Fuel, Fools, and Food Films: It's Friday!

No Immigration Reform for this congress…two thirds of the Senate voted against limiting debate on the issue, which essentially pulled the plug on life support that had been tentative at best. What is the message this sends to the rest of the world? Come on over, we can’t stop you, really…

Russia is laying claim to the North Pole…along with mineral rights to the vast region at the top of the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin says a large chunk of Russian’s continental shelf, known as the Lomonosov Ridge, extends beneath nearly a third of the north polar region, so they get dibs.

Ha!
Does that mean the UK belongs France and Spain because they’re really connected beneath the English Channel?

Maybe the US should just lay claim to Cuba, since the island is an obvious extension of the Florida Keys (or similarly specious arguments could be made to that effect). That would solve President Bush's vexation over how to handle Fidel Castro: You've been repo'd!

It’s day #2 for gasoline rationing lines in Iran. Gas stations in Tehran look more like Apple Computer stores the night before iPhones go on sale, clogged with drivers trying to buy gasoline at 34-cents a gallon. Iran imports 40% of its gasoline at $2.00 a gallon. Iranians are now limited to buying only 26-gallons of gasoline a month.

If President Mahmoud I’m-an-Idiot would spend a little more money on improving Iran’s refining capacity and not as much on enriching uranium for nuclear warheads, this problem could be resolved…

Speaking of Apple Stores—today’s the Day. It’s put-up-or-shut-up time for Steve Job’s controversial new telecommunicator—ATT/Cingular stores all over the country are even closing early this afternoon in preparation for the new phones’ debut at 6pm local time.

After the dust has settled from the Fed’s decision to hold firm on interest rates, and the iPhone’s have been sold and tucked away into the pockets of their new owners, the BIG question this weekend will not be paper or plastic, boxers or briefs, Mary Ann or Ginger…but Bruce Willis vs a pixilated mouse. Die Hard-IV goes head to head with Ratatouille…and most analysts are betting the mouse will get most of the cheese this weekend.

Fox's "Live Free or Die Hard" earned only $9.1 million Wednesday on its first day of national release…a far cry from the record-setting $40.2-million snared by Spider Man-2 in 2004.
In the spirit of fair play and equality, just go see ‘em both.