Well, we can’t help noticing that in rushing the book to press for a June release — in hope of influencing the outcome of a potential Rudy run for Senate — Koch himself is keeping company with a questionable lot. The publisher, Barricade Books, is responsible for such gems as “The Anarchist Cookbook” and that Timothy McVeigh favorite, “Turner Diaries.” In other words, successful or not, the company’s put out some real bombs …

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The death of Di mania?

Looks like Princess Diana may be resting in peace at last. Tickets to visit her ancestral home and final resting place have been moving slower than the Queen Mother at a polo match. In fact, just three months before the snazzy gates of the Althorp estate and its Diana-centric museum are scheduled to swing open to the public for a two-month commemoration, nearly half the tickets remain unsold.

Last year, tickets for the open house — which ran for the two months leading up to the first anniversary of her tragic death — sold out in a royal flash; 150,000 came to pay their respects to the wildly popular princess, filling the coffers of the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Fund with more than $492,000.

But though some 70,000 tickets (priced between $8 and $15.50) remain available to this year’s opening, a spokesman for Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, says the slow sales make sense given that “the princess’s death has not dominated the news this year.”

Alas, it seems that — just like biographer Andrew Morton — the press and public have transferred their obsession to another sort of princess. Maybe Elton John will sing her a special thong … er, song … too.

Take them out of the ball game

Are we the only ones who think this celebrity baseball thing has gotten a little out of hand? First there was Michael Jordan‘s ill-conceived, ill-fated turn on the diamond during his first retirement from the NBA (it brought a whole new meaning to the term “Nike swoosh”). Then Garth Brooks took a swing at a batting career with the San Diego Padres (Friday’s news that he was hanging up his cleats for the season was music to his fans’ ears). And on Sunday Kevin Costner tried to show he’d learned a few moves from his baseball films “Bull Durham,” “Field of Dreams” and the upcoming “For the Love of the Game” in an exhibition game. Playing for his alma mater, Cal State Fullerton, Costner committed an error at shortstop as the Titans lost to the Anaheim Angels, 2-1.

The only actor who seems in any way reluctant to leave the bench these days, as the baseball season kicks off, is Gene Hackman. When Mark McGwire, at the invitation of the New York Times, asked his favorite actor if he thought he could manage a baseball team as well as he coached a basketball team in the film “Hoosiers,” a baffled Hackman replied, “I wouldn’t want people to think I actually know how to coach a basketball team. I’m just an actor who plays a part.”

Give that man a contract!

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Big screen bits

Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne are likely doing the bunny hop of joy after their cyber-action hit “The Matrix” smashed Easter weekend records (and set a new weekend record for the year) with its $27.2 million Friday-Sunday take at the box office. Reeves’ first verifiable hit since 1994′s runaway success “Speed,” the movie may well put the stone-faced-yet-sinewy actor back in Hollywood’s fast lane. Let’s hope those brakes don’t give out.

Attention: Woody Allen fans. (There must be at least a few of you left after that box-office bomb “Celebrity.”) A casting detail about the famously neurotic comedian’s next film has leaked out. The as-yet-untitled comedy will star Allen himself and Michael Rapaport, who plays Phoebe’s cop boyfriend on “Friends” and starred opposite Mira Sorvino in Allen’s “Mighty Aphrodite.” No word yet about the plot of the film, but we’re guessing it’ll somehow involve a nebbishy older man having an affair with a beautiful young woman. (Go ahead, call us clairvoyant if you must.)

Yeah, baby! Some shagedelic news … When that randy International Man of Mystery, Austin Powers, and his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil, return to find out whose bag it really is this summer in “The Spy Who Shagged Me,” Frau Farbissina will be standing by (and screaming). Comedian Mindy Sterling will rejoin Mike Myers and the militant wing of the Salvation Army to reprise her role as Dr. Evil’s sidekick. Smashing, baby!

Of course, a quick visit to the deliciously detailed Bill Gates Net Worth Web site puts the admittedly generous donation in perspective. According to this site’s calculations, Gates’ current net worth (based on the current value of his Microsoft stock) is $85.42 billion, which means that the $1.5 million donation is about .001756 percent of his total stash. That’s like someone who’s worth $100,000 contributing about $1.76. In fact, if the obscenely wealthy cyber-kingpin wanted to, he could give $284,733 to each of the approximately 300,000 people who’ve been forced to flee Kosovo — and still afford a venti cappuccino at his friendly neighborhood Starbucks. Now, where do you want to go today?

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Fabio’s flying foe

Animal-rights activists, take note. Less than a week after he smacked a poor unsuspecting goose with his famous face during a promotional ride on a new roller coaster, Fabio is adding insult to avian injury.

Amy Reiter Amy Reiter’s column appears daily on the People site, Monday through Friday. + Biography Got a hot tip? Tell Amy!

Recovering at home from the blow to the bridge of his chiseled nose, the beefy, blond supermodel expressed his gratitude for the “cards and well wishes” from concerned fans. But he offered nary a word of concern for the fowl he ran afoul of last Tuesday on an early drop on the Apollo’s Chariot coaster. Instead, he puffed out his fine Fabio feathers and honked noisily about his nasal goose bump.

“Building a roller coaster on a lake inhabited by geese could cause more serious accidents or possibly a child’s death,” intoned Fabio, adding that the Williamsburg, Va., Busch Gardens theme park (whose goose really should be cooked for promoting Fabio’s ride as “Modern-Day ‘Adonis’ vs. Ancient-Day ‘Sun God’”) should “install safety measures to make sure this will not happen again.”

What prophylactic measures might the fabulous Fabio have in mind: a gosling no-fly zone?

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Farrakhan marches on

Now, now — don’t get all worked up. Reports that Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan‘s health is in dire straits appear to have been greatly exaggerated. According to his family and friends, the controversial community and religious leader — who has publicly condemned Jews, called the pope an “Antichrist” and described Adolph Hitler as a “wickedly great” man — is making a speedy recovery from the emergency prostate surgery he underwent last week at Washington’s Howard University Hospital. According to the Washington Post, he may leave the hospital this week.

Leading a prayer vigil on Saturday, Rev. Jesse Jackson called news reports speculating that Farrakhan might soon be departing for that big Million Man March in the sky the work of “ghoul squads.” Nation of Islam leaders say Farrakhan is up and chatting with his family. No word yet on which religious group he’s blaming for his illness.

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Shirley Jones’ hometown blues

Where’s Reuben Kinkaid to set things right when you need him?

Trouble with a capital T (that rhymes with P and that stands for park) has broken out in Shirley Jones‘ hometown. The ex-film star and Partridge family matriarch is at the center of a controversy raging in sleepy Smithton, Pa., a town of 400 located about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh.

Jones’ hubby, Marty Ingels, wanted to give her a special something for her birthday — a statue and a park in the town she calls home — but Smithton officials refuse to c’mon-get-happy about being saddled with the cost of maintaining the gift. “Our entire city budget is $35,000. I know the car Marty drives is worth more than that,” City Council President Fred Foster told the Associated Press.

Ingels may have to admit defeat and find another way to say, “I Think I Love You” to Keith Partridge’s mom. “What started out to be a lovely, joyous thing has become Vietnam, Hiroshima — a nightmare for me,” Ingels told the press. Call it the Shirley Jonestown Massacre …

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Monica’s mad money

A new General Accounting Office report has found that Kenneth Starr blew through $6.2 million in six months last year investigating President Clinton‘s dalliance with Monica Lewinsky.

We wondered what stalwart shopper Monica herself could have bought with the money. Here are a few things we came up with: