Business briefs

Take Liberty

John Malone is letting Vodafone know that while he would consider offers for Liberty Global, Europe's largest cable operator, he's "happy" with the company as is. As Vodafone agreed on the $130 billion sale of its 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless (see story, page 23), the question of how the second-biggest mobile phone company could spend the windfall has focused on its recent efforts to expand in cable. Vodafone agreed to buy Germany's Kabel Deutschland in June.

China ceiling

Home prices in China rose 8.6 percent last month from the year-earlier period, and surged in major cities, but didn't lift construction or boost the wider economy.

Lenovo dough

For the second consecutive year, Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing plans to give away at least $3 million of his bonus to roughly 10,000 company workers across 20 countries, with 85 percent of workers in China. The average payout per worker of $325 is nearly equivalent to a month's pay.

Futures fix

US stock index futures rose and Treasuries futures slipped as Mideast war worries ebbed.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click For Restrictions

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New $130B horizon for Verizon Wireless

Verizon and Vodafone plan to announce a $130 billion deal today that will give the Gotham-based telecom giant complete control of Verizon Wireless, subject to final board approval, people familiar with the matter said.

Vodafone said late yesterday it was in advanced talks with Verizon to sell its 45 percent stake in the joint venture for $130 billion, comprising cash and common shares, but that there was no certainty an agreement would be reached.

"A further announcement will be made as soon as practicable," it said of the deal to exit the largest mobile operator in the US.

The UK-based telecom would get $60 billion in cash, $60 billion in Verizon stock, and an additional $10 billion from smaller transactions that will take the total deal value to $130 billion, according to two sources.

To fund the cash portion of the deal, Verizon has lined up as much as $65 billion in financing from four banks: JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Barclays, they said. The financing is expected to be split evenly among the four, two people said.

A full announcement of the terms is expected to come after the market closes in London today. Earlier in the day the Verizon board plans to vote on it, sources said. Vodafone's board was scheduled to approve the deal yesterday, the people said.

All the people asked not to be identified because the matter is not public.

If the deal is concluded, it will end one of the longest-running corporate standoffs, which has at times seen both partners seek to buy out the other in times of weakness.

For Verizon, it means it would no longer have to share the billions in cash generated by Verizon Wireless. On the Vodafone side, the company will get a war chest of cash to reward shareholders and potentially carry out acquisitions to strengthen the group's European and emerging-market operations.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click For Restrictions

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A brush with fame

On any given work day, a long list of boldface names demands Emily Robinson's attention: Kim Kardashian needs her makeup touched up. Michelle Obama is due for a sponge bath. And will someone please re-attach Simon Cowell's head to his body before the doors open at 10 a.m.?

As the studio manager for Madame Tussauds in Times Square, Robinson, 28, is responsible for keeping the attraction's 200-plus figures looking their best — and wields an impressive arsenal of intricate tools, paintbrushes and even curling irons to keep her charges in tiptop shape.

NY Post: Tamara Beckwith

WORK OF ART: Madame Tussauds studio manager Emily Robinson keeps the attraction's 200-plus figures — like One Direction — looking their best.

It's a career the Carroll Gardens resident says she never dreamed of as a studio arts major at Kenyon College — until the day she spotted a serendipitous Craigslist job posting that would put her sculpture and installation experience to use in a unique way.

After five years at Madame Tussauds in DC, the Chicago native now runs the New York studio (a hushed aerie just a floor above the hubbub of the attraction) and spends her days primping, patching and plotting makeovers with her team of two.

In between sculpting a new pair of ears for George Clooney and repainting Oprah, she sat down with @work to tell us what it's like to work in wax.

How did you break into this business?

I sort of lucked out — it was actually my first full-time position. When I was looking for jobs a couple months out of college, [Madame Tussauds] was just opening the DC location and had to pull together their staff to get ready for the opening. I think it was just really amazing timing.

Coming from a fine arts background, did you have reservations about working at a tourist attraction?

I had no reservations. I thought it was amazing that there would be a job like this. I always wanted to be an artist, but I didn't think I'd be able to find something where I could be artistic on a daily basis.

Once you started, what was the learning curve like?

I had two weeks of intensive training with the London artists, but when they left, I was on my own. I was taking care of about a hundred figures right away. It took me a while to feel comfortable doing what I do now, but it's definitely something that you get better at as you practice.

Were you at all freaked out by working with such life-like figures?

