Tom Hoving, former director of the Metropolitan Museum Art, died this morning, reports Michael Gross.

This menu from last night's Atlantic holiday party at Spitzer's looks great, until you look closer: magazines obviously can't afford menu proof-reading, anymore. "Vegitables"? That'd never fly at one of their "sponsored dinners" in DC. Monsanto spell-checks.

Brian Cox can pull off menacing and acerbic like few others (the Bourne movies, Manhunter). He legitimizes terrible movies (Chain Reaction, The Long Kiss Goodnight). But his best role to date is teaching Shakespeare to adorable children.

Juiced and crushed like a Concord grape, it is my solemn duty to report from the Top Chef Season VI Finale Part II held in Napa. I, Joshua David Stein, shall not fail you.

As the war in Afghanistan intensifies, the New York Times has relieved its Kabul bureau chief Carlotta Gall of her duties, ostensibly so she can do more reporting. She's not happy about it and hasn't been showing up for work.

WWD asked a bunch of fashion designers about the fabulous places they'll be heading to over the holidays, and what they're hoping Santa leaves them under the tree (or beside the Hanukkah menorah, as the case may be). Most of the gifts mentioned are predictably fancy and expensive. But not all! The only thing Nanette Lepore wants this holiday season is a 15-minute meeting with Michael Bloomberg. [WWD]

Oh shoot, unexpected setback: Steroids may not be 100% good, for your body. The outside of your body, yes, totally ripped bro. But inside, ripped in the bad sense, like "your kidney has a rip in it, bro, ugly."

30 Rock's Jack Donaghy embodies every appalling aspect of American corporatism: racism, classism, and — most overtly — sexism. Yet we love him anyway, no doubt thanks to Alec Baldwin (whose charismatic performance makes Jack most misogynistic moments memorable).

This begs the question — is the Late Show desperate for guests? Or is the show trying to grab young, internet-savvy viewers like us to actually tune in to ol' man Letterman's show? Either way, our worlds collided last night.

The Tiger Woods Avalanche-of-Mistresses story is unfolding at such a rapid rate, it's nigh impossible for any comedian to keep track of and maximize all their jokes. That's why Conan has deployed a Tiger Woods Joke Caddy.

Facebook's new "privacy" settings are even more nefarious than they first appeared: The social network has formally nationalized your friends list, like some Cuban sugar plantation, and published it to people who hate you. You have no choice.

This one is what pranking is all about: revenge, waking up early, hours of preparation and Jello! There's always room for Jell-O.

Earlier this week, officers from the NYPD descended on Canal Street and shut down more than two dozen businesses that were selling fake handbags, wallets, and watches. But maybe the normally clever counterfeiters in the area should have seen it coming?

In the United States, the "War on Christmas" is a weird fantasy in which people pretend that the mere acknowledgment of other religious/ethnic traditions is an attack on Christianity/American Values. In Israel, though, the War on Christmas is real.

Today in 'Things That Can Shut Down the NYC Subway System:' Delicate fallen leaves.

As we first reported weeks ago, departing Good Morning America news anchor Chris Cuomo has been tapped to join 20/20 as the primetime program's co-anchor. [ABC News, previously]

Sure, everybody loved ol' Bob from Fight Club and his giant set of bitch tits. But in real life they tend to be not-so-appealing.

The New York Times buyouts are done, leaving only a round of layoffs to get up to 100 staff cuts before the year's end. In January, the paper will be a different place. A look at what was lost, below.

Women don't always know they're pregnant. Babies fall out of them all the time, at really inopportune moments—grocery shopping, making coffee, vacuuming, on blind dates, whatever. The re-enactments of these births really drive home the awkward, unexpected pain.

A newly unengaged Uma Thurman heading into an office building (and avoiding questions by waiting paparazzi) ... Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz walking downtown with their son Bronx ... Sienna Miller hailing a cab downtown ... Jessica Szohr walking to the Gossip Girl set on Central Park West ... Naomi Watts pushing son Sasha in his stroller in SoHo ... Kim Kardashian arriving at Fox News ... Jessica Simpson leaving the Ritz-Carlton with Billy Corgan ... Chris Brown leaving MTV ... and Taylor Swift walking into Otto to have dinner.