September 7, 2001

7TH ON SIXTH PLANS TO PUT ON A HAPPY FACE

For designers, recession has a big silver lining - it's actually an opportunity to be more fabulous than ever. "These designers and their creativity offer escapism, like the movies did...

BOND TITAN REELS IN THE BIG APPLE

After making billions for municipal-bond investors, Jim Lebenthal is finally doing what he really loves - running a video Web site. The 73-year-old chairman of Lebenthal & Co. packs up...

XP IN CROSSHAIRS - U.S. SHIFTS FOCUS, DROPS M'SOFT BREAKUP

The government officially backed down on its plans to have Microsoft broken in two yesterday - but it could have an October surprise in store for Bill Gates' company. Government...

WENNER GETS TO KEEP BURIED TREASURE

After four years of legal wrangling, publisher Jann Wenner has finally won the right to keep his pot of gold from a bordello. A handyman found coins on Wenner's Sun...

RICHES TO RAGS AT GAP

Mickey Drexler's Gap is in deep trouble. The company's 16-month slump reached new depths yesterday as the company's shares dropped 21 percent to close at $15 - their steepest drop...

BLUE CHIP BLOODSHED - MFG. REPORT, EARNINGS KICK DOW DOWN 192

Stocks spiraled in a deathroll again yesterday, sending blue chips crashing under 10,000 on news the economic slowdown was deepening. And market pros say we could go further into bear...

A MAN AND HIS 'GOAT' - NEW ALBEE PLAY EYES B'WAY

EDWARD Albee has said his new play, "The Goat," is about "a goat who falls in love with a man." That is true, but no one should think "The Goat"...

STARR REPORT

Guggenheim fellow is 'First' choiceHollywood director Davis Guggenheim - who's married to actress Elisabeth Shue - is keeping busy these days. Not only is Guggenheim's new documentary, "The First Year,"...

THE BLOWFISH SHOW WETLANDS THEY DO GIVE A HOOT

HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH BIG bands in little clubs always make for fine music, but the Hootie & the Blowfish thank-you concert at the Wetlands Preserve Wednesday was a towering...

IT'S A SMALL CINEMATIC WORLD

ODD coincidences link today's two big releases - "Rock Star" and "The Musketeer" - beyond the fact that both of them are about heroes with really long hair.The last effort...

ANOTHER 'STAR' IS BORN

ROCK STAR [] Charming, wittily cynical heavy-metal comedy. Running time: 106 minutes. Rated R (language). At the 42nd Street E Walk, the Orpheum, the First and 62nd Cinemas, others. -------...

BILLY THE KID - HE'S ONLY 13, BUT THIS SINGER HAS IT BEAT BY A COUNTRY MILE

THERE are few gentlemen in country music as articulate, polite, smart and talented at Billy Gilman. He is so poised that when you talk to him, it's nearly impossible to...

THE SWASH BUCKLES

THE MUSKETEER [] Shoddy remake with obviously fake violence. Running time: 106 minutes. Rated PG-13 (mild sexual humor). At the 42nd Street E Walk, the Kips Bay, the Loews 84th...

GET AHEAD OF THE 'GAME' - SKIP THIS CLUNKER

TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME [ 1/2] Same old tired game. Running time: 90 minutes. Rated R (profanity, sex, violence). At the Empire, the 84th and Broadway, the Harlem USA,...

MURDER IN MEDELLIN IS CHILD'S PLAY IN 'ASSASSINS'

OUR LADY OF THE ASSASSINS [] Love and death in Medellin. Running time: 100 minutes. Rated R (violence, sexuality, frontal male nudity, drugs). At the Lincoln Plaza and the Angelika....

IT'S 'FAIR' TO SAY THAT THIS LONDON 'LADY' IS A CHAMP

MY FAIR LADY LONDON - A great dollop of London nostalgia envelops Cameron Mackintosh's spanking-new production of that magnificent, dance-all-night musical "My Fair Lady," which is again ensconced in the...

JACKSON BACK IN ACTION - THE GLOVED ONE GEARS UP FOR HIS STAR-STUDDED GARDEN PARTY

AFTER more than a decade away from the limelight, the King of Pop makes his big return to the stage tonight, appearing at Madison Square Garden in an attempt to...

BABY JOKE BACKFIRES - LOLA-PALOOZA HAS KELLY KICKING

KELLY Ripa is furious at "All My Children" for poking some fun at her new baby daughter, Lola Grace Consuelos. In a recent episode of "AMC," the character of Mateo...

PUNCHED OUT - NBC AND CBS FIGHT TO A DRAW

THE brawl for it all between NBC and CBS ended in a draw after the summer's highest-rated show "Fear Factor" and CBS' highly anticipated debut of "The Amazing Race" ended...

I COULDN'T STOP WATCHING 'BROTHERS'

AFTER watching the 10-hour "Band of Brothers," I'm so drained by the intensity of what I have just beheld that I'm ready to declare this World War II miniseries the...

ALL EYES ON PETE'S OPEN

PETE Sampras wasn't the only winner in Wednesday night's U.S. Open showdown with Andre Agassi. The see-saw match was the most-watched tennis telecast in cable TV history, according to USA...

BEST BETS ARE OFF - BROADWAY, THAT IS

Off-Broadway is increasingly the place to look for new and exciting fare in drama, the site of promising and fresh work. And this season is shaping up as an unusually...

'TIS THE SEASON

If you thought that all fall meant was heading back to school, guess again. There's nothing better than being a kid in New York City - and when the leaves...

BACH TO RACH: CLASSICAL CONCERTS SPAN THE SPECTRUM

It was a long, hot summer - and after battling the bugs and heat at all those concerts in the park, it's a relief to head back to the concert...

CONJURING UP MOVIE MAGIC: AFTER A DULL SUMMER, EXCITEMENT RETURNS TO THE BIG SCREEN

I wouldn't want to jinx it, but one surely indisputable thing about the upcoming fall movie season is that it can't be worse than the one this summer. And it...

BROADWAY IS BJORN AGAIN: FROM ABBA TO IBSEN, THE THEATER DISTRICT IS HUMMING

IF you like musicals, you'll have plenty to chose from this fall on Broadway. But if you like straight plays, especially new ones, you'll find that the cupboard is bare....

GOING FOR BYRNE: IN POP, SUMMER FLASH GIVES WAY TO AUTUMNAL SUBSTANCE

After a whiz bang summer featuring musical big guns such as U2, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson, Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews and Radiohead - all playing arena extravaganzas - on...

IT'S LADY'S DAY AT MTV AWARDS: 'MARMALADE' VIDEO COMES OUT ON TOP

The smash remake of the '70s hit "Lady Marmalade" took top honors at the MTV Video Music Awards at Lincoln Center last night - MTV's night of little dresses, big...

SCHOOL BUS LOST 6 HRS. WITH CHILD

A handicapped 12-year- old girl got a six-hour tour of Queens yesterday when her school-bus driver got lost taking her home from her first day of class, police said. The...

BOOZING BUSH TWIN NEARLY IN THE CLEAR

WASHINGTON - If First Twin Barbara Bush stays cool until midnight tonight, she's off the hook on the Margaritaville bust - when she and sister Jenna tried to buy booze...

EXEC IS SET TO PAY $40M FOR CONDO

Despite a slowing economy, a record $40 million is about to be plunked down for a luxury condo. The whopping sum is expected to be paid for an 8,500-square-foot pad...

WHEN GOING PUBLIC IS TOO BIG A GAMBLE

MY daughter is not yet 3, and can't possibly understand the political statement she's making. On Monday, her father and I will give her a kiss, wipe away tears -...

BIG DROP IN FELONY CRIME AROUND TOWN

Crime in New York has fallen 13 percent this year - including drops in the murder rate and every major felony, Mayor Giuliani announced yesterday. "Something . . . is...

NEW YORK POST FROM SEPT. 7, 1886

"Geronimo's Capture - Officially Confirmed - The End of an Arduous Campaign," read The Post's headline as we reported: "Gen. Miles has returned to Fort Bowie with Natchez, the son...

THE REAL FISTFIGHT ISN'T FOR MAYOR

THERE'S an election on Tuesday. It's full of fire, excitement, conflict, harsh words, strong rhetoric. Unfortunately, it ain't the mayor's race. Two Democrats are vying for the ambiguous pleasure of...

GREEN AND FREDDY IN TUSSLE OVER 'PROFILING'

Mark Green yesterday dismissed rival Fernando Ferrer's proposal to ban racial profiling as "symbolic" and said it will "go nowhere," as Ferrer touted his plan on the campaign trail. The...

