Slightly more damning than a shoe fetish: I think it's safe to use the word "beleaguered" to describe New York Daily News editor Michael Cooke - especially after rival newshound Keith Kelly's pretty damning piece in today's Post. Kelly catches Cooke out for writing a story in the NYDN on a press trip to Bovey Castle in England, that was "virtually identical" to the one he'd run in the Chicago Sun-Times a year ago, where Cooke was the then-EIC. The stories are similar in length, lede and identifying details, and Kelly positively crows about the journalistic dubiosity of the move, not to mention the possible copyright ramifications for any unauthorized cross-pollination of the Bovey story. The NYDN isn't commenting, and neither is Cooke. But as my old pal Sandy would say, this doesn't look good. [NY Post]

Oh, sure, blame the lawyers: Poor Conde Nast, frustrated in its attempts to spread its wings and soar gloriously over the New York media world by the unphotogenic passel of lawyers squatting in the top 25 floors of its building. And my God, is that what passes for business casual these days? Where did she get those shoes, Payless? Sweater-set much? Hello, and welcome to my paranoid inner monologue from a year or so ago when I briefly worked at a certain law firm at 4 Times Square, where there's a separate security gate, elevator bank - and cafeteria - for the lawyers. Oh, the shame. [NYO "Off The Record," 1st item]

Hot in print, hotter in person? Also according to if-it's-Wednesday-then-I-must-be-poaching-from-the New York Observer, New York magazine is planning an issue this July featuring the 50 Most Beautiful New Yorkers, whomever they may be: waiters, bike messengers...media types? I totally take back that orgy comment, your bylines are all quite fetching. Is it hot in here or is it just you? Awwww yeeeaaah. But lo, the gauntlet is thrown, because I'm nominating Lloyd Grove and his silver lion's head belt buckle. In any case, I'm going to stop writing now. [NYO "Off The Record," 2nd item]