December 16, 2007

Oscar Watch: The AFI's 10-Best List

"Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead""The Diving Bell and the Butterfly""Into the Wild""Juno""Knocked Up""Michael Clayton""No Country for Old Men""Ratatouille""The Savages""There Will Be Blood"

DVD Extra: Lou's Gift Guides!

In case you're looking for gift suggestions for that movie buff in your life, or want to gift yourself for being so good all year, I have some suggestions in...

Box Office: Will Power, Green Chipmunks

This week's boxoffice is up a whopping 35 percent over the same three days a year ago, estimates Exhibitor Relations. That's enough to push admissions, which have been lagging since...

GIRL GONE WILD

Girl meets boy. Girl "dates" boy. Girl meets girl. Girl "dates" girl. Which gender will she pick? In the finale of the MTV dating show "A Shot at Love With...

SING OUT, SISTAH

"I don't want no punks in my choir," says the legendary Patti LaBelle, one of five celebrities who handpicked 20 singers each from their respective hometowns to compete this week...

REEL GOOD

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006) Monday, 9:30 p.m., HBO A weird but oddly interesting tale of a dysfunctional New Mexico family that takes a road trip to California. Destination: to enter...

PRIMETIME

hedline --- There's no accounting for taste. Barbara Walters' annual "Ten Most Fascinating People" ABC News special, last week, included Don Imus. Yeah, fascinating fellow, Top 10. But there was,...

DON'T MISS LIST

CATEGORY: COMEDY Three's a crowd In the last original episode of "Samantha Who?" Samantha (Christina Applegate) is forced to move back into her apartment when she discovers that she could...

PRICE OF FAME

If there's one thing Ricky Gervais can't stand, it's the fame game. "What people will do for power and fame and faux adoration," he says, shaking his head. "When people...

STARS COME OUT FOR ADOPTION

Musical superstars such as Fergie and James Blunt direct their talents to a worthy cause - foster care -- on the ninth installment of "Home For The Holidays." The special...

'DUEL'

ABC's new game show "Duel" asks 24 competitors to test their wits and nerves all week long in high-pressure, one-on-one trivia battles. At the end of six nights, one player...

TELEVISION INDUSTRY CUTTING ITS OWN THROAT

TV used to be about entertainment, but there's nothing entertaining about witnessing an entire industry commit ritual suicide. It really is incredible: Here's this dynamic industry - the TV business...

BREED IN NEED

NOW that Michael Vick's been sentenced for engaging in the crime of dogfighting, consider supporting pit bulls - America's most abused dog breed - by showing your disapproval of animal...

ASK DR. MICHAEL FOX

DEAR DR. FOX: My lovely 12-year-old cat, Patsy, is overweight. Different vets have advised contradictory solutions. One told me not to give her Fancy Feast canned food and only dry...

ADOPT ME

Tango is a 4-month-old kitten with gorgeous markings. She's a mixture of tabby and calico who's sweet, adorable and full of young energy. Meet her from 11 a.m. to 4...

CONFUSION RULES OVER GAME'S OBJECT

CHESS CHESS has a lot of rules that puzzle beginners, and perhaps the strangest concerns the object of the game. Other board games and some sporting events end when someone...

MY NEW YORK: CHARLIE MURPHY

"I love playing the city and wish I got to do it more." First off, if you've never seen "Charlie Murphy's Real Hollywood Stories," stop reading this and order "The...

TANGO 'TIL YOU'RE SORE

RADIO (HOLI)DAYS Strand, 828 Broadway; (212) 473-1452,strandbooks.com WQXR announcers Annie Bergen, Elliott Forrest, Jeff Spurgeon and Midge Woolsey literally get into the spirit of the holidays at Strand bookstore when...

THAT WAS AWESOME!

Chris Farley came into this world on Feb. 15, 1964, weighing 12 pounds, 11 ounces. By age 33, he was gone, 296 pounds and dead of a drug overdose on...

