November 26, 2004

ANYTHING WON'T DO - LUXE IS NOT ENOUGH; IT'S GOT TO BE ONE-OF-A-KIND

If you don't want to carry the same "It" bag that's dangling from every fashionista's arm, now you can design your own. Labels from Gucci to Goyard are offering personalized...

ANOTHER HUMBUG CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY FOR TIME INC.

THE magazine industry says it had a good 2004, but you wouldn't know that from the Christmas bonus Time Inc. CEO Ann Moore handed out recently. The company is once...

FASCINATING DOC DOESN'T PITY PATTY

GUERRILLA: THE TAKING OF PATTY HEARST[] (Three satrs) An insightful time capsule. Running time: 89 minutes. Not rated (violence, sex). At the Angelika, Houston and Mercer streets. ROBERT Stone's first-rate...

EXPLOSION A BLAST

AFTER performing as the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion for 13 years, the fiery rock trio decided to show some increased camaraderie and dropped the Jon Spencer part of its name...

FILM PICK

DEADLY DAMES: Bette Davis and Barbara Stanwyck both turned the part down, but Joan Crawford won her only Oscar as waitress-turned-restrateur Mildred Pierce, who goes to extreme lengths to protect...

KIDS' PICK

"THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE": Gilbert and Sullivan's wacky musical comedy "The Pirates of Penzance" comes to life in a new 50-minute version for kids. This updated rendition features modern dialogue...

STARR REPORT

Mario Cantone, currently starring in "Laugh Whore," is thinking of taking the show on the road to San Francisco for a one-night-only engagement when he tapes "Laugh Whore" for a...

FIZZLE OUT - BACK TO HARVARD FOR 'APPRENTICE' WHIZ

IN the end it was a really angry bridal salon owner who left Andy Litinsky, the former U.S. National Debating champ speechless - and fired by Donald Trump. Litinsky, 23,...

MUSIC PICK

DR. FEELGOOD: Blues master Dr. John concludes his 2004 world tour with two headlining dates, tonight and tomorrow, at B.B. King's Blues Club. Known for his spooky swamp rock and...

INDIE MUSIC PICK

CRASH LANDING: Due to some already well-publicized ugly business happenings too tawdry to deal with here, the original Punk/Metal Karaoke band, with acerbic M.C. Owen Comaskey, has left Arlene Grocery...

'ROOF' CAVING IN - ONSTAGE ACCIDENTS SCARE CAST

BEFORE Harvey Fierstein begins performances next month in "Fiddler on the Roof," he and his people might want to do a safety check of the show. There has been a...

DANCE PICK

NUTCRACKING AT 50: Fifty years ago, George Balanchine on Feb. 2, 1954, to be precise, first staged his own production of the Tchaikovsky ballet "The Nutcracker" at City Center. It...

'WE DON'T FLOCK TO DOCS'

A nursing group is slamming Dr. Phil McGraw over comments he made on his talk show about nurses chasing doctors. The Center for Nursing Advocacy took umbrage with McGraw's comments,...

SO SAD, I LAUGHED ALL NIGHT

"NOEL" Sunday night at 8 on TNT One big (leftover) turkey Just when you think you've seen it all, you get to see it all again in "Noel," a star-studded...

RATHER RUINS TOM FAREWELL

WHOEVER CBS picks to replace Dan Rather, they should make the announcement on Tom Brokaw's last day on "Nightly News" next Wednesday. That way, a big, fat chunk of Thursday's...

SHOP OF HORRORS - HOW TO SALE THROUGH DEPARTMENT STORES' BUSIEST DAY OF THE YEAR

IT'S 9 a.m. on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, and you're stuck in a crowd of desperate shoppers pressed up against the glass doors of your...

TRAGIC VICTORY - GAL BEAT DEMONS BEFORE FATAL CRASH

A woman who recently drowned with two friends when their car veered off the road and into the Passaic River in Newark was a "beacon" of hope for people recovering...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

A masked robber beat his victim - then drove him to the hospital when he realized the injured man was a friend. "You were supposed to get knocked out and...