FRAT DEATH REMAINS A MYSTERY

Murder has been ruled out in the mysterious death of a beloved Long Island college student who collapsed and died on the porch of his University of Maryland frat house....

BUSH SENDING POL TO SUDAN ON 'SEEK THE PEACE' MISSION

WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday tapped former Sen. John Danforth as a special envoy to "bring some sanity to the Sudan" by fighting slavery and seeking peace. The oil-rich Sudan's...

ARAFAT TO JOIN TALKS - PERES MOVES FOR TRUCE AS 3 MORE DIE

JERUSALEM - Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said yesterday he will meet Yasser Arafat next week to try to end the violence that claimed three more lives yesterday. Peres, at...

BRITNEY BACK ON BILL WITH GLOVED ONE

Britney Spears will be there for Michael Jackson, but Ricky Martin is beating it. Spears is definitely pairing up with Jackson tonight for the first of two shows at Madison...

W. VOWS '100% EFFORT' ON IMMIGRATION

WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday told Mexico's visiting leader that he'll put "100 percent effort" into trying to solve the illegal-immigrant problem, but hinted it won't get done this year....

COURT ORDER HAS MARIAH LOCKED UP IN PSYCH CARE

Back in the hospital after flipping out again, Mariah Carey is in such bad shape that her worried shrinks got a court order to force her to remain in treatment...

PERMISSIVE PARENTS CREATE MORAL VACUUM

THE press has been full of horror stories for the past year about how teenagers engage in sexual behavior usually reserved for the sets of porn movies. Everybody wonders where...

MOB CHIEF BIT BY 'HIT': JAILED CAPO TRIED TO HIRE KILLER: FEDS

An imprisoned mob capo was charged yesterday with plotting the murder of a Bronx car dealer from behind bars, officials said. Gregory DePalma, an ailing Gambino chieftain serving a six-year...

FOX NEWS SUES OVER PAULA'S CNN MOVE

The Paula Zahn controversy is the latest salvo in the war pitting all-news cable ratings king Fox News Channel against struggling CNN. And now it's getting ugly. Fox News Channel...

OLD 'GAGS' COULD HAUNT BLOOMBERG

Mayoral hopeful Michael Bloomberg lobs insults at everyone from gays and women to Jews - and even the borough of Queens - in a booklet of "wit and wisdom" compiled...

MOB-BUSTERS TAKE 'CHOP' AT THEFT RING

Reputed Genovese capo Federico "Fritzie" Giovanelli was among nearly two dozen alleged mobsters pleading not guilty yesterday to a 105-count extortion and conspiracy indictment charging them with running a network...

SUIT: ROSIE SPIED ON STAFFERS

Smoke-detector bug?Rosie O'Donnell is being sued by three former members of her security staff who say she spied on them at her south Florida mansion, it was reported yesterday. Chris...

DANNY'S LATEST START: 8TH GRADE AT MS 52

Danny Almonte started eighth grade yesterday, dodging threats of an after-school brawl and questions from students curious about the Bronx Baby Bomber who turned out to be a ringer. Disgraced...

PEN MIGHT BE BRONX KID-SLAY WEAPON

Bronx cops recovered a pen that may have been used to fatally stab 4-year- old Emmanuel Barima in the jugular - and they were conducting tests to determine if it's...

PIGSKIN STRIPPER IS ANNUAL RITE: PLAYER

A Horace Greeley HS football player says the team throws a stripper party every year - complete with beer drinking and pot smoking - and he doesn't understand why there's...

MTV'S VID KIDS ARRIVE IN STYLE - HOTTEST NEW STARS MAKE CHIC SCENE AT LINCOLN CENTER

Hip-hop popped over to the opera last night for the star-studded MTV Video Music Awards at Lincoln Center. P. Diddy's little girls - Bad Boy Records' babe band Dream -...

RUDY STANDS UP FOR VIAGRA COVERAGE

Move over, Bob Dole. Mayor Giuliani is becoming something of a Viagra pitchman. The mayor, who has been battling prostate cancer, blasted a city insurance company for calling the love...

VALLONE HITS A HIGH NOTE SHARING BILL WITH TONY

Peter Vallone yesterday stepped on the accelerator of his campaign, stumping with singer Tony Bennett, making a surprise appearance with the teachers-union boss, and taking the wraps off a new...