THE GIFT OF GADGET

Apple 4GB iPod Nano $149; apple.com If you know someone who has steadfastly resisted the iPod craze, this is your chance to convert them. The miniscule, steel-colored Nano holds 1,000...

WEB SLINGER

Crank That, Kosha Boy vids.myspace.com (search "kosha") The hip-hop dance craze that sparked countless tributes on YouTube gets the ultimate shout-out from God's chosen people in comedian Eric "Smooth-E" Schwartz's...

Q&A: KRISTEN WIIG

Kristen Wiig has become a household name on "SNL" by playing outrageous versions of people we've all had the misfortune to encounter. There's Penelope, the woman who one-ups everything you...

AN EVEN BIGGER FIASCO

For his sophomore release, Lupe Fiasco didn't just create a new record - he conjured up a dream world. In fact, "Lupe Fiasco's The Cool," out Tuesday, ought to be...

ONCE': THE ROCK MOVIE OF THE YEAR

It's been a good year for pop music at the movies. Not only did Bob Dylan get the royal treatment in the quirky "I'm Not There," but The Beatles were...

I'M NO. 1: JOSH GROBAN

JOSH GROBAN'S "Noel" isn't about Christmas novelty. It's about the operatic Groban's passionate, precise take on traditional favorites. That's turned "Noel" into a true seasonal classic and helped it top...

SECRETS OF THE MOVIE PRIZE GIVERS

'TIS the season to hand out prizes and nominations to the "best movies of 2007." Trouble is, the honors usually go to movies released with big fanfare by the Hollywood...

'TODD' FELLOWS

Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd" has a lot to recommend it - opera, gore, Johnny Depp and Sacha Baron Cohen in the same scene - but it may, upon closer reflection,...

D'OH BOYS

Fans of "The Simpsons" had to wait 20 years for the beloved animated show to become a movie. The DVD, however, arrives Tuesday, less than six months after the movie's...

BOULEY'S BOYS' BISTRO

Bar Blanc 142 W. 10th St.; (212) 255-2330 David Bouley is either beaming or steaming, because three of his star pupils - Kiwon Standen (who managed Bouley's business operations for...

FASONE, 29, AND FRIED, 27

OCT. 20 - Keeping their relationship a secret from their co-workers was a bit thrilling for Kelly Fried and Neal Fasone, both Manhattan accountants who hit it off at their...

SUTTON, 27, AND HICKMAN, 28

OCT. 27 - Weddings hold a special meaning for Kevin Hickman and Laura Sutton: They met in 2004 at a mutual friend's wedding as bridesmaid and groomsman. Two years later...

TAZZI, 30, AND GIOVANNETTI, 36

OCT. 7 - On Christmas Eve 2006, Gary Giovannetti surprised Jennifer Tazzi with a trip to Belvedere Castle in Central Park. There, Giovannetti, an assistant manager of network programming operations...

DEMBOWITZ, 42, AND LONDON, 42

OCT. 28 - "I'm a matchmaker," says Hope Dembowitz, who's set up more than 10 happily married couples. But when she met Paul S. London through mutual friends in 2005,...

UPSTATE CELL-OUT

Nearly a year after a Brooklyn man froze to death on the Adirondack Northway because he couldn't get cellphone service, the Spitzer administration has yet to fix the life-threatening problem....

CANADA'S THOUGHT POLICE

Celebrated author Mark Steyn has been summoned to appear before two Canadian judicial panels on charges linked to his book "America Alone." The book, a No. 1 bestseller in Canada,...

WHAT I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

Dear Family Member, Loved One, Guy I Talk to About Sports Occasionally, Spouse, or Fat Jolly Old Elf: Okay. Here's what I actually want for Christmas. - Someone to select,...

GRAND ILLUSION

What is happening in Iowa is no longer boring but big, and may prove huge. The Republican race looks - at the moment - to be determined primarily by one...

SICK AND TWISTED

I am a small-government conservative/libertarian and have hated the concept of socialized medicine almost all my life. But now, I could live with universal health coverage in the U.S. Here's...

A CASE OF BAD HUCK

The ghost of Howard Dean haunts the pundit class. As soon as a candidate of either party spikes up in the polls, he is compared to Howard Dean, who had...

AMERICA'S PURGATORY

In August I received a letter from a Guantánamo Bay official, querying whether I had smuggled "Under Armour briefs" and Speedo swimming trunks into my client, Guantanamo prisoner Shaker Aamer....

CAN'T HACK IT

What's the deal with NYC cabbies? Do they think they are exempt from the 21st century ("Hacks a 'Diss' Credit," Dec. 12)? Acceptance of credit cards in cabs is not...

HIGH ON OBAMA

Bill Clinton smoked marijuana but didn't "inhale" ("Hill Goes up in Smoke," Dec. 13). George W. Bush snorted and drank himself silly but fudged the facts. Sen. Barack Obama smoked...

PIG IN A POKE

Who keeps a pig in the house ("Bringin' Home Bacon," Dec. 11)? My granddad had a pig farm in North Carolina. The smell was horrible, and that was outside. I...

GIVE A SHIP

North Korea has invited the New York Philharmonic to Pyongyang to give a concert in February ("Symphony for the Devil," Editorial, Dec. 13). This will help thaw the ties between...

KENTUCKY DIRTY

Mitch McConnell, a consummate politician, has been my senator for 24 years ("GOP Porkers' Greasy Deal," Robert Novak, PostOpinion, Dec. 10). He has feasted at the pork-barrel trough the entire...

FORGOTTEN CHILD

Three-year-old Tkai Marcelle of Bedford-Stuyvesant was killed by her father last week ("Betsy" Watch for Kid Abuse," Dec. 10). When Nixzmary Brown was killed by her parents a couple of...

THE SHAME!

I fail to find the humor in riffing on spousal abuse or a person's death ("Ike 'Beats' Tina to Death," Dec. 13). A headline like that gives the impression that...

AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Celebrities have been big business in America for more than a century. During the glam World War I era, film and theater industries exploded. Al Jolson and Fanny Brice reigned...

RIGHT-ING THE SHIP

When conservative commentator David Frum started writing a book on the future Republican agenda in late 2004, the right was riding high in the aftermath of George W. Bush's re-election....

WRITING HER OFF

At an address before the Independent Women's Forum in 2006, Condoleezza Rice made a spine-tingling statement: "[T]he fact is that our Founding Fathers, trying to create a perfect union of...

ART OF THE ABSURD

Upon closing "The Late Hector Kipling" I thought its plot defied summary. Then I remembered that Hector Kipling ably provides one himself: "Dad's in hospital, Kirk's in hospital, Sofia's in...

DREAMING OF A WRITE CHRISTMAS

Books historical, hysterical, fiction and non - so many choices for the holidays, so little time left. Here's a gift guide to some of the season's best. FOR COUCH POTATOES...

BERNANKE CREATES FRUSTRATION

The anger and frustration was almost universal after last Tuesday's decision by Ben Bernanke's Federal Reserve to cut key rates by just a quarter percent - investors headed for the...

PAST ITS PRIME

The slow but steady erosion in the power of primetime television is about to change the fundamental structure and financial clout of broadcast TV's perennial cash cow, warn advertisers, which...

SUBPRIME SURVIVORS

As mortgage delinquencies continue to expand, a bill that would help financially-strapped New Yorkers was passed in the Senate on Friday - but needs to be reconciled with the House...

THIS WEEK'S WINNERS AND LOSERS

WINNERS VIKRAM PANDIT Citigroup's new CEO moves to rescue $49B in mortgage paper, by putting them on balance sheet.J.C. FLOWERS Investor smelling sweet after pulling his $60 a share bid...

'MONEY HONEY' NOW FLAPPING HER LIPS FOR LIRR SAFETY

WHEN you hear Maria Bartiromo talking about the gap these days, you would think she is talking about some accounting issues or perhaps the retail chain. But if you thought...

BONO CREDO: SELL IDEAS

U2 front man Bono, one of the five co-founders of the $1.9 billion Elevation Partners private-equity fund, seems to be trying hard to blend the investment philosophy of the cutthroat...

BUFFETT TAKES GLOBAL OUTLOOK TO BALANCE PORTFOLIO RISK

WARREN Buffett, political kingmaker, market sage, national tax adviser, shrewd investor? By all accounts Buffett, who stumped with Sen. Hillary Clinton this week, qualifies for all of the above -...

DEATH TAX FACE OFF

The so-called death tax is scheduled to rise to 55 percent in four years - when the exemption will drop to $1 million from $2 million - and up to...

WHY PROP UP INFLATED HOME$?

Dear John: I dunno why everybody's so worked up over subprime mortgages, when it's prime and home-equity loans that I'm worried about.I'll say this: fully 5 percent of us have...

BLAZING NEW TECH

The FDNY wants firefighters to be able to view blueprints of burning buildings before they charge into harm's way. The blueprints would be available in 3-D and include "appropriate layers...

GIVE SOME PROPS FOR NY FLIGHTS

Runways are so clogged at New York's airports that at least one airline is traveling back to the future - replacing jets with propeller planes to stave off delays. Continental...

NIGHTCLUBS AND NIGHTSTICKS: ASSAULTS ON THE RISE

More nightclub brawls, attacks on cops and domestic violence produced an increase in assaults in the city this year - the only crime category that rose, police say. Felony assaults...

I LUG NEW YORK

Feel like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? New York women - you are! Well, the weight of the fashion world, that is. It's that loaded...

PETTITTE: I TOOK HGH TO BATTLE INJURY

In a bombshell confession, Andy Pettitte admitted yesterday for the first time that he used Human Growth Hormone to recover from an elbow injury in 2002, the Yankee pitcher said...

VISITOR IN MIDTOWN DEATH LEAP

On her first trip to New York, a 21-year-old Minnesota woman jumped from a fire escape and plunged 60 feet to her death, cops and witnesses said. Small-town girl Jennifer...

LEGEND OF THE FALL

Alcides Moreno was hurtling downward at a speed up to 124 mph, clinging to a 1,250-pound scaffold that acted like a surfboard in the sky. Those grappling with why he...

'METAL FALL' VICTIM MAY NEVER WALK

In a hospital bed with a metal brace locked on his head, an architect severely injured at a downtown construction site said yesterday he felt badly about not having taken...

RENT-A-RABBI

Inside a windowed conference room at Morgan Stanley, Scott Beck is discussing the Holocaust with his rabbi, Henry Harris. Harris had recently returned from a trip to Poland. "It looks...

'SCRAP'HANGER VIDS PUMMELING THE WEB

The hits just keep on coming to New York City mass transit on YouTube. A week after footage of a slapped-around straphanger made Web waves, The Post found six more...

NEW E. SIDE DOC-BLAST SUIT

Nearly 18 months after a suicidal Upper East Side doctor blew up his East 62nd Street townhouse, a neighboring synagogue is seeking $52,000 for damage sustained in the blast. It's...

UNFARE CAB-TV 'RIPOFF'

A Manhattan company says it was used and abused - and had its copyrighted work stolen - by a Canadian vendor that supplies new technology to city cabs. While the...

SPIKE IN JUVENILE ARRESTS

A rise in the number of arrests of juveniles has city officials concerned - and detention centers bulging. Since January, police have arrested 9,090 youngsters under 15 - an 8...

'SORRY' '73 SIEGE CON: 'WE DIDN'T KILL COP'

Nearly 35 years after he was convicted of killing a cop during a hostage siege in Brooklyn, the crime's ringleader still denies direct responsibility for shooting the officer, according to...

ULTRA-LUXE PLAZA BACK 'INN' STYLE

Gold-threaded sheets. Grand pianos. And $20,000 rates. That's the level of luxury New Yorkers can expect to find at the new Plaza Hotel, finally set to reopen at 59th Street...

IMPLANTS DUE FOR TAN FANS

An Australian biotech company is reportedly testing an implant that creates a perfect tan in two days. The implant - about the size of a grain of rice - is...

BRUTAL BUBBA ; BASHES OBAMA

Wild Bill Clinton drew his wife's battle-scarred campaign even further off track when he told interviewer Charlie Rose that Americans would be taking a "risk" by voting for close rival...

RUDY'S RALLYING CRY IN FLORIDA KEYNOTE

TAMPA, Fla. - Rudy Giuliani tried to restart his campaign yesterday, telling Americans to elect him president because as New York's mayor he "achieved results that some people thought were...

BARACK WIFE CORNERS AL

The Rev. Al Sharpton says Mrs. Barack Obama acted like "a sister from Brownsville" when she tried to squeeze a presidential endorsement for her husband out of him. Michelle Obama...

'CHAOS' IN HILLARY'S CAMPAIGN

The bickering is far from over in Camp Clinton, insiders say, even as staffers closed ranks in an effort to leave last week's campaign gaffes in the past. "They're in...

'LEGEND'ARY FILM OPENING

It's official - Will Smith is legend. The actor smashed his personal opening-day record Friday when his new film, "I Am Legend," raked in $29.5 million, according to boxofficemojo.com. With...

THE IRE OF TEXAS UPON ROCKET

HOUSTON - They've been let down by their hometown hero. Residents of Roger Clemens' upscale Houston neighborhood said they're "disappointed" and "disgusted" the Rocket has been accused in the bombshell...

FBI PROBE STILL HAUNTS REV. AL

Federal subpoenas issued to officials of Rev. Al Sharpton's organization last week are an outgrowth of a years-old FBI probe of Philadelphia City Hall corruption, a Philadelphia newspaper reported yesterday....

IT'S NOT YOU - IT'S HIM

Not tonight, dear, you're my wife. A staggering 20 million marriages are believed to be sexless, or nearly so, and it's not only wives who are feigning headaches. A new...

TV LAWSUIT: THE PRICE IS WRECKED

This is one Showcase Showdown the courts will have to decide. A woman who won big on the "The Price Is Right" has filed a suit claiming that they gave...

INMATE #07A3578 HAS SOME REGRETS

Stir-crazy fake-firefighter fiend Peter Braunstein spends his time behind bars inventing bone-chilling revenge fantasies of "Columbine-style" murder and mayhem. One, he said in a venomous rant, was that when he...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

MANHATTAN The family of an Irish immigrant who disappeared last month after leaving a Midtown bar is asking that anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward. James Anthony...

BADILLO TO GIULIANI: BACK OFF

FORMER congressman Herman Badillo has warned Rudy Giuliani's campaign that "you guys are going to lose the Hispanic vote" unless all the Republican presidential candidates tone down their anti-immigrant rhetoric....

ANDY'S PITCH RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE

THIS is the Andy Pet titte we thought we knew, the one we wanted to still believe in even across these last three terrible days. Sometimes it seems our baseball...

LOTTERY

NEW YORK Midday Nos. Sat.: 464; Lucky Sum: 14 / Midday Win-4 Sat.: 1404; Lucky Sum: 9 / Evening Nos. Sat.: 529; Lucky Sum: 16; Evening Win-4 Sat.: 6239; Lucky...

ALYCIA LANE ARRESTED, PUNCHES COP

A foxy Philly anchorwoman - who once e-mailed sexy swimsuit snaps to a married TV talking head - became an anger woman yesterday, calling a female cop a "dyke bitch"...

NY ANGLERS REEL LOSERS

NEW York came away losers again after Tuesday's meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Rather than go with coast-wide regulations for summer flounder, which would have given New York...

HORACE MANN GETS FOUR FIRST-TEAMERS

Horace Mann's soccer team, which won another Ivy League title (13-0-1) under coach Neil Berniker, has placed four players on the All-League first team. The Lions finished 19-1-1 overall, losing...

NO ROOM FOR CLEMENS-CY

* That Roger Clemens was named in the Mitchell Report as having taken steroids should come as no surprise to anyone. The smoking gun was the 2000 World Series and...

SPORTS SHORTS

HOOPS: Hawk player carjacked Hawks forward Shelden Williams escaped without injury yesterday when he was carjacked at gunpoint before the Hawks' game against Charlotte. Douglasville City, Ga., police said two...

THE RUMBLE

Sacking the 'snake' Sharpe, Reeves pounce on Petrino Count Shannon Sharpe among those disgusted by Bobby Petrino quitting on the Falcons to coach Arkansas. "I don't really like to call...

THROWBACK DEFEAT

Niagara hadn't come to Queens and won since Joe Lapchick was St. John's coach and John F. Kennedy was president. That was, until yesterday. St. John's actually held a two-point...

FEHR FACTOR

IT DOESN'T matter if it's presidential politics, big industry or big sports, statesmanship is trending dead. Doing or even saying the right thing for the good faith it engenders is...

JINGLE BALLS

"We Three Clowns of MSG" ("We Three Kings of Orient") We three clowns of MSG are So inept, it's odd and bizarre Bumbling, stumbling, Garden's gru-u-mbling Last place is where...

BELI-CRUSH!

TODAY PATRIOTS (-23) over Jets: Vengeance Day is Bill Belichick's, and expect his defense to carry bulk of the load. Weather won't be ideal, but shouldn't be so bad as...

CHARGERS WILL LAY IT ON LIONS

THE PICKS CHARGERS (-10) over Lions: Even without the histrionics of Shawne Merriman, meld of styles makes rout a high-percentage expectation, given reasonable expectation that Philip Rivers' sprained left knee...

MATINEE MAULING

The Devils blamed themselves, not the calls nor the matinee, but their parts in making them factors. What festers beneath their listless loss yesterday, however, is that Zach Parise's late...

GIANTS ARE CLINCH MOB

So, how does it feel to know you win tonight against the Redskins, you clinch a playoff berth? "I don't know what you are talking about," linebacker Antonio Pierce said....

MESSAGE TO BIG BLUE: WIN WAY TO PLAYOFFS

THE Giants have made the playoffs the previous two seasons under Tom Coughlin, but first-round losses have wiped the shine off those ventures as if they never deserved any merit....

DEFENDING HOME TURF THE GOAL

Clinching a playoff spot is always a noteworthy achievement and doing it at home is even more fulfilling. That's what the Giants are aiming for tonight, and they surely feel...

OFFICIALS, PENALTIES SINK ISLES

The Islanders conceded that Sidney Crosby is one of the most talented players in the game, but they believe the Penguin is getting some help from the officials - and...

SERBY'S SUNDAY Q&A WITH...

The Post's Steve Serby chatted with the leader of the vaunted New York Sack Exchange, who made the Pro Bowl at nose guard, defensive end and defensive tackle. Q: Bill...

JETS SEEK THE PERFECT STORM

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - A couple weeks ago, Laveranues Coles, in a casual conversation with a couple of reporters, said he hoped the Patriots would go 16-0 this season because he...

MAYBE MOTHER NATURE CAN STOP BRADY

FOXBOROUGH, Mass - The whole world figures this will be the scene of The Perfect Murder, Bill Belichick sadistically and mercilessly running up the score on his personal Benedict Arnold...

NUGENT BRIGHT SPOT FOR GANG GREEN

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Based on the Patriots' dominance of their opponents en route to 13-0 - they're outscoring the opposition by an average of 21.6 points per game - chances...

BOYCOTT

REMEMBER the movie "A Day Without Mexicans"? What if there were no Spanish-speaking immigrants to pick vegetables, beautify the landscape, handle the horses, paint the premises, dominate the car wash...

AN EDDY-FYING WIN

EDDY Curry Super star, Isiah Thomas's imaginary friend, does not exist. The Knicks boss finally conceded this Friday in Chicago in an official announcement made in his center's hometown. "He...

STEPH'S RETURN AT HAND

Stephon Marbury is expected to make his return tomorrow versus the Pacers - and this time for good, according to a family source. Marbury missed his fourth straight game last...

CURRY-ING ON

Welcome back to the 2007-2008 season, Mr. Eddy Curry. A fire lit under his considerable backside, Curry powered to the Madison Square Garden hoop last night with ferocity, quieting the...

NO CHOKE! METS RAISE TIX PRICES NO CHOKE! METS RAISE TIX PRICES

Despite one of the great collapses in baseball history this past season, the Mets yesterday said they will raise ticket prices about 20 percent for next season, reflecting their high...

NETS LOOKED LIKE KIDDS AMONG MEN

The Nets lost to the Knicks in Madison Square Garden with Jason Kidd on the floor. Is there nothing left to have faith in? With Kidd on the floor, the...

CASH IS 'KING'

IT'S a variation of the old story about Joe DiMaggio, but if Henrik Lundqvist were to walk into Jim Dolan's office to negotiate his next contract, the goaltender could pretty...

RANGERS SHUFFLE POWER PLAY

The Rangers had three power plays in Wednesday night's 5-4 overtime loss in Washington, with two commencing immediately after television timeouts. Each time, the Scott Gomez-Brendan Shanahan-Chris Drury-Fedor Tyutin-Dan Girardi...

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEARTLAND

LINCOLN, Neb. - This was long before Joba Chamberlain became JOBA! Back in 1998, when Northeast High won the Nebraska state basketball championship, one of the first on the floor...

EXEC SUPPORT

Two days after his name surfaced in the Mitchell Report, Andy Pettitte yesterday admitted he used human growth hormone to bounce back from elbow trouble five years ago - and...

LIE NEEDLE

According to Rohan Baichu, Brian McNamee has severe problems. Baichu believes those problems led McNamee to fabricate stories about injecting Roger Clemens with performance enhancing drugs. Baichu, a massage therapist...

NITKOWSKI: MCNAMEE NO 'ROID PUSHER

Trainer Brian McNamee went from the shadows to a leading role in baseball's steroid scandal this week with the release of the Mitchell Report. The Long Island resident's detailed testimony...

YANKEES STAND FIRM IN SANTANA TRADE TALKS

Even though the Yankees and Twins have talked about Johan Santana since Hank Steinbrenner's self-imposed Dec. 3 deadline, one thing hasn't changed: The Yankees will not give up two young...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

Battling blazes is hard enough for firefighters - but some in England were asked the other day to battle both a fire and a sword-wielding ninja. The crazed man started...

BREAKING BREAD ON A FIRST DATE

If religion is the first thing discussed on a blind date, it's usually not a good sign of things to come. When Kristen, a 24-year-old pension benefits analyst, and Dan,...

HUNG UP ON THE SUMMER OF LOVE

WE'RE sitting on the beach in Miami, it's around 10 p.m. Super Preppy's head is resting in my lap, the waves are rushing toward us, and no one else is...

MEET MARKET

"I am a traditionalist in my priorities, which are my family, friends, success in my career then everything else," Topher says. 'I like a woman who forces me to bring...

TOP 5 ROCK STARS TO MAKE "NIGHT MUSIC" WITH

"Jimi Hendrix." - Bebe Buell (Muse for Mick Jagger) "Janis Joplin." - Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith guitarist) "A ménage à trois with Annie Lennox and Prince." - Arturo Vega (designed...

Win can't quell "Fire Isiah''

By MARC BERMANFans pay the highest prices in the NBA to watch the Knicks at the Garden and can boo, cheer and chant whatever they want. Still, I thought it...