New York Times reporters under attack from noxious 'meat cloud'

"Lame stream media" critics rejoice! Your favorite punching bag, The New York Times, has a crisis on its hands. No, it's not the media-wide existential crisis of declining revenue. It's a more visceral, olfactory concern: Reporters at The Grey Lady are under attack from a distracting "meat cloud."

As the Newspaper Guild of New York reported Tuesday, Times staffers say the odor of cooking meat from a steakhouse within their building is burning people's eyes and making it difficult to breathe. And it's not the first time meat stink has tormented the office, either. The Times had the same problem last year, prompting the newspaper to work, apparently to no avail, on its ventilation system.

"For now, this is being considered a 'quality of life' issue and not a health concern," says the newspaper guild. "Nonetheless, Times managers have temporarily relocated the people who felt the effects of the fumes and said they would look into moving others if need be. Needless to say, a permanent solution to the 'meat cloud' problem is the goal."

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Here's to hoping the Times solves its meat-cloud crisis, and that it never has to endure the horror of the dreaded asparagus fog.