April 6, 2008

Wang, Cano and Their Place in Yankee History

If you have not been reading Joel Sherman's daily 3 UP, 3 DOWN columns on his Hardball site, this is the kind of stuff you have been missing:1. Chien-Ming Wang...

3 DOWN: Wang, Cano and Their Import in Yankee History

1. Chien-Ming Wang had what we might remember as transformative outing on Sunday against the Rays. That is because he was more than a sinkerball pitcher and – because of...

Charlton Heston (1924-2008)

Charlton Heston was the world's biggest star for those of us who grew up in the '50s. Not many stars from that era have a movie that still gets shown...

25 BEST MOMENTS AT SHEA: NO. 25

As both New York baseball stadiums prepare to close, The Post looks back at the 25 most memorable moments in the history of Shea. This week, No. 25.Oct. 12-13, 1982...

Box Office: Letting George Do It

There were expectations in some quarters that George Clooney's "Leatherheads'' would lead the weekend's box office with something like $20 million. Universal is reporting a weekend take of $13.5 million,...

United Falter in Title Race

Missing a chance to go five points clear at the top, the Red Devils are now only three points ahead of second place Chelsea in the Premier League title race.At...

Miss at your own risk: Tripping over the 'Stars'

Highlights for the week of April 6"30 Rock" returns Make us laughFinally, we get new, post-strike episodes of “30 Rock,” “The Office” and “Scrubs” on Thursday. And although “My Name...

Santana-Smoltz lineups ready

ATLANTA -- The lineups are in for the Mets’ 1:35 p.m. matchup here with the Braves, an NL East showdown headlined by Johan Santana vs. John Smoltz on the mound....

Figueroa to start this Friday

ATLANTA -– Brooklyn native Nelson Figueroa has been confirmed as the Mets’ starter for Friday’s home game against the Brewers. The anticipated move was announced by Willie Randolph today before...

Soreness sidelines Wise

ATLANTA -- Reliever Matt Wise will be unavailable for the next couple of days because of soreness in his right arm. Willie Randolph said Wise started feeling the problem last...

ROTO - Putz owners: M's the breaks

Maybe you feel like a putz because you spent a high draft pick on a closer such as J.J. Putz. Well, that's what you get for using a high draft...

Around the Bases: Horne, Gardner impressive in SWB win

Top Yankee prospects Alan Horne and Brett Gardner were both impressive in Scranton/Wilkes Barre's 7-2 win over Lehigh Valley. Horne threw six innings and picked up the win in his...

EPL Round 33: Saturday Fixtures

Arsenal 1 - 1 LiverpoolArsenal were dealt a potentially killing blow to their title hopes in a draw with Liverpool. While the Reds are out of the title hunt completely,...

GIRARDI'S NEW TV SHOW POSTPONED

By JOEL SHERMANJoe Girardi’s debut hosting his own TV show was temporarily put on the DL.The respiratory infection that forced the first-year Yankee manager to be unable to manage on...

THE JOE GIRARDI SHOW POSTPONED

By JOEL SHERMANJoe Girardi’s debut hosting his own TV show was temporarily put on the DL.The respiratory infection that forced the first-year Yankee manager to be unable to manage on...

3 UP: JOBA, RULES AND MO

1. In today’s Post, in my every Sunday Hardball column, I wrote further about the proposed new Joba Rules in which Chamberlain will be transformed during this season from a...

Major Step Forward

Jon Niese was an aver age pitcher his fresh man and sophomore years at Defiance (Ohio) High School, according to the team's baseball coach, Tom Held. But after spending those...

BALLFIELD HONOR FOR SLAIN COP

It's been almost 20 years since NYPD Officer Michael Buzcek was gunned down in Washington Heights, but his legacy lived on yesterday with the dedication of a new Little League...

BULK WARNING TO COPS: AVOID 'ROIDS

Six months after an NYPD steroid scandal emerged, the department has issued a dire warning to officers about bulking up with illegal substances. Chief of Personnel Rafael Pineiro's bulletin was...

QUINN-WIN $ITUATION-24% OF MYSTERY FUND WENT TO HER DISTRICT

Nearly a quarter of the City Council's secret slush fund went to organizations in Speaker Christine Quinn's district, records show. Eleven groups in the Democratic lawmaker's Manhattan district - encompassing...

BUY A 'FAMILY' CAR

Even in death, the Dapper Don may prove a good earner. John Gotti's widow, Victoria, is hawking the late Gambino crime boss's prized antique convertible on eBay, hoping the hot...

HARLEM EATERY DIGS IN

Getting rid of evicted Harlem soul-food restaurant Manna's has proven harder than getting baked macaroni from a pan. The soul-food hot spot was sold for $50 million last July along...

JAY-Z & BEYONCÉ: 'I DO,' THEN ADIEU

The day after their alleged wedding, Beyoncé and Jay-Z weren't exactly the picture of honeymoon bliss. Instead, "the Jigga Man" was jetting off to a concert in North Carolina. A...

RAIDERS GO AFTER TROOPERS

In a stunning 12-hour raid on State Police headquarters in Albany, investigators from the state Attorney General's Office seized numerous e-mail records as part of the newly expanded probe into...

PRIZE (RE)POSSESSION

The hunt is on. Max Pineiro and his men are searching for a Staten Island banker, who shouldn't be surprised if his 32-foot Carver yacht one day sets sail without...

AQUA BAN AT N.Y. HOT SPOTS

A dozen city restaurants and hotels have declared bottled water politically incorrect and are bouncing it from their premises - so get ready to pay for tap water. At the...

EX-COP 'LOGS' A PROFIT

An ex-cop sold his old memo books on eBay - acknowledging that the daily logs may contain "sensitive information" on witnesses and crime victims. Retired Sgt. James Giordonello charged $30...

JERSEY GETS ITS HANDS ON SI 'TEEN-BODY DUMPER'

The Staten Island man suspected of killing his girlfriend and dumping her body in southern New Jersey was shipped off to the Garden State yesterday to face possible murder charges....

HOPEFULS' GENERAL INTEREST

The three presidential contenders will get a chance to face off with the US military chief at hearings next week. Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama sit on Senate...

JEANS BIG GUESS-ES ART RING STUNG HIM

The co-founder of Guess? Jeans has gone to court in New York to solve the mystery of his missing multimillion-dollar art collection. California mogul Georges Marciano is seeking documents from...

SHOCKING RAP SHEET OF 'SCAM A DAY' HEALTH INSURER

A giant health-insurance company linked by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to an alleged scheme to rip off millions of New Yorkers has been accused of numerous tactics to deny coverage...

'SEX AND THE SLUTTY' BLOWUP

Sarah Jessica Parker is the unwitting inspiration for a new X-rated blowup doll whose packaging uses a look-alike model and references to Parker's character, Carrie Bradshaw, in the hit HBO...

LONG ISLAND BOOBY-TRAP 'CUTUP' IS BUSTED

A Long Island loon was nabbed yesterday after he booby-trapped his home, police said. Eric Stetz, 44, of Bay Shore, rigged his front and bedroom doors with a pair of...

A PARENT'S NIGHTMARE

A 7-year-old girl was released into the custody of a teenage boy by her Queens school without her parents' permission last year - and was seriously injured when she was...

FATAL BX. CRASH

A Bronx woman was killed early yesterday when the sport utility vehicle she was driving overturned on the Hutchinson River Parkway, police said. The 20-year-old motorist flipped the 2007 Suzuki...

SECRETS AND HEIR WARS OF 'JET' SET

Now that Oscar-winning producer Marty Richards is finally, officially, a member of the Johnson & Johnson family, he might stop and wonder if that's such a good thing. The clan...

CHATTY CABBY $MACK

Talk isn't cheap if you're a cabby on a cellphone. Nearly half the $200 summonses issued to taxi drivers in the past couple of months in an undercover operation have...

SUBWAY 'FLY ME' GALS

They love to ride and it shows! A group of "subway stewardesses" took over the rails yesterday in a lighthearted protest over the MTA's recent fare hike and suspended service...

CHILD CHARGED IN SENSELESS 'SLAY'

A 13-year-old boy was charged last night with second-degree manslaughter in the death of a promising Columbia University grad student who ran in to traffic to escape a pair of...

FRENCH WIN 100-YR. WAR

There's something tres bon about living in France. A study has discovered more than 20,000 French citizens 100 years old or older - nearly double the number of their neighbors...

THANDIE WILL DO A RICE JOB

Thandie Newton, who has graced the big screen in "The Pursuit of Happiness" and "Mission Impossible: II," has reportedly garnered the role of Condoleezza Rice in Oliver Stone's provocative look...

CAMPBELL PLAYS THE RACE CARD

Naomi Campbell says race played a factor in her arrest at Heathrow Airport in London last week. She says she's convinced cops singled her out because of her skin color....

MICH.-FLA. DEAL SEEN

Party insiders are banking that the fight over Michigan and Florida delegates will be resolved long before this summer's Democratic National Convention. "Nobody believes they're going to battle all the...

ELTON JOHN TO SING CLINTON'S PRAISES

British rock icon Elton John is crooning for Hillary Rodham Clinton this Wednesday at Radio City Music Hall - a one-night-only fund-raiser that could net Clinton upwards of $1 million,...

A PAINFUL 'LIE'

Hillary Rodham Clinton "misspoke" again on the campaign trail - and a distraught Ohio family is furious about it. Several times in recent months while talking about her plan for...

$100M BILL A BIG BIZ 'HUSTLER': PUNDIT

Bill Clinton's not just an ex-president who's done well - he's a "hustler who's turned being an ex-president into a multimillion-dollar business," says historian Joan Hoff. "He's earned an astounding...

STAR-STUDENT SIBLINGS DIE IN NJ FIRE

A brother-and-sister pair of honor students were killed as they tried to escape a fast-moving, five-alarm fire that tore through a block of row houses in New Jersey yesterday, authorities...

CHARLTON HESTON DIES

Oscar-winning actor Charlton Heston, whose illustrious silver-screen career spanned five decades, died at his California home yesterday. Heston, 84, known for his controversial politics as much as his onscreen success,...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

The Bronx * Police are asking for the public's assistance in finding the elderly Mott Haven man pictured above. Guillermo Cordova, 81, who lives on East 139th Street near St....

D'AMATO $CORES AS 'CONGEST' LOBBYIST

AS Albany lawmakers hash out their stance on conges tion pricing over the week end, with a deadline tomorrow pending, the fiery debate over the proposal has already produced one...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

A thief ran from a pet store in Lansing, Mich., with a boa constrictor in her pants. The 20-inch reptile was being sold for $174 at Preuss Animal House. As...

CHEERS & TEARS FOR A LEGEND

BABE RUTH DAY Sunday, April 27, 1947This account by the legendary columnist appeared in The Post on April 28, 1947: You reach the dugout of the Yankees by walking though...

IT ALL STARTED WITH A BANG

New York Evening Post Wednesday, April 18, 1923 The biggest crowd that has ever seen a baseball game in New York was in the new Yankee Stadium at 1:30 this...

HOUSE OF THE HOLY

WE REALLY should start with the nickname. Anything this good, this grand, this grandiose, deserves an unforgettable nickname, whether you are talking about a President ("Father of His Country," "Honest...

NUTS & BOLTS

A look at some of the specs, costs and quantities of materials used to build the original Yankee Stadium: Size of lot: 10 acres Construction time: 284 days Rebar: 800...

TWO NY STARS TO TRANSFER

Two New York City standouts who played in the Big East last season are on the move. Former Robeson star Malcolm Grant was given his release from Villanova, where he...

ACCESS IS KEY TO HAPPY HOOKIN'

NEW York offers some of the best fishing in the coun try, but it is not always easy getting to the fish. One of New York's better programs is acquiring...

TALE OF EKATI TAKES WOOD

Yesterday's Grade 1, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct was a race of redemption for a pair of 3-year-old colts that began the year as top contenders for the May 3...

RAIN PAIN

* In allowing Opening Day to be postponed, the Yankees have once again made it clear they couldn't care less about their fans. It did not rain Monday, it was...

SPORTS SHORTS

HOCKEY: Capitals roar into playoffs MVP front-runner Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals are in the playoffs. Tomas Fleischmann, Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Semin scored for the Capitals, who clinched the...

HONDO DOWN ON CATS

Hondo added yet another Tiger pelt to his belt last night when he walked the walk with the White Sox in Detroit for his seventh straight victory. Tonight, with the...

THE RUMBLE

Face of the Mets Salute to an Amazin' lifer Willie Randolph, his coaches and players will stand and applaud in unison when longtime Mets employee Jim Plummer receives the fifth-annual...

