Bank of America has informed fired employees that they cannot accept job offers from competitors for three months unless they give up deferred compensation or waive their right to sue the bank. An outrageous demand, clearly, and certainly not the wisest PR move for the struggling bank. Although it's not as if it's going to pose much of a problem for most people given the likelihood of finding a new job in banking in three months or less is, oh, about nil. [Reuters]

It's hard to cheer someone up who recently lost his or her job on account of the economic downturn. Perhaps a few stories of rich, famous people who lost their jobs once upon time will help? Okay, perhaps not, but it is nice to see that Jerry Seinfeld's dismissal as a mail boy on the set of Benson in 1981 is being used to lift the spirits of a nation. [WSJ]

Another "Media Is Dying, Here's How We're Coping" piece from the Times, another day. This time: the storied tradition that is Media Softball.

In your desperate Wednesday media column: Baseball writer fired at baseball game, a Harpers ripoff, News Corp has big plans like everybody else, and even more!:

So many reporters leaving their jobs now. What are they becoming? Hippies, and paranoid types:

A source at Google tells us YouTube has seen a rush of résumés from engineers at Yahoo's rival video site, after a wave of layoffs last week that devastated the team. Is Yahoo Video done?

In your awardy Thursday media column: the recessiontastic magazine awards are here, newspaper meta-layoffs, Lenny Dykstra's canned, more justice for Chauncey Bailey, and advertising brainstorming:

Yahoo has started its latest round of layoffs, which hit its pixel-cute photo-sharing site Flickr, a formerly sacrosanct fiefdom. We hear Google has its eyes on some of the Flickr employees Yahoo let slip.

In your confuseday Tuesday Wednesday media column: Newspapers crumble, Clear Channel layoffs, total confusion in Wisconsin, and the NY Sun is just messing around:

In your inhumane Friday media column: Layoffs at NPR, another freakin' Dubya('s dad) book, newspapers burn as usual, New York mag has ad trouble, and Sean Hannity's waterboarding money appears!

Men who were problem-solving machines in finance have been laid off, and are now forced to do "family" activities. Silver lining: finally some dudes with real smarts to clean up these "PTA meetings" and shit!

Layoffs, reported to be 20% of the staff, are happening now in the Chicago Tribune newsroom.

St. Louis-area newspaper the Suburban Journals laid off 37 year-old reporter Todd Smith last week due to budget cuts. Despite the fact that Smith had taken a bullet in the line of journalism.

After thousands of layoffs last year, Yahoo's gearing up to cut more staff. Here's an idea: Why not trim outrageous spending first? One Yahoo engineer has helpfully, if unwittingly, shown where to start.

Rolling Stone gives up on birthplace: "The business just is not in San Francisco now."

Updated After longtime Variety editor Peter Bart was eased out of power last week, the conventional wisdom was that major staff changes could be in store. And here they come, at the entire company. Layoffs!

Just when you think it can't get any worse in Chicago media—that's right, it gets worse! Both major papers are already bankrupt. Now the Chicago Tribune is cutting another 20% of its newsroom. Ehhhhh.

Last year, MTV really screwed over its freelancers, delaying their paychecks and even hoarding charity stipends. This year, we hear, it's firing some so as not to pay benefits, and making them train replacements.

In your deluged Monday media column: Conde's heartbreaking receptionist layoff, the Miami Herald is JUST FINE, Lee Abrams is a cuddly animal, and Iceland is so touchy:

More layoffs are coming to Google, employees there believe. A Googler tells us top executives abruptly cancelled meetings across the Googleplex Friday.