You can now take a panoramic tour of Michael Bloomberg's snazzy new "Situation Room," the place he's supposed to sneak off to in case of emergency and where, if something disastrous happens, you'll find him "huddled with his cabinet members and glued to CNN." (Apparently the mayor has a fave cable news channel.) But before you get any crazy ideas about the "tastefully accoutered" command center, the mayor would also like you to know he built his for $2.5 million, a lot less than the $15 million Rudy Giuliani wasted on a room that had its own gas-proof ventilation system. That's probably still a bit too much given it's roughly the size of your bedroom, but at least he's headed in the right direction. [NYT]

As you no doubt expected to hear, the city's real estate market didn't fare very well during the first quarter of 2009. According to reports prepared by all the major brokerage firms, the total number of sales dropped by half compared to the same period last year. The situation was particularly grim at new developments: Sales declined by 67 percent from the first quarter of 2008. But if you're one of the few people who can afford to be buying, consider this a good day: The mere mention of these depressing stats will probably allow you to demand another 10 percent discount today. [Real Deal]

News that will play merry havoc with the minds of those wondering why he/she never called back, even though it seemed like such a great date: More than 30 percent of voicemail messages go unlistened to for three or more days, reports the company that runs the system for Verizon and other wireless carriers, with more than 20 percent of people "rarely" dialing in to check their messages. Yup, voicemail is desperately unfashionable, having been upstaged by email, texting, and even Twittering, not least because the arduous process of calling a number, entering a password, and listening to someone ramble on takes way too long.

• Hedge funder Scott Bessent has dropped the price of his duplex at One Sutton Place South for the second time since first listing it for $12.5 million in October. The protégé of George Soros is now selling the 11-room spread for $9.995 million, which is about $2 million less than he paid for it in 2007. [Cityfile, BHS]
• National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman and his wife Michelle have paid $1.95 million for a 20th-floor condo at the Grand Beekman at 400 East 51st Street. [Cityfile]
• Real estate heiress Caroline Cumming's 12,128-square-foot townhouse at 11 Spring Street, which went on the market for $39.8 million in September and was reduced to $36.5 million in November, has been reduced once again. The home can now be yours for $29.5 million. [Cityfile, CORE]

Law & Order: SVU's Chris Meloni turns 48 today. CNN president Jonathan Klein is 51. Cardinal Edward Egan is turning 77. Femininst author Camille Paglia turns 62. Book editor Jonathan Karp is 45. Maroon 5's Jesse Carmichael turns 30. Emmylou Harris is turning 62. And Rodney King, victim of the LAPD and a member of the cast of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, is 44 today.

• Say it isn't so! Although she's introducing her own spray-tan line, Sevin Nyne, Lindsay Lohan has been spotted using the services of a mobile spray-tan company called Fake Bake "on the sly." [NYDN]
• Related: LiLo would like to reiterate that she and Sam Ronson have not broken up. For now. [E!]
• The indignity! Jay-Z had to wait 20 minutes for a table at Babbo. [P6]
• Chelsea Clinton's rep says the former first daughter is not getting married after all. Too bad! [Us]
• Paris Hilton's little brother Barron says he's "giving up the party life" to pursue a career as an "international singer-songwriter." A family just chock full of talent, clearly. [P6]

• Details on what's been discussed—and what's on the agenda—as President Obama meets other world leaders at the G-20 in London. [BN, NYT, WSJ]
• The House has approved yet another bill to restrict bonuses and compensation at financial firms that have received bailout money. [NYT]
• Former AIG CEO Hank Greenberg will give testimony in front of a congressional panel in Washington today. [WSJ, CNN]
• The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits surged to a nearly 26-year high last week. [Reuters]
• The Justice Department has opened about 100 criminal investigations into wealthy Americans who skirted tax laws as clients of UBS. [Dealbook]
• Real estate prices in NYC have taken a big hit thanks to Wall Street. [Reuters]
• Good news: hedge funds are back in the game, it seems. After a lousy 2008, investors are "tentatively returning to the sector," report some. [FT]

NYC Vitamin Water Popup Store Opening Friday [PSFK]

• Topshop opens tomorrow, in case you haven't heard. [NYT, Racked, NYM, Glamour, Pipeline]
• If you wish to bypass the madness in Soho, the first-ever Balenciaga outlet in the U.S. opens tomorrow at the Woodbury Commons. [NYM]
• The British media just about melted at the sight of a J. Crew-clad Michelle Obama today. [WWD]
• The Costume Institute gala is a mere four weeks away but getting people to sponsor tables hasn't been easy work for Anna Wintour. If you notice fewer mentions of Burberry, Versace, and Gucci in future issues of Vogue, now you know why. [FWD]
• Dowdy retail chains are trying to spiff things up in order to appeal to "modern women who are now shopping for style within their means." [NYT]
• Resort season isn't quite what it used to be. [WWD]
• Why is Lorenzo back in NYC? Where's Marc? It's a mystery! [Fashionologie]

Good news, Project Runway fans: The legal feud between NBC chief Jeff Zucker and Weinstein Co. co-founder Harvey Weinstein over the show's fate has been settled—and it didn't even require having the two face off in a cage fighting match, although that would have been nice, come to think of it. The Weinstein Co. agreed to pay a "multiple millions" to NBC for ripping the show away NBC-owned Bravo and taking it to Lifetime, although Weinstein agreed to hold off airing new episodes until August, which gives Bravo a headstart with their Runway lookalike, The Fashion Show.

