April 3, 2009
Mets awed by Citi Field
To say the Mets' players and coaches were eager to see new Citi Field for themselves would be an huge understatement. If you want a mental picture, think kids on...
Fans like Citi Field, too
Beautiful, majestic -- or just plain awesome. Fans put up with damp seats Friday to watch the Mets test their plush and pricey new ballpark in an exhibition game against...
'Idol' Fix: Who's Hotter?
Ya know, since it's Friday and all...We love the above picture for two reasons: 1. "Idol" alums Ace Young and David Cook look damn good and 2. You can define...
DEALS: Kiawah Island villa for $175
Please, do not judge a deal by its gimpy puns, for they mean us no harm. You might otherwise pass on the "Valcation" special -- which is either a portmanteau...
A 'Real' Battle For Class
Couldn't wait to see how the "Real Housewives of New York City" was going to follow-up last week's cat-fight-clad episode? Here's how.Since none of the "Housewives" can stand to listen...
PETROCELLI ELECTRIC INDICTED ON LABOR VIOLATION CHARGE
The head of Long Island City-based Petrocelli Electric Company was indicted on corruption charges in Manhattan federal court last Thursday for allegedly giving payouts to a "representative" of a union...
Beltran reacts to Sheffield
Here is video I shot this afternoon of Carlos Beltran reacting to the Mets' signing of Gary Sheffield:
Box Office: No Folks, That Smell Is Not Burning Rubber
inline;">"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public,'' P.T. Barnum once famously said, probably foreseeing this depressing weekend at the box office. Steve Mason at Big...
Exhibition: Red Sox at Mets
The rains have lifted, and it looks as if the Mets will be able to lift the cover off sparkling new Citi Field tonight with the first of two exhibitions...
The Day We Admit That We Have No Time
Seriously.None of us has time to post much right now.Certainly nothing original. We enjoy putting things that are entertaining/annoying here because we love video games. Alas, we all have other...
Giants release Plaxico
BY PAUL SCHWARTZPlaxico Burress is not the Giants problem any longer.The team decided not to wait for the legal system to decide whether or not the troubled receiver is headed...
GIANTS RELEASE PLAXICO BURRESS
Plaxico Burress is not the Giants' problem any longer. The team decided not to wait for the legal system to decide whether the troubled receiver is headed to jail. The...
EX-PLAYBOY FASHION DIRECTOR SUES MAG FOR SEX DISCRIMINATION
Playboy's former fashion director claims he was the victim of discrimination at the girly mag because of his sexual orientation and age. In a $4 million Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit...
Stalking in Seattle
Seattle striker Fredy Montero is under investigation after claims that he was stalking a woman, a 23-year-old who'd already reported that the Colombian had sexually assaulted her. Montero didn't travel...
RBNY Notes: Pacheco gets P-1, Stammler will make bench in Chicago, Celades won't
After going-away parties and farewell games at CD FAS, new Red Bull defender Alfredo Pacheco finally got his P-1 visa at the U.S. consulate in El Salvador this morning, and...
NYPD SEES THREAT IN ISRAEL-IRAN TENSIONS
The New York Police Department has quietly prepared plans to beef up security at the city's synagogues and other Jewish sites in case simmering Israel-Iran hostilities escalate. The department's intelligence...
GIRL, 15, TO THROW METS FIRST PITCH
Now pitching for the New York Mets is 15-year-old Geena Fazio. The Commack High School softball player was chosen to throw the ceremonial first pitch at tonight's debut game at...
JETER, WRIGHT IN CHARITY BAT-TLE
The friendly rivalry between Yankees captain Derek Jeter and Mets captain-in-waiting David Wright just got $150,000 more interesting. The two New York superstars will participate this season in Delta's Jeter/Wright...
PROTESTERS RALLY AGAINST WALL STREET BAILOUTS
There was a different sort of rally on Wall Street today. Dozens of protesters asking the government to "bail out the people" -- not corporations -- held a large rally...
BRONX MAN ACCUSED OF TRYING TO HAVE WITNESS KILLED
A Bronx man accused of rape has been charged with trying to have a witness and the woman he's accused of assaulting killed, prosecutors said today. Anthony Perez was charged...
It's official: Mets sign Sheffield
From JOEL SHERMAN The Mets have signedGary Sheffield with an eye on giving him significant playing time, according to two people involved in the talks. The signing is contingent on...
RBNY draftee Ogunbiyi on trial at Leeds
Red Bull draftee Babajide Ogunbiyi may be joining Mike Grella at Leeds, after the hulking Nigerian defender was given a trial at the English club.OK, Leeds has fallen on hard...
MAN ACCUSED OF STALKING JAMIE FOXX AT PHILLY HOTEL
Police say a man is in custody for trying to barge into actor Jamie Foxx's hotel penthouse in Philadelphia. Investigators say 49-year-old William Brown first knocked on the door of...
METS SIGN GARY SHEFFIELD
By JOEL SHERMANThe Mets today signed Gary Sheffield with an eye on giving him significant playing time, according to three people involved in the talks."He's going to help this team;...
NY ELECTRICAL EXEC CHARGED WITH BRIBING UNION BIG
An executive who once led one of the country's biggest electrical wiring contractors faces charges today that he paid bribes to a New York union official. Former Petrocelli Electric chairman...
MADOFF BRO ALLOWED TO SPEND $10K A MONTH
The brother of self-confessed Wall Street scammer Bernie Madoff will be allowed to spend a staggering $10,000 a month for living expenses - part of an agreement reached today between...
CARLOS SANTANA WISHES OBAMA WOULD LEGALIZE POT
President Barack Obama brushed off a question about legalizing marijuana in his online town hall last month, but guitar god Carlos Santana says he wishes he would seriously consider it....
Dallas signs Alvaro Sanchez
FC Dallas signed diminutive forward/midfielder Alvaro Sanchez on loan from AD San Carlos of Costa Rica's Primera Division. The 24-year-old Sanchez had 10 goals and 14 assists in 44 games...
JAY? IT AIN'T SO IN BOSTON
Jay Leno is being banned in Boston. Beantown's NBC affiliate says it's going to air a local newscast instead of the soon-to-be-former "Tonight Show" host's new 10 p.m. talk show,...
Gallinari surgery scheduled
By MARK HALEDanilo Gallinari is having back surgery next Tuesday, a procedure that will require a recovery time of six-to-eight weeks."For eight months we tried everything, and the last thing...
Vac's Chat Rewind
Vac's Whacks at the Final Four
Back to the rain
First full day back and it's raining. Will be at Yankee Stadium bright and early tomorrow to check it out. I think having a new ballpark is going to help...
OFF-DUTY COP FOUND GUILTY OF SHOOTING UNARMED MAN
An off-duty cop was found guilty this morning of manslaughter after shooting an unarmed man outside his home. Bronx Supreme Judge Margaret Clancy, who decided the fate of Officer Rafael...
Holt vs. Bradley Pits Champion vs. Champion
It's champion vs. champion when Kendall Holt and Timothy Bradley face each other on Showtime.It will be a battle of champions Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal where...
CITY TO SOAK NY'ERS WITH WATER RATE HIKE
Talk about getting hosed during an economic recession. The city has proposed a whopping 14 percent water rate hike starting July 1, officials said at a hearing this morning. The...
MALAWI COURT REJECTS MADONNA ADOPTION REQUEST
A judge has rejected Madonna's request to adopt a second child from Malawi because of a requirement that prospective parents live in the southern African nation for at least 18...
El Gato-Bailey Meet On Friday Night Fights
Frankie Figueroa hopes to get title shot with win over Randall BaileyNABF light welterweight champion Frankie "El Gato" Figueroa feels every fight is like a chess match and he plans...
HOW TO AFFORD YOUR DREAM WEDDING
Ponzi scheme ruin your shot at a million-dollar wedding? No worries, Mr. and Mrs.-to-be! Take inspiration from the more than 800 brides who stormed New York magazine's bridal event(their weddings...
MICHAEL VICK: PRISON GAVE ME TIME TO THINK
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Suspended NFL star Michael Vick says his time in federal prison has given him time to think. Vick took the stand in a Virginia bankruptcy court...
FEDS: MADOFF'S FLORIDA MANSION LOST $2M IN VALUE
Even Bernie Madoff isn't immune from the terrible economy. The waterfront Florida mansion the feds seized from the self-confessed Wall Street scammer lost nearly $2 million of its value since...
OBAMA AND SARKOZY MEET IN FRANCE
President Obama made a french connection today - meeting France's leader Nicolas Sarkozy during a pow-wow in Strasbourg ahead of a key NATO summit. During the meeting, Sarkozy offered enthusiastic...
UNEMPLOYMENT SKYROCKETS TO 8.5%
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. unemployment rate jumped to 8.5 percent in March, the highest since late 1983, as a wide swath of employers eliminated 663,000 jobs. It is fresh evidence...
Mets at least mulling Sheffield
From JOEL SHERMANA long time ago, when I was the Yankee beat writer for this paper, a Yankee official and I were discussing having difficult personalities on a roster. And...
3 UP: YANKEE PAYROLL AND NEW STADIUM
1. As promised yesterday when I did the Met payroll, here is a look at the Yankee season-opening payroll for 2009:TO CONTINUE READING THIS ITEM OR FOR MORE ON THE...
3 UP: YANKEE PAYROLL, NEW STADIUM, SHEFFIELD
1. As promised yesterday when I did the Met payroll, here is a look at the Yankee season-opening payroll for 2009:Alex Rodriguez -- 33,000,000Derek Jeter -- 21,600,000Mark Teixeira -- 20,600,000A.J....
CONEY ISLAND BACK THIS WEEKEND
Come the weekend you'll be able to ride the Cyclone - and soon even "Shoot the Freak" - just like you did last summer as Coney Island bounces back for...
SPORTS SHORTS
COLLEGE: Floyd stays at USC Tim Floyd said yesterday he is staying put as Southern California's coach, spurning an offer to become men's basketball coach at Arizona. He was offered...
CAVS' STREAK SNAPPED
WASHINGTON -- Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards recovered after blowing a 14-point second-half lead and ended the franchise-record 13-game winning streak of LeBron James and the Cavaliers with a 109-101...
JAYS SKIPPER TAKES RIPS AT ROCKET
Don't invite Cito Gaston and Roger Clemens to the same party. Clemens yesterday was blasted by the Blue Jays manager, who still believes the Rocket played a role in his...
STEINBRENNER WANTS TITLE FOR NEW STADIUM
The House that Ruth built has been replaced by a billion-dollar baseball arcade where there is something for everyone. The voice of the franchise doesn't contain the bravado or walk...
IN TOUGH TIMES, A MONUMENT TO GREED
IT IS beautiful, of course. But in the way that a woman who went to the world's best plastic surgeon might be beautiful. It is supposed to remind you of...
SMALL BATTER'S EYE COMES INTO FOCUS
At first blush, the batter's eye in center field -- which is the window of a restaurant -- appears to be a little low. And with seats above the windows...
JAMIE FOXX SOXX 'STALKER'
He's Law Abiding Citizen by day -- and Ali by night. Actor Jamie Foxx -- who co-starred in the 2001 biopic "Ali," about boxing legend Muhammad Ali -- got into...
PENSION CRA$H
One of Mayor Bloomberg's top aides warned yesterday that the city could collapse just like General Motors if runaway pension costs aren't reined in. "Defined benefit plans, such as what...
TOYING WITH THE BIBLE
FRANKFURT, Germany -- Pastor Markus Bomhard has learned that you can't just crucify a doll and get away with it. For more than two years, the German clergyman has been...
AX ARAB KILLS BOY
BAT AYIN, West Bank -- A Palestinian armed with a pickax went on a rampage yesterday in this West Bank Jewish settlement, killing a 13-year-old Israeli boy and wounding a...
PARK ZOO BABIES
March came in like a lamb -- three of them, in fact. The Central Park Zoo yesterday announced that three lambs were born there recently to three moms. Mole had...
MICHELLE, QUEEN SISTERS IN ARMS
When Michelle Obama put her arm around Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, some of the more excitable elements of the media -- particularly the Americans -- suggested she may have...
NYPD DAILY BLOTTER
Bronx A teen mugger (above) is being sought for attacking three women in the past six weeks in the Fordham section, police said. The suspect typically follows his victims into...
AVI IN THE HOT SEAT
JERUSALEM -- Israeli police interrogated the country's new hard-line foreign minister for more than seven hours yesterday in connection with an ongoing bribery investigation. Avigdor Lieberman was questioned at the...
DODD FEELS BONUS ONUS
WASHINGTON -- Support for Sen. Chris Dodd in his home state of Connecticut has plummeted sharply as voters blame him for the AIG bonus scandal, a stunning new poll showed...
A 'SPIDEY' SIDESHOW ON SLOW DAY FOR PROTESTS
Anti-summit protests fizzled in London yesterday and were upstaged by a French "Spider-Man" who climbed up the side of a bank building to warn of global warming. Alain Robert, who...
PUBLIC BOARDING SCHOOLS PIQUE INTEREST
President Obama's education czar said he'll explore the use of taxpayer funds to give poor kids the opportunity to attend public boarding schools. "The wealthy in our country have had...
SCHOOLGIRL CRUSH ON FIRST LADY
An emotional First Lady Michelle Obama choked up and doled out hugs yesterday to a group of London schoolkids in a surprise visit during the president's trip to the G-20...
FALLING PIPE HITS SUBWAY WORKER
A hardhat was struck in the head by a falling pipe yesterday as he worked in a shaft inside the Bowling Green subway station downtown, police said. The 27-year-old worker...
POL AIDE IN $CAM BUST
An aide to Queens Assemblywoman Vivian Cook has been indicted on charges he stole $520,000 in a previous job as a temp for the city Health and Hospitals Corp., Manhattan...
FREE-TRADE PREZ ECHOES REAGAN
WASHINGTON -- In this time of complete Democratic dominance, conservatives just scored a historic victory unimaginable only a few years ago. They've finally won the long war between free trade...
RAIL PROMISES
Cross your heart? Gov. Paterson yesterday vowed to use "any means necessary" to quell the political storm stalling an MTA bailout plan, and assured commuters they won't get socked with...
'HAPPY TRAIL$'
Deep-pocketed Roy Rogers fans itching to own a piece of the singing cowboy's legend should "Git Along" to Christie's tomorrow to bid on one of his famed acoustic guitars. The...
HORDES BUY UP LONDON BRITCHES
Kate Moss and a crowd of more than 1,000 screaming, bargain-hungry clotheshorses stampeded into SoHo yesterday to welcome a new British invasion -- the US debut of the celeb-fave London...
O'S ED. CZAR ZINGS IT TO CHEAPO CHARTER POLS
President Obama's education chief slammed New York state lawmakers yesterday for shortchanging charter-school kids in the state's budget. In a meeting with The Post editorial board, Secretary of Education Arne...
O HAILS GLOBAL 'TURNING POINT'
World leaders agreed to bring transparency to companies that give out major compensation packages, and formed a common approach to handling the toxic assets plaguing banks, President Obama said yesterday...
STILLER HAILS FAREWELL TO CABBY SUIT
Serenity now! There's been a peaceful end to a bizarre "Anonymous vs. Anonymous" court fight involving funnyman Jerry Stiller and a cab driver. Stiller, 81, sued the cabby, Sekou Bathily,...
SUBWAY NEEDLE STABBING
A goon robbing a high-school student on a Manhattan subway train stabbed the teen in the stomach with a hypodermic needle, police said. The 17-year-old victim, who lives in the...
JURY OF HIS JEERS
With his cane, unsteady gait, nice suits and cortege of lawyers and news photographers, Anthony Marshall -- the accused thieving son of philanthropist Brooke Astor -- turned a few heads...
COUNCIL OK ON W. SIDE YARDS
Plans to build a $15 billion district of housing, parks and office towers over the West Side rail yards won a key approval from the City Council yesterday, even though...
VICK EYES $10-AN-HOUR JOB
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Michael Vick's lawyer yesterday told a bankruptcy court that the suspended NFL star had lined up a post-prison construction job that would pay him $10 an...
'WATER' DEBUT MAKES A SPLASH
VitaminWater made a star-studded splash yesterday in Union Square. Hundreds of people, including "ER" hunk Shane West and celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza -- who whips the likes of Anne Hathaway...
YANKS' NEW DIAMOND SHINES
It takes a lot to impress fans for whom anything short of a World Series championship is a losing season -- but when thousands of pinstripe faithful got a sneak...
GOV NIXES NON-UNION HIKE$
ALBANY -- Gov. Paterson late yesterday denied 3 percent wage hikes to 13,000 non-union state employees, saving an estimated $20 million a year. This comes two days after a senior...
NOOSE PROF LOSES
Bad things come in pairs for Madonna Constantine. One day after a photo of a noose was left for the disgraced professor at Columbia's Teachers College, one of her lawsuits...
MATCHMAKER $INGLED OUT
Matchmaker, matchmaker -- give me a refund. A single mom is suing the city's self-described "No. 1 Jewish matchmaker," claiming she overcharged her and failed to catch her a catch....
3 SCHOOLS STAY OPEN
Backing off in the face of a lawsuit, the city Department of Education has nixed plans to replace three failing public schools with charter schools. Instead, DOE officials said yesterday,...
GREEN LIGHT FOR MADGE
Malawi has Madonna's back. The African nation's High Court is expected to rule this morning that the pop singer should be permitted to adopt orphan Mercy James, 4, despite opposition...
