GET UPDATED WITH NYPOST.COM: THE SOURCE FOR NEWS Good morning, nelayan!
Regional News: http://web1.nypost.com/news/news.htm APPLE FIRE DEATHS LOWEST SINCE 1919: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37035.htm By STEPHANIE GASKELL The number of city fire deaths has hit an 85-year low, FDNY officials announced yesterday. NEW GUIDEBOOK FOR COPS: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37056.htm By ERIKA MARTINEZ The NYPD will issue a new "tactical manual" compiled by top cops in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of a Brooklyn teen who startled a policeman on a housing project roof in Brooklyn. 'JUNIOR' STAYS JAILED FOR HOLIDAY: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37054.htm By CARL CAMPANILE It's a blue Christmas for the Gottis. A federal judge yesterday refused to grant bail allowing John A. "Junior" Gotti � one-time street boss of the Gambino crime family � to be home for the holidays. ADD HS TO TROUBLE LIST: POL: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37039.htm By DAVID ANDREATTA Troubled Lafayette HS in Brooklyn should be on the city's list of "impact schools," which take get-tough measures with students and get additional security, an elected official said yesterday. OPEN & SHUT FOR CHRISTMAS: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37050.htm Tomorrow is Christmas Day, a federal, state and local holiday: SCHOOL DRINK STINK: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37036.htm By DAVID ANDREATTA School officials in south Brooklyn have issued an ultimatum to parched students: Buy your drinks from us or go thirsty. LOVE REIGNS ON RAINY DAY: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37051.htm Raindrops kept falling on his head. But that didn't stop Mike Kugit from proposing to longtime girlfriend Renee Colasante at the Rockefeller Center skating rink yesterday. ALARMING DISARMING AT APPLE AIR TERMINALS: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37026.htm By DAN MANGAN Guns, knives and boxcutters aren't just for gang members anymore � they also may be hidden on the guy waiting to get on your next La Guardia flight. WRAP STARS TO THE RESCUE: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37040.htm By JOE McGURK It was a Christmas emergency � a woman elbow-deep in wrapping-paper scraps and crinkled balls of tape desperately trying to figure out how to wrap a 6-foot-tall coat rack. 'CHOKE' RAPIST TO GET 15 YRS.: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37041.htm A Queens man will spend 15 years behind bars for a savage attack last year in which he used an ammonia-soaked rag to choke his girlfriend's younger sister as he raped her, prosecutors said. DAD-AND-SON ASBESTOS CROOKS OFF TO PRISON: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37045.htm SYRACUSE � A father and son received lengthy prison terms yesterday for willfully cutting corners and faking tests in their asbestos removal business and putting thousands of innocent people at risk. VERRAZANO TERROR LIAR FACES BOOT: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37048.htm By KATI CORNELL SMITH A Brooklyn man was sentenced to time served yesterday for telling a chilling lie to the FBI by reporting a bogus plot to blow up the Verrazano Narrows Bridge � but remains in custody as authorities prepare to deport him to Pakistan. EMPIRE STATE LEAPER ID'D: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37055.htm Cops have identified last month's Empire State Building jumper as a 21-year-old Michigan man. WALL ST. SHARK'S FISHY 500G HOBBY: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37033.htm By LAURA ITALIANO Crooked young Wall Streeter Calvin Darden � busted by the Manhattan DA's Office last week for allegedly swiping $5 million from bosses and investors � has spent more than half a million bucks on fish and fish tanks over the last three years. SKETCH OF L.I. JEWEL MURDERER: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37046.htm By SELIM ALGAR Police released a sketch yesterday of the man who shot and killed a Long Island jewelry-store employee during a diamond heist. TEACHER TALKS AT AN IMPASSE: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37047.htm It's official � contract talks between public school teachers and the city are at a stalemate. KID-PORN DOC LOSES LICENSE: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37020.htm ALBANY � A New Jersey doctor has lost his New York medical license after pleading guilty earlier this month to possessing child porn. ROWLAND GUILTY: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37027.htm NEW HAVEN. Conn. � Former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland completed a historic fall from power yesterday, admitting in federal court that he traded his office for more than $100,000 in private flights to Las Vegas, Vermont vacations and repairs to his cottage provided by those doing business with the state. CON ED WIRE ZAPS POOCHES: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37064.htm By ZACH