Desperately Seeking Bin LadenDesperately Seeking Bin Laden

Americans love to hate their bad guys, whether they come in the form of a science fiction anti-hero, an ethically challenged congressman, or even a wanted terrorist. That's the only way to explain Osama bin Laden's four-week run as the most popular term entered in the widely used Lycos search engine. Even the vaunted Harry Potter, he of the blockbuster film that raked in nearly $200 million in its first two weeks in theaters, couldn't unseat the infamous al Qaeda leader.

But while American military forces have been unable to locate the elusive terrorist, he's likely to lose his No. 1 status on Lycos soon. Searches for "Christmas" rose to No. 3 last week, and it should take over the top spot soon, as the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear.