December 23, 2004
ATTENTION CEOS: NOW'S THE TIME TO STRUT YOUR STUFF
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amSo, there was the head of your company, out on the dance floor at the holiday party gyrating to Jingle Bell Rock with the woman who hands out office supplies....
EURO-TRASHED - GATES ORDERED TO SPLIT WINDOWS, MEDIA PLAYER
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amBillionaire Bill Gates is sporting a new black eye today. His Microsoft Corp.'s effort to overturn a legal decision in Europe fell flat, and left the software giant banned from...
IT'S SWEET REVENGE FOR RAINES NEMESIS
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amFranklin Raines' resignation as CEO of Fannie Mae is sweet vindication for little-known regulator Armando Falcon. Falcon, director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, was torched with criticism...
SCHOLASTIC DAZE ; STOCK'S RUNUP BELIES TROUBLE FOR PUBLISHER
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amHarry Potter's magic may not work much longer to keep his parent company's stock aloft. Despite blockbuster advance sales of the sixth book in the celebrated entertainment series, its U.S....
BLOCKBUSTER IN RENTAL PRICE WAR
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amThe war of the worlds of online movie rentals is claiming more casualties - this time Blockbuster, once again. For the second time this year, the struggling Blockbuster Inc. cut...
STARR REPORT
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amNew Joe radio show MSNBC host Joe Scarbo rough, who's been waylaid by a bad back, has inked a deal with Westwood One to launch a radio version of "Scarborough...
HAUNTED BY MARTHA - THE STEWART COOKING SHOW THAT DOESN'T STAR STEWART
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amMARTHA Stewart was personally involved in the development and promotion of her company's new cooking show late last summer, even as her legal problems weighed heavily on her mind. Just...
NEVER TU' LATE
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amHE may be dead, but Tupac Shakur's still at the top of his game. The rapper's "Loyal to the Game" debuted at No. 1 this week - moving 330,000 copies,...
'MAN'S' MAN WANTS TO BED 'DAILY SHOW'
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amSNARKY "Man Show" co-host Adam Carolla could be heading back to TV in a talk show cohort to "The Daily Show" as early as next summer. "We're hoping it'll be...
WILL THE REAL MARTHA PLEASE SAUTÉ
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amNOW that CBS has lost Martha Stewart to NBC, it's looking to replace the jailed "Domestic Diva" with the winner of a reality show, of all things. "Wickedly Perfect," premiering...
ALL ABOUT EVE - HAVE WE GOT NEW YEAR'S PLANS FOR YOU!
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amSO, you're all booked up for New Year's Eve 2005 - right? No? Well, don't worry. There may be only just over a week to go until the biggest party...
Correction Date: 12/24/2004
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amCorrection: A comment in yesterday's Post was mistakenly attributed to Valentine Burroughs. It should have been attributed to City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden. The quote was, "Our death rate...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amA North Carolina newspaper office became the news itself when a deer barged through the front door and began leaping over reporters' desks. It then toppled a Christmas tree before...
EAST SIDE 'BROTHEL' INDICTMENT
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amA Manhattan grand jury has some Christmas coal for the fishnet stockings of the two sexy sisters charged with running an Upper East Side brothel: an indictment. Elise Paulino, 50...
KIN'S ANGUISH AT HERO MOM'S FUNERAL
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amThe Queens mother killed in a blaze that left her husband and three children horribly burned was hailed as a hero yesterday for risking her life to save her loved...
CROCODILE TEARS; BLAKE GAVE BAD 'PERFORMANCE' AFTER SLAY: WITNESS
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amLOS ANGELES - A witness panned Robert Blake's "performance" the night of his wife's murder, testifying that the "Baretta" star was not convincing in the role of a horrified husband....
HAWKS GETTING A NEW ROOST
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amThe city's most famous homeless birds are getting a new roost today at the swank co-op they were evicted from earlier this month. The new roost on the 12th-floor ledge...
HERALD SQ. MADMAN PLEADS GUILTY
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amA knife-wielding maniac who randomly stabbed four people in Herald Square pleaded guilty yesterday to attempted murder. José DeJesus - who ran amok with an 8-inch kitchen knife in Greeley...
CITY SPIKE IN DEATH BY DIABETES
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amThe number of New Yorkers who died from diabetes has risen sharply, making it the fourth leading cause of death in the city, health statistics released yesterday revealed. The summary...
FERRY BOSS OKS CITY-PAID LAWYER
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amA Staten Island Ferry boss who is fighting manslaughter charges stemming from last year's horrific crash wants the city to continue paying his legal fees even though his lawyer could...
BLAIR 'MAPS' IT OUT; CALLS SUMMIT TO PRESS FOR PEACE
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amJERUSALEM - British Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday that he would host a London summit next March to promote Palestinian reforms and help revive the Mideast peace "road map."...