PUTZ OWNERS: M'S THE BREAKS

MAYBE you feel like a putz because you spent a high draft pick on a closer such as J.J. Putz. Well, that's what you get for using a high draft...

KAHNE SEEKING WINNING FORMULA

"If you are not first you are last," was Ricky Bobby's catchphrase from "Talladega Nights." Kasey Kahne may be the real-life Ricky Bobby. After a Sprint Cup-high six wins in...

MAJOR STEP FORWARD

JON Niese was an aver age pitcher his fresh man and sophomore years at Defiance (Ohio) High School, according to the team's baseball coach, Tom Held. But after spending those...

RED BULLS BLANK CREW

Never in the sad history of the Red Bulls - or their previous incarnation as the MetroStars - had a coach earned a regulation win in his debut. That is,...

TIME FOR NEW MASTER-PIECE

Zach Johnson comes wheeling into the driveway of a swank home in the posh Orlando golf community to the stars, Lake Nona, driving his shiny black four-door BMW sedan equipped...

TIGER: A TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER

TALK of Tiger Woods going unbeaten through the golf season was fun while it lasted if for nothing other than the absurdity of such speculation. Nevertheless, that's what Woods has...

UCONN, VOLS ON COLLISION COURSE

TAMPA, Fla. - They're Baaaack. After a three-year absence from the Final Four, the Connecticut Huskies (36-1) are the favorites to win a sixth national championship on Tuesday night. The...

ESPN PUTS KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR

MEMO To All ESPN Staffers: Please check to see if the standard Bobby Knight clip reel is in your department; it's missing from the video library. ESPN lately looks more...

GONE-ZALEZ?

Bobby Gonzalez, Seton Hall's temperamental basketball coach, could be fired as early as this week after just two seasons in South Orange because of a falling out with the university's...

SPENDING GAPS ARE EVERYWHERE

The season-opening payrolls came out and again the Yankees were the game's financial monsters with not only a $209 million allotment, but a $75.7 million gap to the Red Sox's...

'HAWKS, TIGERS JUST TWO GOOD

SAN ANTONIO - The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee all but rolled out the red carpet for No.1 seed North Carolina. It did everything but tuck in the Tar Heels, who...

BEST OF THE BEST PLAYING FOR TITLE

SAN ANTONIO - At the start of the day, the Ala modome was filled with the unyielding din of the throatiest fans in college basketball, a blue-clad wave of Memphis...

BRUINS SING BLUES, AGAIN

SAN ANTONIO - Ben Howland had locked himself away in UCLA's state-of-the-art video room in the days leading up to last night's NCAA tournament semifinal against Memphis, watching a horror...

DOOM WITH A VIEW

S TEP back in time with me, won't you? It's just a short trip, only 10 years. But for the moment, let's pretend the calendar reads April 5, 1998. Let's...

SERBY'S SUNDAY Q&A WITH...

The Post's Steve Serby chatted with the Knicks' new president about his life in basketball, from the playgrounds of New York to building a contender in Indiana to his homecoming....

ON THE MARK

THIS may be a first (and a last) in the Metro Area. Inevitably, if one news paper endorses a certain candidate for a powerful political position, its rivals will endorse...

WALSH KNOWS VALUE OF KNICKS' DRAFT PICK

Knicks president Donnie Walsh admitted at his introductory press conference he will not have a "magic wand" this summer to make this mismatched roster disappear. Walsh cautioned he may not...

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE

ATLANTA - John Maine showed yesterday just how worthless Grapefruit League numbers can be. On a misty, overcast afternoon at Turner Field that looked nothing like a sunny March day...

DOZEN DAYS OFF DOESN'T FAZE PELFREY

ATLANTA - Friday's rainout and the Mets' desire to keep Johan Santana on schedule are creating a lot of idle time for Mike Pelfrey. Those two factors mean Pelfrey will...

SPRING IN MAINE'S STEP IS GONE

ATLANTA - The old axiom that statistics compiled dur ing spring training are meaningless once the regular season begins is mostly reserved for hitters who put up prodigious numbers in...

NETS STILL BREATHING

With the playoffs now residing only in the realms of math, miracle and flat-out bribery for the Nets, few could fault Vince Carter if he decided to rest his aching...