HABERMAN and BILL SANDERSON Nearly a year after an East Village woman was electrocuted by a Con Ed service box, two dogs were jolted in Chelsea yesterday when they stepped in an electrified puddle, police sources and the dogs' owner said. VELELLA BALL (& CHAIN): http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37049.htm By KENNETH LOVETT and DAREH GREGORIAN Guy Velella will ring in the new year behind bars. The state's highest court dumped a lump of coal in the freed felon's Christmas stocking yesterday, refusing a request to keep the disgraced former state senator out of jail while it considers his case. ED. BIG FUMBLED CASE OF PERV SCHOOL AIDE: MAYOR: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37024.htm A male school aide accused of having sex with a student at Lehman HS should have been removed from the school months before � but the superintendent failed to act, Mayor Bloomberg and education officials said yesterday. H'WAY TRAGEDY: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37053.htm By LARRY CELONA, ANGELINA CAPPIELLO and DAN MANGAN A Queens man died � and his friend was charged with manslaughter � after the speeding car they were in struck a divider on the Grand Central Parkway yesterday, authorities said. CORRECTION: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37021.htm A comment in yesterday's Post was mistakenly attributed to Valentine Burroughs. It should have been attributed to City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden. The quote was, "Our death rate is the highest of any city in the U.S. To have nearly 1,500 people under the age of 65 die . . . We need to do better." Frieden was referring to AIDS-related deaths. NYPD 'PROMOTES' CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37043.htm By ERIKA MARTINEZ The NYPD gave out some early Christmas presents yesterday, promoting 179 people. KERIK PAL BOLTS: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37052.htm By JOHN DOYLE and RICH CALDER A longtime associate of Bernard Kerik quit Rudy Giuliani's consulting firm yesterday, a day after the embattled former police commissioner abruptly resigned from the company. JUDGE TELLS CITY TO TAKE A 'BIKE': http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37058.htm The city's bid to force cyclists to obtain a parade permit for a monthly Manhattan bicycle rally that has resulted in hundreds of arrests since summer was dismissed yesterday by a federal judge. QNS. 'GREENS' ROLLING: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37042.htm By IKIMULISA LIVINGSTON and FRANKIE EDOZIEN Employees of Green Bus Lines, which serves thousands of riders, mainly in Queens, will end their job action today, their union said yesterday. KERREY RE-UPS WITH NEW SCHOOL: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37061.htm Bob Kerrey, a former Nebraska senator and a member of the Sept. 11 Commission, said yesterday that he has signed on to remain as president of New School University through June 2011. HOSP GETS A LEAN BILL OF HEALTH: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37057.htm By JOE McGURK and BILL HOFFMANN Bill Clinton showed his doctors yesterday that he knows how to follow orders � stopping by the hospital that diagnosed his heart problem and wowing the crowd with his stunning weight loss. 'PERCH'ASE ENDS HAWK SQUAWK: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37060.htm Welcome home, hawks. Excited bird lovers, politicians and Audubon Society members yesterday announced the restoration of a nesting perch at 927 Fifth Ave., the birds' home for 12 years until it was removed earlier this month at the request of the building's much-vilified co-op board. National News: http://web1.nypost.com/news/news.htm RIPPER IN COURT: http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/37059.htm By JEREMY OLSHAN and LEONARD GREENE Baby-snatch butcher suspect Lisa Montgomery is heading back to Missouri, where cops said she strangled a pregnant mother and cut the fetus from her womb. 2 CONVICTED IN IMMIGRANT DEATHS: http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/37028.htm HOUSTON � Two men were convicted yesterday for their role in the nation's deadliest human-smuggling attempt � a journey that ended in the deaths of 19 illegal immigrants crammed in a sweltering tractor-trailer. XMAS CHEAT SHEET FOR WIVES TO CATCH STRAYING SPOUSES: http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/37029.htm By BILL HOFFMANN Mommy may be kissing "Santa Claus" � but Daddy could be cheating for real. COURT TOSSES $104M AWARD: http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/37023.htm MIAMI � A Florida appeals court threw out as "shockingly excessive" a jury's $104 million award for a teenager who was left severely brain-damaged after becoming trapped underwater by the suction of a pool drain. SLAIN MARINE'S BRAVE PARENTS GIVE HOLIDAY PRAYERS TO THE HEROES: http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/37044.htm By NEIL GRAVES When William and Angela Lynch returned home from a walk on the Jones Beach boardwalk on Oct. 31, they didn't notice the three Marines parked in front of their Jericho, L.I., home. GM MINIVANS RECALLED: http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/37019.htm DETROIT � General Motors will recall 717,302 minivans because passengers could hurt their arms or wrists when opening a power sliding door, federal safety regulators said yesterday. World News: http://web1.nypost.com/news/news.htm TENT KILLER'S ARMY DISGUISE: http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/37063.htm By NILES LATHEM WASHINGTON � The terrorist responsible for the mess-tent massacre in Mosul wore an Iraqi military uniform to elude security at the U.S. Army base, a top general disclosed yesterday. $PLIT FROM PLO: http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/37062.htm By TODD VENEZIA The owners of Bowlmor Lanes yesterday said that they had purged all of Yasser Arafat's money from their corporate coffers. POPE TO CELL-EBRATE MIDNIGHT MASS: http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/37025.htm ROME � Trendy, high- tech Roman Catholics won't have to sit at home tonight to watch Pope John Paul II's Christmas midnight Mass on television. GIS GET SPECIAL (& FREE) DELIVERY: http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/37037.htm War is hell � and getting mail to a war zone is hell on the wallet. TOP KOFI AIDE'S EXIT STARTS DIPLO-PURGE: http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/37032.htm By NILES LATHEM WASHINGTON � The resignation of the chief-of-staff to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was part of a major housecleaning of top bureaucrats being launched in response to the U.N. oil-for-food scandal, knowledgeable officials said yesterday. RECORD CROWDS FOR THE FIRST WEST BANK MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN NEARLY 30 YEARS: http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/37038.htm JERUSALEM � Record crowds of Palestinians voted yesterday in the first West Bank municipal elections in nearly 30 years, setting the stage for next month's choice of Yasser Arafat's successor. COULD THIS BE THE FACE OF JESUS AT 12?: http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/37034.htm Italian police believe this is how Jesus Christ may have looked at the age of 12. All Horoscopes: http://web1.nypost.com/cgi-bin/horoscope.pl ARIES A wonderfully productive phase begins for you tomorrow when Mars, your ruler, changes signs, so don't worry if you have not accomplished all the things you set out to do in 2004 because there will be plenty more opportunities to show what you can do. This is also a good time to plan a vacation - make it somewhere hot! 1-900-990-7810* TAURUS Not everyone shares your confidence that what you are working on will come out right in the end, but then not everyone can be a Taurus. The important thing is that your self-confidence is still intact because what happens over the holiday period will convince you that success is not so far away. Other people will be convinced in time, as well. 1-900-990-7811* GEMINI Steer clear of topics of conversation that are liable to annoy people today because as Mars, planet of anger, approaches the partnership sector of your chart, there is no telling how others might react. Your way with words can be both a blessing and a curse, so think before you open your mouth or you might end up with a bloody nose. 1-900-990-7812* CANCER You've had more than your share of good ideas in recent weeks, and in a matter of days you will get the chance to do something with them. However, over the next 72 hours, you are advised to spend as much time with your family as you can. They will appreciate it and you won't feel guilty when you go off later and do your own thing. 1-900-990-7813* LEO You rarely let anything stand in your way and you will be even more dynamic when Mars, planet of ego and energy, moves into one of the best areas of your chart this coming weekend. This holiday season promises to be something special, so take charge of proceedings and make sure everyone does his bit - and has a really good time. 1-900-990-7814* VIRGO Let's hope you are the kind of Virgo who knows how to take criticism as well as dish it out because when Mars changes signs tomorrow, you will find that all sorts of people have all sorts of things to say about what you are doing, and it won't always be complimentary. But that's OK: No one can be as hard on you as you are on yourself. 1-900-990-7815* LIBRA The last thing you want to do this holiday season is to spend all your time at home. With Mars moving into the most sociable angle of your chart this weekend, you will be too full of energy to sit in front of the television for long. Get out and about. See and be seen. You will make some interesting contacts between now and the new year. 1-900-990-7816* SCORPIO It may be a strange time of year to think about money and how to get more of it, but your solar chart urges you to start looking ahead and planning ways you can increase your income in the early weeks of 2005. The most important thing, of course, is that you know your own worth and refuse to accept anything less. Don't let anyone cheat you. 1-900-990-7817* SAGITTARIUS Your energy level will be extremely high over the holiday period, thanks to Mars in your birth sign beginning tomorrow. However, that is not an excuse to go charging off in all directions. You need to have a target and you need to have a plan that will take you from where you are now to where you want to be. Make that plan now. 1-900-990-7818* CAPRICORN There is always a danger that in trying to prove yourself, you will take on too much and damage yourself physically or emotionally or mentally, and that danger will increase beginning tomorrow, when Mars moves into the most sensitive area of your solar chart. The simple fact is, you don't have to prove a thing to anybody, not even yourself. 1-900-990-7819* AQUARIUS If others speak critically of you today, it can only be because they are envious of your charm, good looks and ability. Far from hurting, you their barbed remarks will encourage you to carry on with what you are doing, simply because you know it pains them to see you succeed. You're far too smart to let others undermine your confidence. 1-900-990-7808* PISCES This may be the season of good cheer, but as Mars crosses the midheaven angle of your chart this coming weekend, it will also be a time of major responsibilities. You are about to embark on a very busy phase, one that lasts well into the new year. The good news is, your efforts will impress some very important people. You'll be moving up in the world. 1-900-990-7809* Sports News: http://web1.nypost.com/sports/sports.shtml 'BIG' CHANCE FOR CHAD: http://www.nypost.com/sports/jets/37075.htm By ANDREW MARCHAND The question is not whether the Jets can beat the Patriots. It is: will they do it? If they do, it will likely start with media critic Chad Pennington brutalizing the patchwork Pat secondary. The Jets probably need the game to guarantee a playoff spot - but even more importantly, it will close the wound Pennington opened this week with his media controversy. Another loss in a big game and critics might really get tough on Pennington. IN THE YEAR'S BIGGEST GAME, HERM'S CREW IS 'READY TO PLAY': http://www.nypost.com/sports/jets/37108.htm Dink and Dunk Airlines won't beat the Patriots Sunday. Attack Jets will. This is the game and the moment the Herm Edwards Jets have been waiting four years for, a game and a moment that can ignite the dream of dreams and serve as a launching pad to football heaven. TEAMMATES FOREVER: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37109.htm THE 1958-59 season was the best basketball experience by far of Alan Seiden�s life. To this day his voice levitates several octaves as he joyously recalls its solidarity and success. Ranked number seven by both services, St. John�s won the Holiday Festival, and the NIT, when it really meant something, taking the final against a Bradley team (starring Bobby Joe Mason; Chet Walker played freshman ball) that twice had beaten GIFTS FROM THE HEART: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37086.htm P.S. 20 on Staten Island is what New Yorkers would familiarize as one of the those. Built in 1915, it could've been a post office, a precinct house or a prison. But it is � and always has been � P.S. 20. IT'S TIME REC ANGLERS GET A FAIR SHAKE: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37092.htm IF THERE is one thing that I would like to get for Christmas it is to see recreational anglers get a fair shake. VIKINGS DISCOVER A NEW WEAPON: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37104.htm Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS � When Minnesota played in Green Bay last month, the University of Wisconsin marching band's horn section spelled out a special taunt. THE $100M MAN: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37091.htm Post wire services Michael Vick couldn't be happier. The Atlanta Falcons offered him the ultimate show of respect with a 10-year contract that guarantees the star quarterback an NFL-record $37 million in bonuses and is worth more than $100 million. VARITEK STAYS WITH RED SOX: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37107.htm Associated Press Jason Varitek decided to stay with the Boston Red Sox yesterday and David Eckstein agreed to a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, completing a game of musical chairs among shortstops. RICE TOPS XAVERIAN AT HAWAIIAN TOURNEY: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37094.htm By DAN MARTIN One of the first battles for supremacy in the CHSAA took place in an unusual place yesterday. CHEFS OF THE FUTURE: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37101.htm By ANDREW MARCHAND ESPN is planning to add a cooking show to its lineup next year, NYP TV Sports has learned. 