WALL ST. JACKPOT; BONUSES SOAR- AS PROFITS SLIP
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amWall Street employees will enjoy near-record bonuses this year, despite a precipitous drop in profits throughout much of the financial sector, according to a report issued yesterday by State Comptroller...
HIP-HOP HEAVEN IN CHURCH ; 'REV.' RAPPERIS DEEJAYING AND PRAYING
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amA pioneering rap star is taking hip-hop from the projects to the pulpit. Kurtis Blow is one of the founders of "The Hip-Hop Church" at two Harlem parishes, which features...
MARTHA TURNS JAIL ACTIVIST
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amMartha Stewart has two main complaints about the federal penitentiary where she is serving her sentence: the lack of rehabilitation for women behind bars and "the bad food." In the...
L.I. TOWN MOURNS SLAIN JEWELER
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amA beloved jeweler who was gunned down in his shop during an apparent robbery was a family man and a fixture in his upper-crust Glen Head, L.I., enclave. "He was...
FEDS DID FINE JOB OF FRAMING FAMILY SHOT
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amONE in a coffin, five in the can - the feds have made the world safe. Teflon Don John died in prison, brothers Richie and Gene, nephews John Jr. and...
JOYS OF DONATING 'PLASMA'
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amWives, if you want your men to do all the housework in 2005, buy them plasma TVs for Christmas. A new survey by plasma-maker Panasonic found that 36 percent of...
CITY'S DEMS MOST LOYAL
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amWASHINGTON - Mayoral wannabe Rep. Anthony Weiner is among the most loyal Democrats in Congress, siding with his party and opposing President Bush nearly all the time, according to a...
SHRINK'S JUNKIE 'PILL MILL'; PARK AVE. RX SCAM
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amA disgraced Upper East Side psychiatrist was slammed with 1,000 hours of community service yesterday on pill-pushing charges. Manhattan prosecutors had said Ahron Friedberg, 40, ran his Park Avenue office...
BASEBALL SALARIES TAKE SURPRISE SLIDE; AVERAGE AT 'ONLY' $2.3M
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amIn baseball, the rich may keep getting richer, but the average are getting poorer. For the first time in nearly a decade, baseball's average salary dropped last year, sliding 2.5...
SUICIDE-SLAY SNEAK - MOSUL TENT-MASSACRE BOMBER WORKED AT GI BASE FOR TWO MONTHS
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amWASHINGTON - The mess-tent massacre that killed 13 GIs was the work of a fanatic suicide bomber who was able to penetrate heavy security to carry out the attack, the...
'WIFE-BATTERING' STATE GOP BIGSHOT SAYS HE'S TRULY SORRY
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amALBANY - The state Republican Party's top lawyer yesterday apologized for assaulting his wife and said he's getting "professional help" in hopes of putting "this situation behind me." Jeffrey Buley,...
MOM LIVID AT SUICIDE-PACT SURVIVOR BUST
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amThe mother of the New Jersey teen who drove the suicide-pact car in a crash that claimed his best friend's life is furious her son is charged with murder, a...
POL: PROBE 'PLUNGE' HS
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amThe state should investigate the Brooklyn high school where a dean and a student fell into an elevator shaft during a fracas this week, a state lawmaker said yesterday. Assemblyman...
PERV NABBED IN NEW OUTRAGE
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amA convicted sex offender was arrested for allegedly sodomizing an autistic 13-year-old boy in The Bronx yesterday, cops said. Neighbors said that the boy's mom told them four months ago...
BABY-SHOP SHOCK IN MOM SLAY
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amThe woman accused of strangling an expectant mother and cutting the baby from her body first may have stopped at a local Wal-Mart for baby clothes. Officials at the Missouri...
GOTTI GUILTY; PETER FACES 60 YRS. FOR 'BULL' HIT PLOT
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amJurors whacked Peter Gotti yesterday - convicting the reputed Gambino boss of plotting to murder mob turncoat Salvatore "Sammy Bull" Gravano and accepting kickbacks from construction contractors. The verdict by...
A 'NOVEL' ROMANCE; BOOKSTORES TOP PICKUP HOT SPOTS
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amLooking for love? Hit the books! The hottest singles scene in New York City isn't at the clubs, the bars or the after-hours joints - it's at your local Barnes...
FORGIVING SOUL; TURKEY GAL MORE WORRIED ABOUT TEENS THAN HERSELF
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amTurkey-toss victim Victoria Ruvolo had lost her memory, her speech and her ability to walk, but she never lost her sense of forgiveness. Appearing gaunt and emotional, the resilient 44-year-old...
FINAL EDITION; SRO AT NEWFIELD FUNERAL
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amLegendary newspaper columnist Jack Newfield was laid to rest yesterday after a moving ceremony where family, friends, fans and even foes gathered to say goodbye to the New York icon....