When I started in DC, I had to open the building, so I had to walk through the dark to turn the lights on. Every morning was a little bit scary. And if any figures are moved at any point, that can be really surprising. We see the figures in the exact [same] spot every single day, so if they're changed, it's like they've moved or walked over. But you really get used to everything. You start thinking just about what they need.

Walk me through an average day. What are your responsibilities?

We get in at 7:30 a.m., and we'll do morning repair work on any damage that we see until 10, when we open. We do a lot of scratch repairs, hairstyling, wardrobe repair and a lot of wax sculpting and re-sculpting — like fixing ears when they break off. Some of the figures don't need major repair work for a year. We'll just clean them every week or so. Others need constant attention.

Like which ones?

We just got One Direction, and they have this constant stream of fans who sit next to them, wanting to touch their hair. We have to check up every few hours to make sure they look okay. Justin Bieber is another example — he is constantly being kissed, which deteriorates the wax. You have to actually dig out [the wax] and rebuild and repaint it, which takes about an hour. It's a lot more work than you think.

What's the biggest challenge you face?

As a team, we have about 400 hands we have to take care of, in addition to the heads. The hands deteriorate in maybe two weeks, so that's been incredibly hard for us to get on top of. We are constantly replacing hands. We have spare hands ready. And when they're good, they really bring the whole figure together.

How much creative input do you have?

A lot of what we do is very detailed oil painting — building up realistic skin tone, painting on makeup. It's less creative because we're really trying to be accurate. We use references, so everything is really, really specific. But I get to be creative when we plan a figure's re-style, and get to pick from their best looks and source their clothing. We recently re-styled Lady Gaga — it's really fun.

It must be nerve-wracking seeing your works of art so exposed to visitors. Are you always on alert?

We all get a little bit uncomfortable when we see people get too close, but you get used to it. There was a time when a little boy grabbed Ella Fitzgerald's arm in DC and tipped her over, so she broke. We all had to run and save her. And the kissing is always an emergency for us too [because of the deterioration of the wax]. As soon as we see it, we are immediately trying to get it off.

What's your advice for someone wanting to make a career out of their artistic skills?

I didn't think this job existed until I saw it, so my best advice would be to keep an open mind. So many companies need an artistic eye and artistic ability.

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Go to Greg

I work for a small family-owned business in which there are lots of family squabbles, which I seem to get drawn into the middle of. It's awkward and uncomfortable. What do you suggest?

Oh, the perks and perils of working for a small family business — where the "It's not personal . . . it's business!" rule No. 1 from "The Godfather" is rarely observed. Avoid getting drawn into thorny family squabbles. Remember, no matter what, you're not family. You're not going to inherit the business. You are an employee, and you have no more business getting involved in personal family disputes that spill over into business than you do as their guest at Thanksgiving dinner trying to referee a holiday family smack-down. If one or more parties tries to involve you, the best response is to explain that the way you can be most helpful is to focus on their business and not their personal issues. At most, be a good listener, but never pick sides because, well, you may pick the wrong side — or there may no longer be sides if the parties resolve their differences.

I'm a senior manager at a mid-size firm, and one of my colleagues is known for being generally rude and unpleasant. I actually think she is a nice person deep down and that the way she presents herself is just a defense mechanism. Any thoughts about how to help such an individual?

Sounds like you may have a good handle on how to approach the situation yourself, Dr. Phil. Listen, I have a firm no-jerk rule, but I'll give anyone a chance to change. Maybe she just wants to be loved — is that so wrong? Perhaps you may start by killing with kindness — meeting incivility with syrupy sweetness — not saccharine, but the real deal, Grade A Maple with a smile. Then you might invite the person to lunch, coffee or happy hour, try to bring them into a wider circle of colleagues who feel similarly, to break the cycle and persona that exists around the office. If all else fails, then you can crush them like a big . . . err . . . I mean speak to them directly about the issue in a nonthreatening, professional manner, in the hopes of developing a more productive, friendly work relationship.

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Hissteria!

Despite their slithering creepiness, cold-blooded nature and deadly potential, John Vanek, 25, insists that snakes make great pets. He owns six, including a 6-foot-long pine snake and 6-foot-long jungle carpet python. "Snakes are beautiful creatures ... You can connect with them," he says. "The more you hold them, the more comfortable they become with you ... and they respond to training."

The recent tragedy in Canada, in which two boys were found dead in a family friend's home, strangled by a 100-pound African rock python that had escaped, was a somber reminder that housing snakes can be dangerous. But local snake owners say the tragedy could have been avoided and that when properly managed, some snakes can be great pets.

VICTORALCORN.COM

John Vanek has six pet slitherers, including this pine snake.

