• The young mag throws another punch at New York, and this time the case seems indisputable: New York's Details vs. GQ item bears a striking similarity to a Radar Online piece from two weeks ago. "To paraphrase one of New York s illustrious columnists," write Maer's minions, "shouldn't the magazine be more original?" [Radar]
• Of course, New York doesn't have to suffer the indignity of being sold at a big-box bookstore in the middle of Canada. "So my question is," emails a northern tipster, "which is worse: that Radar exists, or that it's for sale in a no-name southwestern Ontario city?"
• Plus: Kabbalah, part 3. A mere 1,800 words on the seduction of Mrs. Richie. [Radar]

You'd think starting a vicious Internet rumor might chasten the boy. But no. The ever-irrepressible Andrew Hearst continues his reign of Quarkian terror:

The notoriously raunchy East Village gay bar The Cock will be closing in a few weeks. One wonders: What finally sealed its fate? The post-ban smoking? The backroom? Nope.

This week s Times Book Review was very much The Week After the Summer Reading Issue issue. A little thin. A little lazy. And, in her regular review of the reviews, Intern Alexis takes her cue from Sam Tanenhaus — even laggard imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all. After the jump, your weekly guide to sounding as if you've at least touched a piece of newsprint in the past week.

Former Nervester Grant Stoddard recounts a recent day spent prowling the streets in a New York-funded U-Haul, finding sufficient castoffs to fully furnish a one-bedroom apartment.

There's a spring in the step of everyone at the Times, and it's because tomorrow, June 21, is the greatest day of the Timesian year: Seersucker Day! In a tradition that stretches as far back as Maureen Dowd's dating history, all Times staffers are encouraged to wear anything with seersucker to 43rd Street, promoting both casual summer style and forced, office-wide fun. (J.Crew catalogs will be distributed to all employees who fail to demonstrate the necessary amount of Team Times spirit.) We are, of course, accepting any and all photo documentation of tomorrow's wild and crazy antics.

• Joe Mansueto, founder and chairman of research firm Morningstar, emerges as likely purchaser of Fast Company and Inc. See, FastCo guys, isn't it fun being a free agent? Moving from company to company, boss to boss? Not having consistent health insurance? Oh yeah. [BusinessWeek]
• Alternative Newsweekly Awards announced. Shockingly, all Village Voice can muster is one third-place finish. Even more shockingly, New York Press doesn't wins anything. [AAN]
• Oh no you didn't: Details picks a men's-mag catfight with GQ. [GQ]
• NYT Escapes and WSJ Personal Journal not fully satisfying your vehicle-for-high-end-advertising needs? Don't worry: The Saturday Wall Street Journal is on its way. [NYT]

Ads alongside today's New York City forecast on Weather.com:

Dear Bill Keller:

Neal Pollack makes a startling — startling — confession in the Times Book Review: He lives in the shadow of his persona. Despite his arrogant posturing as the "World's Greatest Living Writer," Neal Pollack is but a mere mortal, a human being, a man who feels pain at the hand of his literary alter-ego and is but a mere victim of the McSweeney's literary machine. Tears of clown, yadda yadda. This sort of "I'm a human being, brother," is familiar ground for Pollack.

From the CNN home page, 10:00 a.m.

This should come as a surprise to no one (save for a few clueless Bauer publishing execs), but we're hearing that celebrity weekly Life & Style (you know, the one that isn't Star or US or InTouch or Celebrity Living) is hemorrhaging people like Egypt after Moses. Our source, Hearsay Jones, suggests that almost a dozen employees have fled the premises in little over a week, including some high-ranking editors. Sadly, we saw this coming.

We make fun of him for a boring New York mag column. We pass along (although question the veracity of) Radar's revenge accusation that some crazy Russian fleeced New York on his watch. But then he goes and writes something like this in the Times Book Review:

Sometimes it's worth checking Drudge on a Sunday:

• Michael Schiavo, the coroner just proved you were right. Where are you going? To New York, to get a fat book deal. Hopefully fatter than Mark Felt's, which is worth a lot less than you were told. [NYP]
• The ghost of Tom Rogers: Something else goes wrong for Primedia. [Folio:]
• But don't they miss inky hands and lots of paper to recycle? One-fifth of newspaper-reading web users prefer the online versions. [Reuters
• Cross-marketing between Fox News and The WB? You can't get anything past those CJR Daily kids. [CJR Daily]

Forbes has once again released The Celebrity 100, its power ranking of the rich and famous, and we're happy to announce that this year Oprah Winfrey bestrides her illustrious peers like a book-pimping, Dr. Phil-enabling, Cruise-wrestling Colossus. Winfrey topped Tiger Woods, Mel Gibson (Jesus wasn't quite as hot as last year), George Lucas, and Shaquille O'Neal, all of whom are now obligated by Forbes tradition to spend a week each feeding her grapes while clothed in humiliatingly frilly underthings. We hear that Lucas' garter set will be particularly emasculating.

We're sure they'll find a way to make this Al Franken's fault, but apparently Fox News has been gassing its employees. Reports TVNewser:

• Radar's part 2 is posted: 3,000 words on the beginnings of the Kabbalah Centre, which is about 2,800 words more than we can tolerate reading on a computer screen. [Radar Online]
• A reader points out: Le Monde has already been there and done that. (We're taking his word for it, because it's in French.) [Prevensectes.com]
• But they're hiring. Are you creative? Do you dig Madonna? Then this gig's for you! Note job listings emailed today to a tipster:

Today marked the last day of Bill Hemmer's co-anchor duties of CNN's American Morning — yes, we're a bit weepy too. But, on the bright side, is there anything quite as fantabulous as anchor farewells? We think not, and Henry the Intern is inclined to agree. After the jump, his account of Hemmer's last exaggerated send-off, complete with heartfelt messages from Anderson Cooper and mushy clip reels. Cue the violins...

We haven't been this excited by a Romenesko item since Howie Kurtz was caught canoodling with Steve Brill: Jon Fine's new BusinessWeek column debuts today! He comes out swinging, uncovering a dastardly new scheme by advertisers — Toyota, specifically — and magazine execs to plant product placements in the text of stories! Fine names names, too, revealing which mag companies are engaging in this despicable practice. Brace yourself for this hall of shame: