May 16, 2004

PRODUCER SCORES BY PUTTING MUSIC ON THE MENU

With the music industry in the toilet, many long-time executives and music producers face a stark choice: get out of the industry they love or find a new niche. One...

NYSE ROAD WARRIOR - THAIN GETS PERSONAL WITH CRITICS

Thain's 'tough and he doesn't have the ego, which can get in the way of running the exchange.'Former SEC Chairman, Arthur LevittNew York Stock Exchange boss John Thain has taken...

BULL'S EYE

Titular reform Since the ouster of its former chief Dick Grasso in September, the New York Stock Exchange has been a bastion of corporate governance reform. It has split the...

FEDERATED'S DOUBLE PLAY - LUNDGREN SHAKEUP SCORES BIG REBOUND AT HERALD SQUARE GIANT

Over the past four years, Federated Department Stores Chief Executive Terry Lundgren has demonstrated tenacity on the golf course that impressed his more seasoned partners. Now that he has all...

SIMULTANEOUS GAMES & POLITICS

Fidel didn't show but Anatoly and Elian did. In an event heavily laced with propaganda, Cuban officials last month broke their own record when 13,000 people took boards in a...

MAD FOR MUTTS ; PROUD OWNERS OF POOCHES WITHOUT PEDIGREES

Purebred dogs get all the media attention, but there's a silent majority of mixed-breed fanciers who insist the best pets are mutts. Proud mutt lovers include Kevin Bacon, Drew Barrymore,...

GREEN PARTY - THE ALL-STAR CAST OF 'SHREK 2' MAKES A SERIOUSLY SILLY SEQUEL

WHILE playing Puss-in-Boots - the undisputed star of "Shrek 2" - Antonio Banderas worked so hard coughing up hairballs he lost his voice. "He was so jazzed to do the...

HOT LIST - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK

Jerry Orbach's last 'Law and Order' AS Detective Lenny Briscoe, Jerry Orbach has anchored the entire "L&O" franchise since its premiere 12 years ago. And though the original installment has...

THE PHAIR IS IN TOWN

In 1993, Liz Phair's monumental "Exile in Guyville" was the breakout album of the year. Her brutally honest lyrics and deadpan delivery made a deep impression on women - and...

THIS WEEK'S CDS

ALANIS MORISSETTE So-Called Chaos (four stars) Maverick Records DOUBT, fear and coming to terms with who you are have never rattled Alanis Morissette - in fact it's the stuff that's...

REBIRTH OF COOL - LENNY KRAVITZ TURNS 40 - BUT HE'S DONE WITH THE MIDLIFE CIRSIS

Next Wednesday, Lenny Kravitz turns 40, but don't expect this rock star to have a mid-life crisis - he's already been there and done that. On his new soul-searching disc...

HEAR THIS

IN CONCERT Radio fans with short attention spans will revel in Z100's Zootopia, with Jessica Simpson, Maroon5, Avril Lavigne and others at Madison Square Garden on Friday. (Want more Jessica?...

JUST OPENED

IXTA 48 E. 29th St. (212) 941-5595 Appetizers: $10 Entrees: $19 From Jimmy's Uptown (and Downtown) comes chef Linda M. Japngie to this room tricked out with colorful Mexican fabrics....

BOYS OF SUMMER - THEY'RE MOSTLY BRAINS, WITH A HINT OF BRAWN

IT'S summer at the multiplex: Time for tanned Hollywood hardbodies to take off their shirts and flex their muscles, right? Not this year. Brad Pitt aside, this summer's hottest leading...

WONG DAY'S JOURNEY

ONE of the hottest flicks at Cannes is "2046," Wong Kar-wai's first venture into sci-fi. Closer to home, the sunglass-wearing Hong Kong hipster is getting a complete (except for "2046")...

8 WEEKS TO THE HAMPTONS - HOME STRETCH - ONLY 1 WEEK LEFT!

WEEK 7 I have come to accept my body for what it is. I will never have Sarah Jessica Parker's tiny thighs, Jennifer Aniston's hips or Anna Kournikova's legs. Then...

THE GUY'S VIEW: GIRLS ARE MEAN

Be yourself. Be patient. Buy him dinner, sometimes. Could these three tiny things be the keys to the heart of a New York guy? After I slated men in this...

MEET MARKET: THE PLACE WHERE THE POST HOOKS YOU UP AND SENDS YOU OUT - LAST WEEK'S PLAYERS

Last week, David chose Kate - even though our readers thought he should have chosen Piper or Cassandra. They went to Maya, an uptown Mexican seafood joint with a mean...

MEET MARKET: THE PLACE WHERE THE POST HOOKS YOU UP AND SENDS YOU OUT. SOUTHERN BELLE IN SEARCH OF A NEW YORK GENTLEMAN

This week's chooser Jackie, 28, is a creative manager for a major publishing house, writing advertisements and billboards to promote the company's latest books. She is originally from New Orleans,...

MISCHA HAS A MELTDOWN

Mischa Barton was in a tizzy Tuesday night when she arrived at Chelsea's Marquee nightclub with boyfriend Brandon Davis, heir to a Hollywood oil fortune. "Are there paparazzi out there?"...

KILLING TIME - THE GRUESOME MANSON MURDERS HAUNT US AGAIN IN 'HELTER SKELTER'

The gruesome Manson murders haunt us again in 'Helter Skelter' HIS crimes shocked the nation 35 years ago, but today, mass murderer Charles Manson receives more fan mail than any...

ENOUGH WITH THE NBC SHILL-MACHINE

AFTER these last few weeks, I've just about had it with NBC's finale-mania. It's not the actual finales themselves, although they were bad enough. No matter how much the "Friends"...

AMERICAN IDOL - HUFF: WINNING ISN'T EVERYTHING

FANS of "American Idol" fans will crown their new champ in a coronation fit for a pop queen. Divas-in-training take center stage for next Tuesday and Wednesday's season finale, one...

MOB GALS, AND GUYS, WANT FINN - WILL JANOWITZ TURNS HEADS ON "THE SOPRANOS"

BY his own admission, Will Janowitz can't keep a secret. But now he's on "The Sopranos," playing aspiring dentist Finn De Trolio and secrecy on the set is tighter than...

THE DON'T MISS LIST

'CSI' goes NY C R I M E THIS fall's entry in the CBS's gold-plated forensics drama franchise, "CSI: New York" gets a head start on this week's edition of...

ANDREW W.K. - HEADBANGER GIVES ADVICE

ANDREW W.K. is best known for his hit songs "It's Time to Party," "Party Hard" and "We Want Fun," which might lead one to think that the only advice he's...

NETWORKS MISS THE POINT ON IRAQ

SINCE the start of the Iraqi War, over a year ago, we've watched and listened, almost every day. And still, if the question has been asked, we haven't heard it....

A CANNES-DO OGRE; 'SHREK' IN GALA SEQUEL

CANNES, France - Shrek returned to the glamorous Riviera yesterday and the cartoon ogre brought a raft of international stars with him to the party. Eddie Murphy, making his first-ever...

HEALTH-HONCHO POL HITS 'DOCTOR' MIKE'S CHECKUPS

The chairwoman of the City Council Health Committee yesterday ripped into the Health Department for its controversial plan to dole out free physicals and $100 to New Yorkers for taking...

MEN & GALS GAME BOYS

Gamers' average ages clock in at 29, according to a new survey - and 41 percent of gamers are women. The $11 billion video-game industry is trying to target gamers...

ANTI-DEM TURNCOAT GIVES 'EM ZELL

With friends like these, Sen. John Kerry's in a lot of trouble. Fellow Democrat Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia yesterday launched a blistering attack against President Bush's presumptive challenger, painting...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

A Utah woman was forced to live without half of her skull for four months because of a hospital billing dispute. Doctors had removed half of Briana Lane's skull to...

L.I. NUN DIES IN CRASH

A beloved retired Catholic nun died after her car struck a utility pole on Long Island, police said yesterday. Sister Rita Vlacancich, 80, was killed in North Babylon about 12:30...

RIKERS 'ROYALTY' OUT ON 100G BAIL

Pretend-princess Antoinette Millard finally got out of jail after her family came to her rescue by posting a modest piece of upstate property to secure her bail. The tiara-wearing socialite...

GIS TO STAY IN IRAQ AFTER HANDOVER: W.

President Bush vowed yesterday that U.S. troops would stay in Iraq after the handover of power next month, while soldiers fought off a "minor uprising" in Baghdad and the south....

6TH FIREFIGHTER DWI BUST

The sixth FDNY firefighter charged with drunken driving in the past five weeks was arrested early yesterday after he rear-ended another car, authorities said. Michael Cooney, 26, slammed into a...

HOW I SAVED MY LIFE; HERO'S SUBWAY FIGHT

A hero 20-year-old college student calmly recalled yesterday how he turned the tables on a berserk accused murderer who tried to throw him in front of an oncoming subway train....

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

BROOKLYN *** Police are searching for a 24-year-old man in connection with the shooting death of another man last week in Flatbush. Dwayne Whaul (above) is wanted in connection with...

ANGUISH OF TRASH-SLAY HUBBY-TO-BE

A Canadian woman found dead in a Queens trash truck, stripped to her bra and panties, was a helpless romantic with a passion for "The Lord of the Rings" and...

GUNMAN SHOOTS 2 AT L.I. DELI

A gunman opened fire outside a Long Island deli yesterday, shooting an innocent bystander in the head and grazing another in the leg as a dozen frightened people scrambled out...

GOTHAM GETS GRANDER

NEW York City is on the verge of a wonderful huge makeover. The process began with Rudy Giuliani, who made the city safe (and, thus, attractive) for investors. It got...

'PRINCESS' DIANA; TEEN 'IDOL' FAVE WORKS TOWARD CROWNING GLORY

Fame has come at a price for "American Idol" favorite Diana DeGarmo - last week, the 16-year- old singing sensation missed her junior prom. While the small-town girl was winning...

9/11 PROBERS GRILL FIRE HERO: WHY DID YOU TUNE OUT VITAL RADIO SIGNAL?

QUESTIONS about the radio system used by the Fire Department during the World Trade Center terror attacks are being raised anew by the 9/11 commission, which has grilled a hero...

B'KLYN BRIBE-PROBE TARGET EYED TO LEAD W'CHESTER DEMS

ALAWYER whose relationship with Brooklyn Democratic leader Clarence Norman caught the eye of investigators last year is now a candidate to become the next Democratic leader of Westchester. Sources said...

FAUX-FOTO EDITOR WANTS $1.8M PAY

The disgraced editor axed by London's Daily Mirror after the paper published fake photos of Iraqi prisoner abuse is demanding nearly $1.8 million in compensation, it was reported today. Piers...

LAW WOULD BAN 'SLAY-CAM' PIX

Cops who released footage of a young rapper blowing out his brains in a Bronx housing project would go to jail for up to four years under a proposed new...

$9M FOR HEART-OP BOTCH

A heart patient left severely brain damaged after being operated on at SUNY Downstate Hospital in Brooklyn got a $9 million settlement from the state and the two doctors who...

HIT-RUN 'KILLER' TURNS SELF IN TO COPS

The hit-and-run driver, who sent a Brooklyn man flying 50 feet into the air with his Lexus after a violent clash over a woman, surrendered to cops yesterday, police said....

GIRL, 11, DIES IN SUV TRAGEDY

An 11-year-old Queens girl taking her dog for a walk was killed last night after she was struck by an SUV just feet from her home, cops said. Hallie Geier...

NY'S PIPE DREAMS; 3G AIR PURIFER COULD $AVE N.Y. PUB BIZ

New York pub owners are pinning their hopes on a 90-pound gadget to put butts - and cash - back into bars. It's called the Airistar 1000, an air purifier...

KERRY'S JUICY OPTION; FLA. POL COULD MAKE TICKET HALF-NELSON

The least-known contender for the Democratic vice presidential slot is now one of the favorites. Sen. Bill Nelson, a freshman senator from Florida who served in the military and went...

NICE CATCH, A-ROD; HOW SLUGGER WON HIS C-ROD'S HEART

Cynthia Scurtis was sweating bullets in a Miami gym six years ago when she first met a bright-eyed guy named Alex Rodriguez - but it was due more to her...

'PATCH' SHOCK GROWS; KIN ID NEW 'VICTIMS'

The manufacturer of the contraceptive patch that killed an 18-year-old Manhattan woman failed to fully warn doctors and women about the dangers of the device, families of two other possible...

HOW I SAVED MY LIFE - HERO'S SUBWAY FIGHT

A hero 20-year-old college student calmly recalled yesterday how he turned the tables on a berserk accused murderer who tried to throw him in front of an oncoming subway train....

OLDER GAME BOYS - ADULTS CATCHING THE VIDEO BUG

Video games aren't just for kids anymore. Gamers' average ages clock in at 29, according to a new survey - and 41 percent of gamers are women. The $11 billion...

PATIENT GETS $9M IN HEART-OP BOTCH

A heart patient left severely brain damaged after being operated on at SUNY Downstate Hospital in Brooklyn got a $9 million settlement from the state and the two doctors who...

COMMISSION PROBERS RAISE WTC RADIO STATIC AS THEY GRILL FIRE HERO

Questions about the radio system used by the Fire Department during the World Trade Center terror attacks are being raised anew by the 9/11 commission, which has grilled a hero...

SWAMP THINGS ARE REAL KILLERS

IF you watch the Nets regularly, then you have no idea how hard this is supposed to be. You have no idea what the stern-faced commentators mean when they look...

'FREEDOM TO FISH' DESERVES YOUR SUPPORT

SALTWATER fishing is under attack from some well-meaning but misguided environmentalists who would like to see vast areas of our oceans closed to recreational fishing. These no fishing zones, or...

HELP AT BACKSTOP IS A GOOD CATCH

AS SOON as rawhide hit flesh last Wednesday night, Jorge Posada owners burned up the waiver wires in search of a catching replacement. Problem is, there's not much out there...

IS IT BYE-BYE, BALDWIN? JAMES JOLTED AS ANDY STOPS MET STREAK

Astros 7 Mets 4 HOUSTON - Two starts in, one thing is becoming very clear. The James Baldwin Experiment is not exactly going well. On Monday in Arizona, the 32-year-old...

METROS BELIEVE IN DEFENSE

The MetroStars have been the highest-scoring team in MLS this year, the league's flashiest, classiest and most exciting club. But that's not enough. They know if they don't shore up...

ZITO UNVEILS A THREAT ; TRAINER TAKES BARTON WITH 'ASSAULT'

BALTIMORE - Trainer Nick Zito has two Kentucky Derbys and Preakness Stakes under his belt, but the one Triple Crown race missing from his resume is the Belmont Stakes, right...

AN UNLUCKY 13 SINKS YANKEES ; BERNIE STILL GOING HOT & COLD

13 INNINGSMariners 13Yankees 7 It was just a matter of time until Bernie Williams broke free from the restraints that had him mired in a hitting slump and raised questions...

SIX-RUN OUTBURST WALLOPS WHITE

13 INNINGSMariners 13Yankees 7 On a day the Yankees belted a season-high five homers, the Mariners put up a six-spot in the 13th to run away with a victory. Scott...

BOMBERS CAN USE ANOTHER GOOD ARM

THE Yanks are hitting home runs at a 1961 pace and this con verted shortstop might not be such a stiff after all, so after 13 wins in 17 games,...

BATTLE-TESTED NETS READY FOR CLOSING ; ONE PUNCH AWAY FROM KO'ING BAD BOYS

Some acts are impossible to follow. Springsteen. Seinfeld. The Beatles. Now add Game 5 of the Nets-Pistons Eastern Conference semifinals, a true classic in every sense. To the Nets, up...

SCALABRINE HAPPY FOR OVERTIME

Of the 32 voice mail and text messages Brian Scalabrine received after his unexpected star turn Friday night, the one that resonated the most carried a different kind of message....

PINE TIME DOESN'T SUIT KENYON

NET NOTES Kenyon Martin has played in pain. He has battled shooting slumps. He has guarded centers with huge height and weight advantages. He was a part of the pre-Jason...

A-ROD'S DAY MATTER OF INCHES

It was a game of inches for Alex Rodriguez yesterday. An extra inch here, one less inch there, and the Yankees' 13-7 loss to the Mariners could have been drastically...

PISTONS GASP FOR AIR ; ACHING, REELING DETROIT'S DOWN TO FINAL BREATH

"We have to win a game against a great team away from home. If we're not capable, then we should start our vacation."LARRY BROWN AUBURN HILLS - The Pistons, viewed...

'TOMMY JOHN SURGERY' SUCCESS STORIES ON THE RISE

DOWN THE LINE The Yanks are enjoying the great advancements in Tommy John surgery and - more important - post-surgical rehab with Jon Lieber. And a couple of other contenders...

RUNDOWN PIMLICO MAY LOSE PREAKNESS

BALTIMORE - For the first time in its storied 129 years as one of the great jewels of American thoroughbred racing, there is serious speculation in Maryland that the Preakness,...

TARVER STUNS JONES - SCORES 2ND-ROUND KNOCKOUT TO CAPTURE TITLE

LAS VEGAS - Antonio Tarver talked plenty of trash in the days leading up to his rematch with Roy Jones Jr. Last night he brought plenty of punch to back...

AN UNLUCKY 13 SINKS YANKEES ; BATS WASTE TOO MANY CHANCES

13 INNINGSMariners 13Yankees 7 Using a season high-five homers, the Yankees kept coming back on the Mariners yesterday. Even after trailing by four runs in the third and by three...

MIG RIDING HIGH IN SADDLE AGAIN

PIMLICO NOTES BALTIMORE - Jockey Rich Migliore, taken by ambulance to the hospital Friday after banging his leg in a starting-gate incident at Belmont Park, recovered in time to enjoy...

STURTZE NEWEST STARTER

YANKEE NOTES Looking to add depth to their pitching staff, the Yankees yesterday acquired former Devil Ray and Blue Jay Tanyon Sturtze from the Dodgers for a player to be...

AMERICAN IDOL (& MAYBE ICON)

BALTIMORE - Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for the real American Idol, Smarty Jones, a galloping wonder who crushed the Preakness Stakes yesterday after his Kentucky Derby triumph two...

FINALLY, THE GOOD LIFE

Philadelphia Park's top jockey, Stewart Elliott, riding in the Triple Crown for the first time, won his eighth straight aboard Smarty Jones in yesterday's Preakness Stakes. He shared his thoughts...

HE'S JONESING FOR THE TRIPLE CROWN ; 'SMARTY' ROMPS IN PREAKNESS BY 111/2 LENGTHS

BALTIMORE - Party hearty, "Smarty" fans, and get ready for a road trip to New York. Smarty Jones, the "Philly Flash," is gunning for the Triple Crown. In a spectacular...

METROS CAN'T EXTINGUISH FIRE

MetroStars 1Fire 1 The MetroStars' winless streak against Chicago is up to nine games. But against the Fire - a team that has repeatedly blown them out - the MetroStars...

MIKE TO SEE MORE TIME AT 1ST BASE

MET NOTES HOUSTON - Throughout his major league career, Mike Piazza has always been a catcher. Even this season when he began to play some first base, he was a...

PETTITTE BRINGS ASTROS WINNING EDGE

HOUSTON - Andy Pettitte is all about tough ness and winning. And winning when it's toughest - in October. On another day Yankee pitchers were shelled, the Astros' homecoming left-hander...

ANDY STOPS MET STREAK ... AND NOW AMAZIN'S TAKE ON THE ROCKET

Astros 7 Mets 4 HOUSTON - Their three-game winning streak against Randy Johnson, Brandon Webb and Roy Oswalt was pretty impressive. But if the Mets want a winning road trip,...

A RARE FEAT INDEED - WINNING CROWN NO EASY TASK

BALTIMORE - Winning the Triple Crown is the most coveted, most difficult feat in thoroughbred racing. Not since 1978, when Affirmed turned back Alydar by 1½ lengths in the Kentucky...

MAY BE BALTI-NO-MORE - PIMLICO COULD LOSE PREAKNESS

BALTIMORE - For the first time in its storied 129 years as one of the great jewels of American thoroughbred racing, there is serious speculation in Maryland that the Preakness,...

