December 5, 2005
HALLMARK CABLE BIDS IN THE CARDS
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amA second round of bids for the Hallmark cable network are expected to arrive at the offices of auction manager Citigroup before the holiday break, The Post has learned. Crown...
WACHOVIA'S RAT ; BANK INSIDER LEAKS NEWS OF $720M DEAL
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amThere's a leak at the nation's fourth-largest bank and it's not coming from the executive washroom. Nearly two weeks before Wachovia Corp. announced a $720 million deal to sell its...
THE ULTIMATE OFFICE GIFT GUIDE - HAVE YOUR CO-WORKERS BEEN NAUGHTY OR NICE? PRESENTS A-PLENTY
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amAT this merry (and often pressure-filled!) time of the year, office gift-giving can pose quite the conundrum. On one hand, you can give the right thing to your co-workers and...
QUICK FIX - MAKE YOUR 30-MINUTE WORKOUT WORK FOR YOU
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amIF you've got a bad case of the mid-afternoon workplace blues, you'll need to work it out. So put down the Diet Coke, shake off the caffeine IV drip and...
PREMIERE A TRAGEDY
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amAN AMERICAN TRAGEDY World premiere at the Met.Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center. (212) 362-6000. Season runs through May 20. THE world, well, part of it, has been waiting patiently for...
OH BROTHER; A LITTLE SLOW ON THE UPTAKE, 'EARL' SIDEKICK IS HEART OF HIT COMEDY
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amTHERE'S an old show-biz adage that it's tougher to play comedy than drama - but what about playing dumb? Ethan Suplee, a k a dim-bulb Randy on NBC's freshman sitcom...
MODEST TALENT, BIG CULT
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amARMITAGE GONE!The Duke on 42nd Street Theatre, 229 W. 42nd St. (212) 239-6200. Season runs through Dec. 18. ANYONE who calls a dance company "Armitage Gone! Dance" must have a...
CHARMING 'WALK' IN THE BRONX
December 5, 2005 | 5:00am"A Walk Through The Bronx" Tonight at 8 on WNET/Ch. 13 * * * (three stars) YOU won't hear any Bronx cheers from me about Ch. 13's newest "Walk Through"...
FANTASY LEAGUE - FORMER 'MNF' SIDELINE BABE FIRES UP COURT TV
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amA VA VOOM! Here's a first look at the new Playboy pictures of former "Monday Night Football" sideline reporter Lisa Guerrero. The comely NFL cheerleader-turned-sports correspondent, who appears on Court...
STARR REPORT
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amLennon memories Thursday marks the 25th anniversary of John Lennon's assassination, with several notable events marking the occasion. Q104 will honor Len non with an all-day trib ute Thurs day,...
QUICK CHANGE - FROM OFFICE TO AWESOME, ALL IN ONE BAG
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amWANT to pull of a transformation worthy of Clark Kent? Everything you need can fit into your handbag. This year 's pashmina is the brightly colored,jeweled belt - a must...
HONCHO DOUGH 'NUTS'; DON'T SWEAT 9/11 LOAN
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amWASHINGTON - A top federal loan official told lenders providing special 9/11 recovery loans that there wouldn't be any "second guessing" from Washington as to whether the businesses that got...
CAUTIOUS SHOPPERS CUT BACK
December 5, 2005 | 5:00am'Tis the season to be pessimistic, with nearly two out of five Americans predicting they'll spend less on holiday shopping this year than they did last year. A Time magazine...
WIZ KID HARRY STILL ON 'FIRE' AT BOX OFFICE
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amThe third weekend was still a charm for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." The latest adventure of everybody's favorite boy wizard remained the No. 1 movie in North...
CONDI 'NO TORTURE' TOUR
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amWASHINGTON - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will reassure allies on her trip to Europe this week that the United States does not transfer terrorists to secret prisons so that...
GUN THAT SILENCED A GENIUS
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amI'VE seen hundreds of them, so it looked like just another gun - that is until you run your fingers over the grip, the trigger, muzzle, and think back. Back...