5 QUESTIONS FOR MIKE BREEN: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37102.htm This week, NYP TV Sports' Andrew Marchand spoke with Mike Breen, play-by-player for the Knicks and for ABC/ESPN NBA-casts. Breen will call ESPN's Indiana-Detroit game on Christmas Day. MARCHAND'S MATCHUP OF THE YEAR APRIL VS. MAY (WHEN WILL JOHN STERLING AND SUZYN WALDMAN START SNIPING AT EACH OTHER?): http://www.nypost.com/sports/37103.htm With the inaugural "Matchup of the Year,'' we wanted to be proactive instead of reactive. So we are jumping into the DeLorean and looking to 2005. JOY TO THE JETS: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37093.htm BY DAVE BLEZOW THE prevailing wisdom is that the Jets are in for it after the Patriots blew one in Miami on Monday night. And in a sense, it may be a little far-fetched to expect the Pats, who won an NFL record 20 in a row, to go on a two-game skid. JINGLE ALL THE WAY WITH CAROLINA: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37085.htm BY THE WILDCAT Over the past nine years, The Wildcat's published pigskin forecasts have made a deep impression on the sporting world. Including the 1997-2003 seasons in The Post, Cat's record in print for the period stands at 259-199 (56.6 percent) against the spread. THE ODD COUPLE: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37083.htm Take that, you miserable spread! OK, so The Odd Couple (Dick Klayman and Peter Tocco) only went 8-7-1 against those numbing numbers, but it gave them an astounding five-week run of 48-29-3, sole possession of second place and kept them a piddling four games behind Greg (OK, I'm ready to choke now) Gallo with two weeks and 32 selections to go. MS. CHARLEEN: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37087.htm It's coming down to the wire for Ms. Charleen in her quest for a winning season. Last week's 7-8-1 loss to the spread dropped her back to the .500 mark, leaving her two weeks to finish on the plus side. THE FAN'S CORNER: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37090.htm By MIKE FORDE The challenge has been laid down. Paul Schwartz the reader wants to put his picking prowess against Paul Schwartz, the writer. O/U RICO!: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37084.htm BATTMAN NEEDS TO STEP UP: http://www.nypost.com/sports/37088.htm STUNG by criticism he can't win a big game, Battman tries for some meaningful victories with these Week 16 selections: NOT A CREATURE STIRRING: http://www.nypost.com/sports/yankees/37105.htm By GEORGE KING George Steinbrenner wanted Randy Johnson for Christmas but didn't get the 41-year-old left-hander from the Diamondbacks. METS SIGN GALARRAGA: http://www.nypost.com/sports/mets/37089.htm By JOEL SHERMAN While still figuring out if they are in play for the winter's big catch, Carlos Beltran, the Mets landed the Big Cat yesterday, signing Andres Galarraga to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. LUKE LATEST TO FALL: http://www.nypost.com/sports/giants/37097.htm By DAN MARTIN Shaun O'Hara laughed at the thought of playing on Sunday without Luke Petitgout. WR HAS MUCH TO PONDER: http://www.nypost.com/sports/giants/37100.htm By DAN MARTIN Not much has gone right for the Giants during the second part of the season, but at least they seem to have a good kickoff returner. HOBSON EXPECTS TO PLAY: http://www.nypost.com/sports/jets/37096.htm By MARK CANNIZZARO Linebacker Victor Hobson is expected to return to the field for the Jets Sunday for the first time since missing four games with a high ankle sprain. When he plays and how much, however, is very much up in the air. SECONDARY CONCERN: http://www.nypost.com/sports/jets/37106.htm By MARK CANNIZZARO Following the Jets' eye-opening rout of the Seahawks last Sunday, a win that displayed a more dynamic and wide-open offense than most all of their previous games this season, their oft-questioned offensive coordinator Paul Hackett repeated over and over again that "this is the way we have to play." FOOT FAULT KOS JAMAL 6 WEEKS: http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/37098.htm By MARC BERMAN The Knicks received a kick in the stomach yesterday when an MRI revealed Jamal Crawford has turf toe that could sideline him until February. The Knicks announced Crawford has a soft-tissue injury in his right big toe, saying it takes three to six weeks to heal. POPCORN BIZ TASTY FOR ISIAH: http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/37095.htm By MARC BERMAN Isiah Thomas has found a refuge from running the Knicks � owning a popcorn company. NETS COMING UP BIG: http://www.nypost.com/sports/nets/37099.htm By EVAN GROSSMAN "Ain't afraid of anyone." Thanks to the Vince Carter trade, the Nets will be exponentially more dynamic up top, that's for sure. Still, the team sacrificed depth, size and some toughness under the basket when it sent Alonzo Mourning and forwards Eric Williams and Aaron Williams to Toronto. Gossip: http://web1.nypost.com/gossip/gossip.htm : http://web1.nypost.com/gossip/pagesix.htm ELLEN'S NEW LOVE ERASES PAST By Richard Johnson PORTIA de Rossi is removing all traces of the lesbian lover she ditched for Ellen DeGeneres. : http://web1.nypost.com/gossip/cindy.htm AHNOLD SHAPES HIS NEW BIO By Cindy Adams SCHWARZENEGGER is poised to become immortal. His biography has been sold to St. Martin's, and we get it in June � if you can all manage to hold your water that long. : http://web1.nypost.com/gossip/liz.htm IT IS CHRIST'S DAY By Liz Smith 'MERRY CHRISTMAS" � I know those Christian-sounding words ought to feel odd coming from my lips � I'm a third-generation atheist of Jewish ancestry and I'm almost evangelical in my lack of faith. But they feel fine. 