AFLECK BUSTED AGAIN
Fresh out of rehab, Ben Affleck was busted for speeding in Georgia last Wednesday. He was headed toward Macon in a black Cadillac, with brother Casey Affleck and Casey's girlfriend, when he was pulled over and cited with driving 114 miles per hour in a 70 mph zone. He was taken to the county jail, where he paid a bond of $1,114 and was released after 20 minutes. He was not arrested, and no further action against him is expected. Maybe he was just rehearsing for ''Changing Lanes,'' an upcoming movie with Samuel L. Jackson that's about an incident of road rage....

VIN DIESEL GETS BIG BUCKS FOR SEQUEL Action actor Vin Diesel has been tapped to play the title character in an upcoming film called The Chronicles of Riddick. It's the sequel to the popular sci-fi thriller "Pitch Black." The news outlet MrShowBiz.com says that Diesel will be paid $11 million for his part in the movie. Even though no director has been assigned to the film, Universal says it will be released in the summer of 2003. Diesel is said to have turned down the lead in "Daredevil," a planned Fox adaptation of a Marvel Comics series about a blind lawyer who turns into a superhero.

TV VIEWING HABITS QUICKLY CHANGING 
A new poll indicates that American TV viewers want more comedy and are quickly growing tired of what is called "reality television." The survey, conducted by the ad-buying firm Initiative Media and reported in USA Today, says that most people want some comic relief in the wake of what's happened in recent weeks. A full 57 percent noted that they want to watch more comedies. Only 17 percent said they had plans of watching any "reality-based" TV. The surveyors suggest that the low number may mean that this type of programming may be a shorter-lived fad than predicted.

WHAT DID HOLLYWOOD LEARN ON Sept. 11? 
For many, the recent spate of announcements by Hollywood studios that they were curtailing, changing or canceling films because the content somehow is not proper in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks is proof that Hollywood needs to step back and look at the kind of stuff it's cranking out. The Christian Science Monitor, in its latest edition, says the adjustments that have been made "show economic sense ... (and) moral concern as well." The publication wonders whether the level of "expected violence" in our lives, portrayed constantly by Hollywood, will make it easier for the country to over-react. It notes that "for every film like 'Gandhi,' which takes a serious look at nonviolence and spiritually guided thinking, there are hundreds of movies that present war-related fear, hatred, and aggression

JAY LENO 
Jay Leno wants to encourage people to travel to Las Vegas. And so this Saturday, he'll perform a free show at the MGM Grand's EFX Theatre. The "Tonight Show" host expressed concern about the Las Vegas economy and announced on his show Monday night that he will perform, at no cost, at the MGM Grand (at 10 p.m. PT). "All I ask is that you tip your waiters and waitresses. We have to turn this situation around," said Leno. Complimentary tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis this Thursday and Saturday (from 10 a.m. to noon PT) at the EFX Theatre Box Office. Guests must present an MGM Grand room key and an out-of-state driver's license or a Nevada driver's license to be eligible. Tickets are limited to two (2) per person.

KATE WINSLET 
Fans of Kate Winslet were disappointed when the "Titanic" star missed the London premiere of her new movie, "Enigma," on Monday. Winslet issued a statement citing, among other things, "recent personal events," as the reason for her decision to skip what would have been her first public appearance since the well-publicized breakup of her marriage Sept. 3. "I feel that, for the sake of myself and my family, a short time out of the spotlight would be beneficial," she said. The 25-year-old actress apologized for missing the chance to celebrate the movie's opening and "to pay my respects to those lives lost in the recent tragedy in New York." Prince Charles was on hand for the premiere, along with Mick Jagger, who has a producing credit on the story of British code breakers during World War II.

AMERICA LOVES ... STAR TREK' 
A one-hour documentary taking a look at the longest-running and most successful franchise in television history premieres next Monday on TNN. "America Loves ... Star Trek" (7-9 p.m. ET/PT) is part of "Next Gen On TNN: A 5-Day Mission," a weeklong marathon airing Monday through Friday to launch "Star Trek: The Next Generation" on TNN. It's hosted by Jonathan Frakes, who starred as Cmdr. Riker on "Next Generation" and in three "Star Trek" feature films. The special includes clips from the original and spin-off series, along with interviews with former cast and production team members -- including Majel Barrett Roddenberry, William Shatner, executive producer Rick Berman, Kate Mulgrew, Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis. In addition to this special, "Next Gen On TNN" will feature three of the "Star Trek" movies and 77 episodes of "Next Generation." The marathon will air daily from 9 a.m to 3 a.m. (ET/PT).

ALANIS TAKES ON PRODUCER ROLE
After exploding on the scene in 1994 Alanis Morisette is now on her 4th album and she has asker superstar producer Glen Ballard to step aside and teach her how to produce her new album.  MORE HERE

October 12, 2001 -- Club terror? Model poaching

CALLS for unity in the wake of the terror attacks haven't stopped the squabbling among the notoriously catty denizens of clubland.

Nightlife fixtures Richie Akiva and Danny A are feuding over what can only be described as "model poaching," a malodorous practice in which nightclub operatives infiltrate a rival hotspot to coax away its most beautiful customers.

Danny A, who throws a popular Tuesday night party at Lotus with Alon Jabli, claims Akiva, who dates supermodel Carmen Kass and is one of the directors at Spa, has been coming to Lotus and scooping up mannequins such as ID's Jacqui Rickards and T Management's Mini Anden before splitting for Spa.

"Spa is sending them [poachers] over to Lotus like soldiers," Danny A claims. "It's disgusting business. I work all week, calling people and getting them to come out, and they come in and try to grab the girls. It's been going on too long."

But Akiva scoffs at Danny A's charges. "They think I come there to steal girls from them, but that's just not the case," he said. "I might say, 'Hey, why don't you meet me at Lotus and then we'll go to Spa?' They're my friends. I just think all of this stuff is childish and immature. It's little kid stuff."

The bad blood between Lotus and Spa boiled over a few weeks back when Jabli asked Akiva and his friends to leave the Tuesday night party after they chatted up one too many beauties.

Meanwhile, deejay Samantha Ronson, who hosted a Monday karaoke night at Suite 16, has defected to rival club Veruka, where she will host a monthly party. Ronson's karaoke night - which sometimes featured celebs like Fred Durst and Belinda Carlisle belting out songs, as well as junior socialites warbling Madonna and Guns N' Roses - had started losing steam, says Suite 16 honcho Noah Tepperberg.

"Her night was beginning to dwindle and I don't think she was happy," he said.

Ronson retorted, "People were still coming, but I was just over Suite 16. I don't really like being told what to do by all the different owners . . . I don't even know if I want to throw parties in New York right now, people just aren't in the mood."

To replace Ronson's karaoke, Suite 16 hired Dominic Chianese Jr. (son of Dominic Chianese of "The Sopranos"), and impresarios David Cabo and Stuart Bronz, from Lot 61 to host a carnivalesque Monday night bash with midget fashion shows, fire-eaters and nightlife characters like The Fat Elvis.

"People are going to see a crazy freak show and some vaudeville stuff," Tepperberg said. "That's a little better than seeing Samantha and her friends singing Bon Jovi."

Bargain bauble

THE Rita Hayworth Gala auction at the Waldorf on Tuesday night left some women steamed at their spouses. The main prize was a ruby, diamond, sapphire brooch - red, white and blue - designed by Fawaz Gruosi of the de Grisogono jewelry house in Switzerland. It was said to be worth $80,000, but Jamie Niven started the bidding low and the bauble went for just $18,000. "I saw several women who were upset their husbands didn't bid," said one woman. The winner was fashion designer Naeem Khan, who will give it to his wife Ranjana if he knows what's good for him. The brooch is now on display in a window at Bergdorf Goodman.

We hear . . .

THAT "The Sum of All Fears" starring Ben Affleck as CIA agent Jack Ryan will be released on schedule this summer by Paramount, which is unfazed by Tom Clancy's plot about a terrorist attack on the Super Bowl.

Teen prodigy?

PUBLISHER Morgan Entrekin is a big fan of 17-year-old novelist Nick McDonnell, the son of Entrekin's good friend, Us Weekly editor Terry McDonnell. Entrekin snapped up McDonnell's debut "Twelve" for Grove Atlantic, and likens the teen's work to "Less Than Zero" by Bret Easton Ellis. "This work is as interesting, as assured," Entrekin told Inside.com. "Twelve," which refers to the designer drug that the teenage protaganist deals, isn't Nick's first foray into books: Last year, he graced the cover of Tristan Egolf's "Lord of the Barnyard."

Osama's curse

WITH Osama bin Laden so much in the news, there's renewed interest in the mysterious death three years ago of Carlos Mavroleon, 40. The aristocratic journalist, a convert to Islam, was in Peshawar, Pakistan, trying to land an interview with the terror mastermind for "60 Minutes" when he died in his hotel room of a heroin overdose. He apparently had bought a stethoscope and tried to sneak across the border as a doctor. Mavroleon was arrested and briefly imprisoned in Pakistan, where he spent $500 in bribes to secure a private cell and make sure his equipment wasn't stolen. Police found no signs of foul play and ruled the death an accident.

Hugs unlimited

THE way to deal with terrorists, according to Richard Gere, is to love them and feel sorry for them because they "are creating such horrible future lives for themselves because of the negativity of this karma." The devout follower of the Dalai Lama got warm and fuzzy at the party for Gehlick Rimpoche and his book, "Good Life, Good Death," with performances by Paul Simon, Philip Glass, and Patti Smith. Gere told ABCNews.com: "It's all of our jobs to keep our minds as expansive as possible. If you can see them [terrorists] as a relative who's dangerously sick and we have to give them medicine, and the medicine is love . . . There's nothing better." How about a cruise missile?

Pumpkin head

BRUCE Willis went out of his gourd Wednesday night. After downing drinks at Serafina, Willis tried to smash a 100-pound pumpkin with his head. When it failed to shatter, Willis punched the pumpkin and ran out the fire door onto the roof with it impaled on his arm and four friends in tow. Restaurant security eventually coaxed Willis down and into his limo, New York magazine reports. "The guy behaved like a beast," sniffed owner Vittorio Assaf.