Davos No Longer Hollywood East

STONEWALLED Sharon

Everywhere we go, it's Davos this and World Economic Forum that. It's like you can't even open a newspaper, read a blog, or strike up a conversation with the guy at the next urinal without it getting all Davos-y. Since we know it's on your mind, here are some headlines out of the big World Economic Forum:

• Better luck next year, Avril Lavigne: If you noticed a conspicuous absence of stars at Davos this year (remember Sharon Stone in 2005?), it's intentional. W.E.F. founder Klaus Schwab says, "We have given those people a chance to draw attention to certain issues. But those people have to be very careful not to go overboard."

• One down, 192 other countries to go: Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told Davosheads that Osama bin Laden is not in Pakistan.

• Ill communication: Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev totally kicked back with Microsoft's Bill Gates. Lest you think it all small talk, Bill Gates "expressed the company's readiness to invest in and be the number 1 partner for Azerbaijan," according to Azerbaijan state information agency AzerTaj, and more importantly Gates's "willingness to visit the country."