'Merry Christmas!' " Weather: http://weather.nypost.com NEW YORK , NY Get the extended forcast here from the New York Post.: http://weather.nypost.com Traffic: http://traffic.nypost.com/ metrocommute DelayNew Jersey LT TO MAN 5 min delaysLincoln Tunnel to Manhattan has 5 min delays Manhattan LT TO NJ 15 min delaysLincoln Tunnel to New Jersey has 15 min delays New Jersey HT TO MAN 20 min delaysHolland Tunnel to Manhattan has 20 min delays Manhattan HT TO NJ OKHolland Tunnel to New Jersey has no delays Nassau County Under 20 mph on SSP-EB: 16 to 19Under 20 mph on Southern State Parkway eastbound Exit 16N to Exit 19S/N Nassau County Under 20 mph on SSP-EB: 21 to 26Under 20 mph on Southern State Parkway eastbound Exit 21S/N to Exit 26 Nassau County Under 20 mph on SSP-EB: 27 to 28Under 20 mph on Southern State Parkway eastbound Exit 27S/N to Exit 28S/N Nassau County Under 20 mph on SSP-WB: 32 to 31Under 20 mph on Southern State Parkway westbound Exit 32 to Exit 31 Nassau County Under 20 mph on SSP-WB: 23 to 22Under 20 mph on Southern State Parkway westbound Exit 23 to Exit 22S/N Nassau County Under 20 mph on SSP-WB: 20 to 18Under 20 mph on Southern State Parkway westbound Exit 20S/N to Exit 18 metrocommute Special EventManhattan Knicks @ Madison Square Garden thru November & DecemberThe Knicks host at the Madison Square Garden in the months of November & December. Expect some extra traffic on 7th Ave., 8th Ave., and in the west 30s, 2 hours before the game, after the game.*Please arrive early due to new security checks*Opponents, dates and times of games are:Atlanta Hawks, Nov. 23, 7:30 PMToronto Raptors, Nov. 27, 1:00 PMMemphis Grizzlies, Dec. 01, 7:30 PMOrlando Magic, Dec. 03, 7:30 PMDenver Nuggets, Dec. 12, 12:00 PMDetroit Pistons, Dec. 15, 8PMUtah Jazz, Dec. 19, 3PMDallas Mavericks, Dec. 21, 7:30PMCharlotte Bobcats, Dec. 26, 1PM Manhattan Radio City Christmas Spectacular @ Radio City Music Hall; November 23 thru January 2The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, starring the world-famous Rockettes, returns to Radio City Music Hall, November 23, 2004 thru January 2, 2005 Be a part of this American tradition and enjoy such show-stopping scenes as the "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers", and the majestic "Living Nativity." Also, witness Santa's return to the Music Hall through an exciting 3-D sleigh ride. Expect delays on 5th, 6th and 7th Avenue between 48th Street and 51st Street and on Broadway starting around 2 hours before and after the show. Please arrive early due to new security measures and for parking. Visit thegarden.com site for information on showtimes.: http://www.thegarden.com Manhattan All Access Tour @ Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden�s� All Access Tour allows fans to get an insider�s view of the inner-workings of The World�s Most Famous Arena�, providing them with little-known information and rarely seen viewpoints on the legendary showplace. Visitors taking part in the �All Access� one hour tour become a part of one of the busiest and most exciting sports and entertainment facilities in the world and are treated to a host of unique experiences. Visit the Knicks, Rangers and Liberty locker rooms; tour backstage of the Theater at Madison Square Garden; go inside the Star dressing rooms; learn how a basketball court becomes a sheet of ice; witness all the seldom seen build-up to a live event � players practicing, performers in production, casts in rehearsal or crews staging events! You�ll never know what you�ll see on the All Access Tour. Expect some extra traffic on 7th Ave., 8th Ave., and in the west 30s Business News: http://web1.nypost.com/business/business.htm : http://www.nypost.com/business/37012.htm HOLIDAY CHEERS By SUZANNE McGEE A raft of economic data yesterday showed the U.S. economy leaning toward a happy 2005 after a roller coaster '04. But the numbers � from consumer spending to wage growth � weren't overwhelming enough to spark a buying frenzy on Wall Street as investors continued to proceed with caution. US AIRWAYS GROUND WORKERS TAKE 13% PAY CUT: http://www.nypost.com/business/37009.htm By PAUL THARP Fears of a possible airline strike during the Christmas holiday eased yesterday when US Airways ground employees agreed to take 13 percent pay cuts to help bail out their employer. NEW BOTTLE KEEPS THE BUBBLY BUBBLY: http://www.nypost.com/business/37006.htm New Year's Eve revelers will be able to celebrate a little longer this year thanks to a resealable champagne bottle that keeps sparkling wine bubbling for days. VERSACE HAWKS MAKEUP DIVISION: http://www.nypost.com/business/37008.htm By SUZANNE KAPNER The Versace Group said yesterday that it has reached a deal to sell its fragrance and cosmetic division to Euroitalia Group for a price that wasn't disclosed. NEWS STAFF IS MORT-IFIED: http://www.nypost.com/business/kelly.htm By KEITH J. KELLY NO danger of Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman getting confused with the jolly elf this holiday season. AN XMAS SPECIAL: WATERPIK ON BLOCK: http://www.nypost.com/business/36988.htm By ERICA COPULSKY Waterpik Technologies Inc., the maker of the well-known Waterpik automatic toothbrush and other oral-hygiene products, is on the block, The Post has learned. SCHWAB BOLTS NYSE: http://www.nypost.com/business/37003.htm Charles Schwab Corp., the biggest discount broker, is ending its membership in the New York Stock Exchange following the sale earlier this year of a business that provided market making, research and institutional trading. GOODY BOWL: MARKETERS PUSH WARES ON ATHLETES: http://www.nypost.com/business/37007.htm By RICHARD WILNER If you really want to know what the big men on campus crave these days, look no further than the thousands of goody bags handed out at this season's college football bowl games. CAYNE CASHES IN $18M: http://www.nypost.com/business/37010.htm Bear Stearns Cos. Chief Executive James E. Cayne sold 177,500 shares of Bear Stearns valued at about $18 million, according to Washington Service, a research firm that tracks insider stock transactions. TOUGH TIME$ FOR TECHIES: http://www.nypost.com/business/37013.htm LOS ANGELES � Electrical engineers have come in for a shock: for the first time in more than three decades of technological innovation, their salaries are dropping. WARNER DEAL TO PLACE MUSICATMS ON CAMPUS: http://www.nypost.com/business/37000.htm By TIM ARANGO Warner Music announced a deal yesterday that will make its vast catalog available in kiosks on college campuses and at retail locations across the country. TOYS 'R' US PRICE CUTS MAY LURE BUYER: http://www.nypost.com/business/37004.htm A decision by Toys "R" Us Inc., the second-largest U.S. toy retailer, to match the low prices of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. this holiday season may help it attract a buyer. DISNEY TO TIE EXEC $$ TO PERFORMANCE: http://www.nypost.com/business/37005.htm LOS ANGELES � Executives at Walt Disney Co. will have some of their stock benefits subject to performance-based requirements as part of changes to its long-term compensation plan, the entertainment company announced yesterday. $13M FOR KELLOGG'S NEW CEO: http://www.nypost.com/business/37014.htm By PAUL THARP The veteran ad man who created Tony the Tiger is also getting a sugar-coated pay deal as the surprise head of Kellogg Co. TRUMP GETS FINANCING: http://www.nypost.com/business/37015.htm LOS ANGELES � Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc. has arranged $500 million in financing for when it emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company said in a regulatory filing yesterday. Real Estate: http://web1.nypost.com/realestate/index.htm LEHMAN SIGNS MIDTOWN LEASE: http://www.nypost.com/realestate/36894.htm By STEVE CUOZZO WALL Street giant Lehman Bros. just gave the Midtown office market a super-size bundle of Christmas cheer by signing a long-term lease for 306,700 square feet at Equity Office's 1301 Sixth Ave. � all additional space, and a financial-services expansion of a size virtually unheard of since late 2000. Entertainment: http://web1.nypost.com/entertainment/entertainment.htm FREDDIE CROONER: http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/36999.htm By FRANK SCHECK FRED Astaire is best known to the world as a dancer � but the lesser known fact is that, as a singer, he introduced more songs to the standard repertoire than Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra. ALL THE WHIRL LOVES A CLOWN: http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/37001.htm By FRANK SCHECK ENVIRONMENTALISTS, be ad vised: Many trees are dying for the sake of children's amusement. THANKS '04 THE SONGS: http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/37011.htm By MARY HUHN THE year in music may have begun with that now infamous "wardrobe malfunc tion," but 2004 also brought countless more moments we'd rather remember � from concerts planned (Devo) and impromptu (U2) to welcome comebacks (Morrissey, Prince) and the long-awaited re-emergence of the master himself, Dylan. 