SOLDIERING ON

A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT[] (Three stars) "Amélie" meets "Paths of Glory." Running time: 134 minutes. In French, with English subtitles. Rated R (violence, sex). At the Paris and the Sunshine....

A HOLIDAY SALUTE TO MY NIECE & HERO

SGT. Heather Rudolph had a pressing engagement around the globe this Thanksgiving. Her place at our table was empty. But she did find the time to send a message home...

COUNCIL SPEAKER AWARDS $50M TO 'FRIENDS'

City Council Speaker Gifford Miller, who is expected to run for mayor next year, has directed more than $50 million to groups represented by lobbyists and others who have either...

GOLDEN GIBSON - MEL GETS $395M WINDFALL FROM 'PASSION'

Meet Mel Gibson: actor, director - and now the $395 million man. Make that $395 million and counting. Now that the smoke has cleared and the controversy has subsided, that's...

TYCOONS' TREAT - RESORT DREAMS UP$8.4 MIL VACATION

A publicity-starved luxury resort on the Mexican coast is targeting bored billionaires with the world's most expensive holiday package - three days and nights of high-end surf and turf for...

DEMOCRATS NOT VERY WELL 'RED'

EXCEPT for sneering Michael Moore types, the new mantra of Democrats is learning how to see red - as in Republican red states. Problem is, nobody appears to want the...

TOXIC TERROR LAB - ANTHRAX GUIDE FOUND, ZARQAWI AIDE NABBED

A close aide of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was captured yesterday - as Iraqi troops discovered a laboratory with manuals on manufacturing explosives and toxins. Abu Saeed, a lieutenant...

UKRAINE 'MAYHEM' - TURMOIL AS COURT NIXES ELECTION RESULTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday denounced the "mayhem" in Ukraine and said the postelection chaos sweeping the nation must be resolved in the courts and not in the streets. "All...

TERRORIST IN ELECTION BID FROM PRISON

JERUSALEM - A terrorist commander serving five life sentences will run from his jail cell in elections to succeed Yasser Arafat - and has a good chance of winning, his...

INSURANCE BIGS CALLED ON CARPET

ALBANY - The state's top auto insurers have been summoned to meet with the head of the state Insurance Department to discuss lowering their rates. Insurance Superintendent Gregory Serio took...

A GAGGLE OF GRATITUDE

I KNOW it's the day after Thanksgiving, but even so, it's a good day to continue expressing thanks. I am especially grateful this year for: The sacrifice, courage, bravery and...

KIN MOURN KIDS 'SLAIN BY FATHER'

It was a day of grief yesterday for relatives of two slain East Harlem children whose deranged dad is accused of killing them. Florence Middleton, the great-grandmother of the young...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

QUEENS * A 30-year-old man was robbed and shot after he left a Jamaica nightclub early yesterday, police sources said. The victim, whose name was not released, told cops he...

NICE SPICE RACK - MARTHA'S BEEN SMUGGLING SEASONINGS IN BRA: INMATES

Martha Stewart's prison secrets - right down to the spices she allegedly sneaks into her bra - have been revealed by her cellmates. Fellow "Camp Cupcake" inmates are monitoring Martha's...

HAMPTONS DWI DRIVER HITS THREE

Three young people leaving a Hamptons nightclub early this morning were injured when a drunken driver slammed into them as they crossed a road, cops said. Heather Schmalz, 21, and...

W. BOOSTS MORALE OF B'KLYN SAILOR

President Bush made it a very special Thanksgiving for a Brooklyn family yesterday when he called their sailor son on his ship in the Persian Gulf near Iraq - and...

BRAZIL BAGS FUGITIVE GAMBINO MOBSTER

A top Gambino mobster has been busted in Brazil on murder and drug charges and is awaiting extradition to the U.S., authorities said yesterday. John Edward Alite, 44, also known...

PIT BULL ATTACKS B'KLYN GIRL

A stray pit bull yesterday attacked a 7-year-old Brooklyn girl - who was saved when an off-duty cop shot the ferocious animal. The brown brindle dog bit the child's arm...

PUB FANS ARE 'RENT' WITH SORROW

A popular bar that has stood at the corner of First Avenue and 21st Street for more than 60 years closed its doors for the last time yesterday, the victim...

BALLOONS & LOVE IN AIR - THANKSGIVING PARADE WARMS HEARTS

Santa Claus nearly needed Bermuda shorts yesterday as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off the holiday season amid balmy temperatures that made it feel like summer. Tens of thousands...

LOVELY SMILE A PRANK SHATTERED - TURKEY VICTIM AS KIN, PALS KNOW HER

This exclusive photo shows a cheerful, smiling Victoria Ruvolo - before nearly every bone in her face was shattered by a Long Island teenager who hurled a 20-pound turkey at...

HELLO, IT'S DUBYA - BOOSTS B'KLYN FAMILY WITH CALL TO SAILOR SON

President Bush made it a very special Thanksgiving for a Brooklyn family yesterday when he called their sailor son on his ship in the Persian Gulf. The sailor then phoned...

L.I. TEEN 'BURGLAR' TEAM BUSTED

An off-duty NYPD detective helped nab three teens who've been on a pistol-packing rampage, after he spotted them burglarizing a Long Island home, police said yesterday. Milton Nelson Jr. and...

TOXIC LAB DISCOVERED AS ZARQAWI PAL NABBED

A close aide of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was captured yesterday - as Iraqi troops discovered a laboratory with manuals on manufacturing explosives and toxins. Abu Saeed, a lieutenant...

SCARY HARRY PLOT - GUNFIRE & KIDNAP FRIGHT CUT TRIP SHORT

Britain's Prince Harry was being rushed home from a vacation in Argentina last night after armed bandits hatched a plot to kidnap him there, it was reported yesterday. Princess Diana's...

GONE IN 60 MIN. - MIKE WALLACE ARREST GOT ME FIRED: TLC GUY

Speaking out for the first time, the TLC inspector who busted newsman Mike Wallace over the summer insisted to The Post he was fired last week because of the incident....

MOB-HIT ALARM - JAILED GODFATHER'S SON IN DANGER

The imprisonment of reputed Bonanno acting boss Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano has ignited fears that his son, suspected in the slaying of a Genovese leader's son earlier this year, will...

CO-OP WILL PAY 140G TO CLEAR $1M TAX TAB

Tenants in a politically potent and exclusive Queens co-op have agreed to pay $140,000 to settle a $1 million bill for an obscure tax that the city didn't collect for...

PUB FANS ARE 'RENT' WITH SORROS

A popular bar at the corner of First Avenue and 21st Street for more than 60 years closed its doors for the last time in the wee hours of Thursday...

CHEERS STAR'S O.D. - SHELLEY LONG IN 'SUICIDE' BID

Bubbly blond "Cheers" star Shelley Long - depressed over the bust-up of her marriage - was rushed to the hospital after taking an overdose of painkillers in an apparent suicide...

BABE IN BLOCK PARTY - KING OF SWING SET FOR AUCTION

Can we just ignore Lot 140 for a second? Yes, the baseball bat that Babe Ruth used to clout the first home run ever hit at Yankee Stadium is the...

JOHN THOMPSON NO FAN OF 'ZO COMEBACK

LOS ANGELES - John Thompson said he understands the frustration of his former player, Alonzo Mourning. He agrees with many of the points Mourning has raised about coming back to...

MEDIA LIT THE FUSE FOR BRAWL

OLD STORY, new cast. The Emperor's New Throwback Jerseys. Saturday, the morning after, bookers for TV and radio news and talk programs jumped to find guests who might explain what...

CAMPAIGN PROMOTES YOUTH HUNTING

GETTING the youth of this country turned on to hunting is the goal of a number of organizations that have created a campaign called "Start 'Em Young." The majority of...

