February 23, 2009
Bushes in Today's Post ...
In his notes from Yankee camp, my colleague George A. King III mentions Mark Melancon's electric stuff. While the 24-year-old right-hander is a long-shot to make the team out of...
Cole lights out in first appearance with UCLA
It was only his first appearance at the collegiate level, but UCLA freshman pitcher Gerrit Cole proved why the Yankees were disappointed Cole never seriously considered signing with them after...
STOCK INDEXES FALL TO 1997 LEVELS
Wall Street has turned the clock back to 1997. Investors unable to extinguish their worries about a recession that has no end in sight dumped stocks again Monday. The Dow...
Gholston learned by not playing
Vernon Gholston has been training at the Jets' complex, working out ahead of the official start of the offseason conditioning program next month.Last year's sixth overall pick in the NFL...
OSCAR TELECAST GAINS 4.3 MILLION VIEWERS
SUNDAY'S Oscarcast made some modest ratings gains over last year. ABC's coverage of the 81st Annual Academy Awards averaged 36.3 million viewers - up 4.3 million viewers from last year's...
MICROSOFT ASKING LAID-OFF WORKERS FOR MONEY BACK
Here's one Microsoft computer glitch that's sure to make some of their former workers feel like they've caught a virus. A month after launching a litany of layoffs, Microsoft admitted...
NCAA Tournament watch
BY TIM BONTEMPSThe countdown is on.With 20 days remaining until Selection Sunday, the time is now for teams to make their final impressions on the NCAA Tournament's selection committee if...
More on the Manuel-Church front
PORT ST. LUCIE -- Jerry Manuel moved quickly this morning to defuse his challenge to right fielder Ryan Church, but Manuel didn't back down from his stance that Church will...
Hamels: Mets are still chokers
PORT ST. LUCIE -- Phillies ace Cole Hamels just can't seem to quit talking about the Mets, judging from yet another interview he gave to Philadelphia station WIP last week....
TURNCOAT: GOTTI 'JUNIOR' ORDERED HITS
A former friend of John "Junior" Gotti said today that the famous mobster's son collected drug money from Gambino associates and ordered hits on his rivals. Gambino crime family associate...
DA: I CAN'T MOVE 11-YEAR-OLD MURDER SUSPECT TO JUVIE
PITTSBURGH - A prosecutor says an 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy charged in the shotgun slaying of his father's pregnant girlfriend must be treated like a premeditated killer even though his age...
GITMO PRISONER FREE AFTER 7 YEARS
LONDON - A Guantanamo prisoner who claims he was tortured at a covert CIA site in Morocco returned to Britain a free man Monday after nearly seven years in U.S....
OBAMA PLEDGES TO SLASH DEFICIT
WASHINGTON - Calling for fiscal restraint even while federal spending soars, President Barack Obama pledged to dramatically slash the annual budget deficit and announced $15 billion in Medicaid money to...
BRIDGES, ROADS PROJECTS TO BE FIRST FUNDED BY STIMULUS
ALBANY, N.Y. - Upstate New York bridge replacement, highway resurfacing and drainage projects will be the first funded under the federal stimulus package that includes billions of dollars to create...
RANGERS HIRE TORTORELLA
During the Rangers' 3-2 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs last night, GM Glen Sather decided he needed to make some changes. In firing head coach Tom Renney this morning...
Red Bull notes
Trialists Alberto Celades, Jaime Duran and Alkie Edwards in camp Sorry for the sporadic posting last week, but as I mentioned, I went back and forth to North Carolina twice;...
Check out these kicks
PORT ST. LUCIE -- As part of my continuing series of funny things seen in the clubhouse here this spring, I present Nelson Figueroa's new Met-colored shoes. Here's hoping he...
Oscars Among Least-Watched Ever
Last night's Oscars were among the least-watched ever, reports Nielsen, up only about 6 percent from last year's lowest-ever ratings. Ratings were highest in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles....
Video of Johan bullpen
PORT ST. LUCIE -- Here is video I shot of Johan Santana's bullpen session this morning. Santana is expected to throw a couple more bullpens and one round of live...
DUI SUSPECT MAY FACE MURDER FOR COP'S DEATH
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - A man suspected of driving drunk in a fiery weekend crash that claimed the life of a Long Island police officer could face a possible homicide...
CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF 'RAPE' VIDEO GAME
Anti-violence advocates are taking a stand against a video game in which players stalk and rape a mother and her two daughters. Amazon and eBay have already banned the sale...
Yi Back Starting
By FRED KERBERYi Jianlian is starting again tonight.The Nets were 18-19 with Yi starting, including the Jan. 9 game in Milwaukee where he was injured, suffering a broken right pinkie....
OBAMA PUTS BIDEN IN CHARGE OF STIMULUS FUNDS
The gaffe-prone Joe Biden will now be handling more of your money. President Obama said his vice president would oversee the implementation of the $787 billion economic stimulus package. Obama...
RANGERS FIRE RENNEY
The Rangers today fired head coach Tom Renney after losing 10 of their past 12 games, including last night's 3-2 overtime defeat at the hands of the Maple Leafs. After...
Report: Richardson to sign
NJ.com reports fullback Tony Richardson is "closing in on a new contract and a deal is expected to done before the start of free agency on Thursday."
Can Cowboys afford Ray Lewis?
Depite the fact Ray Lewis reportedly is telling players it's his dream to play for the Cowboys, Jerry Jones tells the Dallas Morning News "It would surprise me to see...
'OCTODAD' SHOWS HIS FACE
A man has come forward claiming to be the biological father of Nadya Suleman's octuplets -- saying he is willing to help the single mother of 14 and admitted he...
Girardi cancels practice for pool tournament
By GEORGE A. KING IIITAMPA -- Joe Girardi says he hasn't spoken to Tom Coughlin about developing stronger relationships with players.However, Girardi is borrowing a page from Coughlin's playbook in...
THAIN REFUSES TO TALK TO CUOMO ABOUT BONUSES
Ex-Merrill Lynch boss John Thain refused to answer questions about the $4 billion in bonus payments that Merrill doled out just days before it closed its merger with Bank of...
The Daily Whacks, Monday Edition
We've been taken in by this kind of thing before with Phil Mickelson, so it probably isn't time to start handing him any trophies or big checks prematurely, especially with...
Local Bubble Officially Bursts
Any slim (very slim) chance Seton Hall had of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament went out the window with a 70-65 loss to St. John's yesterday.And another...
Oscar Watch: Early Prospects for Next Year's Award Nominees
Here's an extended version of my annual early look at next year's Oscar contenders, which appeared in the early print edition:AND next year's Oscar for Best Picture goes to .¤.¤....
I'M BACK
After a much-needed break I am back in action.I'm heading down to Steroid Training - otherwise known as Spring Training tomorrow. Count on me blogging every day with updates. For...
Lineups for intrasquad game
PORT ST. LUCIE -- Here are the lineups for the Mets' first intrasquad game of the spring here this morning at Tradition Field: Sandy Alomar Jr.-coached team (visitors): 1. Alex...
TiVo Alert: 31 Days of Oscar Day 23: RKO's 'Devil' of a Problem
Even when Arnold and Huston turned up on a foreign poster like this one -- where Simone Simon mysteriously gets top billing -- an effort was made through hairstyles and...
NEW ARCHBISHOP PLEDGES 'LIFE, HEART, SOUL' TO NEW PARISHIONERS
The former monsignor named to head the New York Archdiocese may have just gotten to the Big Apple - but he's already tackling the tough issues. For starters, the affable...
3 UP: GARCIA, MANUEL, CHURCH
1. There is an assumption that Freddy Garcia is on track to be the No. 5 starter with the Mets. But not so fast. The early read in camp is...