LAMORIELLO GOING STRONG, BUT DEVILS EMPIRE ON WANE

On the brink of his 11th straight Stanley Cup playoff, the 18th in his 20 NHL seasons, the Cup-winningest GM since Glen Sather and Bill Torrey says he isn't ready...

BRINGIN' IT HOME

The Battle of the Hudson begins at 3 this afternoon at the Rock. Call it the best of seven, plus one. Boston's defeat at home last night to the Sabres...

WILD ABOUT HARRY & ANDY

THIS will be for the guy who wore the gold lamé suit and played the slide trombone upon making his entrance at the old Garden. This will be for the...

JO-JOBA'S WITNESS

BRIAN Cashman authorized research by his staff during the offseason to see if the organization's plans for using Joba Chamberlain in 2008 were revolutionary or had many historical cousins. He...

25 BEST MOMENTS AT YANKEE STADIUM: NO. 25

As both New York baseball stadiums prepare to close, The Post looks back at the 25 most memorable moments in the history of Yankee stadium. This week, No. 25:Oct. 10,...

UGLY RAY-TURN FOR PETTITTE

Take your pick between stinko pitching and a surprising lack of offense. Somebody needs to tell the Yankees spring training is finished. These games count, but you wouldn't have deduced...

FROM BAD TO WORSE: GIAMBI GROUNDED BY GROIN

Better safe than sorry, especially when it comes to Jason Giambi. That was bench coach Rob Thomson's rationale for removing Giambi from yesterday's game, after Giambi mentioned he felt a...

NOTHING DOING FOR RUSTY ANDY

ANDY Pettitte arrived at Yankee Stadium yesterday morning at 10:06. As he walked from the player's parking lot and in through the press gate there was a small group of...

MY NEW YORK: AL ROKER

"I went to Xavier High, and across the street was a row of wonderful brownstones. I remember thinking, 'You know you've made it in New York if you have a...

APRIL 6 - 12

This week: Reeling out movies from the vault; '80s video games froth up Guinness battle; OJ Simpson gets another 15 minutes of infamy (sorta); the Loser's Lounge puts the Cars...

KILLER JOKES

To assemble this collection of jokes, The Post contacted dozens of comics, ranging from top-dollar headliners in Vegas to regulars on "Late Night" and "The Daily Show" to up-and-comers who...

ROAD-RAGEOUS!

GPS gets seriously connected, the ultimate Web cam; sticking style in your ear; telling time the MacGyer way; and a VW microbus that loves vinyl.Dash Express GPS $399.99; amazon.com Local...

WEB SLINGER

Viral Video Film School: Finance current.com Brett Erlich explores the wide world of financial magazine Web site videos.Three things you'll learn? Finance people like to laugh for no reason, have...

COATS AND TAILS

YOU know those men who scoff at dogs dressed in canine clothing? Pay no attention to them. Dogs appreciate a thermal layer to protect them from the rain, especially if...

ADOPT ME

Shopping for a new best friend? Fashion designer Adam Lippes is surrounded by models all day long, so he knows cute. Today at his chic boutique, he's showing off "the...

GARRY CZECHS OUT GAME ONCE MORE

CHESS THREE years after he retired from competitive chess, Garry Kasparov returned to the board to play exhibition games in the Czech Republic. Kasparov won all 26 games in the...

A GIRL AND HER GUITAR

WITH her unusual approach to her instrument - all hammered-on notes and percussive thumps - Kaki King is often regarded as a burgeoning guitar hero. But her dulcet singing voice...

THE 'PUMP' ROCKER

Singer-songwriter Nick Lowe, writer of the Elvis Costello classic "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" as well as his own hit, "Cruel to be Kind," is currently living...

LEONA LEWIS: UK IDOL INVADES AMERICA

AT the end of 2006, Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne crowned Leona Lewis queen of Britain's "The X Factor" - the UK equivalent of winning "American Idol." Now the singer...

FILM BYTES

THOSE HIGH-PITCHED screams you hear at the mall food court are in response to the news that "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" is set to begin filming at Salt...

THE COLLAPSE OF COP FLICKS

In "Street Kings," out Friday, Keanu Reeves is an LAPD officer who plays dirty, if he has to, to get the job done, and eventually discovers he's one of the...

THE NEW KID IN TOWN

AS NEW YORKERS, we're accustomed to tuning things out almost literally. We've got our headphones on before we lock our apartment door, seek out alternative routes to avoid weekend street...

FROM RUSSIA, WITH SADISM

'CARGO 200," which I saw at the Hong Kong International Film Festival on the day after Easter, is sick and vile - and I loved every minute of it. Directed...

OSCAR IN THEM THAR HILLS

LET'S get this out of the way right upfront: "There Will Be Blood" is one of those epic, widescreen, visually arresting movies that simply deserves to be seen on the...

NEW RELEASES

Movie: 3 ½ STARS Extras: 4 STARS (Sony, $29.96) FULL-FRONTAL male nudity is just one of the bonuses in the "unrated" version of John C. Reilly's sendup of pop-music biopics....

Q&A: THOMAS HADEN CHURCH

IF THE world were a fair place, "Ned and Stacey" would have been as big a success as "Will & Grace." That mid-'90s sitcom also starred Debra Messing - alongside...

THE ENTRANCING MASTER OF BIG-SCREEN ILLUSION

More than 80 years after his death, Harry Houdini lives on as a legendary escape artist and magician. His notoriously hard-to-see movies are another story. Kino's beautifully produced "Harry Houdini:...

PROOF POSITIVE

"WHAT WAS the name of that wine we had?" You've heard the question 100 times. And you feebly answer, "It's, like, Leaf or Valley Leaf or something. I think." No...

MAKING THE SCENE...105 RIV

105 Rivington St.; (212) 475-2600 The sooner you get over the Lower East Side no longer being a gritty bohemian enclave, the easier it will be to enjoy dance-driven lounges...

SUGAR RUSH

Mama Mudsliders 120 Christopher St.; (646) 414-4447 Owned by Hali Horn, former pastry chef at Kittichai, this sleek urban dessert house is a throwback to the '50s, with its oversize...

BECKMAN, 24, AND ZEMEL, 25

Feb. 24 - The first question Paul Zemel asked Laura Ann Beckman was whether she needed help finding shoes. "Paul was working [at a shoe store] and kept asking if...

MALDONADO, 29, AND MEDY, 24

Feb. 16 - It's no wonder that Doris Medy and Juan Manuel Maldonado Jr. picked Valentine's Day weekend for their nuptials - their courtship was like a Disney fairy tale....

ARCE, 27, AND LOPEZ, 26

Feb. 1- It was love at first smile for Michelle Lopez and Luis Arce. "I was interviewing at a Brooklyn office in June 2002," recalls Lopez, a human resources representative...

COLON, 32, AND BELLAMY, 34

March 14 - After 13 years of dating, Jacqueline Colon and Jarvis Bellamy barely remember how they first met. "We grew up together in Spanish Harlem," recalls Colon, an administrative...

THE REAL BARBARIANS

Leftists may hope to smear Bush folks with a just-released 2003 memo that seems to OK "extreme measures" when questioning wartime detainees. But the document better points up the huge...

THE UFT'S SNEAK ATTACK

As state budget negotiations continue in Albany this weekend, more than just money is in play. As usual, all sort of mischief is buried in the budget's thousands of pages....

SECOND THOUGHTS

In the last decade, we have lost the funniest novelist in the English language but gained a valuable guide to rubble and chaos, intellectual and otherwise. When he was young...

A FEELING OF SECURITY, FOILED AGAIN

Stuck on the tarmac, flipping through a travel magazine, you're struck by the blurb for metal-lined wallets. Purpose: to prevent digital pickpocketing by blocking radio frequencies. Your reaction: Wow! Luxury...

URBAN LEGENDS

Remember the brave new world of work? Sure you do - all of us sitting around in our bunny slippers, accomplishing great feats at the tap of a key. Project...

PENN PAL

Suddenly and quietly, a question is being asked across Pennsylvania: can Barack Obama actually win here April 22?Hillary Clinton's leads of 20 points in January and 16 points in March...

THE FIGHT TO FEED AFRICA

Why are so many Africans desperately poor? The answer lies in the kind of work they do - more than 60 percent plant agricultural crops and graze animals - and...

PLAYING GOD WILL NOT ANSWER PRAYERS

Why not use genetically-modified crops? The Safe Food Coalition (safe-food.org) and the South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering (safeage.org), both of which oppose genetically-modified crops in Africa, outline their...

