Random News Comments

* Tomorrow is the final day of the Democratic National Committee's big winter meeting - the one at which they'll finally install Howard Dean as chairman of the DNC. Is that the annual thing where folks strip down to their swim trunks and jump in the icey water? Those crazy Democrats!

* Norway wants to ban copying songs from a CD to an MP3 player. Good luck on that one. Why not start with something easier? For example, banning shoes from having shoelaces. Or, banning jeans from having zippers/buttons. Ah, those crazy Norwegians!

* It's so hot in Australia, that Hot and Bothered Australian Spiders Head Indoors. Forget the bug man or bug spray. Just show the little buggers their share of the energy bill, and that'll drive 'em out. Either that, or they'll bump up the thermostat a bit. Conserve and be cool at the same time, little friends. We all live on this planet together. Peace.

* Democrats are mounting a much more aggressive and unified opposition to President Bush. Did I blink and miss the Democrat-Republican love fest? Will that be wearing those swim trunks from the first bullet above? Because I think they'd look pretty silly cursing out President Bush while they're swimming in freezing water.

* Goldilocks economy may live again. I guess they like that "just right" part of the fairy tale analogy, but remember that Goldilocks was mixing it up with three bears.

* Blockbuster got rid of late fees, but consumers ... ultimately are charged the full retail price of the title if they keep it for more than a month . I guess I wasn't I the only one who thought of the "wow I can rent this forever" loophole? Darn.

* McDonald's has agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle a lawsuit over artery-clogging trans fats in its cooking oils, the company said on Friday. The company had no comment when asked if they'd like to supersize that settlement and add an apple pie for just another $1.89.

* Malicious code that can be used to take advantage of a hole in Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) MSN Messenger has been published online, prompting widespread security advisories. OMG! FWIW, I think u should w8 4 a patch b4 using it. BWTFDIK.

* Combine this poll that says Americans are feeling a bit more optimistic about the future of Iraq with today's news that Deadly Attacks on Mosque, Bakery, and you have to think that the poll was only among US Christians on low-carb diets. (Okay, sorry. Bad on me for that one. People are dying.)

* White House Spells Out List of 150 Budget Cuts. On the list, no Valentine's Day cards this year for North Korea's Kim Jong Il, and scratch the candy hearts for Iran's former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

* Democrats See Nowhere to Go but Up. There's an energizing 2005 theme. I bet it barely beat out "We Can't Possibly Suck More Than This!"