MATSUI LIKES 2ND CHANCE

MET NOTES HOUSTON - Kaz Matsui has been hitting so well, maybe he should no longer be the Mets' leadoff hitter. How's that? It may sound crazy, but Matsui may...

PETTITTE POINTING TO PLAYOFFS

HOUSTON - Winning in October is really what this is all about. Andy Pettitte knows that better than most. Pettitte owns 13 lifetime postseason victories. The Astros own eight postseason...

METS READY FOR A ROCKET BOOST - COMPETITIVE CLEMENS STRUGGLES VS. AMAZIN'S

HOUSTON - In Roger Clemens' Texas home, there are plenty of reminders that this is a man who loves sports and loves competition. He has an indoor basketball court. Two...

PINSTRIPE PARANOIA - TIME TO CALL THE BASEBALL COPS WHEN A YANK GETS HIT IN HEAD

EVERYTHING is always a drama around the Yankees, an epic fight against the wicked forces of malevolence. More and more, it seems, the logo of the planet's most famous sports...

SHOWCASE SHOWDOWN - THIS AFTERNOON IN HOUSTON, THE PATHS OF MIKE PIAZZA AND ROGER CLEMENS CROSS YET AGAIN

HOUSTON - No one knows Roger Clemens better than his older sister Janet, who has always been his protector. Not that the Rocket needs any help, but the siblings are...

WINNING CURES ALL KIDD'S AILMENTS

NET NOTES In the first half, Jason Kidd's movements were not exactly crisp and fluid. He flat-out struggled. "A shell of himself defensively," one team insider said, referring to an...

HERE WE 'HO' AGAIN - THESE HOT VIDEO GAMES ARE NOT FOR EVERYONE

"Press B To Charge Mound." Johnnie Kallas, 11 years old and a Tino Martinez fan from the time Martinez was a Yankee, was playing the MLB-licensed "MVP Baseball 2004" video...

THE DOUG AND PONY SHOW - WHEN COLLINS IS ON THE AIR, IT'S ALL GOOD - FOR EVERYBODY

In "The World According To Doug," every game is big; every big game a heavyweight battle, every veteran a warrior and everybody has respect for everybody else. They're all gawkingly...

VOLCANIC RETURN - TRINIDAD'S BACK - AND TARGETING JONES

LAS VEGAS - Felix Trinidad left boxing because he couldn't get the big fights he wanted. Now after a two-year retirement, the former middleweight champion is mapping out an ambitious...

FROM TRASH TO TREASURE - FORMER MISFITS MAKING THEIR MARK

ANYONE could have had them. They were too expensive or too futile or the worst possible circumstance, both too expensive and too futile. They are the kinds of players discussed...

THE TOUGHEST JOB IN TOWN - COACHING IN NEW YORK IS THE SPORTS WORLD'S - VERSION OF 'SURVIVOR' - AND IT'S A GAME FEW WIN

One day while Fran Fraschilla was still St. John's basketball coach, he was talking to another New York coach about their position in the Big Apple. "He said, 'In New...

LIU'S DRIVING FORCE - TERMINALLY-ILL GOLF COACH ENJOYING TEAM'S TITLE QUEST

The oxygen tank bounces in the back of the speeding golf cart. There's a brown cane in the passenger seat, and it lies next to a cancer-riddled golf coach with...

HEAD TO HEAD - POST WRITERS MARK CANNIZZARO AND GEORGE WILLIS SLUG IT OUT OVER WHETHER TIGER WOODS' BEST DAYS ARE BEHIND HIM

Mark Cannizzaro: Tiger Woods has some great golf ahead of him, more tournament victories and more major championships. But he'll never be as good as he was. Woods will never...

BLUESHIRT BRAT 'PACK - UP-AND-COMERS CAN SPEND LOCKOUT TOGETHER IN HARTFORD

OF all NHL clubs, the Rangers stand to benefit the most in the event of a lockout. Not from a fiscal standpoint, but from a team development perspective. A significantly...

JOE: JOSE WILL NEED MORE TIME

YANKEE NOTES With the Yankees scouting Dodger minor leaguer Tanyon Sturtze, among others, Joe Torre made it clear that Jose Contreras will be at Triple-A Columbus until he has sustained...