The Metropolitan Diary is the part of the New York Times where readers write in cloyingly cute stories about daily life in New York City. If your mother had a favorite section of the Times, this would be it.
When we found ourselves with little to read on the train back to New York City yesterday, we actually found ourselves reading the page. The very first story we came across got our attention: it was about Bear Stearns. Kathy Enders worked at Bear before the merger with JP Morgan Chase. She was let go when the firms merged. Packing up her office belongings was “backbreaking and heartbreaking,” she writes. But fortunately New York City rode to her rescue, literally.

After my final bags were packed, I headed to Third Avenue, the past five years of my work life in tow. An eagle-eyed cabdriver spotted me at the 47th Street bus stop and yelled out his window, asking if I wanted to take a cab instead of waiting for a bus. I held up one of my bags imprinted with the Bear Stearns logo, and shook my head no.
The cabdriver, not skipping a beat, yelled out, “It’s on me.”

Metropolitan Diary [New York Times]

Richard Fuld, the embattled chief executive of Lehman Brothers, faces an internal coup to oust him from his position, U.K.’s The Observer newspaper reported yesterday. Fuld is decribed as decreasingly involved in the decisions of the bank and to lack credibility in the eyes of other executives.

Whether a Lehman suitor emerges or not, well-placed sources within the bank are certain that Fuld is set to hand over the reins before the end of the year. ‘He is involved less and less with day-to-day executive affairs, and his credibility is shot,’ one senior Lehman source said.

The source is not identified very well here, so it’s a bit hard to know what to make of this story. It certainly goes further than any other media report by suggesting that “well-placed sources” within Lehman are “certain” Fuld will be gone by the end of the year. How do these people have such certainty about the future?
What is certain is that Fuld has an increasingly dissatisfied group of senior executives working beneath him. Recent media stories about the failure to attract foreign capital and private equity firms balking at the price of assets have helped fuel the impression that Fuld may be bungling the firm’s future.
The Observer says that Lehman’s Chief Operating Officer Bart McDade has assumed many of Fuld’s former responsibilities.
The story for The Observer was written by James Doran, a New York based freelance writer who broke some important news about the rebellion at Morgan Stanley that ousted Phil Purcell. His stories have appeared regularly in the British press.

Lehman chief faces internal coup [The Observer]

To the “too long, didn’t read” guy: Might as well post it now, fucker.
Today marks my final day of having the privilege to be speculated upon as being a gay cowboy or a program director at WKRP. I’ve enjoyed being a protégé of Carney and Bess while stalking Carl Icahn for most of the summer and having a commenter repeatedly tell me that nobody cares about Yahoo.
So, in honor of my departure, here’s a favorite/best of/underrated/etc. list for this summer:
Favorite recurring story: Sam Israel – One word. Egret. This nutcase, whose business card I almost won on eBay, sparked the biggest debate of the summer among readers about what kind of bird was on his card. I personally believed it was a pelican.
Most underrated story: “Wizards of Short-Selling.” It came at a bad time when nobody was around, yet it was still hilarious. Especially that fake David Blaine video.
Most criticized post: “DealBreaker’s Guide To Living Just Above The Poverty Line.” This piece garnered such niceties like:
1) “Ben” Give up. You suck.
2) Ben–You missed the obvious, you douchbag!
3) Horrible article. Not in the least bit funny. I hope this is the last time this community college reject gets an article posted on Dealbreaker.
Tough crowd.
Best Office to Comment Board Romance: Bess and girl – Some of you had that tingling in your pants when you read their lovely back-and-forth prose.
Most annoying recurring comment: Mayo mayo mayo.
Favorite commenter: Anal_yst – You threatened to beat the mayo out of me and your username disturbs me, but I thought in general you had the most useful and worthy comments.
Best comment: “J.C., I hate you, and I hate your libertarian rants. I hope that one day you find yourself uninsured. I hope that at this time you find yourself in need of medical attention. I hope that we have socialized medicine at this time. Not because I believe in it, but because you would have the opportunity to write the most ridiculous rant against our welfare society. I hope that you die shortly after your diatribe is published. I hate you
Warm Regards,
The Anti-Christ”
Most Overrated Lunch Meal: Shake Shack. The milkshake was good, but the burger was bland.
Biggest regret: Not talking to the cute Fashionista girl twenty feet away in the office.
Biggest Financial D-Bag: Prescott Hahn. I’m kinda pissed I missed out on the Fashion Meets Finance event. Maybe I could have gotten a picture with this turd. At least I called his phone, but I got no answer.
Runner up: As commenters 7 and 17 pointed out, this trio of idiots: (go to 1:38 of the video).
I sign off with this nonsensical video in their honor.

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1:04PM: “He bowed out, ungracefully. Left half a Balance bar, and most of the candy. He got through the chips.”
3:43PM: “His excuse is that he felt like he was near-seizure because of all the sodium.”