Vanek, an ecology grad student living in East Northport, Long Island, has come across many people who simply did not like the idea of snakes as pets, including a former girlfriend whose aversion meant the end of their relationship. "You can sense a stigma coming from people who don't understand them," says Vanek, who feels that national news stories such as the Canada incident fuel such attitudes. "Like with anything, irresponsible owners give responsible ones a bad rep."

African rock pythons, along with Burmese pythons and reticulated pythons, are among the largest and most threatening nonvenomous varieties of constrictors. They're deemed wild animals and illegal to have as pets in New York state. Canadian laws are similar. "There is no reason for anyone to keep an animal like that in captivity, unless in a zoo or private collection where accidents cannot happen," says Dr. Anthony Pilny, a veterinarian at the Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine on the Upper West Side.

Within the five boroughs, snake laws are even stricter; owning or selling any kind of python or constrictor is prohibited.

But Pilny says that smaller, legal varieties of snakes are not usually dangerous and can be ideal pets. They require minimal maintenance, needing only a small amount of space, typically have low sensitivity to temperature and light, and need to be fed (and thus defecate) only once a week. "There are many types of snakes that are not aggressive toward humans such as king or corn snakes," says Pilny, who has had a pet king snake for 11 years.

Bob Scheben, 49, owner of Repxotica, a reptile pet store in West Islip, Long Island, says that under the right ownership, even larger snakes like the ball python, which is illegal to sell or own in the city, are safe.

"It's a very shy, nonaggressive and as trustworthy a snake I've seen," he says.

No matter what kind of snake, Scheben says, secure housing for them is essential. He recommends an enclosure with six sides, a lock and additional padlock. "If you are negligent, they will get out," he warns.

Because of snakes' Houdini abilities, many city landlords will not allow them. E. Wang, who has managed properties for over 25 years, has a firm no-snake policy. "They aren't like dogs and cats," he asserts. "If one escapes, it can live a long time with minimal food or water and can be very difficult to find. That's not something I am willing to risk."

pets@nypost.com

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Adopt me!

This is Beckham, a handsome golden retriever. He's a loveable, happy-go-lucky fellow and is just a year and a half old.

Meet him from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Humane Society of New York, 306 E. 59th St.; 212- 752-4840 or visit humane-societyny.org.

Humane Society of NY

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'Johnny Football' trolls NCAA by making autograph and money gestures during game

AP

Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel celebrates a touchdown by teammate during the first quarter by flashing the money sign. Manziel was suspended for the first half of the game for what the school said was an "inadvertent" violation of NCAA rules for signing autographs.

Johnny Manziel might be a better troll than he is a quarterback.

The Texas A&M star threw three touchdowns after being suspended for the first half against Rice due to what the school called "inadvertent" violations of the NCAA's rules against signing autographs. And as he was making the hapless Rice defenders look silly, he was taunting them – and likely his haters – by making autograph and money gestures.

With 10 minutes remaining in the third, "Johnny Football" took off and ran for an 8-yard gain. Afterward, he appeared to tell a Rice player "I won't give you an autograph."

On the very next play, the reigning Heisman winner threw a 23-yard touchdown pass. To celebrate? He held up his hands and rubbed his fingers together – the universal mannerism for counting money.

In the fourth quarter, Manziel was hit for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after throwing a touchdown pass and jawing with opposing players. When he saw the flag on the field, Manziel pointed up at the scoreboard. That prompted A&M coach Kevin Sumlin to pull him from the game.

"That wasn't very smart and that's why he didn't go back in the game," A&M coach Kevin Sumlin told ESPN after the game. "I hoped that at this point he'd have learned something."

Manziel finished 6-of-8 with three touchdowns and 94 yards. He ran for another 19 yards.

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Ike strains oblique in Mets' win over Nationals, may miss rest of season

Getty Images

Mets first baseman Ike Davis reacts after injuring himself hitting a sacrifice fly in the third inning.

WASHINGTON -- Just in case the Mets didn't lose enough players in August, Ike Davis capped off the month by clutching his right side in the third inning last night and could be headed to an early offseason.

On a night Zack Wheeler dominated, allowing two runs over 6 2/3 innings in an 11-3 victory over the Nationals, the Mets lost Davis to a strained right oblique, an injury that typically carries a recovery time of several weeks.

Davis sustained the injury on a swing against Dan Haren in the third inning that resulted in a sacrifice fly. He was replaced at first base in the bottom of the inning by Lucas Duda.

Wheeler (7-3) received an eight-run cushion early and didn't show any letdown until the sixth, when the Nationals scored twice against him.

The rookie right-hander, who figures to receive four more starts before reaching an innings limit in the 180 range, improved to 5-0 on the road.

Davis joined David Wright, Matt Harvey, Bobby Parnell, Jeremy Hefner and Jenrry Mejia among the recent casualties.

For Davis, the injury came just as he had regained some footing in his bid to keep the first-base job beyond this season.

Asked by The Post before last night's game to grade his performance since returning from Triple-A Las Vegas on July 5, Davis gave himself a "C-plus/B-minus" and indicated he hadn't lost faith his power will return.

Davis entered play batting .269 with a .435 on-base percentage since rejoining the team, but had only four homers and 16 RBIs over that 47-game stretch. In his first two-plus months, before the demotion, he hit .161 with five homers and 16 RBIs.

"I've definitely had a lot better at-bats lately," Davis said before the game. "And I've hit some balls hard that were caught and walked a lot, haven't struck out as much. I'm playing better."

But it's unclear whether that will be enough to keep Davis in a Mets uniform beyond this season, as team brass mulls whether it's worth the risk in committing to a player who has been mostly a disappointment the past two seasons.

Internally, the club has first-base candidates in Duda, Wilmer Flores and Josh Satin or could look to upgrade at the position this offseason. But the Mets also have other positions to address -- most notably the outfield -- and would prefer not to have to allocate resources toward first base.

"This year, it was a bad year," Davis said. "It was a bad start, a real bad start, and I put myself in a major hole. I'm not going to sit here and count this season as anything to do with my normal career. I was in a funk I couldn't get out of and I don't want that to happen again and I'm going to work hard so it doesn't."

The Mets broke the game open in the third inning, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring six runs to grab an 8-0 lead. Included was Matt den Dekker's first major league hit, an RBI single that ended Haren's night.

Haren lasted 2 2/3 innings and allowed seven earned runs on nine hits for his second loss in three starts against the Mets this season.

Omar Quintanilla's two-run double in the second started the onslaught before Daniel Murphy delivered an RBI single in the third and Davis brought home a run with a sacrifice fly. Travis d'Arnaud, Juan Lagares and den Dekker then delivered successive hits. Wheeler walked with the bases loaded for another run and Eric Young Jr. followed with a two-run single against Tanner Roark to complete the scoring in the inning.

Wheeler allowed a two-out infield single to Roark in the third for the Nationals' first hit. Denard Span followed with a single, but the Nationals didn't get another hit until Span singled in the sixth.

mpuma@nypost.com

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Cruz control

Frankly, it will take a strong conservative Republican like Sen. Ted Cruz to right our "ship of state," which has been listing too far left for many years ("Ted Cruz: A Traitor to Harvard, Princeton," Rich Lowry, PostOpinion, Aug. 24).

For example, a welfare recipient in New York City receives twice the purchasing power of public-school teachers in many jurisdictions.

Cruz is definitely a shining example of hard work and faith in the American Dream.

He has the courage to swim upstream against self-serving Republicans and an irresponsible Democratic Party.

E. Kampermann, Howard Beach

Bird-brained game

Tell this to the kids, parents and executives who are complaining about the hawks nesting in the lights at Roberto Clemente Ballfield in Corona Park: Red-tailed hawks are one of God's great gifts, and we're fortunate to have them as city inhabitants ("Baseball Field Plagued by Nesting Hawks," Aug. 27).

Appreciate this city "tail" instead of crying "fowl!"

Maybe they should play some day games, like in bygone times when we were kids.

John Cirillo, Chappaqua

That wily Miley

The statement by Miley Cyrus' father that he loves his daughter unconditionally is ludicrous ("Billy Ray Cyrus Sticks Up for Miley's Scandalous VMA Performance," Aug. 27).

Of course he does, and he should. But that does not mean that he should not teach his child what is and is not inappropriate behavior.

The father, in this case, is immature himself. Age is not often an indicator for maturity.

The entertainment industry bends over backwards to shock society to stay in the limelight, no matter how shocking.

Anna Jackson, Elmhurst

The Post gave Cyrus an XXX headline for her presence — I'd hardly call it a performance — at MTV's Video Music Awards ("VMAs Go the XXXtra Miley," Aug. 26).

I give her a DDD: disgusting, disgraceful and desperate. Maybe growing up is just too hard for her to do.

M. Cascone, Middle Village

Fotog danger

Alec Baldwin certainly is a hothead, but he is not the only celebrity who physically or verbally objects to having photographers in their face wherever they go ("Hothead Alec Baldwin Assaults Another Photographer," Aug. 28).

Princess Diana's death demonstrated how dangerous it can become.

In a world of telescopic lenses, there is really no need for close-up contact.

It's not good enough to say that this is the price of being a celebrity. Being mobbed is objectionable and frightening.

There ought to be a law that guarantees a 50-yard privacy space around every celebrity, except for red-carpet events.

Bob Brakel, Butler, NJ

Moderate Joe

The Republican Party should embrace more candidates like mayoral hopeful Joe Lhota ("Pro-Pot J.Lho Different Kind of Republican," Aug. 27).

He is pro-liberty regarding abortion rights, same-sex marriage and other so-called "social issues."

Too many Republican politicians merely want to shove their interpretations of Christianity down our throats.

Mark Kalinowski, Clifton, NJ

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Lacking the will to confront Assad

Amir Taheri

Almost exactly a year ago, President Obama warned the use of chemical weapons was a red line President Bashar al-Assad should not cross. Six months after the warning, Assad did just that, thumbing his nose at Obama. Since then, Assad crossed Obama's red line five more times, killing thousands of women and children.

Until this week, Obama's strategy was to dance around the issue. First, he was not sure that chemical weapons had been used. Then he admitted that they had been but insisted he did not know who had used them. He then conceded that Assad might have been the culprit. And, yet, he demanded evidence. When he did get evidence, however, Obama started talking of his need for "hard evidence."

It now seems that Obama has enough "hard evidence" to persuade him to get off the fence he has been sitting on since the Syrian tragedy began 30 months ago. The problem is that he may get off one fence only to quickly sit on another. That Obama is beset by tergiversation is indicated by the fact that he has kept a low profile, allowing aides, including Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry, to indulge in declamatory outbursts. If Obama orders any kind of military action it would be in response to the "something-must-be-done" chorus and not on the basis of any credible strategy to impact the most deadly civil war the Middle East has witnessed in centuries.

Obama is expert in grand statements that are quickly forgotten. More than two months ago, he made much of his decision to arm Syrian rebels. By the time of this writing, the rebels had received nothing. Worse still, US Arab allies, notably Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have slowed down arms shipments to rebels because they were pressed by Kerry to do so to win Russian support for another Geneva conference on Syria.

Biden and Kerry have hinted that any action would be a limited response to Assad's use of chemical weapons and not aimed at regime change. That is, if Assad continues to kill Syrians with weapons other than chemical ones, he could continue unhindered. According to UN estimates, since the conflict started some 4,000 Syrians have died every month.

There are two ways the US might help shape the outcome of the struggle for Syria.

The first is to train and arm the rebels with the help of regional and European allies while protecting the refugee centers against attacks by Assad and Lebanese Hezbollah mercenaries. The second is to use US and allied firepower to degrade Assad's war machine, accelerating the victory of the rebels. That would require a greater military commitment with setting up no-fly zones and creating safe havens within Syria itself. Both options require a clear moral and political commitment to regime change. The message would be clear: Regardless of whether he kills people with ordinary weapons or deadly chemicals, Assad must go.

I am not sure Obama wants or can adopt such a commitment. Like love, war requires total and passionate commitment. A reluctant warrior is more of a danger to himself and his friends than to real or imagined adversaries. Saying that Obama is no war leader is not meant to belittle the man. Obama is an astute politician in the American context.

But he demonstrated his ineptitude as a war leader in Afghanistan and Libya. In Afghanistan, his "right war" as opposed to the "wrong war" in Iraq, he sabotaged his "surge" by fixing a date for the withdrawal of forces deployed. All the Taliban had to do was to sit back and wait for that date before resuming their deadly campaign to prevent Afghanis from securing a better life. In Libya the US ended up as loser on all accounts and exposed as an irresolute power that cannot even protect its diplomats.

As long as Obama is commander in chief the US is unlikely to go beyond "lite" intervention. Even then, "lite" intervention could have its uses. It could help destroy Assad's chemical capacities, depriving the tyrant of a tool of terror. "Lite" intervention could also open the way of a formal indictment against Assad. The use of chemical weapons has been outlawed by international treaties since 1925. Assad and his associates could face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"Lite" intervention is more of a semiological rather than a military move. Nevertheless, signaling that Assad's crimes could provoke a response might dishearten the tyrant's supporters and encourage his opponents.

Have a comment on this PostOpinion column? Send it in to LETTERS@NYPOST.COM!

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