PARENTS RIP SCHOOL CUT$ - CLAIM KIDS ARE PAWNS IN ALBANY BUDGET WAR

Angry parents declared a back-to-school "state of emergency" yesterday after hearing of budget cuts that wiped out sports and after-school programs and other services. "All of our after-school programs are...

CASUAL WAS COOL FOR THIS NIGHT AT THE OPERA

Just because the MTV Video Music Awards were back at Lincoln Center this year doesn't mean that the nominees and guests dressed as if they were going to the opera...

MSG CONCERTS CRUCIAL TO $TRAPPED JACKSON

It's do or die for Michael Jackson tonight. Despite living one of the most lavish lifestyles in the world, the self-proclaimed King of Pop is in dire financial straits and...

WOWING UNCLE WALTER

Walter Cronkite has served up some smashing stories in his day, but he was gushing yesterday over the classic U.S. Open quarterfinals match between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. "The...

KISSINGER TO BE SUED IN CHILE DEATH

The family of a murdered Chilean general plans to file suit against Henry Kissinger, alleging the general's kidnapping in 1970 was ordered by President Nixon and Kissinger, the TV show...

SKY-HIGH BUYER EYES $40M DEAL FOR CONDO

Despite a slowing economy, a record $40 million is about to be plunked down for a luxury condo. The whopping sum is expected to be paid for an 8,500-square-foot pad...

QNS. COP FIRES ON RAPPER CAPONE

A police officer opened fire at a black Mercedes-Benz owned by the rapper Capone as he attempted to flee a wild fracas at a Queens nightclub early yesterday, police said....

DON'T WANT TO FRY? TRY A PIZZA PIE!

Want to sizzle in the sun without the danger? Eat a couple of slices of pizza first. Researchers say the Italian favorite can actually protect your skin. The ingredients keep...

CONDIT HOLES UP IN D.C.

WASHINGTON - While his colleagues debate whether he should be kicked off the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Gary Condit is spending his first days back at work on Capitol Hill...

TIMO: FROM LEFT OUT TO LEFT FIELD

MET NOTES MIAMI - Bobby Valentine always has liked Timo Perez. Valentine thinks Perez' major league struggles were due in large part to his bruised left hand. Last night, Valentine...

THE MIRACLE LIVES - AMAZIN'S FRY FISH, INCH UP ON RAVES

MIAMI - The Mets are trying to do the unimaginable. They are looking for a miracle. And every day, to paraphrase the Five Man Electrical Band, there seem to be...

TOP NCAA HOOP SQUADS GET GARDEN PARTY INVITES

The road to the Final Four goes through the NCAA Tournament. And the road to the Big Dance will go through the Garden, Joel Fisher, senior vice president of sports...

FORECAST STILL HOT DESPITE COOL WEATHER

AS is usual for the first week of September, the weather made a turn towards fall, and around that bend we see some exciting fishing for saltwater anglers in New...

SPEAK OF THE MONSTER - JETS O-LINE SINGS ABRAHAM'S PRAISES

One by one they shudder, sigh and squirm on their locker stool. The subject yesterday was Jets defensive end John Abraham and the interviewees were Abraham's offensive teammates being asked...

CHAD CAN'T STOMACH FULL PRACTICE

JET NOTES For the second consecutive day, Jets punt and kick returner Chad Morton did not practice full, leaving him only with today's session to prepare for Sunday's opener. Morton,...

ISLES NAME RADIO VOICE

Now that the players are all taken care of with the $87.5 million signing this week of Alexei Yashin, the Islanders have hired John Wiedeman to handle the club's radio...

REFS BLEW CALL BY REJECTING DEAL

NEWS that the NFL referees' union rejected the league's latest contract proposal, ensuring replacement officials will work at least the opening weekend of the regular season, was greeted by a...

PREACH, JESSIE, PREACH! - ARMSTEAD BREAKS DOWN BIG BLUE 'D'

The Giants have a master plan to earn the respect of the skeptics, and it is called Dee-Fense. It involves stirring the echoes of Huff and Robustelli, of Taylor and...

FARIA'S METROSTAR ON RISE

When MetroStar scouts first saw Rodrigo Faria last year in the Copa Latina games, they knew the 6-1 forward playing for Team USA had enough talent to make it in...