POSTCARD: South Beach Wine & Food
Chef Paul Bartolotta is no liar. A while ago, he promised us that he would be bringing langoustines ($20 to $35 at his Wynn Las Vegas restaurant) to the always...
RUFF CRITICISM OFF THE MARK
Lindy Ruff has coached Buffalo teams with some of the league's most notorious headhunters, from Michael Peca to Vaclav Varada to incumbent Patrick Kaleta. Yet every time one of his...
FILM FANS MAD FOR 'MADEA'
Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes to Jail" locked up No. 1 at the box office over the weekend, opening with $41.1 million, according to studio estimates yesterday. It was the highest-grossing...
RED CARPET'S AMAZING 'GRACE'
In spite of worries that there would be less of a red carpet, this year's 81st Academy Awards provided enough big-gown spectacle to perk up a rainy night. And we...
SUPER 'SLUMDOG' WINS BEST IN SHOW
"Slumdog Millionaire" had its biggest day, dancing away last night with eight Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, for its irresistible rags-to-riches tale that nearly went straight to video....
PREDICTABLE ACADEMY DELIVERS THE 'KNEWS'
REMEMBER when there were actually surprises on Oscar night? Last night's ceremonies were among the most predictable and boring ever, and I'm not just talking about the well-deserved sweep by...
H'WOOD'S DULLEST NIGHT ALL WASTE & NO TASTE
WHAT the heck was that? Wake me when it's over. For good. Last night's Oscar presentation - from the cringe-inducing, bad-taste opening "poor is funny" number that host Hugh Jackman...
HELP WANTED
I hear it over and over again: "Nobody's hiring." I'd be a fool to argue that jobs are plentiful these days - not with New York state's jobless rate at...
GO TO GREG
Q With thousands of job boards on the Web, I'm going crazy trying to decide which ones to spend my time on. Which do you recommend? A There's so much...
60 SECONDS WITH JAMIE SHOWKEIR,
As an expert on workplace communication, you're critical of how employers deal with layoffs. How should they be handled? In a word, honestly. One of the mistakes that's made is...
YOUNG GUNS
Oscar drank from the fountain of youth last night - and even though some of the stars were well shy of legal, it was a kegger! Last night's bevy of...
LEGENDARY RANGER LEFT LASTING IMPRESSION
KIDS are impressionable, which used to mean that no adult in the sports or TV or radio or any entertainment industry would try to profit from encouraging them to act...
SPORTS SHORTS
NASCAR: Kenseth makes it 2 in a row In Fontana, Calif., Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth made it two victories in a row yesterday, holding off a late challenge from...
'MOTHER'LY LOVE
'HOW I Met Your Mother" (CBS, Mondays, 8:30 p.m.) is venturing into classic murky sitcom territory as it tinkers with the possibility of a romance between two of its relationship-averse...
REAL 'GOSSIP'
AFTER years of watching "documentary" footage of what it's like to be a wealthy California teen on series like "Laguna Beach" and "The Hills," rich kids here are finally getting...
HUGE CONAN 'NIGHT'
CONAN O'Brien went out with a "Late Night" bang. O'Brien's final "Late Night" telecast Friday snared the show's best overnight ratings in two years. O'Brien, who'll inherit NBC's "Tonight Show"...
'WINTER'S' HOT
YOU can't accuse director Sam Mendes of being timid. For his first season of the new transatlantic theater cooperative in resi dence at BAM he could have chosen one of...
'OC' ARREST
'REAL House wives of Orange County" bad boy Slade Smiley, ex-fiancé of co-star Jo De La Rosa, was picked up by police Friday in Costa Mesa, Calif. on a civil...
STARR REPORT
"American Idol" is still, by far, TV's top-rated show, but it's showing some signs of age this season- averaging 26.4 million viewers, its low est average viewership since Season 2,...