BLOG WATCH

Damned lies Columnist Mark Steel (marksteelinfo.com) on Hillary's Bosnia lies: "This wasn't just a politician's lie, it was the pointless lie of someone who sits on their own in pubs...

LONG GONE

I read with great interest The Post's article regarding the growth of the Long Island City area ("Long Shot," April 3). With all this building of hotels, retail and condos,...

STACHE IT!

As far as I'm concerned, all men with facial hair should be sent to an island with only bearded or mustachioed men ("Face the Mustache," April 1). They are disgusting,...

OUR SHARED PAIN

I agree wholeheartedly with New York City Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo that the 9/11 attacks were an attack on America, not just New York City ("'Zero' For Heroes, Says NY-Bash...

PARENT 'HOODS

Police in Georgia are questioning 8- and 9-year olds about a conspiracy to assault or even murder their teacher ("Kids Plot To Kill Teacher," April 2). Why not knock on...

GARDEN GRAB

Hey, Mayor Bloomberg. Why don't you use eminent domain to take Madison Square Garden for the proposed Moynihan Station ("To Save Moynihan Station," Julia Vitullo-Martin, PostOpinion, April 1)? Oh, right....

PATRIOT ACTORS

I am enjoying the John Adams miniseries so much that I am recommending it to everyone I know, so I was interested to read R.B. Bernstein's comments ("Patriot Act," PostScript,...

MILLION DOLLAR BABIES

In "Parenting, Inc.," journalist Pamela Paul delves into the phenomenon of modern American parents spending a bundle on their bundles of joy. She investigates the marketing hype that targets parental...

YOUTH GONE MILD

When n+1 magazine was started four years ago, it boldly declared it was going to restore seriousness and a love of ideas to the cultural landscape. "We're angrier than Dave...

YANKEE FLIPPER

After 26 World Series titles and thirty-nine American League pennants, it's understandable if Yankees fans believe that their team's success was bestowed by Divine Right. It wasn't, of course, but...

REQUIRED READING

Greetings From Bury Park by Sarfraz Manzoor (Vintage) A clever memoir from an unlikely fan of Bruce Springsteen - Pakistan-born Muslim Brit Manzoor. By Required Reading's reckoning, that's quite a...

IN MY LIBRARY: NICK CAVE

Nick Cave, the England-based, Australia-raised dark rocker (as well as author, screen writer and actor) and his band the Bad Seeds, ditched most of the familiar piano and electric guitars...

FEMALE OF THE SPECIOUS

Silda and Eliot Spitzer. Dina and Jim McGreevey. Michelle and David Paterson. Recent headlines have been ablaze with lies, extramarital affairs and scandal. And while the media focus has been...

GENOCIDE'S WITNESS

"Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart," wrote Anne Frank while in hiding, as the Jews of Europe were being exterminated by the Nazis. Daoud Hari...

M'SOFT HARDBALL

Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer fired off a terse letter to Yahoo!'s board of directors yesterday threatening to unseat them if they can't get a deal with the software giant in...

BEAR CEO'S LINE HELPS NONE OF US

'IT was a run on the bank," was the simple explanation Bear Stearns CEO Alan Schwartz gave Congress and the American people for the $29 billion train wreck that used...

CAN'T STEAL 'THEFT'

Electronic Arts' $26 a share hostile bid for rival video game maker Take-Two Interactive could come under pressure after a report last week predicted Take-Two's upcoming release of "Grand Theft...

AGING BOOMERS SPARK OLD IDEA IN H'WOOD

THE aging Baby Boomer set has Hollywood executives thinking older. A lot older. "Don't think the success of 'The Queen' wasn't noticed," said Chris McGurk, CEO of Overture Films, of...

FOUR IN NYC EARN $400M+

Twenty-five Big Apple residents earned over $110 million each in 2005 - with four lucky city swells taking home an adjusted gross income of more than $400 million, according to...

HIDDEN TREASURE

Teflon Bob Rubin may have to buff up his non-stick coating as he braces for a fresh barrage of criticism over his failure to help Citigroup navigate the credit crunch....

MANY CRITICS HAVE RESERVATIONS FOR PAULSON'S PLAN

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's plan to reform an ailing financial regulatory system is a lot of sizzle but very little steak. Paulson's so-called "Blueprint for a Modernized Financial Regulatory Structure,"...