MY UNENDING RAPE HORROR
The young woman attacked by a rapist in a desolate subway station as two MTA workers looked on recounted her nightmare yesterday. Maria Besedin told her terrifying story two days...
INDICTED BLAGO'S DIZZY AT DISNEY
CHICAGO -- Ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich was indicted yesterday on charges of trying to auction off President Obama's vacant US Senate seat -- along with new allegations he tried to...
'HORN'ING IN ON BANDIT
A lucky musician is tooting his own $15,000 French horn again, thanks to some folks who were instrumental in getting it back after it was stolen from his car in...
COURT WIN FOR AXED '9/11 NAZI' PROF
DENVER -- A jury ruled yesterday that the University of Colorado wrongly fired the professor who compared some 9/11 victims to Nazis, a verdict that gives the professor all of...
THE RINGS WE DO FOR LOVE
Good thing she said yes. Otherwise, Don Walling's catastrophic Brooklyn Bridge proposal -- during which the ring fell out of the box and onto the lower roadway -- would have...
LI NUT PLANT EYED IN PISTACHIO RECALL IS A RAT TRAP
The Long Island parent company of a California nut processor is being investigated in the national pistachio recall after rodent droppings and cockroaches were found at its plant. Setton International...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
We'd like a bailout with pepperoni and extra cheese, please. Domino's accidentally gave out thousands of free pizzas when someone discovered that typing "bailout" into the online promo-code window triggered...
WEEKEND HOT PICKS IN ENTERTAINMENT
HARDY LAUGHTER Don't be surprised if you hear a lot of belly laughs emerging from the East Village's Anthology Film Archives tomorrow afternoon. They're bound to be coming from folks...
WE'RE GAME
IT'S summer 1987 at a saggy Pittsburgh amusement park called "Adventureland," which means barf-removal duties, "Rock Me, Amadeus" repeated to the point of induced psychosis and one ironclad rule: No...
HOLES FILLED, YANKS & METS READY TO ROLL
The general managers did their jobs, now the players have to fulfill their end of the bargain. Brian Cashman and Omar Minaya filled the holes on their respective rosters --...
THE ESCAPIST
BRIAN Cox plays a wise old crimi nal masterminding a prison break in "The Escapist," a loud, busy and muddled action drama. Cox's character, about whom we know virtually nothing,...
ROLLIE ENGINEERED 'NOVA RESURGENCE
DETROIT -- Tell me if this sounds like a familiar tale that hits a little close to home, St. John's fans: LIVE CHAT TODAY AT NOON This was the spring...
TAR HEELS' LAWSON ON A ROLL IN MOTOWN
DETROIT -- Oh, craps! One of the NCAA's greatest concerns was realized yesterday when North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson revealed he had already visited the casinos that dot the...
UCONN'S CALHOUN CONTEMPLATES GAME'S END
DETROIT -- The time in the gym surrounded by his players and assistant coaches remains as rewarding as ever for Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun. But the hours consumed by illness...
PREVIEWS
ROCK OF AGES: Musical ode to '80s stadium rock, featuring "America Idol" star Constantine Maroulis. Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 W. 47th St.; 212- 307-4100. Opens Tuesday. THE TOXIC AVENGER: The...
FAIRS, FESTS, ETC...
FER THE KIDZ: The not-for-profit Early Stages program, which is dedicated to fostering literacy among children, is holding a benefit featuring storytelling, live music, treats from Billy's Cupcakes and more,...
NICK FALDO
TIGER Woods put to rest any doubts that he wouldn't return to his otherworldly form after knee surgery with his win at Bay Hill. But now Tiger sets his eyes...
NETS DO CHIN-UPS FOR PRIDE
Pride is a word floating around a lot in the Nets' locker room nowadays, and that's because it is just about all they're playing for. With seven games left in...
ROME HAD BETTER STADIA ... 2,000 YEARS AGO
IT'S not as if the long time patrons who are being common-sensed out of the Mets', Yanks', Giants' and Jets' shiny new greed centers needed another reminder of the score....
KNICKS TRY TO GET EDDY READY FOR GARDEN
Eddy Curry could use a little Garden love. It is still uncertain if the beleaguered Knicks center will be cleared to make his season's home debut tomorrow against Toronto, but...
JETS LOSE OUT AS BEARS SNAG CUTLER
As Kellen Clemens walked away from his locker yesterday, he said to the reporters around it, "I'll see you next week . . . hopefully." Turns out, he had nothing...
