACK

Track was sealed, sloppy on cool, gray, dismal day. No turf racing yesterday, none today, nor for foreseeable future. Afrashad, Godolphin sprinter who looked like second coming of Hindoo winning...

RANGERS' JAGR SET TO SHOULDER BURDEN

A year ago much of North America questioned Jaromir Jagr's heart. Now, the only questions are about the condition of his left shoulder following summer rehabilitation from the surgery required...

MUSIC TO NUGENT'S EARS - JETS KICKER HASN'T BOOTED JOB . . . YET

FIVE seconds, Eric Mangini says, that's it. A Jet has five seconds to beat him self up, then he's gotta move on almost as fast as an experienced kicker can...

SPLASH & GRAB - JETS WR STEPS UP; PATS PLAY CATCH-UP

While the Jets are enjoying the emergence of what has the potential to be a rather tough-minded, productive and trustworthy receiving corps, the Patriots are reeling at the position as...

MANGINI READY TO USE 'ADVANTAGE'

JET NOTES Eric Mangini yesterday stressed how crucial it is to get the home fans fired up and behind the team. "I think it is important, wherever you are, to...

BOMBERS MAY SAY GOODBYE, COLUMBUS

YANKEE NOTES The Yankees have informed their Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers, they will be exploring other minor-league options this offseason, and industry sources told The Post they will part...

SHEFF GETTING BACK IN SWING

He wasn't able to get on the field for batting practice and hasn't yet played in a simulated game, but Gary Sheffield said he felt as close to normal as...

JAFFE NEW ISLES ANALYST

As originally reported in The Post, MSG yesterday officially named Billy Jaffe as the analyst for Fox Sports Net's Islanders broadcasts. "After a nationwide search, we found a terrific talent...

FOR PORGY & BASS, THE FISHIN'S EASY

THE best is yet to come, my friends, with saltwater action heating up despite the downturn in the weather. The fluke season ended on a high note with a number...

SHEFF BACK IN THE SWING ... SORT OF

He wasn't able to get on the field for batting practice and hasn't yet played in a simulated game, but Gary Sheffield said he felt as close to normal as...

SECOND-AND-LONG - WEEK 2 TUSSLE VS. EAGLES A GIANT TASK

Nothing like a division foe to shake off a hangover. The Giants, coming off a potentially debilitating loss to the Colts in the yearlong hyped Manning Bowl, can't suffer any...

NFL PRE-GAME BATTLE ON - FOX PLANS WEEK 2 CHANGES

The Fox NFL pre-game show always has been a ratings giant when compared to the CBS version. While the same was true for Week 1 - a week in which...

ORTIZ LIKELY TO GET THE BIGGEST BRONX CHEER

DAVID Ortiz is not very graceful on his feet and was even less so this week backtracking. On Sunday, he denounced Derek Jeter as an MVP candidate and, two days...

5 QUESTIONS FOR JOE MICHELETTI

This week, NYP TV Sports' Mike Forde caught up with MSG Network's new Ranger analyst, Joe Micheletti. The 51year-old, formerly of Fox Sports Net's Islander coverage, was officially named Tuesday...

THE SAWX HAVE HOLES IN THEM - LITTLE DRAMA LEFT AS RIVALS REUNITE AT THE STADIUM

This time, it's a little different. The Red Sox might be nothing more than window dressing this weekend when the Yankees finally nail down their ninth straight AL East title....

FORDE'S MEMO OF THE WEEK

To: Tony Kornheiser From: Mike Forde Re: Monday Night Football CC: Fantasy Geeks Dear Tony: During your first regular-season Monday Night Football broadcast, you openly expressed joy after a long...

GIANT RESPONSE

THE Giants needed a Jay Feely OT field goal to survive in Philly last December, and that was against the battered Eagles' JV. So you certainly have to fear a...

SWEEP OF RAYS NOW COMPLETE

Yankees 7 - Devil Rays 4 Due to last night's late lineup shuffle, Robinson Cano batted in the No. 3 hole for the first time in his career. It's the...

TRENDSETTERS - THE TOP PLAYS

EAGLES (-3) VS. GIANTS, 1 P.M. The favorite is 4-1 in the series' last five. The home team is also 4-1 in that span. The Eagles are 4-1 in the...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

A man in Virginia Beach, Va., was caught on a surveillance video walking into a gas station, inserting a card in an ATM, and punching in a series of numbers...

Week 1 fallout

Some observations from the first week of the NFL season:A serious downgrade is in order for LaMont Jordan. If you have a deep backfield, deal this guy now before he...