NETS' LOSING STREAK HITS 7

Clippers 101 - Nets 88 LOS ANGELES - Take heart, Nets fans - or fan. You've got the Blazers on Sunday. And as you know, the Nets are the Blazers'...

EMMONS GETS ANOTHER CHANCE VS. FORMER TEAM

GIANT NOTES The last time the Giants and Eagles hooked up is not a memory any of the Giants want to recall in any great detail - especially Carlos Emmons....

EAGLES PUTTIN' ON THE BLITZ

Question: Will the Eagles blitz Eli Manning in his second NFL start? Eagles head coach Andy Reid: "We do that every week." Giants coach Tom Coughlin: "There isn't any question...

CHAD STEPS UP PRACTICE PACE

JET NOTES Chad Pennington didn't just throw for the second straight day yesterday, he participated in the entire practice, slowly but steadily making his way back into the lineup after...

UNSAFE TRACK CURTAILS CARD

The Thanksgiving Day card at Aqueduct was cancelled yesterday after two races because of unsafe track conditions. NYRA issued rain checks to fans in attendance, which numbered 2,553 by 11...

MARBURY, PENNY FEED THE HUNGRY

Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway dished out more than assists last Saturday in preparation of Thanksgiving. The Team Marbury Charitable Foundation and The Penny Hardaway Foundation gave away 2,000 turkey...

ALLAN THANKFUL RETURN IS NEAR

When Allan Houston sat down for a Thanksgiving feast yesterday, it was time for serious reflection. It was time - finally - to give thanks, his long rehab ordeal on...

JETS EXTEND BRADWAY - GM GETS TWO MORE YEARS

Terry Bradway sure had his share of things to be thankful for yesterday when it was learned the Jets GM received a two-year contract extension. Assistant GM Mike Tannenbaum also...

VET NETS FIND LOSING HARD

LOS ANGELES - In their first two seasons in the NBA, the Nets' Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brian Scalabrine went to the Finals. In their third season, they advanced...

FRANK REMEMBERS KERRY'S CONTRIBUTIONS

NET NOTES LOS ANGELES - For three days in Denver, it was all Kenyon Martin, all the time. While there was some attention paid to him here, Kerry Kittles did...

DEMON DEACON 'D' DOIN' DA JOB - WILL FACE ARIZONA IN NIT FINAL

There was no stopping Wake Forest last season. The Demon Deacons averaged 83.5 points in the nation, third best. The problem was that Wake wasn't very good at stopping anyone...

DREAM FINISH FOR HUSKIES - EDGE KNIGHTS TO SECURE FIRST BOWL BID

UConn 41 - Rutgers 35 His dream had minutes before become his destiny. An afternoon he anticipated for a decade had arrived yesterday at Rutgers Stadium. And there was Jeff...

ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION - STEINER NO GREAT LOSS TO YANK RADIO BOOTH

Many in the Yankee broadcasting community are pleased to see Charley Steiner leave for the Dodgers' booth - starting with his now ex-partner, John Sterling. Sterling and Steiner formed a...

5 QUESTIONS FOR JOHN SAUNDERS

This week, NYP TV Sports' Andrew Marchand spoke with ABC/ESPN's John Saunders, who has been criticized for his emotional commentary on ESPN after last week's Detroit-Indiana brawl. Q: Immediately after...

MARCHAND'S MATCHUP OF THE WEEK

Jimmy Johnson vs. Mike Ditka (Who is a better analyst?) On Fox NFL Sunday last week, Jimmy Johnson said, "I don't know if Quincy Carter is Paul Hackett's type of...

THE KID IS ALL RIGHT - ELI CAN STILL LEAD GIANTS TO PLAYOFFS: COLLINSWORTH

Sunday Eagles at Giants 1 p.m., Fox Yes, Eli Manning is only a rookie, but the Giants' playoff hopes rest on his right arm. Cris Collinsworth of Fox and HBO...