JETS COULD TARGET WIDE RECEIVER IN DRAFT
Quarterback is not the only question mark on the Jets' roster. The team also has a need at wide receiver. Veteran Laveranues Coles was granted free agency by the team...
VICK SEEKS SEPT. RETURN
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- An agent for suspended NFL star Michael Vick told a bankruptcy court yesterday that he hopes the ex-Falcons quarterback could return to the league by September....
UNION PRESENTS CASE BACKING BURRESS
Giants receiver Plaxico Burress and Chiefs running back Larry Johnson expect to learn within a week whether getting into trouble off the field trumps millions of dollars in guaranteed salaries...
TRADITIONS MADE IT SAFELY ACROSS STREET
LIKE $209 million worth of children let loose in a billion-dollar candy store, the Yankees loved the laptops hanging in each locker and the whirlpool big enough for Boomer Wells,...
THRILLED METS SET SAIL FOR NEW DIGS
PORT ST. LUCIE -- The Mets played their last game of spring training here yesterday, but their minds were 1,200 miles away on the new digs waiting in Queens. The...
LEBRON NEEDS TV TIMEOUT
YA think LeBron and the Ohio Players might be a bit overexposed? After pistol-whipping (leavin' welts on their necks from the necklace strippin') the visiting Mavericks last Sunday (on ABC),...
PELFREY POUNDED IN SPRING FINALE FIASCO
PORT ST. LUCIE -- Mike Pelfrey didn't exactly end spring training on a high note. The big right-hander was shelled here yesterday for the second time in 10 days, giving...
ANTI-SHEA ALL SET TO OPEN ITS DOORS
A NEW era begins today when the Mets walk into pristine Citi Field. The best thing about Citi Field, and there are many wonders in Jeff Wilpon's brand new playground,...
STALLWORTH RELEASED ON BAIL
CLEVELAND -- Free on bail but facing serious legal charges, Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth will get ready for an upcoming NFL season not knowing if he'll play. Stallworth surrendered...
COACH TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEVILS' SLIDE
After insisting multiple times yesterday that he takes responsibility for the Devils, Brent Sutter actually delivered self-imposed pressure to fix the team's current crisis. With the Devils having lost six...
ISLANDERS HAB PROBLEM SCORING
The Islanders' roster has been filled all year with players who have been called up from Bridgeport, so perhaps it's fitting that the AHL's Sound Tigers will be playing their...
RANGERS FALL TO EIGHTH AFTER LOSS TO 'CANES
RALEIGH, N.C. -- There is essentially no remaining margin for error. The eighth-place Rangers have frittered it away. Every team within proximity is streaking and the Blueshirts are faltering. The...
PENN ST. TOPS BAYLOR FOR NIT TITLE
The Penn State faithful -- over three dozen busloads from State College, and more from New York -- staged a white-out at last night's NIT final, annexing the Garden to...
FILM
FILM FORUM: Director Jules Dassin's heist thriller "Rififi" (1955) -- famous for its wordless, 35-minute robbery sequence -- screens today and tomorrow at 2, 4:30, 7 and 9:30 p.m. 209...
DANCE
AILEY CITIGROUP THEATER: City Ballet dancers Rachel Piskin and Ralph Ippolito perform modern ballets by John Prinz and others Sunday at 7:30 p.m. 405 W. 55th St.; 212-533-7739. JOHN JAY...
CABARET
FEINSTEIN'S: Marine Mazzie and Jason Danieley perform duets from their album "Opposite You" tonight at 8 and tomorrow at 8 and 10 p.m. 540 Park Ave. South; 212-339-4095. METROPOLITAN ROOM:...
CLASSICAL
AVERY FISHER HALL: Charles Dutoit leads the New York Philharmonic in Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 and Mozart's Clarinet Quintet tomorrow at 2 p.m., followed by a Q&A session with some...
JAZZ
BLUE NOTE: The Preservation Hall Jazz Band plays New Orleans-style jazz through Sunday at 8 and 10:30 p.m. 131 W. Third St.; 212-475-8592. DIZZY'S CLUB COCA-COLA: The "Sing Into Spring...
POP, ROCK, FOLK
BRYAN ADAMS: The '80s star responsible for "Cuts Like a Knife" and "Summer of '69" plays tonight and tomorrow night at 8 at the Beacon Theater, 2124 Broadway; 212-465-6050. COWBOY...
OFF-BROADWAY
"BLOOD TYPE: RAGU": ** Meandering one-person account of growing up Italian-American. Actors' Playhouse, 100 Seventh Ave. South; 212-868-4444. "BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?": *** Moving musical revue featuring songs...