THE WEEK'S WINNERS AND LOSERS

WINNERSJAY-Z "Greatest rapper alive" and part owner of the Nets inks $150M pact with Live Nation - richest music deal ever.RICHARD FULD Lehman CEO puts liquidity rumors to rest by...

INTEREST-ING FACT

The six rate cuts by the Federal Reserve over the past six months may be rescuing homeowners staring down adjustable-rate mortgage resets - but they are likely costing regular bank...

NYC LAGS US

New Yorkers may be better educated and think of themselves as more hip than fly over America, but they trail the rest of the country when it comes to being...

VACANT PLOTS HAVE NO INTEREST IN DEDUCTIONS

Dear John: I bought vacant land with the intention of building a home. Can the interest I pay on the mortgage loan be deducted from my taxes? H.R. Dear H.R.:...

STEREOTYPICAL DATE

Chad, a 31-year-old IT project manager, is an Upper East Side guy and proud of it. Meanwhile, Suzie, a 30-year-old designer who lives in Inwood, admitted she wasn't a big...

FACEBOOK: THE FINAL FRONTIER IN COMMITMENT

IT'S official. I'm "in a relationship" on Facebook. There's no going back now. And if there is, it will involve a humiliating broken cartoon heart on my mini-newsfeed to 400-some...

MEET MARKET

Ashley is a secretly silly, 26-year-old MBA student at NYU. She's ambitious and career-oriented, but admits that sometimes she can't make up her mind. Confidence, intelligence and a sense of...

TOP 5 BEST REASONS TO DATE AN OUT-OF-TOWNER

According to wannabe tour guides at Horus Cafe "It's unlikely she's heard of your reputation." - Matt "Because you can't go to strip clubs every weekend." - Joseph "So you...

Schneider an early surprise

ATLANTA -- Conventional wisdom said the Mets were trading offense for defense when they acquired catcher Brian Schneider in the offseason.After all, the backstop he was replacing, Paul Lo Duca,...

Tidbits from a bad day

ATLANTA -- Notes and quotes after the Mets fell to 2-2 on Saturday with an 11-5 loss here to the Braves: -- John Maine didn't mince words after an ugly...

MAYBE THEY DON'T NEED HELP

By BRIAN LEWISFor much of the offseason, much of the talk around the Red Bulls was about how coach Juan Carlos Osorio was going to bring in two or three...

WHO'S THE BOSS?

TV's two best comedies - and the medium's two most ridiculous bosses - are back this week as "The Office" and "30 Rock" return with new episodes for the first...

DON'T MISS LIST

NOT SO DEAD AFTER ALL During a winter storm, Dr. David Henry (Dermot Mulroney) is forced to deliver his own twins. With his wife, Norah (Gretchen Mol), under heavy sedation,...

'IDOL' CHARITY

Bono, Brad Pitt, Mariah Carey and Miley Cyrus. The star power - and that's just a partial list - on "American Idol"'s charity blowout, "Idol Gives Back," may be blinding,...

LAUGHTER WINS

It hardly matters whether either of the two comedians booked this season on "Dancing With The Stars" survived the early eliminations. Magician Penn Jillette and syndicated radio comic Adam Carolla...

REEL GOOD

BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE (2000) Tuesday, 8:15 p.m., MAX The funny and silly story of a master-of-disguise FBI agent (Martin Lawrence) who goes undercover in small-town Georgia to trap an escaped...

DON'T TALK RACE TO LOU DOBBS

Every four years at this time of year, it sure gets silly out. Recently, CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" gathered three political commentators to discuss Geraldine Ferraro's remark that Barack Obama...

STEP CLASS

If you've been missing your Elizabeth Berkley fix since the long-gone days of "Saved by the Bell" and "Showgirls," relief is on its way. The actress/dancer is back on TV...

LEAP OF FAITH

The Secular Conscience Why Belief Belongs in Public Life by Austin Dacey Prometheus Books Austin Dacey is a secularist philosopher spoiling for a fight. He takes on the Pope and...

GOLDIE & THE THREE POINTS

By BRIAN LEWISIt’s a sad statement that in 13 years no Red Bulls/MetroStars coach had ever debuted with a regulation win. Not one. But _ thanks to Kevin Goldthwaite and...