Yesterday the New York Times cut all of its non-union salaries by 5%—but it had to meet with the union to ask its members to go along as well. They better!

If you're out on Saturday night and you suddenly notice all the lights go out, don't assume Con Ed shut off the power because the city fell behind on its electricity bill. Earth Hour begins at 8:30pm and the World Wildlife Fund (which is organizing the event) says participants will include billboards in Times Square, and the Chrysler and Empire State buildings. But don't think it would be a good time to go on a crime spree either. "Lighting related to public safety will remain on." [Crains]

Today in cathartic speculation about the private lives of others: an "A-list hunk" smacked by a lady who's not a coke whore, an actor lying about his age, and a flirty TV news personality:

As disappointing as it is when you're lying in a hospital bed, your life hanging in the balance, and the doctor who arrives to treat you barely resembles Noah Wylie or Patrick Dempsey, it's nevertheless a little disconcerting to learn that young doctors are learning how to do their jobs from shows like ER and Gray's Anatomy. Anesthesiologist Elizabeth Sinz, who is director of a "simulation center" where medical students learn how to handle emergency situations, says: "I see students all the time who show up and act like their favorite doctor on TV."

If all the various long-winded justifications and passing-the-buck blaming for the international economic meltdown have failed to satisfy, you'll be glad to finally hear a reason that's so straightforward and obvious, it's amazing it took this long for somebody to voice it. "This crisis was caused by the irrational behavior of white people with blue eyes," pointed out Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva yesterday, "who before the crisis appeared to know everything and now demonstrate that they know nothing." Such logic is unimpeachable, although we hope blue-eyed Brazilian Gisele Bundchen isn't too insulted by her president's epiphany. [FT]

• Real estate heir Richard Mack (he's the son of Apollo Real Estate boss Bill Mack) has sliced nearly $8 million off the price of his mammoth, seven-floor townhouse on East 94th Street. Mack originally put the home up for sale for $59 million with broker Carrie Chiang last summer. In December, he dropped it down to $49.95 million. Now all 24,463 square feet can be yours for just $42 million. [Cityfile, Corcoran]
• Don Imus has put his 10,000-square-foot waterfront estate in Westport on the market for $30 million. [WSJ, FHC]

Mariah Carey turns 39 today. Quentin Tarantino is turning 46. Fergie is 34. Dance Theatre of Harlem founder Arthur Mitchell turns 75. British actor Michael York is 67. Wall Street Journal tech columnist Walt Mossberg is 62. Nancy Peretsman, investment banker to Oprah and Martha, is 55. And Talisa Soto, former model and current wife of actor Benjamin Bratt, turns 42 today. Weekend birthdays follow below.

A group of British volunteers distributed a very slick-looking fake Financial Times in London today in a stunt expressly modeled on that fake New York Times put out by the Yes Men last year.

• Madonna's kicked boytoy Jesus Luz to the curb and is thrilled to be single again, reports Britain's Daily Mail based on the things she's been telling fans on Twitter. But as the Times reminds us today, lots of celebs only pretend to use Twitter, so you don't have to give up hope entirely just yet. [DM]
• In related news, Madonna is expected to arrive in Malawi this weekend so she can add another baby to her collection of human accessories. [NYDN]
• Agyness Deyn and Albert Hammond Jr. only broke up recently, but she may have already moved on: She was spotted at a "rebound dinner" earlier this week. [P6]
• More trouble for CNBC: The network's golden boy, Dylan Ratigan, may be heading out the door after clashing with management. [P6]
• Ivana Trump may have reunited with her ex, Rossano Rubicondi. [P2L]
• Mega real estate broker Kathy Sloane has been hit with $248K tax lien. [P6]

• President Obama will meet with 15 big banking CEOs in Washington today, including Vikram Pandit of Citigroup, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, and Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs. Obama plans to "quiz" them "about developments in the economy and their businesses." Sounds like fun. [CNN]
• Hedge fund managers can expect a lot more oversight in the future, which isn't something they're too excited about, not surprisingly. [Reuters, NYP]
• Andrew Cuomo says he now plans to widen his investigation of AIG. [DB]
• Many of the AIG execs charged with preventing the insurance giant from taking on too much risk still have jobs at the company for some reason. [WSJ]
• The exodus of Merrill bankers from Bank of America continues. [DJ, DB]
• Swiss private banks are banning top execs from traveling abroad for fear they will be detained as part of a crackdown on bank secrecy. [Reuters]
• Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing says it's time to start buying stocks and real estate again. Make of that what you will. [NYT]

It's Friday, everyone's turning the page. Madonna wants a new Malawi baby; Method Man promises to pay his taxes and it's Dylan Ratigan's last day to yell at his CNBC producer on camera.

Now we know better: You have to yell at cable news pundits on television to fix all financial problems. Or at least do some kind of video YouTube mash up thing.

How do you know all those tweet-happy celebrities are the real deal? 50 Cent, Keith Olbermann, Christopher Walken, and Britney Spears are just a few of those with questionable Twitter identities.

Amazon.com just closed warehouses for the first time since 2006, including one open just 18 months. No wonder: Penny-pinching consumers don't mind waiting a few extra days for their stuff. And CEO Jeff Bezos would no doubt prefer those in a hurry buy high-margin Kindle downloads.

Oh, hey there, literati. Remember when that German factory manager took over Random House? Sad. But take heart: The director of Beverly Hills Cop IV is investing in the biz, too. Exciting!

Everyone's been dying to know what goes inside the elite, secretive JournoList, a listserv for smug lefty pundits. Now we know: The same pointless flame wars you'd find on the filthy Main Street/Wasilla internets.

Lawrence Salander apparently had a nice little painting ponzi scheme going for a while there. Then he tried conning a certain temperamental tennis star named John McEnroe. This, of course, ENDED him.

Further evidence that instead of taking a tour bus to visit the suburban homes of AIG execs, taxpayers would be better off channelling their rage by staging a noisy protest outside the Beresford: After the Times reported this morning that Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit signed off on tens of millions in retention bonuses to nine top execs at the firm—Pandit, himself, received a stock grant worth $2.5 million—comes word from Daily Intel that Citi is now laying off 65 janitors. Janitors. (Presumably not the same ones, though, who will be expected to clean up after Pandit in the new $10 million office, which he's currently constructing.) Two other big advantages to a Pandit protest: Unlike AIG, you won't have to make the trek to Connecticut. And PETA protesters have been there for months now, so they can show you the ropes. [NYM]

• One of the biggest sources of inspiration for designers in 2009 thus far: mid-20th century space-traveling superheroes. Naturally. [NYT]
• Thom Browne is denying media reports that his line is on the verge of going bust. [NYM]
• Speaking of financial trouble, Marc Ecko seems to be knee-deep in it: He may be forced to turn over his company to creditors if he doesn't fix things fast. [NYP]
• As expected, Fabrizio Freda is taking over for William Lauder as Estée Lauder's CEO. [BN]
• Jason Wu is not doing a reality show, sorry. [Fashionologie]
• Project Runway contestant Kenley Collins says she never assaulted her boyfriend with their cat. She just "plopped him" on the bed. Righto. [NYDN]
• Matthew Williamson's H&M line debuts in less than a month. [Vogue UK]
• Just in time for Easter, Giorgio Armani-branded chocolate eggs! [FWD]
• Interested in a $30 million diamond-encrusted dress? Perhaps not. [NYM]