LIFELINES
A family spending a day in group therapy discovers that the secret they're there to discuss is the least of their problems in the family dramedy "Lifelines." Jittery Mom (Jane...
THE SONG OF SPARROWS
HOW you gonna keep them down on the ostrich farm after they've seen Tehran? That's the questioned posed by "The Song of Sparrows," directed and co-written by Iran's Oscar- nominated...
LEADING A RACE TO THE TOP
SECRETARY of Education Arne Duncan's "Race to the Top Fund" offers New York a tremendous opportunity to take a good, hard look at the standards we've set for our schools...
HEDGES PUT ON EDGE
World leaders' plans to step up regulation of hedge funds will make the $1.4 trillion industry a "scapegoat" for the near-collapse of the financial system, the funds' lobby group said....
LEWIS: IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME
Bank of America Chairman and Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis said it may take several quarters for the bank to repay its $45 billion of federal bailout money, although he believes...
CHANGYOU IPO POPS 36%
Online video game maker Changyou.com Ltd. soared in its trading debut yesterday, with shares up nearly 36 percent, putting it on pace for the most successful stock launch in nearly...
PETTING THE SNAKES
NO matter how gently you pet a snake, it's not going to love you back. And faith-fueled fanatics always show their fangs in the end. Nobody seems to learn. Again...
OBAMA TAKES THE WHEEL AT 'US (G)OV'T (M)OTORS'
THE ISSUE: President Obama's ousting of GM Chairman Rick Wagoner. *** President Obama just "fired" Rick Wagoner because he did not have a "satisfactory" plan to return GM to prosperity...
IBM, SUN CLOSER TO DEAL
International Business Machines Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. are negotiating a takeover that values Sun at $9 to $10 a share, people familiar with the matter said. The discussions are...
RIM BEATS ANALYSTS' ESTIMATES
Research In Motion Ltd., the maker of the BlackBerry phone, reported fourth-quarter profit that beat analysts' estimates, helped by sales of new models including the Storm and Bold. The shares...
FEDS NAB FIRST SWISS BANK 'SWINDLER'
A Boca Raton, Fla., accountant yesterday became the first casualty of the recent deal the feds struck with Swiss bank UBS to shine a light on US citizens who use...
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Payback The Treasury said five banks repaid a total of $353 million in federal rescue funds on March 31, the first institutions to return taxpayer capital. Signature Bank repaid $120...
RECORD RATES
Fixed-rate mortgages in the US fell to a record low for the second consecutive week, signaling that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's effort to spur the housing market is gaining...
WEEKLY JOBS LOSS: 669K
The number of Americans filing unemployment claims unexpectedly rose last week to the highest level since 1982 and those staying on benefit rolls jumped to a record as companies kept...
CASH-STARVED TIMES COMPARED TO DARFUR
NEW York Times Execu tive Editor Bill Keller equated the Gray Lady to a PBS pledge drive, claiming readers have offered to donate money to keep the Times alive. Keller...
IN THE DEATH SEAT
Jamie Dimon's JPMorgan Chase and three other big lenders to General Motors and Chrysler are fretting they could lose billions of dollars if a tough-talking Obama administration pushes the beleaguered...
RELATIVITY KILLS DEAL WITH MGM
A dispute has broken out between film companies Relativity Media and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer over Relativity's decision to cancel a distribution deal with MGM in favor of one with Lionsgate, The Post...
HANK: NOT MY FAULT
Hank Greenberg went to Washington expecting a beating by Congress yesterday for any wrongdoing in creating his AIG empire, a symbol now of the recession's worst ills. Instead, the 83-year-old...
D.B. ZWIRN IS NEAR ASSET SALE
D.B. Zwirn & Co. is close to an agreement to relinquish substantial control of about $3 billion in hedge-fund assets, The Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site. Talks...
TOXIC BOOKS TRICK
Yesterday's move to ease an accounting rule at the heart of many banks' balance-sheet problems could have the unintended effect of curtailing bank participation in Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's massive...
TAKE NY OUT TO THE BALLPARKS
Two spanking new ball yards open their gates to exhibition-game crowds today: The Yankees host the Chicago Cubs at the Stadium, while the Mets meet the Red Sox at Citi...
IN BED WITH THE DREGS
The UN Human Rights Council might well be the most vile of all the world body's panels. So why does the Obama administration want in? UN Ambassador Susan Rice announced...