HOW TO WIN LIKE CHAMP

Belmont Park kicks off its Fall Championship meet today. Here are some people and angles to keep an eye on. JOCKEYS Jerry Bailey broke his own record with 55 wins...

JINTS STILL FIGHTING FOR A LITTLE RESPECT

GIANT NOTES When the Giants walk from their locker room to the trainer's room and vice versa, they can't help but notice the signs of disrespect. Jim Fassel had all...

ROBBY'S READY TO SHOW JORGE WHO'S THE BOSS - SPIT-SUSPENSION LIKELY 5-7 GAMES

Without talking to Jorge Posada, Frank Robinson is going to suspend the Yankees' All-Star catcher this morning for freaking on umpire Andy Fletcher Monday in Toronto. Baseball's top cop is...

HINGIS-SERENA WILL BE WAR - VENUS TAKES ON CAPPY IN OTHER SEMIFINAL

Martina Hingis began the U.S. Open under attack for making politically incorrect remarks about the Williams sisters. Now Hingis, whose distaste for the Williams family is no secret, gets a...

KUERTEN COMES CRASHING DOWN - TOP-SEEDED BRAZILIAN BOWS TO KAFELNIKOV

It just wasn't Guga's day. Even Gustavo Kuerten's Brazilian flag-waving fans got upstaged at the U.S. Open by a man who interrupted play to wave the American flag and proudly...

IT'S KNIGHT FALL - INEXPERIENCED KENNEDY WON'T MAKE RETURN RUN

They are the defending champions. They have been a longtime power. They are supposed to be intimidating. But the Kennedy Knights, according to new head coach Terry Mansfield, don't fit...

JEFFERSON AIMS HIGH

Nets rookie Richard Jefferson won't get tangled in a numbers game - unless you want to talk about victories. As far as personal statistical goals, Jefferson couldn't care less. Just...

MRI SLATED ON JETER HAMMY

YANKEE NOTES Derek Jeter and his cranky left hamstring will be stuffed into an MRI tube today in order to determine just how severe the injury is. Jeter, who was...

YOUNG GUNS - SCOUTS SELECT BASEBALL'S BEST ARMS UNDER 25

ON Monday, the Cards' Bud Smith no-hit the Padres, C.C. Sabathia became the first Indian rookie in 46 years to reach 15 wins and Colorado's Jason Jennings won his third...

PETE CAN'T EXHALE YET

The resurrection of Pete Sampras still has two chapters left. He deserves to lift the U.S. Open trophy after his back-to-back throwback stunners over Patrick Rafter in the Round of...

BABY BOMBERS THUMP 'CLONES

S.I. Yanks 6 - Cyclones 1 The scene, atmosphere and quality were far different, but the result was similar. For one night, at least, the Ferry Series looked a lot...

HEWITT HALTS RODDICK'S RUN

As his backhand winner down the line sent him into tomorrow's U.S. Open semifinals, Lleyton Hewitt fell face-down on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court, as much from exhaustion as relief....

MIRACLE IN MAKING? - METS STILL HAVE LONG WAY TO GO

MIAMI - Shhh! The Mets don't want anyone to know they might be in the midst of a miracle. Even though they won't admit it, they know they've trimmed the...

A GOOD DAY OFF, FOR PETE'S SAKE

The resurrection of Pete Sampras still has two chapters left. Sampras deserves to lift the U.S. Open trophy after his back-to-back throwback stunners over Patrick Rafter in the Round of...

MSG COLLEGE HOOP HEAVEN

The road to the Final Four goes through the NCAA Tournament. And the road to the Big Dance will go through the Garden, Joel Fisher, senior vice president of sports...

BOBBY O, HOJO KNOW THE FEELIN'

Obviously, being in the playoffs in the Class A New York Penn League isn't the same as it is in the majors. Bobby Ojeda has been to both, so he...

PIGSKIN PROFIT

There are few sure bets in life except the following: Every time you look at Dubya, don't you see a nine-year-old pretending to be president? Every time you look at...

THE MIRACLE LIVES - AMAZIN'S FRY FISH, INCH UP ON BRAVES

Mets 5 - Marlins 2 MIAMI - Hope gained a little more momentum last night. The Mets continued to build on their miracle by enlisting help from relievers who weren't...