• Macao Trading Company is "silly" but "fun," says Frank Bruni, who translates that combo into a one-star review in the New York Times today. [NYT]
• A roundup of restaurants that have closed their doors in recent days. [Eater]
• Terrance Brennan of Picholine and Artisanal fame is planning to take over Trigo in Tribeca and turn it into Bar Artisinal. [GS, NYT]
• Ignazio's may give Grimaldi's a run for its money in Dumbo. [TONY]
• Ryan Sutton is not a fan of Giorgio Armani's restaurant inside his new store: "I doubt he's paid much attention at all to New York's culinary scene; otherwise he wouldn't have created such a laughably behind-the-times joint." [BN]
• Meet John and Kevin McCormick, the guys responsible for the peeling paint and rusting fixtures that typically accompany $34 entrees these days. [NYO]

Bernie Madoff's 55-foot yacht and 24-foot speedboat were both seized today in Florida. [NYT]

Don't even think about turning up at Martha Stewart's house without an invitation, or cutting the power lines to her house in an attempt to force her out into the open. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Martha Stewart Omnimedia disclosed that it considers a home security system for Martha's estate as a business expense, and also pays for a "backup power system." Now you know! [WWD]

• All those layoffs at Forbes yesterday? They continue today, sadly. [NYP]
• Times executive editor Bill Keller has a few words for Marc Bowden, who wrote the Vanity Fair piece about Arthur Sulzberger Jr. Also? He thinks VF should really beef up its factchecking department. [Romenesko]
• The biggest media company in America? That would be Disney. [BN]
• Nine of the top 10 cable news programs belong to Fox News. [HP]
• The winners of the 2008 Peabody Awards were announced today. [AP]
• Wanda Sykes is getting her own talk show. [B&C]
• Video from Bill O'Reilly's chat with David Letterman last night. [MM]
• Guiding Light is done. The final episode airs Sept. 18. [THR]

Kate Moss, in town for the Topshop debut, stepping out of a car in Soho ... Chloe Sevigny hailing a cab in the East Village ... Mario Batali carrying his kids' backpacks in the West Village ... Sean Connery apparently doing a little shopping at Wireless Warehouse on Third Avenue ... Claire Danes walking with a cup of coffee in Soho ... Anthony Bourdain and his wife Ottavia Busia eating lunch at Da Silvano ... Willem Dafoe and Giada Colagrande carrying grocery bags in the West Village ... Hilary Duff walking around with a shopping bag from Barneys ... Ed Westwick checking his phone on the set of Gossip Girl in Foley Square ... and Whitney Port leaving La Esquina.

Ashley Dupre has something to get off her chest! Or, rather, Russell Simmons wanted another publicity boost for his website and told Ashley that she had to come up with something ASAP if she expected another personal yoga session this week. In any event, Ash has lots of questions today, but she's still struggling to come up with answers:

Right-wing blowhard Rush Limbaugh set off a minor controversy this week when he announced that he planned to sell his apartment in NYC now that Gov. David Paterson is backing a plan to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers. Describing it as a "stupid, punitive, massive tax," Limbaugh said "a bunch of corrupt politicians" were "punishing the achievers," and so he's "going to get out of there totally, 'cause this is just absurd." We'd take the threat/promise a bit more seriously if this were the first time he'd said it. It isn't, of course. He said the same thing on Election Day, announcing that if Obama were elected, it would "become stupid to own any property there." Perhaps someone out there can help him make the leap once and for all by putting an offer on the table? Limbaugh hasn't listed the apartment yet. But send your best offer to the various email addresses he uses—rhl@eibnet.com, rprivate@eibnet.com, rush@eibnet.com, and elrushbo@eibnet.com—and let's all hope he bites.

So President Obama and all the European leaders are getting together to solve global terrorism, reverse the economic disaster, and "foster world unity." Not that we don't have the utmost faith that a bunch of men in suits can perform those miracles, but it's a relief to see that the international media has its priorities straight and is focusing on the real issues. Namely: How will the various First Ladies compare in the fashion stakes, is Michelle going to bare her famous arms, and how does one behave in front of the Queen of England?

And you thought you'd be stuck with your diamond and gold grills (grillz?) forever! Fortunately, there's a new website that will take them off your hands (or out of your mouth) if you're currently facing financial problems, since "selling your gold teeth and crowns is an excellent way to bring in a little extra money for you and your family in these troubled financial times." Lil Jon, please make a note of this. [Luxist]

Since among Hollywood actors, getting treated for depression is far less stigmatizing than paralyzing your facial muscles with a load of botulinum toxin, perhaps they'll all stop lying about being "scared of needles" now that Botox is officially a mood enhancer. According to a study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, people who have Botox, and therefore lose the ability to frown, report lower levels of depression, anxiety and irritability—the theory being that the actions of facial muscles directly influence brain activity. So presumably Janice Dickinson's rages and histrionics are just for the TV cameras, and she's a picture of serenity and composure in real life.