50G FEE-LINE ; CUSTOM CLONED KITTY IS A FIR$T
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amA Texas woman who lost a beloved cat is again stroking a familiar kitty - now that she has the first cloned-to-order pet sold in the United States. Little Nicky,...
KERIK QUITS RUDY'S FIRM; SAYS SCANDAL PUTS A DRAG ON GIULIANI
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amEmbattled former NYPD top cop Bernard Kerik yesterday abruptly resigned from Rudy Giuliani's consulting firm, apologizing for a recent string of embarrassing disclosures about his finances and private life. For...
PIRRO'S PRAISE HELPS THIEVING POL BEAT JAIL
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amALBANY - In letters to a judge, Westchester DA Jeanine Pirro and others went to bat for a politically connected former government official who pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of...
CITY SUED IN KILLING OF PIT BULL
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amA Brooklyn teen and his father are suing the city for alleged civil-rights violations after cops gunned down the family pit bull on a housing-project roof. Angel Yulfo Jr., 15,...
SUICIDE-SLAY SNEAK; MOSUL TENT-MASSACRE BOMBER WORKED AT GI BASE FOR TWO MONTHS
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amWASHINGTON - The mess-tent massacre that killed 13 GIs was the work of a fanatic suicide bomber who was able to penetrate heavy security to carry out the attack, the...
PIN-HEAD ARAFAT'S TERROR '$TRIKE' ; HAD MEGABUCKS IN VILLAGE BOWLING CENTER
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amYasser Arafat was a secret investor in the city's hottest upscale bowling alley, according to a bombshell new report. The Palestinian leader three years ago pumped $1.3 million into Bowlmor...
MOM RIPS SLAY RAP VS. SUICIDE-PACT TEEN
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amThe mother of the New Jersey teen who drove the suicide-pact car in a crash that claimed his best friend's life is furious that her son is charged with murder,...
STADIUM SUIT RAPS W. SIDE POLL FAULT
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amOpponents of a proposed West Side stadium filed a lawsuit yesterday, claiming the city pulled a quarterback sneak with a study finding that 70 percent of fans would use mass...
SAD GOODBYE TO HERO QNS. FIRE MOM
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amThe Queens mother killed in a blaze that left her husband and three children horribly burned was hailed as a hero yesterday for risking her life to save her loved...
KILLER 'GROOM' TOOK JEWELS, TOO
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amThe phony groom-to-be who gunned down a clerk in a Long Island jewelry store fled with an undisclosed quantity of diamonds, bracelets and jewels, police said yesterday. The coldhearted thug...
HIT-RUN MINIBUS KILLS WOMAN
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amA Brooklyn grandmother was mowed down by a hit-and-run driver as she crossed a Brooklyn street last night, cops said. Yu Li, 63, of Ninth Avenue, was crossing east on...
W. SIDE POLL FAULT - NEW SUIT TO HALT STADIUM
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amOpponents of a proposed West Side stadium filed a lawsuit yesterday, claiming the city pulled a quarterback sneak with a study finding that 70 percent of fans would use mass...
MARTHA STEWART, ACTIVIST - CALLS FOR JAIL REHAB, GOOD FOOD
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amMartha Stewart has two main complaints about the federal penitentiary where she is serving her sentence: the lack of rehabilitation for women behind bars and "the bad food." In the...
PETER GOTTI GUILTY - IN HIT PLOT VS. 'BULL'
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amJurors whacked Peter Gotti yesterday - convicting the reputed Gambino boss of plotting to murder mob turncoat Salvatore "Sammy Bull" Gravano and accepting kickbacks from construction contractors. The verdict by...
PICTURE PERFECT PLAY; RJ HOOP KOS CAVS IN DRAMATIC FINISH
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amRichard Jefferson dropped 42 points on the Cavaliers last night. The Nets overcame a 12-point deficit in the first half to win their second consecutive game, and Jabari Smith threw...
BREATH OF FRESH 'AIR' BLOWS INTO JERSEY
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amWhen his balky left Achilles tendon finally mends, Vincent Lamar Carter will dress for the Nets and wear uniform No. 15. And when he does - probably Monday in Detroit...
ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE!
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amTHE Christmas holiday week, the first big push for ski resorts across the country, should be a great time for many skiers and ski areas, although some will obviously do...
BIG-GAME BRADY WON'T LOSE FOCUS
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amFOXBORO, Mass. - Tom Brady is flashing that mati nee-idol smile. He is engaging and humble and joking with the New England media less than 48 hours after arguably the...
PRO BOWL FOR TIKI; GIANTS RB SAVORS FIRST-TIME HONOR
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amWhen the Giants landed Tiki Barber with their second-round draft pick in 1997, there was tremendous excitement about what he could add to a moribund offense. He could catch passes...
IONA'S SWEET ON APPLE PICKIN'S
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amYou hear the criticism every time a local college hoops team stumbles: Why don't they recruit the city? Fair point. But you'll never hear that about Iona. Ever. And it's...
TARDY PETERSON LIKELY WON'T START
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amGIANT NOTES Giants cornerback Will Peterson arrived late to a defensive meeting on Monday and, in addition to being fined, likely will not start Sunday's game against the Bengals in...
PAVANO'S BIG DAY BELONGS TO RANDY
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amTHE Yankees introduced their newest new guy yesterday, yet another young starter they envision has the sturdiness, the stuff and the proper birth date to help now and well into...
ISIAH'S BIG PICTURE - EYES SUMMER SIGN-&-TRADES
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amBOSTON - Tuesday night's Garden debacle versus Dallas demonstrated that Knick president Isiah Thomas still has a lot of work to do. Year 2 of the Isiah regime begins today....
PAT ON THE BACK ; WIN OVER CHAMPS WOULD GIVE JETS BOOST THEY NEED
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amThe paint from a dominant victory over the Seahawks on Sunday at Giants Stadium hadn't even had a chance to dry, and the Jets' attention already was on the next...
KRSTIC NOW STANDS AS NETS' CENTERPIECE
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amNET NOTES The addition of Vince Carter came with the subtraction of the Nets' big men Alonzo Mourning, Eric Williams and Aaron Williams, depleting the already vertically challenged team in...
FRESH 'AIR' IN JERSEY - CARTER DONS NET THREADS, EYES NEW (& HEALTHY) START
December 23, 2004 | 5:00am"This is a very exciting day for the franchise. We want to win, and we're going to be competitive. There is a different attitude."NET OWNER BRUCE RATNER (RIGHT) When his...
BIG APPLE BATTLE - BORAS SEES METS JOINING BOMBERS IN WAR FOR BELTRAN
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amScott Boras has begun to let teams know negotiations for Carlos Beltran have moved beyond the exploratory stage to the point where firm offers are needed, and the agent firmly...
CURT'S ALL-PRO MOVE ; HONORED MARTIN TREATS OL TO SURPRISE GIFTS
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amJET NOTES It was a festive day of giving and receiving yesterday at Weeb Ewbank Hall. First, after practice, Herman Edwards announced to the players that three Jets were named...
CHAD CONTROVERSY NO BIG DEAL
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amNOT QUITE knowing what to expect after the bizarre firestorm of "Analyze This" that followed Chad Pennington's mini-boycott of the local media Sunday and his rambling Monday press conference, reporters...
RAVES HAVEN'T STOPPED FOR SUPER LEBRON
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amWith each passing week, every highlight-reel dunk and game-changing play, it becomes harder to quantify LeBron James' meteoric rise. About the best way to sum up The Chosen One is...
BACK IN BUSINESS ; YANKS, D'BACKS AGREE TO REVISIT BIG UNIT TRADE TALKS
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amRandy Johnson won't be coming from Arizona to The Bronx through L.A. but that doesn't mean the Hall of Fame lock won't be a Yankee. With the Dodgers killing a...
CARL SIGNING NO 'BIG' DEAL
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amTHE Yankees introduced their newest new guy yesterday, yet another young starter they envision has the sturdiness, the stuff and the proper birth date to help now and well into...
GAELS TAME VCU, SNAP SLIDE
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amIona 77VCU 72 Was this the same Iona team that had lost five straight games? The Gaels did "call-up" Taquan Evans, who joined the team for the second semester after...
KNICKS: BAD IN BOSTON
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amCeltics 114 Knicks109 BOSTON - The Dallas debacle was sickening. But last night's 114-109 Knicks collapse against the Celtics hurt the same - and could be more costly. The Knicks...
IRKED LEBRON GETS NO LOVIN' FROM ZEBRAS
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amNets 92Cavs 90 If LeBron James had a lament after last night's loss to the Nets - a loss in which King James had two baskets waved off for traveling,...
AXED LENNY AIDE FINALLY SPEAKS OUT
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amKNICK NOTES BOSTON - Former Knick assistant Dick Helm finally spoke up, defending the job he did as Lenny Wilkens' trusted aide. Last month, Helm took the hit for the...
LAST-SECOND HEROICS POWER THE NETS
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amRichard Jefferson dumped 42 points on the Cavaliers last night. The Nets overcame a 12-point deficit in the first half to win their second consecutive game, and Jabari Smith threw...
METS JOIN YANKS IN THE RACE FOR ASTROS' BELTRAN
December 23, 2004 | 5:00amScott Boras has begun to let teams know negotiations for Carlos Beltran have moved beyond the exploratory stage to the point where firm offers are needed, and the agent firmly...