MYSTIFYING SEC'Y DUNCAN
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan stopped by The Post yesterday, and he looked mighty perplexed when he learned how De Facto Gov. Sheldon Silver and his partners in perfidy are...
RIPPING MONTHLY RALLY LIFTS MOOD ON WALL ST.
On paper, it looks like the best rally month for blue chips since 1933. Markets surged broadly yesterday from two bright spots on an otherwise grim economic landscape: a relaxation...
YANKEES ADMIT SOME SEATS OVERPRICED
Sitting in new Yankee Stadium on the first day fans came to the $1.5 billion ballpark, managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner admitted some tickets might be overpriced given the recession...
FORBIDDEN LIE$
NORMA Khouri goes from hero to goat in "Forbidden Lie$." As you probably don't remember, Khouri -- claiming to be a Jordian virgin being hunted by Islamic crazies -- struck...
FREUDIAN FLIP
'THERAPY" is one of those concepts that ordinarily generates in me much the same level of excitement as "IRS inquiry" or "holiday traffic," yet when I sat down to watch...
STARR REPORT
Interesting story behind this season's "Whale Wars," which premieres June 5 on Animal Planet. When the show's ship, The Steve Irwin, docked in Hobart, Australia after completing the second- season...
MINING FOR TRAGEDY AND FINDING HOPE
Editor's note: Michael Riedel is on vaca tion. Guest columnist Lynn Nottage, whose play "Ruined" has again extended its run at the Manhattan Theatre Club, tells how she got that...
VIN VILL IT END?
WITH their careers stalled, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker have consented to grace the witless retread called "Fast & Furious" with their first joint appearance since "The Fast and the...
HUMOR IS AN ALIEN CONCEPT HERE
FANS of '50s sci-fi may want to check out "Alien Trespass," which beautifully captures the look of the genre through cinematographer David Moxness' eye-popping re-creation of super-saturated Technicolor. Sadly, laughs...
TUXEDO? CHECK. HORMONES? CHECK. DATE?
THE sight of William H. Macy sporting a Jew-fro as a di vorced dad trying to help his nerdy son score with a prom date is among the myriad delights...
BEDDING CRASHERS
IT'S got a single guy whose only apparent goal is to adopt a Chinese baby, a dad who likes to build dictator's-head pinatas filled with Bit-O-Honeys, and a wandering mystery...
ALL FRENCH, NO NOIR
A shamelessly melodramatic series of romantic, financial and politi cal crises embroil a rundown music hall in "Paris 36," a gleaming hunk of French period schmaltz expertly rendered by director...
MANY REASONS TO BE WARY
NEIL LaBute is often referred to as the bad boy of Ameri can theater, a fear less explorer of man's dark side. Please! Underneath the profanity, hot-button issues and general...
A LOT MORE THAN A PREGNANT PAUSE
IT'S no wonder Kelli O'Hara -- "The Light in the Piazza," "The Pajama Game" and "South Pacific" -- has forged a sterling musical-theater career for herself. The three-time Tony nominee...
'BACHELOR' BEAUTY IS FILMING
JILLIAN Harris, second-runner up for the attention of "Bachelor" Jason Mesnick, is halfway through filming her own search for love as the next "Bachelorette." And the Canadian beauty isn't taking...
CANCER 'DIARY'
AFTER months of being shop ped around, Farrah Faw cett's documentary chronicling her battle with cancer, tentatively called "A Wing and a Prayer," has been picked up by NBC. The...
BASEBALL DAYS, UNSWEETENED
JUST in time for opening day comes the baseball movie "Sugar," written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the team behind the 2006 sleeper hit "Half Nelson." Now...
OPRAH CHANNEL DELAYED
OPRAH Winfrey's 2006 cross-country road trip with best pal Gayle King is the basis of a new series on Oprah's new cable network. The Oprah Winfrey Network -- OWN --...
CUCKOO 'IDOL' ELIMINATION
THE mystery of Megan Joy's strange behavior on the "Idol" stage -- moments before she was eliminated -- has been solved. Members of "Idol"-taunting Web site VoteforTheWorst.com have been voting...
BROADWAY
"BLITHE SPIRIT": **½ Angela Lansbury and Jayne Atkinson prevent director Michael Blakemore from completely smothering Noel Coward's comedy. Shubert Theatre, 225 W. 44th St.; 212-239-6200. "GOD OF CARNAGE": *** A...
Mexico sacks Sven
Well, the axe finally fell on Mexico coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, when he was fired today. It came just a day after their humbling 3-1 loss to Honduras in World Cup...