FTC regulations on blogger payola and freebies went into effect today, and bloggers have gotten busy disclosing their "material connections" to the people and companies they write about. Most of what's been disclosed is small-time, slapdash or downright stress inducing.

It's almost too easy. Picture the nation's reporters in these dying days of media, toiling away in crumbling newsrooms where no sunlight has penetrated since before basic cable. Suddenly in their email box, comes an invitation: Free...Vegas...Bachelor Party...

[Someone takes shelter in what must be one of Manhattan's last remaining phone booths. Image via Sondergaard's Flickr]

In a public forum on illegal immigration, Arizona State students started singing Bohemian Rhapsody—and wouldn't stop—until Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio walked off stage.

New York Observer columnist Simon Doonan writes truth: "People HATE gift guides, universally."

This cheese-tastic video reminds us a little too much of the "FreeCreditReport.com" jingle, but it channels a pain that all too many of us currently face. Let's face it, facebook is simply not cool anymore.

We're surprised it's taken this long, but gay porn studio Jet Set Productions is filming Getting Levi's Johnson this weekend. The biggest difference between this and Levi's Playgirl shoot? Well, there will actually be wang.

Google released its year-end "Google Zeitgeist" search stats, revealing 2009 America to be way less interested in John McCain and Sarah Palin, and way more interested in Twitter, Google.com's fastest-rising search term. So, forget this "Google," where's Twitter Zeitgeist, already?

the Top Chef host making a not-so-well-considered comparison to the molesty King of Pop, to Page Six Magazine coming out in Thursday's New York Post. Bonus pageview-driving picture of Padma doing her best Miley-Cyrus-in-Vanity Fair pose after the jump.

What is on the agenda of Philadelphia's most popular hero, Arthur Kade? "I need to practice riding horses, spear fighting, and sword fighting." Just like Napoleon Dynamite! But did Napoleon fend off thrown vagina with the ease of Kade?

There were no cameras present when Tiger Woods rammed his car into a tree, or when he may or may not have been pummeled by his wife. Or even when he met up with Rachel Uchitel. (Or didn't.) None of that prevented a Chinese TV network from assembling an animated reenactment of the events, though. Enjoy. [YouTube via NYP]

• Is Steve Hanson planning to clone his new and very popular Bill's Bar & Burger in Times Square? That's a rumor making the rounds. [Eater]
• Permanent Brunch was shuttered by the cops today over an outstanding tax bill. But it plans to reopen tomorrow—and with a new name, too. [GS]
• Pink Elephant will be just "Pink" from now on. Just so you're aware. [NYDN]
• Is it possible that Montreal bagels are better than NYC ones? The Times gets to the bottom of things. The Journal, for its part, tackled bagel injuries today.
• Related: Bagels will be replacing hot dogs on 14th and 7th Avenue. [GS]
• Epicurious has issued its list of food trend predictions for 2010. [Epicurious]
• A list of 20 secrets your waiter will never reveal (and which you don't want to hear), and yet which they still gave to Reader's Digest anyway. [MSNBC]
• Just in case all the quasi-nude photo shoots she's done didn't drive home the point, Padma Lakshmi reports she loves being naked. Got it? Good. [P6]

If you tuned into the American Music Awards the week before last, you're probably aware that not only did Jennifer Lopez fall on her well-insured backside during her performance, her latest single is all about Louboutin shoes. (It's called "Louboutins," surprisingly.) So what does the French designer make of the song? He's totally thrilled and totally flattered by it, of course. And he's extra pleased since Lopez called him in advance to make sure she was pronouncing his name correctly: "In America the public pronounces my name in like a million different ways. So Jennifer called me, and she was like, 'Listen, I want to make sure that I get it right.' And she did... from the very first time!" [FWD]

• The deal between Comcast and GE to hand over control of NBC Universal to the cable giant is done; an announcement may come Thursday. [CNBC]
• Job cuts hit Gannett today; USA Today is reducing its staff by 5 percent. [AP]
• So much for Lou Dobbs moving over to CNBC. The cable network now says it has no plans to hire the ex-CNN anchor/possible political candidate. [NYT]
• Will Bravo get into trouble if it goes ahead and casts White House state dinner crashers Tareq and Michaele Salahi on The Real Housewives of DC? Did the Today land an interview with the couple because of their pending deal with sister network Bravo? So many questions, so few answers. [NYDN, Gawker]

What are you watching tonight? Let us know in the comments.

If ever a contest was needing shaking up, it is this year's Oscar derby which has a serious dearth of beloved, breakout movies on the board. But today's Spirit Award nominations did only kept the chessboard upright, stalemate intact.

Kevin Richardson lives among his animal friends on his private wildlife preserve near Johannesburg. Though his methods are gentle and his interactions seem playful, one can't help but think of it all turning tragic, with narration by Werner Herzog.

[Natalie Portman was a typically unamused vegan when Chris Rock called her a salad shooter at the Gotham Independent Film Awards party in New York last night. Image via Getty]

Us Weekly has the hot sexxxy exclusive from Jaimee Grubs, the 24 year-old cocktail waitress who says she also had an affair with Tiger Woods. A tipster who just might know tells us they paid a lot for it.