· Financier Bruce Wasserstein promises the big check today, as the sale closes on New York mag. [Paul Colford]
· Miramax delays Kill Bill, Pt. II by II months. [Gothamist]
· Men's Fitness' Tony Romando is back in town: Don't ignore Sync in the assault wave of forthcoming men's shopping mags, says WWD's Greg Lindsay. [WWD]

MemeFirst speculates that the New York Times is picking up stories from a new publication, the recently launched Architect's Newspaper. The new paper includes a gossip column for architects — just how much stalking of Times architecture critic Herbert Muschamp can there be?
Did the New York Times pilfer stories? [MemeFirst]

Writer Matthew Summers-Sparks goes on a date with the New York Times... and evidently the Times puts out.

· Suzanne Boyd, editor of Flare (not Flair, not at all) and party animal Canadian it-girl, will come south of the border to edit That, a new Essence magazine for a fall launch. [Keith Kelly]
· The new Star hits stands after months of buildup... looking basically the same. [NYDN]
· Elle editor Sarah Bailey comes to New York as deputy editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar.
· VF editor Graydon Carter to throw party for Diane von Furstenberg as she opens her new Paris boutique. [WWD]

Simultaneously managing to invoke the Ghost of Kurt Cobain, the Atkins Diet, and Austin artist Daniel Johnston, this press release from Baja Fresh Mexican Grill basically announces that one of their franchises isn't going to tear down a locally-beloved piece of art. Congrats, Baja Fresh! You win our Deranged Freakshow Press Release of the Day award!

I've always heard that Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter could start fires using only his eyes — it's one of those Canadian things, Bonnie Fuller can do it too. While we're on the topic of suspicious fires, a reader reminds us of Graydon-related Conde Nast fires of yesteryear:

More on Post Page Six's Richard Johnson and his upcoming 50th birthday party, to be hosted by Men's Health magazine. "It's a natural fit," Men's Health Editor-in-Chief Dave Zinczenko is quoted as saying... in the Post. "Richard embodies the whole ideal of living well and being at the top of your game." A reader comments: "Huh? Granted, I've never met this Richard Johnson guy, but if he's anything like the rest of the Page Six staff, isn't it safe to assume he's a total coke fiend?"

A tipster from Hearst Magazines writes: "Evacuation called on all floors........Suspicious. Harper's Bazaar staffers spooked. No word as to culprit or reason......."

Completely without commentary, I would like to draw your attention to an open letter from Radar editor Maer Roshan to Colors editor Simon Dumenco. The bone of contention: Dumenco's awarding of a "Tina Brown Memorial 'Buzzie' Award" to Roshan and Radar. From Roshan's letter:

In case you wanted to get paid for reading Romenesko and Drudge and chainsmoking — hey, that sounds familiar! — there's a job waiting for you on Mediabistro. Basically, some writer wants an intern to tell him who to pitch. I'm pretty sure if you can do this for him you should probably just pitch magazines your own articles, right?
Magazine Idiot Savant [Mediabistro]

New York mag editor Caroline Miller enjoys a veritable kliegload of limelight in a very strangely toned New York Times Public Lives this morning. In the rather gendered tale, she is described as a broomstick, she punches the interviewer, tosses "her blond pageboy around," and puts her boots on the coffee table.

Somehow I missed a seriously important item in Sunday's Post. (I like to spend my Sundays — after church services — helping the poor with like poverty-related stuff, so you can't blame me.)

· Fashion Wire Daily's skeleton staff receives eviction notice — reportedly haven't paid rent since summer. [WWD (2nd item)]
· Conrad Black's exit from Hollinger "could be imminent." [NYP]
· The New Yorker's mogul-loving media-writer Ken Auletta on the growth of the media profit centers. [Mediabistro]
· Atoosa, Atoosa, Atoosa! [Folio]

Whoa. Wait a minute. I was just leaving Gawker HQ with two looted bottles of Gawker publisher Nick Denton's best champagne under each arm when something amazing caught my eye.

George Simpson's media-world predictions for 2004 seem crazily on-target to me:

Jason Kottke's resolution is to read a magazine a week for each week of 2004. How anyone gets through life reading fewer than five magazines a week is beyond me. Without magazines, how does he know what to wear, what to think? How does he know who's pretty and who's popular?

According to WWD's Greg Lindsay, 2004 will be about the end of Martha Stewart, the advent of shopping mags, the Sincerity Backlash, the second generation of lad mags, and the death of metrosexuality. Oh, and tiny dogs that hide in your oversize she-bag are out. (Okay, I made that part up. But seriously, ladies: ditch the dogs for 2004. Set them free.)
What to Watch: Media [WWD]

The completely mad blogger Ron Mwangaguhunga has been wrapping up the year in media for the last few days. I don't even know where to start with this, honestly. Just wake me on January 1, when the names Paris Hilton and Jayson Blair are banned from the language.
Corsair 2003 Year End Awards [Corsair]

The Times does the men's shopping mag roundup. Cargo's editor, Ariel Foxman, says they want to get beyond the metrosexual market and sell "technology, cars, and gear as well."

There's a really dry roundup of online media new year's resolutions at Editor & Publisher. One interesting tidbit: "Slate's primary objective in 2004 is to have our annual revenue to exceed operating costs." Such grand ambition! Yeah, not cranking out a little profit in your eighth year would be a little embarrassing.
News Web Site Resolutions for 2004 [Editor & Publisher]