APPLE IS SNOW-GO AREA ; CITY FACING ANOTHER 4 INCHES
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amA major storm front moving across the country from the Mississippi Valley is expected to hit the Northeast tonight, with several inches of snow possible in the Big Apple. "Cities...
KATRINA SAPS HOLIDAY GIVING
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amCity charities that aid the poor and the sick are facing a disastrous holiday season, because of Hurricane Katrina and other high-profile disasters that have sucked up donor dollars, Crain's...
CITY'S HIRE WAS $HELTER SKELTER; HOMELESS $ TO 'SWINDLER'
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amThe disgraced former head of a charity for disabled children has landed a $20 million city contract to house homeless families in a Bronx hotel - even though he reportedly...
CHUCK WANTS FEDS TO SHOOT STRAIGHT ON GUN DATA
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amGun-tracing data should be made more accessible to local law enforcement, Sen. Charles Schumer said yesterday. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that more illegal guns mean more...
VINCE & JEN GET SMOOCHY; LOVEBIRDS' ROMANTIC DINNER
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amHer ex-husband may be adopting children, but it looks like Jennifer Aniston's new flame, Vince Vaughn, is ready to make some babies of his own. The lovebirds kissed, cuddled and...
NYPD DAILY BLOTTER
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amBROOKLYN *** Two workers were caught on tape stealing merchandise from a Downtown Brooklyn store on several occasions, authorities said yesterday. Jason Escalera, 22, and John Peña, 36, were arrested...
RAP BIG & JUROR PLACE BET ON LORD ; WHILE BRO WINS 50G IN SIN CITY
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amRap-music mogul Irv "Gotti" Lorenzo yesterday strolled into a Queens church for the first time in years - with a 60-year-old female juror who helped clear him and his brother,...
HALLOWEEN SICKO HAS NEAR MISS
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amOhio cops tried to lay a trap at a Columbus bus depot to catch accused fake-fireman sex fiend Peter Braunstein last month - but the whacked-out writer once again eluded...
MAN SETS HIS MOTHER AFIRE
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amA homeless man deliberately set his mother on fire in a blaze that swept through her Bronx apartment last night, FDNY and police sources said. The woman suffered burns on...
BALLPLAYERS IN PHONE-Y 'SCAM'; PEDRO AMONG STARS IN CARD 'RIP-OFF': SUIT
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amSome of Major League Baseball's most popular Dominican stars - including Met ace Pedro Martinez - struck out with their biggest fans by pitching pre-paid phone cards that either didn't...
RAP BIG & JUROR PLACE BET ON LORD; WHILE BRO WINS 50G IN SIN CITY
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amRap-music mogul Irv "Gotti" Lorenzo yesterday strolled into a church for the first time in years - with a 60-year-old female juror who helped clear him and his brother, Chris,...
ATM FEES A $OAR POINT
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amWithdrawing cash from another bank's ATM will cost you more than ever, a new study shows. The average fee for using a "foreign" ATM is now at a record-high of...
SEE SPOT COUGH; SMOKING KILLS YOUR PET, CITY WARNS
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amHe has already snuffed out your right to smoke in bars - and now Mayor Bloomberg is trying to shame you from lighting up in your own home, by dragging...
HILL BACKS 'BAN' ON FLAG-BURNING
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amWASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has quietly signed on to a Republican measure that makes it illegal to desecrate the American flag - a move that will boost her...
OFFICER GOES ON 'FENDER BENDER'
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amAn off-duty NYPD cop wearing a tuxedo was arrested on drunken-driving and menacing charges yesterday after slamming his car into a minivan in Queens, police and a witness said. Officer...
SUSPECT BOLTS COURT CELL
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amAn accused thief escaped from a cell in Manhattan's Criminal Court building yesterday, cops said last night. Levy Whaley, 38, bolted from a room behind the judge's bench at 100...
51ó COP SUES OVER SEX STING
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amA cop accused of soliciting a hooker is suing the city, claiming the bogus bust cast a cloud over his career. Officer John Grigas, 39, a 12-year NYPD veteran, was...
SUBWAY CELL HANGUP
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amA deal to bring cellphone service to the subway system is in jeopardy, after bidders complained that MTA restrictions would make the massive $250 million project unprofitable. Potential bidders, including...
BIG FAT ZERO IN SCHOOLS ; NO REGENTS DIPLOMAS
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amNearly one in six city public schools - including some touting "rigorous" curricula - awarded no Regents diplomas last year, a Post analysis of Department of Education data has found....
BALLPLAYERS IN PHONE-Y 'SCAM' ; PEDRO AMONG STARS IN $35M 'RIP-OFF': SUIT
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amSome of Major League Baseball's most popular Dominican stars - including Mets ace Pedro Martinez - struck out with their biggest fans by pitching pre-paid phone cards that either didn't...
PIRRO'S HUBBY A LOUSE SPOUSE; SECRETLY PULLS STRINGS TO TORPEDO HER SENATE BID
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amJeanine Pirro's own husband is working against her in her bid for the U.S. Senate, sneaking around behind her back to lobby a state Republican leader to get her to...
PAUL: WE CAN WORK IT OUT; '79 DEAL OK'D BEATLES REUNION ANY TIME AT ALL
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amDo you want to know a secret? Two years before John Lennon was gunned down, Paul McCartney had formally paved the way for a Fab Four reunion. On New Year's...
PATAKI SNUBS BRUNO BUDDY
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amGOV. PATAKI is re fusing to recognize a state official confirmed at his request by the state Senate last week, as the ongoing war between Pataki and Senate Majority Leader...
'KONG'S' NAOMI IS FAY-OK
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amDon't go too ape over this sizzling shot of Aussie stunner Naomi Watts - or you'll have to answer to King Kong. The blond beauty, featured in January's Vanity Fair,...
IRAN NUKE PLAN HITS ISRAEL'S CAMPAIGN
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amJERUSALEM - Iran's nuclear-weapon plan became a major issue yesterday in the Israeli election campaign, as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called for restraint and rival Benjamin Netanyahu demanded "a courageous...
'IT WILL BE OK,' BUSH TOLD ME IN MY DARKEST HOUR: KERIK
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amIT WAS just before 8 a.m. when Bernard Kerik got the call. On what would have been an otherwise mundane day of chores at his Franklin Lakes, N.J., home, Kerik...
RENNEY MUST JUMP-START 'O'
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amBILL Parcells - have you read enough about the Tuna today? - says you are your record, but this morning Tom Renney isn't so much 17-8-3 as he is a...
KEEPING TRUTH ON THE BENCH
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amMOST of us wouldn't last two gigs as game broadcasters. Unable to ignore the truth, we'd get the hook. Friday night in the Texas Southern-UConn basketball game on FSN-NY, UConn...
DIPIETRO'S REST DOES ISLES GOOD
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amIslanders 2Red Wings 1 DETROIT - Rick DiPietro was held out of action, kept out of the way of live fire for a total of nine days between starts in...
BROOKS CAN'T PUT WIN IN BOOKS
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amJET NOTES FOXBOROUGH - Brooks Bollinger's season of hard knocks continued yesterday in the Jets' loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Yesterday was not only a defeat for the...
JETS ALL, FOLKS ; GANG GREEN HIT BOTTOM VS. PATS
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amPatriots 16Jets 3 FOXBOROUGH - The downward spiral continued yesterday for the woeful Jets. The latest Sunday of disappointment was a lackluster 16-3 loss to the defending Super Bowl-champion Patriots...
PLAYING NOT TO LOSE
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amPATRIOTS 16 JETS 3FOXBOROUGH - The Jets fi nally were on the move, third-and-five at the Patriots' 20 with 1:13 to go in the first half, and they sent Curtis...
CURTIS HAS HIS EYE ON 1,000 YARDS
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amJET NOTES FOXBOROUGH - Curtis Martin's attempt to become the first running back in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in his first 11 seasons in the league continued...
KNICKS BLOODIED, BEATEN
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amCeltics 102Knicks 99 The enduring, heat-of-the-moment scene of this latest loss was Larry Brown barking briefly at Stephon Marbury, and Marbury barking back at the Knicks coach with 16 seconds...
THIS RECIPE NEEDS CURRY
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amON A DAY the Knicks were wearing throwback jerseys, all that was missing was Ken (The Animal) Bannister. It was that kind of day and that kind of play in...
FAMILIAR FEELY ; JAY CLUNKS TRY OFF POST IN BIG SPOT
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amIt's hard to find the negative in a hard-fought victory over a hated archrival and a move into first place. But if there was one in the Giants' 17-10 win...
LOSS PUTS 'BOYS IN BACK SEAT
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amThe Cowboys came to Giants Stadium yesterday with a chance to grab control of the NFC East and control of their playoff chances. They left East Rutherford looking up at...
BROWN WARNING: CHANGE LOOMING
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amKNICK NOTES Larry Brown fired his strongest warning that the Knicks are poised to make a change on the dreaded Dec. 15 deadline. In the wake of Saturday's surprise waiving...
FEAGLES FOOTS BILL WHEN IT COUNTS
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amGIANT NOTES He has played in an NFL record 284 consecutive games, never missing one in his 18 seasons, yet Jeff Feagles said, "I haven't been in very many big...
MARBURY KEEPS TAKING HIS SHOTS
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amLarry Brown said that Stephon Marbury played "great" in yesterday's loss at the Garden and that he did everything he could to help the Knicks win, but another coach didn't...
METS SNARE MARLINS' LO DUCA
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amThe Mets weren't comfortable trading Aaron Heilman for Tampa Bay catcher Toby Hall. And they didn't want to engage in bidding wars for free-agent backstops Bengie Molina or Ramon Hernandez...
GIANTS OPEN UP A BARBER SHOP
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amAs the calendar turns, the weather chills and the games become classic smash-mouth NFC East slugfests. The running game becomes even more important; Tiki Barber becomes even more important. It's...
COWBOYS' O-LINE SIMPLY OVERMATCHED
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amOn paper, it looked like a bad matchup for the Cowboys. Their two young offensive tackles against the Giants' defensive ends, one of the best tandems in the NFL. On...
1ST PLACE RED WHITE AND BLUE
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amHe was jealous, and he wasn't ashamed to admit it. Jeremy Shockey gazed out at what his teammates on defense were doing yesterday, mauling and brawling and stalling the Cowboys,...
ELI TAKES ONE FROM SIMMS' PLAYBOOK
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amTHE kid quarterback, midway through his second year as a pro, had just beaten the Cowboys at the Meadowlands, and all around him a happy Giants locker room rejoiced. It's...
PLAYING FOR REGGIE
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amFOXBOROUGH - Third- and- five at the Patriots' 20 with 1:13 to go in the first half, the Jets, nothing to lose at 2-9 except ultimately Reggie Bush, sent Curtis...
BOLLINGER'S LOSING SKID CONTINUES
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amJET NOTES FOXBOROUGH - Brooks Bollinger's season of hard knocks continued yesterday in the Jets' loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Yesterday was not only a loss for the...
METS CLOSE IN ON LO DUCA
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amThe Mets weren't comfortable trading Aaron Heilman for Tampa Bay catcher Toby Hall. And they didn't want to engage in bidding wars for free-agent backstops Bengie Molina or Ramon Hernandez...
DIPIETRO FINALLY RETURNS TO WORK
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amDETROIT - Rick DiPietro just needed a rest. Or at least that was the thinking when the goalie was held out of action until last night here against the Red...
SLOW START KOD HOPKINS A 2ND TIME
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amLAS VEGAS - Bernard Hopkins hasn't announced his retirement yet, but clearly the end is at hand after losing a unanimous 12-round decision to his young nemesis Jermain Taylor Saturday...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
December 5, 2005 | 5:00amThe big boom anticipated by thousands of spectators gathered in Sioux Falls, S.D., turned out to be a big bust when the dynamite exploded as planned but failed to blow...