UNBECOMING 'ELECTRA' A THEATRICAL TRAGEDY
UNABRIDGED, "Mourn ing Becomes Electra" - Eugene O'Neill's marathon 1931 drama adapted from Aeschylus' "Oresteia" trilogy - runs about six hours. Most productions clock in at around 4 1/2. The...
CONTROL KEY TO JOB FOR POWER LEFTY DE LOS SANTOS
PORT ST. LUCIE - If the Mets decide to add a second left-handed reliever from within this spring, Valerio de los Santos handed them his calling card yesterday. The well-traveled...
RAPTORS RIP NEW-LOOK KNICKS
TORONTO - Larry Hughes was so rusty in his Knicks debut, he brought the whole team down with him. In a stunning reversal of fortunes, the Knicks collapsed in Canada...
'FASHIONED,' DUNKIRK ROLL TO VICTORIES
It was a big week for unbeaten 3-year-old sons of Unbridled's Song. Last Monday at Oaklawn Park, in his first start of the year, Old Fashioned cemented his status as...
MARBURY, WALSH TO MEET
With the arbitration hearing between Stephon Marbury and Knicks brass still set for tomorrow in New York to dispute his $400,000 fine, the Knicks' point guard and Donnie Walsh are...
COTTO, PAVLIK NEED ELITE COMPETITION
Miguel Cotto and Kelly Pavlik successfully completed their first rehab assignments Saturday night with Cotto winning by TKO at the Garden and Pavlik doing the same in his beloved Youngstown,...
DANILO FORCED TO SIT IN TORONTO
TORONTO - The "D" in Danilo now stands for DNP. The Knicks' prized rookie, Danilo Gallinari, did not play yesterday in the initial fallout of Thursday's trades that added Larry...
LEFT FIELD MOVE TO MURPHY LATEST BOMBSHELL
PORT ST. LUCIE - Jerry Manuel sure is keeping his players and the media on their toes this spring. The Mets' manager yesterday livened up a sleepy news conference once...
JERRY'S STAND-UP ACT NEEDS STRONG FINISH
PORT ST. LUCIE - Jerry Manuel is comedian and philosopher, loose and candid, bold and self-confident. He is, in other words, many things that the defensive, smug Willie Randolph was...
DEREK HEADED TO WBC WITH HURTIN' HAMMY
TAMPA - Judging by Derek Jeter sitting out only the running portion of yesterday's workout, his cranky right hamstring isn't that serious. However, when you add in that Jeter -...
BRODEUR LIKELY TO RETURN OVER WEEKEND
Even if Martin Brodeur finally starts his first full scrimmage practice today, it's becoming clear that coach Brent Sutter isn't convinced just three friendly simulations in three days are enough...
A-ROID AWAITS WORD FROM PROBERS
TAMPA - Alex Rodriguez hasn't heard from MLB as to when baseball's investigators are going to talk to him about his steroid use. And the Yankees, who haven't been informed...
NETS HOPING MALAISE STOPS VS. SIXERS
Questions about the Nets' lackluster defense and perceived lack of effort are nothing new. They've dealt with these issues all season and they will keep dealing with them until something...
OVECHKIN FUELS CAPS
WASHINGTON - Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals put their biggest rival firmly in the rearview mirror yesterday, scoring a 5-2 victory over the Penguins and Sidney Crosby. Ovechkin scored his...
CC'S FASTBALL PACKS THAT MAGICAL POP
TAMPA - It gets all of us sooner or later, the more time we spend in Florida in February: the greatest illusion of spring training. The sound of the baseball...
MICKELSON RALLIES TO WIN
On the verge of blowing the biggest lead of his career, Phil Mickelson turned his fortunes around in the final hour at Riviera with back-to-back birdies that carried him to...
REELING RANGERS CAN'T WIN ONE FOR BATHGATE, HOWELL
On the night the banners signifying the number retirements of Andy Bathgate (9) and Harry Howell (3) were raised to the top of the Garden, the Rangers' freefall continued with...
HONORING THESE GREATS LONG OVERDUE
THE vast majority of the fans who watched Harry Howell's No. 3 and Andy Bathgate's No. 9 raised to the Madison Square Garden roof last night were not old enough...
ST. JOHN'S STEALS WIN FROM SETON HALL
Let the record show that on Feb. 22, 2009, passionate, bitter, in-your-face Big East Conference basketball returned to the metropolitan area. St. John's outlasted Seton Hall 70-65 yesterday in Carnesecca...
VILLANOVA DEFEATS SYRACUSE
Dwayne Anderson scored a career-high 22 points to lead No. 12 Villanova to a season-series sweep of No. 24 Syracuse with an 89-86 victory yesterday. The win didn't come easily...
HOOKAH BY CROOKS
What were these guys smoking? The owners of a Lower East Side hookah bar turned their lounge into an oasis for underage drinkers, serving liquor without a license and providing...
MEDICAID COPS BARE EYE-POPPING 'SCAMS'
Investigators are trying to staunch a flood of Medicaid scams bleeding New York dry, including bills for unneeded prosthetic eyeballs, services for patients long dead and prenatal care - for...
LIBRARY RETIREES' SERIOUS CA-SSSH
Being expert in the Dewey Decimal System really pays off. Some of the richest pensions in the state are doled out to the loyal ex-librarians of the New York Public...
MOMMY CAUGHT IN PRE-K CRAZE
IN MANHATTAN'S best cribs and on jungle gyms, it's crunch time for the lit tlest budding masters of the universe. Adorable Miranda turned 2 in October. She's only just learning...
FINAL CUT AT CONEY
The "Prince of Coney Island" is leaving his throne. Jimmy Prince, a rare throwback to Coney Island's glory days, this Saturday plans to close his popular butcher shop, Major Prime...
ESCAPE BY COPTER AT GREEK JAIL
ATHENS - Greece's most notorious prisoner escaped from an Athens jail yesterday in a Hollywood-style helicopter getaway - for a second time. Vassilis Palaiokostas, 44, had escaped from the maximum-security...
BOMB RAP ON IRAQ POL
BAGHDAD - The government of Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is seeking the arrest of a Sunni politician accused of arranging a 2007 suicide bombing inside the Iraqi parliament and...
IRAN BOASTS: WE'LL BE UP AND ATOM THIS WEEK
TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's first nuclear plant will begin long-delayed operations on Wednesday, the state atomic energy agency said. But a nuclear official in Russia, which is helping build the...
GILLY GETTING THE WILLIES
US SEN. Kirsten Gilli brand is nervously telling friends that Gov. Paterson's sharp drop in popularity may lead to her defeat in next year's all-but-certain Democratic primary. Party insiders who...
A KISS BEFORE DYING
Tragic British reality-TV star Jade Goody kisses Jack Tweed, 21, whom she married yesterday in Essex, England. Goody, 27, the star of "Big Brother," has announced she is dying of...
ARNIE IN MOVIE COMEBACK
WASHINGTON - He said he'd be back - and soon, he will be. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday told ABC's "This Week" that he plans to make a cameo appearance...
WARNING SHOT VS. OBAMA TAXES
WASHINGTON - Congressional Republicans signaled yesterday that President Obama could face a bruising fight as he begins this week trying to make good on a promise to raise taxes on...
SEND 'KILLER' KID TO JUVIE: WARDEN
A Pennsylvania jail warden yesterday said he will ask a judge to move an 11-year-old boy accused of killing his father's pregnant girlfriend to a juvenile detention center. Lawrence County...
THE MAN WHO CAN'T BUY A DATE
Baby, I've changed! The so-called Dateless Doc who once offered a $200,000 bounty for a wife is now telling a matchmaker he previously sued that "it wasn't you, it was...
RICHIE LIFE LESS SIMPLE
"The Simple Life" star Nicole Richie, 27, is pregnant with her second child, according to her boyfriend, Joel Madden. Madden, 29, broke the news - under the headline "Better than...
