Did GE corporate issue a memo about this "Twitter" thing? Because all of a sudden, Ann Curry and a bunch of other NBC people are using it. Can't wait to see the Six Sigma metrics!

The Stimulus Package: Obama signs it tomorrow and oh my freaking god, the cable networks will totally talk about it. CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC each have their own promo; they grow increasingly insane:

"People assume there's some FCC rule that says you can't drink alcohol on television. Nonsense. No such rule exists." -Morning Joe's Willie Geist

MSNBC's Peter Alexander concludes an interview today with the president of the NAACP by noting, "The president honors this country's colored people." Nilla! Shortly afterwards Alexander apologized, which was even more amusing.

Watching the cable news, one might get the impression that Republicans aren't a completely powerless minority party. They're still opinionating like it's 2004 out there!

Like the Richard Nixon groupie he is, Rod Blagojevich quickly broke his promise to Rachel Maddow to become the "anti-Nixon." Instead he broke court rules and dodged questions, on national television.

• Sarah Palin has tapped lawyer/agent Robert Barnett, who has brokered book deals for Obama and both Clintons, to help her score a deal of her own. [THR]
• MSNBC is thinking about adding a third show during primetime. [NYT]
• ABC is furious that it spent $2 million for "exclusive" footage of the Obamas' first dance, only to find out other networks were covering it, too. [NYP]
• Rumor has it Playboy is combining the staff of its website and magazine and moving the entire editorial operation to Chicago. [Page Six]
• The white power sent to the Journal yesterday was harmless. [WSJ]

On all the liberal conspiracy networks — CNN, MSNBC, etc. — the inauguration is the most momentous event ever. History! For those who hate hope, Fox News is on the air. Compare after the jump.

The Inauguration of Barack Obama is on every channel in the world, but there is a problem: nothing will "happen" for another hour or so! So which channel should you watch to kill time until change comes?

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow once said that if she wasn't a broadcast host she'd "try to find a way to professionally bully people about what they drink." She'd be good at it!

Bernie Madoff just left for court for a 2:30 bail hearing. Media mayhem ensued! Police on the ground! Helicopters in the sky! A financial charlatan's drive to court is cable news' OJ car chase, 2009.

• Bad news: Magazine ad pages were down 11% in 2008 and 17% in the fourth quarter. Good news: They now take up less room in your bag. [AdAge]
• New York magazine is cutting editors' salaries. [ATD]
• Both OK! and the Star are laying off staff. [Jossip]
• Obama is expected to tap Julius Genachowski as FCC chair. [B&C]
• MSNBC plans to broadcast the inauguration at Starbucks locations. [NYT]
• Literary agent David Vigliano has filed suit against Lenny Dykstra. [NYP]
• John Mayer is taping a new pilot for CBS. [People]
• American Idol's debut roped in more than 30 million viewers last night, but that's down 10 percent compared to last year's premiere. [Reuters]

Barack Obama's inauguration will be a blessed, historic event. Also, a catalyst for liberal self-caricature, starting with $4 latte-sippers watching the ceremonies in coastal Starbucks cafes. On which network?

• MSNBC is planning to broadcast the inauguration live in 27 movie theaters around the country. The tickets are free; the popcorn and soda are not. [THR]
• The White House has requested 10 to 15 minutes of airtime on Thursday evening so George Bush can give a "farewell address" to the nation. [NYT]
• Chris Rock has signed a book deal with Grand Central Publishing. [PW]
• Is Blake Lively's appearance on the cover of Vogue a bad sign? [NYP]
• Ex-Voice fashion writer Lynn Yaeger will be writing for New York. [NYO]
• Condé Nast has appointed Bill Wackermann to oversee Domino. [MW]
• Comedy Central will begin broadcasting in high definition later this month, just so you can enjoy Carlos Mencia in all his glory. [B&C]

We were wondering about those odd title frames flashing in between an segments of an interview with Barack Obama on the Rachel Maddow Show (like "Obama♥GOP"). Left in by someone in production?

Chris Matthews told his Hardball staff he won't run for a Pennsylvania senate seat in 2010, which means he'll probably remain at MSNBC. But will he be a sad poor, anchorwise?

The attached ad, ostensibly raising money to help Israelis, aired during MSNBC's Countdown tonight. As a tipster pointed out, one of the explosions looks totally fake.

Bill Richardson was going to be our new commerce secretary, but now he's not going to be that thing, because of some ongoing investigation back in New Mexico.

Ha ha, dig CNN golden boy Anderson Cooper's subtle dig at competitor Rachel Maddow's show in the LA Times today: He thinks she's great, he just finds her show boring and cliché. Oh, OK!

Someone stole $6 from MSNBC's Mika Brzezinkski, outside her fancy Washington DC hotel. It was such a terrible mugging that Joe Scarborough complained about it, to the mayor, on the TV!