Cofee* Venture Pessimists: VC confidence falls for the fifth consecutive quarter.

* Attachmate CEO Jeff Hawn will be in a Colorado court today, awaiting sentencing for having illegally slayed bison.

* Morning Call: U.S. futures up for third time this week, European shares rise on energy and banks and the Nikkei moves higher on optimism over chips and the U.S. economy.

* Maureen Dowd: Wall Street’s socialist jet-setters.

* Mish vs. Schiff continues.

* BreakingViews: Who needs the US government to create a “bad bank,” when it’s got Bank of America?

* Soros at Davos. Also just heard on CNBC that he said the U.S. should expect just 3% growth over the next decade. Didn’t sound like he was talking annualized…

* The man in charge of handling John Thain’s PR.

* Feld and Kedrosky ban handshakes. I’m going to see Brad at VCIR in March. That gives me about six weeks to choose my favored greeting (hug, fist bump, low five…).