QNS. 'DWI' MOWDOWN
A drunken driver who recently lost his job plowed into a group of Queens clubgoers early yesterday - sending seven young people to the hospital, cops said. Renis Kuci, 24,...
POST FOTOG HONOR
Post photographer G.N. Miller will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York Association of Black Journalists at a gala this week. Miller, a staff photographer since 1994, will...
MTA IN LE$$-TRAFFIC JAM
To bridge and tunnel travelers slogging into the city - enjoy the open road! A traffic recession is triggering a precipitous drop at the MTA's crossings, costing the cash-strapped agency...
MILWAUKEE BISHOP GETS EGAN'S POST
Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan will be named the next Roman Catholic archbishop of New York today, church sources said last night. Dolan, 59, Milwaukee's archbishop since 2002, will replace Edward...
TIME BOMB OF YOUNG COPS
The city's pension system is collapsing under the weight of payments it makes to more than 10,000 retired cops - all under the age of 50. They represent a staggering...
POL PUSHES TAXPAYER 'GIFT CARDS'
ALBANY - A new bill would pair tax hikes on the rich with middle-class tax cuts - handing the savings to taxpayers in the form of ready-to-spend debit cards of...
'KILLER' GRANNY BUSTED
A Bronx grandmother with three arrests was busted yesterday for beating her 4-year-old grandson to death, cops said. Angela Barksdale, 45, was charged with killing little Kevion Shand - her...
COP DIES IN CRASH
A Long Island cop was killed yesterday when a drunken driver plowed into his squad car - a chilling echo of his NYPD father's 1987 death at the hands of...
CHIMP VICTIM KIN'S BID
The family of the woman mauled last week by a chimpanzee says her twin brother plans to go to court this week to seek guardianship of her and her teenage...
QNS. MAN KILLS WIFE & SELF
A Queens man stabbed his wife to death, then hanged himself in their Bayside home, police said yesterday. Tae Kim, 29, found the bodies of his mother, Nyung Kim, 57,...
KNICK EX'S ATT'Y HELD IN HER SLAY
Authorities in Chicago have charged a 36-year-old attorney in the shooting deaths of the former girlfriend and infant daughter of New York Knicks player Eddy Curry. A State's Attorney spokeswoman...
SLICE BIZ RED TAPE: QUINN
The city is getting ready to cut the red tape for small-business owners. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is working with the Bloomberg administration on a program to coordinate all...
15G HEIST IN CENTRAL PARK
A woman walking her dog in Central Park last night told police that a man bashed her in the head with a metal object and robbed her of $15,000 worth...
JAMAICA BANS RADIO RAUNCH
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Jamaican regulators are forbidding all explicit references to sex and violence over the airwaves. The new rules from the Jamaican Broadcast Commission, announced on Saturday, ban any...
NYPD DAILY BLOTTER
Bronx Police yesterday were searching for an 81-year-old woman who disappeared from her Throgs Neck home. Nhianh Hoang (above), who suffers from poor mental health, was last seen leaving her...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
An Oregon woman missed her New Jersey nephew's high-school graduation in 1987 and has a good excuse - she only now got the mailed invite. Postal officials can't figure out...
O'S DUBIOUS RUSSIAN GAMBIT
QUIETLY, the Obama adminis tration is offering Russia a tacit bargain: We'll concede to your hegemony in your immediate neighborhood - if you cooperate with the West in increasing the...
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Getting worse Forecasters now ex pect the economy to shrink by 1.9 percent in 2009, a much deeper contraction than the 0.2 percent dip projected earlier, as consumers re trench...
ATOMIC AYATOLLAHS
GET this: The Obama adminis tration has put plans for our missile-defense system in Eastern Europe under review - even as fresh signs pop up that Iran is closing in...
ACTORS UNION SEEKING PAY AD-JUSTMENT
With labor strife already hanging over Hollywood, the ad industry is preparing to bargain with actors over pay for appearing in commercials. Advertisers and agencies will kick off contract talks...
