DO YOU wonder what made Ma donna fall in love (or lust) with Jesus Luz, even though she is only 50 and he is 22?

It was easy. There were four stunning male animals on call for Madonna's photo shoot with Women's Wear Daily. She came into the studio, took a look at the four guys, pointed at Jesus and said, "That one!" The rest is history. (And so, apparently is A-Rod. Mr. Luz doesn't need steroids to hit a home run.)

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HAIL AND FAREWELL! This column marks my last for the New York Post, where I've been writing for 14 years. I am sorry to go. But I've lived long enough to know the closing of one door means the opening of another.

I will still be writing a five-days-a-week column for my syndicated TMS newspapers, also twice a week for Daily Variety and especially for the WowOwow Web site, where next month we expect 1 million unique hits (visitors), and it's growing. My daily column also appears in The Drudge Report. I am now a contributing writer for Parade magazine, and you can see my cover story on Liza Minnelli there on Sunday. And I'll still be a showbiz commentator for Fox News weekly on "Lips & Ears."

Tomorrow marks the first time in 33 years that the Liz Smith column will not appear in a New York City newspaper. But it's exhilarating to be fired at age 86. So, thanks for all your support and enthusiasm over the years and much love to each of you.