SocialTimes: Google is launching a paywall for some YouTube channels. As long as they don’t make us pay to watch “Word Up,” we’re good.

FishbowlDC: Joe Scarborough will defend his sweater collection to the death.

TVNewser: People were surprised 60 Minutes’ puff interview with President Obama and Hillary Clinton was puffy.

Nate Silver, the numbers guy and author of FiveThirtyEight, absolutely crushed it last night. Silver had come under fire for his presidential predictions — most notably from Joe Scarborough and Dylan Byers, of Politico — but as the results rolled in, it became clear that he correctly called the way each state would turn. Scarborough has yet to say anything about Silver’s good night, but Byers did tweet “Nate Silver nailed it.”

The video above features Silver speaking with The New York Times’ blog editor Megan Liberman about the results. To his credit, Silver didn’t take the opportunity to gloat. He did, however, post a perfect tweet after Obama was declared the winner:

Margaret Sullivan, the New York Times’ public editor, has been great since taking on the role, but when she attacked Nate Silver, she was wrong. Silver, the author of the political blog FiveThirtyEight, has become a target for Republicans lately because his prediction model has President Barack Obama easily beating Mitt Romney next Tuesday.

Joe Scarborough recently called Silver and his work out, and so Silver asked Scarboroguh to bet on the election results. “If you think it’s a toss-up, let’s bet,” tweeted Silver, to Scarborough. “If Obama wins, you donate $1,000 to the American Red Cross. If Romney wins, I do. Deal?”

Sullivan caught wind of the bet and called out Silver:

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• TVNewser: Take one Fox News show, add Barney Frank, and let the fun begin.
• AllFacebook: Facebook has launched an “app center.” Your weekend is going to be so crazy.
• FishbowlDC: Joe Scarborough attacks The New York Times, everyone else attacks Joe Scarborough.

It’s the rare Wednesday when I don’t leave Michael’s with a fistful of business cards from some striver or media maven intent on making an impression. That’s why it’s so newsworthy when the exact opposite occurs. Today was the rare occasion when a famous — make that infamous — name did everything he could not to be noticed. Andrew Madoff arrived with a woman named Catherine Hooper (Andrew’s fiancee) and a little girl in tow, having made their reservation online under Catherine’s name just minutes before. The threesome took a seat in the lounge to wait for their table a few minutes before noon with a handful of people who were oblivious to his presence. Andrew did his best to avoid eye contact with the people around him and said nothing while waiting for his table.

I spotted him through the window when I got to the front door and decided I would ask him what he thought of Stephanie Madoff Mack‘s media tour for her book, which happened to coincide with the publication of the book Laurie Sandell wrote with his cooperation and the participation of his mother, Ruth Madoff. Unfortunately, as soon as he realized I knew who he was, he was off like a shot and I’d missed my moment. If you don’t want to be noticed, why come to the media mecca on a Wednesday? Just asking.

Table 1 was the center of the action today where Linda Fairstein was hosting a lunch for good pal Kate White to celebrate the publication of Kate’s latest novel, So Pretty It Hurts, a Bailey Weggins mystery. I was thrilled to be among the table of fun, fearless power gals. The lively group, which included actress Stephanie March, Dr. Holly Phillips, Women’s Health editor Michele Promaulayko,  photographer Peggy Vance (Mrs. Cyrus Vance to you), Hilary Gumbel (wife of Bryant Gumbel) and Giorgio Armani Beauty’s Kelly Thompson, had plenty to talk about.

Before everyone arrived, I caught up with Kate to ask her about her latest Bailey book (it’s her sixth in the series and eighth novel in all in addition to several business books she’s written). So Pretty It Hurts finds crime writer Bailey at the center of the mystery surrounding the death of supermodel Devon Barr. The story kicks off when the beauty is killed during a weekend in the country at a music mogul’s mansion and the house guests become the suspects. The whodunnit  is in the style of those Agatha Christie page turners where everyone is stuck in the house (this time because of a snowstorm) and left to ponder if there is a killer among them. We’re starting it tonight.

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Joe Scarborough can now yell and scream via a blog, thanks to Politico. Scarborough’s blog launched after midnight last night, and here is how Scarborough introduced himself:

Thanks so much for taking a look at my Politico blog. Like Navin R. Johnson seeing his name in the phone book for the first time, I feel like this is the lucky break I’ve been waiting for all my life.

Nicely done. Scarborough added that he’d be reporting on “what’s really happening behind the scenes in Congress, the White House and in the media world.” He ended his inaugural post with a list of things he cared about, which included an ashtray and a lamp.

Seems like he has got this blogging thing down already.

New York based-Zeta Interactive has once again compiled its annual Most Buzzed Report of the media personalities who generate the intense online traffic. Using keywords and phrases online and on social media sites, FishbowlNY has learned exclusively that Anderson Cooper is number one. Cooper, already an established prime time star at CNN, started a daytime syndicated talk show in September.

The additional workload may be a major reason why Cooper saw huge gains in this year’s Zeta report, up from ninth place in 2010.

The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart is as steady as ever, holding at number two for the second straight year.

Zeta Interactive CEO Al DiGuido says his company uses a specific algorithm to create the report.

“It basically kind of jogs the most often used word,” DiGuido says.

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Did anyone think that the creepy “Diana at 50″ Newsweek cover, featuring a photoshopped image of what Princess Diana would look like at age 50, was a good idea? Perhaps in search of supporters, any supporters at all really, Newsweek went so far as to post a Facebook poll asking for thoughts, the New York Observer reports. Current tally is “Brilliant! Spot on” with 45 votes, a smattering of votes for “She would have looked younger,” “She would have looked older,” and “She would have changed her hairstyle” — and 324 votes for “Dislike.” So, yeah, it’s fair to say Tina Brown‘s vision did not go over well.

Nonetheless, as the Observer observed, “They’re doubling down, in fact–if you find a Photoshopped image of a tragically killed woman offensive, how will you feel when asked if her revivified body would look more youthful?”

In further evidence of doubling down, Brown went on Morning Joe, where she was asked about the bizarre feature story. “I found it really interesting to imagine what she would be doing now,” she said, by way of explanation. “What’s the response been?” Joe Scarborough politely asked. Brown responded:

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The annual Time 100 List is out today, once again hoping to gather the 100 most influential people over the past year. As always, it’s jam packed with celebrities and celebrities talking about celebrities (Michael Bloomberg thinks Joe Scarborough is “so important“).

However, this year it features some real influencers, like Wael Ghonim, one of the Egyptians who helped spark a revolution through his use of Facebook.

But celebrites – and people who are famous for being famous, like “Tiger Mom” Amy Chua (pictured) – are what everyone likes to talk about, and the list features quite a few. Here’s some other highlights from the list:

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— DIANE CLEHANE

It’s a sure sign that spring is actually on its way when the A-list comes out of hibernation and flocks to Michael’s once again. The appearance of Cate Blanchett and Debra Messing holding court at their respective tables had the whole place buzzing. Wendy Williams, seated in the middle of the action, could barely focus on her own table because she was so excited. We also have to imagine that the grub at the NBC cafeteria must be wanting these days, because there were so many of the network’s bold face names (Joe! Mika! David!) all around the room.

I was joined today by my good friend, Diana Biederman, managing director of Blackbird PR and Kristen Vigrass, president of The Brandman Agency. We were celebrating Kristen’s promotion to to president of the firm which was announced earlier this year. A public relations vet with a long history in the luxury market for companies including Calvin Klein, Kristen started at The Brandman Agency as a supervisor and worked her way up during her decade with the company. Bravo!

Kristen tells me she and founder Melanie Brandman are planning to celebrate a decade of working together with a possible  sojourn to Borneo. The exotic port of call will be on the intinerary later this year when the agency’s client Orion Expedition Cruises sets sail to the destination with a new ship. Kristen’s suitcase is always packed and ready to go somewhere. The Brandman Agency also represents Intercontinental Hotels Group and Orient-Express Hotels. When do we leave?

Here’s the rundown on today’s crowd:

1. Debra Messing, looking every inch the star in a luxe white fur vest with her manager Molly Madden (the gals co-produced Messing’s now cancelled series The Starter Wife for USA Networks) and producer Desiree Gruber.

2. A Fox5 reunion: Rosanna Scotto, Penny Crone and Lynne White.

3. Sony Pictures Television head Steve Mosko with Tom Bernard and Michael Barker

4. Here’s an interesting trio: Uber celeb handler Cindi Berger, Hearst honcho Ellen Levine and Conde Nast front woman Maurie Perl

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