DRINKING NEW YORK DRY
THE ISSUE: Dustin Dibble's $2.3 million negligence lawsuit against NYC Transit. *** So a Manhattan jury awards $2.3 million to a drunk who fell in front of a subway train...
THE UGLY REALITY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
THE ISSUE: Musical artist Rihanna's physical altercation with then-boyfriend Chris Brown. *** Why is Chris Brown not locked up ("Shocking First Photo," Feb. 20)? At the same time, women need...
TO SAVE NYC'S CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
NEW York City's Catholic schools continue to shut down at an alarming - yet preventable - rate. Last month saw 14 elementary schools in Brooklyn and Queens slated for termination;...
BIGGER STAKE IN CITI
Wall Street's fear of a bank nationalization moved closer to reality last night, as federal regulators were said to be negotiating with Citigroup to boost the government's stake in the...
HANG TOUGH, MORGY
Thirty years ago, graffiti in Central Park was as much a New York institution as fires in the South Bronx and muggers in Times Square. Today, the four hapless vandals...
THE COWARDLY BULLY
Ken Raske has a strange definition of the word "serious." Raske, whose Greater New York Hospital Association has been bullying Gov. Paterson for proposing mild austerities in state Medicaid spending,...
BACK TO THE LINKS
With the long-awaited return of Tiger Woods just a couple of days away, and warm weather not that far off, golf is on top of the minds of more than...
Liveblogging the Oscars: Good Night and Not-So-Good Luck
The evening's extreme predictability helped hurt my final score on Oscar predictions, where I ended up with a dismal 15 out of 24. Absent the usual suprises in the acting...
Liveblogging the Oscars: 'Slumdog' Wins Best Pic
Steven Spielberg presents, for the umpteeth time, the Best Picture award to... you guessed it. The totals are "Slumdog'' 8, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'' 3, "Milk'' 2, "The...
Liveblogging the Oscars: Penn Over Rourke in the Main Event
Sean Penn ("Milk'') won over Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler'') in the only real contest in the major categories. He thanked "you Commie, homo-loving sons of guns'' and said, "I do...
Liveblogging the Oscars: Winslet, Unfortunately
Frontrunner Kate Winslet, a loser five times, finally wins for "The Reader,'' which as I've said many times, is far from the best performance from this talented actress. The award...
Liveblogging the Oscars: 'Slumdog' Wins Direction
What a shock! Danny Boyle is named Best Director for "Slumdog Millionaire'' -- and he even raves about the show. Well, it's not easy giving two dozen acceptance speeches in...
Liveblogging the Oscars: Remembering the Dead
Queen Latifah is singing "I'll Be Seeing You'' to narrate the "In Memoriam'' death montage, which ends with Charlton Heston, Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack and Paul Newman. Now we're finally...
Liveblogging the Oscars: Japan Wins Foreign Language
In the evening's first upset, the Japanese "Departures'' won over Israel's heavily favored "Waltz With Bashir,'' which I predicted to win. This is a notoriously difficult to handicap category, since...
HEATH LEDGER EARNS OSCAR AS JOKER IN `DARK KNIGHT'
The late Heath Ledger got a standing ovation from his Hollywood colleagues after winning the best supporting actor Oscar Sunday for his madly villainous Joker in "The Dark Knight." Ledger...
Liveblogging the Oscars: 'Slumdog' Sweep Continues
In an Oscar night singularly lacking in surprises so far, "Slumdog Millionaire'' pushed its win total to six after wins for A.R. Rahman's Score and Best Song "Jai Ho.'' It's...
Liveblogging the Oscars: Jerry Lewis
A frail-looking Jerry Lewis accepted the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award from fellow ex-Paramount superstar Eddie Murphy with a short, heartfelt speech. Why didn't they give him an Honorary Oscar?
Liveblogging the Oscars: 2 More for 'Slumdog'
"Slumdog Millionaire'' notched two more Oscars -- a total of 4 so far -- for Film Editing and Sound Editing. The only category they've lost so far is Sound Editing,...
Liveblogging the Oscars: 'Man on Wire' Wins Doc Feature
Bill Maher, whose "Religulous'' was not nominated for Best Documentary, presented the Best Documentary Feature award to "Man on Wire,'' and the Documentary Short to "Smile Pinky.'' I predicted the...
Liveblogging the Oscars: Ledger, Of Course
To no one's surprise, the late Heath Ledger became the second posthumous winner of an acting Oscar in academy history -- after Peter Finch of "Network'' -- for "The Dark...
Liveblogging the Oscars: Production Numbers Are Back -- Unfortunately
Production numbers, banned from the Oscars a few years back as a time-wasting bore, returned with Hugh Jackman and others performing Oscar-winning tunes in a stunningly bad sequence directed by...
Oscar Watch: Holocaust Short Triumphs
Seth Rogen, James Franco and two-time Oscar winning cinematogapher Janusz Kaminski ("Schinder's List'') present the Live-Action Short award to the Holocaust-themed German film "Spielzgusland (Toyland).'' The trio also star in...
Liveblogging the Oscars: Getting In the Back Door
"The Soloist,'' which got pushed out of this Oscar race to avoid competing with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,'' becomes the first movie to be advertised during the Oscar...
Liveblogging the Oscars: 'Slumdog' Notches Second Win
"Slumdog Millionaire'' is 2 for 2 after notching a second Oscar for Antony Dod Mantle's Cinematography. "The Dark Knight'' is 0 for 3. "Slumdog'' is actually tied with "The Curious...
Liveblogging the Oscars: 'Button' Wins for Art Direction, Makeup
Predictons that "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'' would set a new record for Oscar shutouts in all 13 categories failed to come true, as it snagged awards for Art...
STARS CALLED ON THE CARPET
In spite of worries that there would be less of a red carpet, this year's 81st Academy Awards provided enough spectacle to perk up a rainy night. Barely there colors...
Liveblogging the Oscars: 'Wall-E,' Duh, Wins Animated Feature
Did anybody really think Pixar's "Wall-E'' was going to lose? The awards are presented by Jennifer Aniston and Jack Black -- sure hope this chemistry-challenged duo never star in a...
Liveblogging the Oscars: 'Slumdog,' 'Milk' Take Screenwriting Trophies
"Slumdog Millionaire'' unsurprisingly picks up the first of what will undoubtedly be a raft of awards, for Simon Beaufoy's adapted screenplay. For original screenplay, the prize goes to Dustin Lance...
Liveblogging the Oscars: Cruz Wins Best Supporting Actress
Frontrunner Penelope Cruz wins the first award of the evening for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona'' and delivers a charming, emotional acceptance speech. In a major break with tradition, clips of the...
Liveblogging the Oscar: First Montage
The producers promised to stay away from those show-killing montages, but at 11 minutes in they've already hauled out the clips of past winners.
Liveblogging the Oscars: Stopping the Show
Hugh Jackman's opening musical salute to the five Best Picture nominees -- rhyming "excrement'' with "sentiment'' -- was a show stopper in the wrong sense. Billy Crystal he's not. Poor...
Liveblogging the Oscars: Shooting for 11:45
Can the Oscars really wrap up in 3 hour and 15 minutes? According to a schedule that was leaked, they're supposedly shooting to be over at 11:45 p.m. New York...
Liveblogging the Oscars: Who Will, Won't Be Presenting
The Oscar producers have taken the unprecedented step of keeping the names of tonight's presenters under wraps, but the intrepid Nikki Finkereveals some of the names who will and won't...
Champions League Ushers Start of Topsy-Turvy Finale
By CLEMENTE LISIThis week marks the start of the knockout stage of the Champions League -- and it could usher the beginning of a make-or-break period for some of Europe's...