'OFFICE' STAR GOING HOMER: http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/36996.htm By MICHAEL STARR RICKY Gervais, the mas termind behind the BBC's cult hit "The Office," will write an episode of "The Simpsons." MOONEY IN THE MORNING: http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/36998.htm By JOHN MAINELLI COMEDY heavyweight Paul Mooney has been signed to anchor WBLS's all-new morning show starting Jan. 3, The Post has learned. THE STARR REPORT: http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/36985.htm By MICHAEL STARR Gary Null, who was dropped by WBAI earlier this month after 27 years, has landed on the Internet � at voiceofamerica.com, which will air "The Gary Null Show" weekdays (noon-1 p.m.) beginning Monday, Jan. 3. The show will continue to air on WWRL (1600 AM) every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 to 2 p.m. SPREADING HOLIDAY JEER: http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/37018.htm By MICHAEL RIEDEL I didn't receive very many holiday greetings this year. I guess I'm just not that popular around Broadway. Movie Reviews: http://web1.nypost.com/movies/movies.htm FLAT 'ALBERT': http://www.nypost.com/movies/37017.htm By LOU LUMENICK FAT ALBERT HEY! Hey! Hey! Stay away from "Fat Albert." Resurrecting the beloved '70s cartoon "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" as a blend of animation and live action for the big screen turns out to be one of the worst ideas of the year. LOTS OF STYLE, BUT PLOT'S KEPT IN 'DARKNESS': http://www.nypost.com/movies/36994.htm By JONATHAN HOLLAND DARKNESSAN English-language chiller that oozes tech nical class but is ultimately just an efficient exercise in style, "Darkness" is a series of powerful sequences that fail to cohere. BACON SIZZLES: http://www.nypost.com/movies/36995.htm By LOU LUMENICK THE WOODSMANTHERE isn't a wasted frame in Nicole Kassell's hugely impressive debut film, "The Woodsman," starring Kevin Bacon in a career- best performance as a recovering pedophile. Lifestyle: http://web1.nypost.com/living/living.htm MEN MOAN NEW DATING BOOK IS KILLING ROMANCE: http://www.nypost.com/living/36711.htm By MACKENZIE DAWSON PARKS MEN just aren't into this book. That's the verdict on the new romance bible that's changing the rules for New York women and the men who date them (or just string them along). KITTY CASTS: http://www.nypost.com/living/36679.htm By JULIA SZABO What do you give the pet who has everything? The ulti mate gift: immortality. ASK DR. MICHAEL FOX: http://www.nypost.com/living/36673.htm DEAR DR. FOX: I have a Lhasa Apso who recently developed what the veterinarian described as a "hot spot." Our vet prescribed a cream and a HOTTIES ARE PEOPLE, TOO: http://www.nypost.com/living/36726.htm By MICHAEL KANE The recently reopened "Pieces (of Ass)" at Dodger Stages is, in short, a monologue parade about the pains and pressures of being a beautiful woman, as told by pained and pressured beautiful women. Lottery Results: http://web1.nypost.com/lottery/lottery.htm NEW YORK Midday Numbers Thu.: 573 Midday Win-4 Thu.: 8747 Evening Numbers Thu.: 341 Evening Win-4 Thu.: 1864 Pick-10 Thu.: 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 23, 26, 34, 43, 45, 47, 52, 55, 57, 58, 70, 71, 74, 78 Take-5 Thu.: 10, 15, 16, 19, 25 NEW JERSEY Pick-3 Thu.: 856; Pick-4 Thu.: 2867 OAS_AD('Middle'); //--> Cash-5 Thu.: 3, 17, 19, 26, 28 Pick-6 Thu.: 7, 12, 25, 39, 46, 48 CONNECTICUT Play-3 Thu.: 682; Play-4 Thu.: 9392 Cash-5 Thu.: 4, 17, 22, 28, 32 Opinion: http://web1.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/opedcolumnists.htm A FALL FROM FREEDOM: http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/36982.htm By ADRIAN KARATNYCKY THIS year, freedom has shown resilience in many parts of the world. Ukraine has just had an Orange Revolution, while Georgia held free and fair elections. Civil liberties also have registered modest gains in the Middle East � most notably in Jordan, Morocco and Qatar. And the expansion of the European Union has deepened freedoms in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. But there is one important exception to the generally positive news in much of the world � Vladimir Putin's Russia. THE SECRET SONG FOR EVERYONE AT CHRISTMAS: http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/36990.htm By DUNCAN MAXWELL ANDERSON This year's school Christmas concerts � I mean, holiday concerts � are safely over. Depending on where you live, they were either sweet and moving or bland and politically correct. Celebrity Photos: http://web1.nypost.com/gossip/celebp/index.htm : http://www.nypost.com/gossip/celebp/12232004/photo01.htm December 23: 'The Aviator', 'Fat Pig' premieres:Liz Hurley, Leonardo Dicaprio, Cate Blanchett, Gisele Bundchen, Kate Beckinsale, Keri Russell, Josie Maran, Nicky Hilton, Famke Jansen...: http://www.nypost.com/gossip/celebp/12232004/photo01.htm Movie News: http://web1.nypost.com/entertainment/movies/news/news.htm News, Dec. 21: Snipes Sues New York City, Rapper Charged in Vibe Melee, Brolin Cited with Domestic Battery, More... Guylaine Cadorette -- Hollywood.com Staff Wesley Snipes sues New York City Blade: Trinity star Wesley Snipes is suing New York City over an arrest warrant issued against him in an Indiana paternity case. Style: http://web1.nypost.com/style/style.htm To modify your account settings go to: http://www.nypost.com/useradmin/useradmin.htm To unsubscribe, go to: http://www.nypost.com/newsletter/unsubscribe.htm
