MORE POWERFUL THAN A LOCOMOTIVE: The Incredibles beats The Polar Express by a two-to-one margin. Dreamworks execs must be asking themselves why they didn't schedule the train's departure for closer to Thanksgiving.

WASHINGTON STATE: When it comes to vote-counting, is Washington the new Florida?

EPA BACKS NANOTECH SAFETY RESEARCH: Certainly, Jon Pratt would no better than I whether this is scientifically necessary. Either way, it's probably politically necessary.

BILL & HILLARY CLINTON are battling behind the scenes to install longtime political operative Harold Ickes as the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee. "This is the first test of whether the Clintons can keep their grip on the party," said one Democrat.

McDONALDS IN JAPAN: I'm Lovin' It.

PRETTY GIRLS DON'T RIDE THE SUBWAY?

RED BANK, TENNESSEE: The business owner charged with spanking two women employees has been hospitalized after a possible suicide attempt.

NORWAY'S COAST PARTY proposes outlawing bestiality after the Norwegian Federation for Animal Protection gets a phone call from a young girl seeking a legal opinion.

WHAT HAPPENED TO STEVE BUSCEMI'S PARTNER IN FARGO really happened to Miguel Marquez in San Jose

ROCHESTER, NH: A mother and her boyfriend were arrested and her three children put into state custody after she threatened to sacrifice at least one of the children inside a Church.

ROBODUMP: Kevin Kelm is a mad scientist.

THE INCREDIBLES: It seems like a big hit, but its PG rating may have kept it from living up to Wall Street's lofty expectations. Since I didn't mention it in my review, I'll note that it's a little scarier than past Pixar flicks, but only really little kids will be too scared. One of my co-workers took her two and four year olds -- they were a little scared, but not too scared. The second weekend will tell the tale here; I'm waiting until next week to see The Polar Express as a show of support for The Incredibles.

YOU'RE FIRED, but you can still ask out Trump's hottie receptionist.

JON PRATT lives near DC, so I thought I would note that he can get traffic cam images on a cellphone.

THE VICE-PRESIDENT was aptly named, apparently.

AND WHY NOT POST A COMIC?

PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ? Donald Trump is thinking about buying the Ritz Hotel in Paris for his fiancee, Melania Knauss. Gaudy, and it will never fit on her finger, Don.

SLATE reports on a New York Times memo regarding the use of anonymous sources, which Slate got from...

TOM BROKAW thinks blogs are "big" and "a fixed part of the universe." Golly, it seems like it was just a few weeks ago that Brokaw was accusing them of waging political jihad.

U2 is inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. Bono's reaction? "I want to go and kill myself now."

DOES SIZE MATTER in the magazine world?

QOTD: "To be a newspaper reporter, you need two things: You need to know how to type. And you need a job at a newspaper."

THE SMOKING GUN: Bill Maher Hit With Palimony Suit; Ex accuses HBO star of physical abuse, "degrading racial comments." I thought he was done with Politically Incorrect.

PHIL SPECTOR: Not only is he facing a murder rap, the L.A. D.A. argues that the release of grand jury testimony wouldn't bias potential jurors against the rock innovator on account of nobody remembers who he is anyway. Ouch.

MORE BUZZ THAT BRITNEY SPEARS IS PREGNANT. If you have an office pool running, I'd bet on it being a boy named Damien.