As they showcased the upcoming issue of GQ on this morning’s “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, Co-host Mika Brzezinski wondered about all the boobage in the magazine. We’re talking full-on breast shots that she flashed for the TV screen.

The story with the naked breasts concerned five-day cruises with Kid Rock.

The hosts were appropriately disgusted and outraged and quickly crumpled the magazine so the boobs were hidden. But not before Brzezinski flashed viewers with this bold shot. Those are Joe Scarborough‘s fingers at the top crease of the magazine.

One question. If nudity isn’t allowed on national cable TV, are pictures of naked breasts acceptable?

See the other shots and chyron that helped hide the picture of the guest holding up the nudy feature. Read more

Although former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il golfed 38 under par, turns out he wasn’t so good at racing jet skis. But he didn’t mind going to the sauna. Naked. With his chef.

Hmmm….

In a story appearing in GQ next week, the former sushi chef and confidant to the Shining Star of Paektu Mountain, Kenji Fujimoto, dishes on what life was like with “Shogun-sama,” as Fujimoto called him.

Fujimoto says the “Dear Leader” took a particular liking to him. The man of a million titles –  Ever-Triumphant General, Highest Incarnation of the Revolutionary Comradely Love — regularly demanded affection from Fujimoto.

“Every time Shogun-sama said to me, Do you like me? I answered, Of course, I like you so much. I was thinking about making a joke—I don’t like you, I despise you. I wanted to say that as a joke, but I had no courage. Shogun-sama said, If you like me, why don’t you kiss me on the cheek? I don’t remember h ow many times I kissed him. A hundred times? A hundred kisses. We would go to the sauna together, naked. Shogun-sama said, Oh, you have a good body, a masculine body. I said, I’m good at sports. It’s not too much to say I was a good playmate for Kim Jong-il. And every time he asked me to kiss his face, he always said to me, If you betray me, you will… Then he would go silent and make a gesture of a knife going into my stomach.”

As a test of loyalty, Jong Il once challenged Fujimoto to a jet ski race. The sushi chef and nanny to Jong Il’s son, Kim Jong Un, thought about purposely losing the race, but since the Great Sun of Life had told him to do his best, he kept the lead.

Though the average North Korean would have been executed for embarrassing Jong Il, Fujimoto said he spared him (probably because of his “good body”) and simply told him, “you won.”

Fujimoto also gives himself credit for Jong Un’s love of the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls. More from the piece… Read more

This week’s TIME magazine capitalizes on Angelina Jolie‘s big revelation this week that she spent the last three months having and recovering from a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.

This week’s cover story is a special report on how her actions may affect women’s choices.

A blurb on the story:

“TIME’s Jeffrey Kluger and Alice Park report on the differing takes within the scientific community, as well as the cost-benefit ratio of this kind of genetic testing: Jolie, by nearly universal agreement, made the right choice for her…. But a lot of experts worry that we may over-read the lessons. Genetic screening is a young science, and while we may have detected genes linked to a host of ills… we often do a terrible job of calculating our resulting risks, making irreversible decisions based on dangers that don’t exist. Jolie’s brave example can make us all smarter and help keep us healthier—but only if we take the right lessons from it.”

We know they say not to look a gift horse in the mouth. But we’re going to today as we sift through the heaviest TIME-People gift bag to date. And actually, we’re going to also highly praise the picking powers that be as we name the 5 best, 5 weirdest and 5 most useful items in the bag. Let’s get the weirdest over with shall we?

THE WEIRDEST

1. Heavy-ass granola. Seriously, this is what’s weighing down the bag and is going to slip the disc in my back? This stuff is called “Purely Elizabeth” and it’s made with organic quinoa, amaranth + chia (yum). It’s gluten-free, vegan and free of refined sugar. We can hardly wait.

2. GoGo Sequeez apple-grape applesauce on the go. It looks like two very strange, wide, tubes of toothpaste in a burlap bag, only it’s applesauce. Why do I want applesauce on the go? Or the go-go, I should say. Of course it’s gluten, nut and dairy free.

3. NeuroBLISS lightly carbonated drink, astonishingly heavier than the granola. It’s meant to de-stress. They write, “Deadlines have you stressed? On the campaign trail. Covering the economic crisis. It’s not always easy to follow your bliss. But with NeuroBLISS, it’s as simple as taking a sip.” Ingredients: L-theanine, chamomile. They say it “enhances mood and promotes a positive outlook — no matter what’s happening on the Hill.”

4. Happy Socks — maybe some of the ugliest socks you’ve ever seen that you should only wear in the confines of your home. Made in Sweden, they’re apparently popular and sold in “close to 50 countries.” Above all, they’re meant to spread happiness.

5. Jelly Mousse, a natural hair gel that’s supposed to help the “overtired and cranky.” Hey, we’re noticing a theme here. (Says, “takes you from cranky to sweet.”) Ingredients: Alcohol free, Roman Chamomile (I’d try this for this ingredient alone.) In a weird twist, they add a “mommy-tip” which is that this goop can also be used to add volume. Just add a dollop and blow dry.

MOST USEFUL

1. Schick Hydro 5 disposable razors. They look like they’re for men, but a woman could probable get away with using them. We’ll assume the Edge gel shaving cream is a companion item.

2. It’s a tie. USB to mini USB cable and Supersmile whitening toothpaste. We really couldn’t pick on this one, but if there was a gun to my head I’d take the whitening toothpaste.

3. Jason Vitamin E moisturizing cream. The smell is thankfully neutral; the texture, rich and substantial.

4. Sleek, simple metallic slider case for the iPhone5. Durable hardshell construction, complete edge and corner protection. What’s not to like?

5. Hawaiian sunscreen spf 45 by Alba. Smells beachy and wonderful.

And now, the best… Read more

Prevention is known for being on the cutting edge of breakthrough science and alternative and complementary medicine, and its commitment to quality reporting is known as the Prevention Pledge: “The reader can count on the recommendations that they find in the magazine to be checked very, very thoroughly for accuracy,” said executive editor Siobhan O’Connor.

No sections are closed to freelance pitches at this health-minded pub, and those writers with a knack for translating science into accessible prose are good candidates for the mag. Even if your pitch doesn’t get the green light, you may be on your way to landing assignments from the editors. Plus, the pay isn’t shabby either.

For more info, read How To Pitch: Prevention.

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The unbelievable cover from The American Spectator magazine says, “Sarah Palin’s Rack.” Now, if you’re anything like me, your head went to a magical, but probably inappropriate place. What the hell could the headline possibly mean? Apparently, it’s an examination of Sarah Palin’s record of electing conservatives, but the cover doesn’t specify that. It just reads like low-rent, soft-core fantasy porn.

This wouldn’t be the first time that a publication has cashed in on Palin’s sex appeal. The former V.P. hopeful famously accused Newsweek of sexism when they showed a picture of her (that she posed for) in running gear.

Maybe this leads to a spike in sales for the magazine by cashing in on whatever appeal Palin still claims to possess. But between this and the return of Anthony Weiner to Twitter, the jokes just write themselves.

As of now, this is a picture of a hardcover version of the magazine. We expect it to be online in the coming days.

UPDATE: The online version can be found here.

Although the primary goal of Mariner is to generate buzz for Holland America Line cruises, the magazine also aims to provide material on par with other consumer travel publications. ”Mariner engages Holland America Line’s premium and returning passengers with a mix of cruise line service information, alongside literate travel narrative, world-class photography and high-level design and production,” said editor-in-chief Chuck Thompson.

A lot of the magazine’s success, evidenced by several awards including the Custom Content Council’s Pearl Award for Best Overall Editorial in 2011, can be attributed to the the editors’ strong relationships with freelancers, who supply the vast majority of the magazine’s material. Thompson said that his team is looking for any material that inspires wanderlust. “Travel pieces need not be cruise-based; in fact, most are not. Rather, we publish destination-based travel stories with strong angles,” he explained.

For the whole story, including which sections are ripe for pitches, read How To Pitch: Mariner.

– Nicholas Braun

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

Today TIME releases the 100 Most Influential People in the World. And there’s not a single journalist on it. Thank God. Could you imagine the fat head this person would have?

Nonetheless, there are some D.C. big shots who made the list, including President Obama, his aide, Valerie Jarrett, VP Joe Biden, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and more. Others: Shonda Rimes (creator of ABC’s “Scandal”), Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel.

Noteworthy: Fmr. Sec. of State Hillary Clinton writes the profile on Obama, Sarah Palin writes the profile on Paul; Ted Nugent writes the profile on NRA’s Wayne LaPierre and Oprah writes the profile on Rimes. Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner is also among the profile writers.

The only writer on the list is George Saunders, a prof at Syracuse University who has written short stories and won a slew of awards.

The feature includes seven different covers. See the complete list here.

Journey is a bimonthly magazine that covers travel, both between states and international, in a manner that appeals to residents of Washington and other Northwestern states. With 75 percent of its content penned by freelancers, the pub is always looking for writers who can identify with the AAA publication’s readers.

“There are certain angles that make sense for a Northwestern audience and others that don’t,” explained editor-in-chief Rob Bhatt.

However, you don’t have to live out West to make the cut. Journey editors are also looking to beef up content about cool things to do beyond the Mississippi River, particularly on the East Coast and in the Southeast and Midwest. He also stressed that the publication likes destination pieces that don’t leave anyone out on the fun. ”We’re more of an experiential market than a luxury, high-end shopping audience,” he said.

For more details, read How To Pitch: Journey.

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to over 150 ”How To Pitch” articles, hundreds of articles on journalism and media jobs, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

TIME‘s cover story this week explores the “renaissance in high-tech manufacturing that now allows American factories to compete against cheap labor abroad, and could ultimately prove the key to long-term job growth.”

Inside the mag are a variety of stories including one on how sperm may not be aging as gracefully as people might think. Case in point: “Last August, a study in Nature found that older fathers face a significantly increased risk of siring a child with autism or schizophrenia, with mutations in sperm that may contribute to these conditions doubling for every 16.5 years a man ages.” Read “Too old to be a dad?” here. Read more