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by Vera H-C Chan

August really began on 08-08-08, and made up for the doldrums of summer with political pomp and Olympian pageantry. Yet even as firsts were made on both fronts, the Search buzz was assaulted with the specter of Cold War, shocking passings, and natural disasters. Take a look back at what captivated the Web, over the past 31 rushed days of summer.

Olympian Records, Herculean Efforts, and Chinese Aesthetics
Environmentalists watched the skies and activists watched the streets, but Olympic fans were out in phenomenal force to watch the Beijing opening ceremony (+19,435% in searches) unroll with cinematic precision. The amateur contest engaged millions, many who wondered about rules and gamesmanship, and asked an awful lot of questions.

Of all the spectacular athletes, Michael Phelps dominated screentime, medals and searches. Paraguayan model Leryn Franco placed 51st in the javelin contest but second in Web searches, thanks to her pairing of beauty and sharp sticks. Gymnasts Shawn Johnson, Alicia Sacramone, and Nastia Liukin rounded up the top five. In sports queries, everything from the badminton to judo to marathon buzzed, but redemption vaulted “olympic basketball” to the top, followed by gymnastics and volleyball (beach, naturally). Ending after a mere two weeks, fans looked forward to the next fix, winter in 2010 and summers 2012 and 2016.

Unconventional Politics

The medal count had barely been tallied up before the Democrats started mugging for the cameras from sweltering Denver. Barack Obama secured the top politico spot in searches, as people researched his platforms (”obama tax plan,” “obama gun control“), sought out jokes (yes, as in “So Barack Obama walks into a stadium…”), and to find his speech.

The royal families Kennedy and Clinton captured the buzz, but a Republican did manage to snare some Search light: Republican vice presidential pick Sarah Palin (+13,527%) gallivanted into history and into the top 100 search terms. Next up, RNC in the Twin Cities.

Gone Too Soon, Others Sticking Around

Comedian Bernie Mac and singer Isaac Hayes died within a day of one another. The shock of Hayes’ passing made the influential singer the fastest moving search this month. People poured over the details of his life: music, his contribution to the film “Shaft,” his wives, and his time with “South Park.”

Yet it was the Mac’s premature death from sarcoidosis that hit mourners much harder, almost seven times harder. His show had established him as a family man, and his death at 50 drew people to seek out his survivors and family photos, as well as his creative history.

Bad news also came with the death of Dr. Dre’s son, Andre, and Dave Freeman, author of “100 Things to Do Before You Die.” Fortunately, another Freeman—actor Morgan Freeman—survived his August 3 car crash, although people monitored his condition for days. And despite the odd swell of rumors claiming their demise, Dolly Parton and Lil Wayne’s daughter are just fine.

Here below, a couple lists of what captivated searches this busy, busy month.

August 2008 Fastest Movers in Search

Searches with the Biggest Percentage Changes

1. Isaac Hayes (+96,545%)
2. Real Bigfoot (+86,563%. Georgians—of the state, not the invaded nation—presented “evidence” of the mythical creature.)
3. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (+71,770%)
4. Michael Phelps Girlfriend (+71,481%. No, not as far as anyone knows.)
5. Luciana Barroso (+52,657%. Actor Matt Damon’s wife gave birth to a second daughter)
6. Goblin Shark (+43,173%. Footage of the deep-sea crawler buoyed its buzz.)
7. Laurence Fishburne (+41,176%. Actor will head “CSI.”)
8. Melissa Lawson (+33,116%. Won “Nasville Star.”)
9. Tuatara (+27,607%. An 111-year-old dinosaur descendent successfully mates after decades of abstinence.
10. Tom Cruise Tropic Thunder (+27,596%. The actor’s cameo held up in the comical film.)

August 2008 Top 10 Personalities

Sentient Beings with the Most Searches Overall

1. Miley Cyrus (-40%)
2. Bernie Mac (+2,943%)
3. Michael Phelps (+2,759%)
4. Britney Spears (-20%)
5. Sarah Palin (+13,527%)
6. Lindsay Lohan (-15%)
7. Bigfoot (+2,672%)
8. Leryn Franco (off the charts)
9. Shelley Malil (off the charts)
10. Paris Hilton (+15%)

by Vera H-C Chan

Gas-saving scooters! Backyard vacations! Celebrity twins!

Okay, so you can’t attribute all trends to a poor economy. Still, a recent run on “canning recipes” may indicate yet another resurgence of a frugal tradition. Summer interest in saving goodies for later has swelled 28% compared to last year. Even more startling, Web queries on anything canning-related is 16 times higher than in 2006.

An AP report credits the canning comeback to produce costs, baby boomers getting earthy, and the local foods movement. Likely, jitters over recalled foods and salmonella tainted peppers probably have also sent people fleeing to their own backyard to salvage safe grub.

As wholesome as the practice sounds, preserving fruits or vegetables can carry a downside if done incorrectly… or, as another AP story puts it, “what with that whole fear of death from a spoiled batch.” Luckily, people have been doing the right things to avoid botulism, looking for “canning jars” of both the Mason and Ball variety. One Scranton, Penn., paper warns that there’s “no substitute for adequate heat treatment”—either a boiling water bath or pressure canning.

Top canning ingredient? Tomatoes. That fruit disguised as a vegetable suffered a bruising blow after being falsely fingered for salmonella poisoning, but now cooks want to stock up on the plant, juice, sauce, and salsa variations. Author Barbara Kingsolver rapturously devoted a chapter to the time her family preserved 302 pounds of the red stuff in her newest book.

Whether or not home canners will save money in the long run is up for debate: A McClatchy Newspapers article says the savings usually comes from preserving your own garden bounty, not market-bought goods. Still, nothing wrong with learning a little natural chemistry through eating. Before we close the lid on this one, here are the top five canning searches.

• Canning Tomatoes. Green, cherry, tomatillo. Also searches on how to do oven canning
• Canning Salsa Variations include pineapple, black bean and corn, or zucchini.
• Canning Peppers Jalapeno, banana, cherry, green bell, wax, sweet.
• Canning Peaches. Usually saved in the form of pie filling, butter, syrup, jam.
• Canning Pickles. Cucumbers, okra, beets, tomatillos, squash.

by Molly McCall

From the Democratic National Convention to Sarah Palin’s debut on the national stage, politics dominated the news—and the Buzz—this week. Yet, other stories still managed to rise up the Buzz ranks, drawing votes and readers over the past seven days. As a relief from the Obama-Biden-McCain-and-(now)-Palin drumbeat, we present some of the buzziest of those non-presidential tales. Enjoy.

The “True” Origins of Superman
On an early June day in 1932, armed robbers entered the used clothing store of Mitchell Siegel, a Lithuanian immigrant. In the resulting tussle, Siegel died. His son, Jerry, went on to co-create Superman, the muscle-bound hero who would plunge to the rescue of shopkeepers in distress. The revelation of this part of Jerry Siegel’s family history has “exploded some of the longest-held beliefs about the origins of Superman“—and sent this USA Today article on the story soaring in Buzz.

The Emergence of “iPhone Girl”
Imagine the surprise of a proud owner of a new iPhone when he found images on his high-tech device of a young Asian factory worker, grinning and flashing a peace sign. Since that smart-phone user posted the photos on an Apple website, the mystery of the “iPhone girl” has pinged across the Web, sparking blog posts, searches, and news reports about her identity. Her name? We still don’t know. But her job status? Reportedly secure.

Usain Bolt, Fast—But Not Fastest?
Usain Bolt’s astonishing performance at the Beijing Olympics may have “reset how fast researchers believe humans ultimately can run,” but it’s unlikely he’s established the last, unbeatable record. According to this popular blog post from Wired, “Bolt is freaky fast, but nowhere near human limits.” Nowhere near? We’ll soon need slow-mo instant replay to watch these guys on the track.

Finally, Two Mysterious Creatures Flapping or Swimming up Buzz…
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BoingBoing scored a hot blog post this week with a brief piece on the discovery of a “winged cat” in western China. Spoil-sport scientists have called it a genetic defect or, ouch, “the result of poor grooming,” but Web readers were entranced by the feline freak. (We mean that in the nicest sense.)

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Welcome to the U.S., Nandi! The Georgia Aquarium added a nine foot manta ray to its marine family this week. Not only is this colossal beauty extremely rare, but she’s the first manta ray to join an American aquarium. CNN footage of the creature promptly waded upwards in Buzz.

by Claudine Zap

Is there some kind of rule that calls for dads of young celebs to act even less mature than their starlet daughters?

While the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears are hardly role models, they seem to take their bad-behavior cues from their worst-acting dads. But this new level of bad parenting, making its way up Buzz today, seems to merit a higher level of recognition. Let’s call it the Baddies.

Party Baddie. That would go to Hilary Duff’s dad, who is in the midst of messy divorce proceedings with Duff’s mom. Bob Duff was actually jailed for 10 days for contempt after he and his former wife could not agree over the $25,000 for daughter Hilary’s 21st birthday party. Hey, they only turn 21 once. According to People.com,

Hilary’s mom, Susan Duff, was heard saying as her ex was led away in cuffs, “This isn’t what I wanted.” No, she wanted $25,000!

Paycheck Baddie. Britney Spears‘ dad, Jamie, gets an honorable mention for complete chutzpah, demanding to be paid for his parenting. Granted, Britney can’t have been the easiest kid to raise, but still, that is the general idea behind being a dad, no?

Defamer notes

that papa Jamie Spears is already picking up a tidy paycheck of $2,500 a week for the care of Britney (cooking, cleaning, running errands), but he wants some retroactive pay for “pro bono parenting,” as the L.A. gossip blog puts it.

Low-Life Baddie. Hands down that award goes to Hayden Panettiere’s dad, who was arrested for spousal abuse after hitting his wife. According to Us magazine,

Panettiere was moved to violence after feeling disrespected. We’re sure that was just the thing to get more respect from his family.

by Mike Krumboltz

Republican presidential candidate John McCain has chosen Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, to be his running mate. The moment the selection was made official, bloggers, searchers, and buzzers went wild.

Naturally, lookups on the little-known Palin surged, as did other queries like “alaska governor,” “sarah palin bio,” and “sarah palin voting record.” But that was to be expected. The interesting stuff came when folks picked up on the fact that Gov. Palin isn’t your typical candidate.

As you’ll likely hear countless times in the coming weeks, Gov. Palin came in second place in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant in 1984. Us Weekly picked up on the story, but not before looky-loos searched for “sarah palin beauty pageant,” “sarah palin photos,” and “sarah palin young.”

Her relatively young age (she’s just 44 years old) and the fact that she’s a mother of 5 will continue to drive interest in her children and husband over the coming weeks and months. Her hubby, Todd, is a a four-time champion of the Tesoro Iron Dog race, and her eldest son, Track, enlisted in the military on September 11, 2007. Both husband and son are currently rocketing up in Search.

Politics-related queries are also garnering tremendous interest. Curious folks are looking up Palin’s stance on abortion and religion, as well as whether or not she’s currently under an ethics investigation. The search data on those terms are impressive, but not as impressive as the queries on “sarah palin vogue magazine.” That’s right, kids—the possible next vice president is fashionable enough to be in Vogue.

But searchers are also learning their history. We’re seeing huge spikes on Geraldine Ferraro, the first female candidate for vice president back in 1984. That’s the same year Palin nearly won the title of Miss Alaska. This November, Gov. Palin will vie for a title that’s just a bit more prestigious.  

by Claudine Zap

… A spider beside her. It’s bug season, and lots of alarmed spider-phobes sent “hobo spider” to the top of Search. Word has it that the arachnid, a rare poisonous creepy crawler with a flesh-eating chomp, was the prime suspect “for a gaping wound in a woman’s leg,” according to the Globe and Mail. The horror!

…Viva Venice. George Clooney and Brad Pitt added their star power to the venice Film Festival this week. Film buffs sent “venice film fest” up 858% in Search, along with “brad pitt,” “brad pitt movies,” “george clooney,” and their new movie,”Burn After Reading.” Bravissimo!

…Story of a hurricane. On the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, armchair meterologists searched for information on that storm’s impact, bumping up searches for “hurricane katrina path,” “new orleans newspaper,” and “hurricane preparedness.” Those concerned with the growing threat of “Hurricane Gustav” are keeping an eye on the impending storm with searches on “gustav tracking.” Brace yourselves.

by Molly McCall

This is not a joke. Really, it’s not. A movie about the creation of Facebook is in the works—and it’s got some mega-wattage names behind it.

Hot-shot producer Scott Rudin and even hotter-shot writer/series creator Aaron Sorkin have both signed on for the project. Columbia has flashed the green light. Apparently, Hollywood loves the idea. But they might be the only ones.

AppScout has pronounced the social-networking story idea a “yawn.” Mashable opined: “No, you cannot turn Facebook into a (decent) movie.” New York Magazine just wants to know how Sorkin—”master of guys walking down hallways and talking“—will compose fast and heady dialogue for a bunch of dudes punching furiously at their keyboards.

Undaunted by the bloggy naysayers, Sorkin has set up his own Facebook page where he is fast accruing friends and, we’re sure, resumes. We just hope he works some knock-down Scrabulous matches into the plot twists.

by Vera H-C Chan

Three hitherto untouched movies (untouched by critics denied previews that is) skulk their way into the Buzz Multiplex. Could this be why favorably reviewed “Traitor“—stocked with power actors Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce—opted for a Wednesday advance, the better to avoid the stench of decaying plots?

Besides the triple threat, “Mamma Mia: Sing-Along Edition” opens in select theaters. As for the unscreened triplets, not only are their plots stale, the stories behind the films and actors may be more interesting. 

1. “Disaster Movie” (PG-13). From the minds behind “Epic Movie,” “Meet the Spartans” and the “Scary Movie” franchise comes yet another chance for Carmen Electra to have a movie role. Electra’s Search buzz, though, is dwarfed by co-star Kim Kardashian. Carmen does hold her own against Vanessa Minnillo. One New Orleans critic, however, isn’t laughing over the premiere date, which coincides with Hurricane Katrina’s anniversary.

2. “Babylon A.D.” (PG-13). Vin Diesel stars a mercenary killer hired to transport Melanie Thierry to New York. Thierry may hold mankind’s future in her fate, but she gets less buzz than her other guardian, played by Michelle Yeoh. Radioactive wastelands and human smugglers may be signs of the apocalypse, but when a director hates his own movie, that’s just a bad sign all-around. French director Mathieu Kassovitz has been complaining about a gutless Fox studio interfering in his production.

3. “College” (R). Will Nick fans be ready for a nearly grown-up, yakking-in-the-bowl Drake Bell? He stars as one of three high school kids crashing a weekend college frat party. In an Los Angeles Times interview, the former “Drake & Josh” star gives off a very different, serious persona, especially when he alludes to his near-death experience and scolds Miley Cyrus as a poor role model. The other castmate generating interest is Kevin “Chicken Little” Covais. He was cut just before making the “American Idol” Top 10 in 2006, but he instead landed this, um, dream role. Not to worry: Covais says he can always go for sportscasting if this acting thing doesn’t work out.

by Mike Krumboltz

Anyone who has watched the Democratic National Convention has likely noticed a few odd metaphors being tossed around. Carnivorous pundits are talking about “red meat” like it’s going out of style. Politicians are playing up images of the “kitchen table.” And don’t forget the ”Yellow Dog Democrats.” What do all these things mean?

Yahoo! Buzz is full of articles aiming to answer these questions. First up, red meat. Near as we can tell, this a metaphor for attacking one’s rivals. During the DNC, analysts couldn’t say it enough. The Washington Post wrote that Former Virginia governor Mark Warner, who gave the keynote speech on Tuesday, had no “red meat” in his address. (That’s bad.) Meanwhile, Politico wrote that Sen. Joe Biden’s speech, which attacked John McCain and George W. Bush, contained plenty of red meat. Somebody pass the A.1.

So, where should the American people eat all the red meat that’s being served? Why, at the kitchen table, of course. Democrats evoked the family gathering place as a “touchstone for modern politics” in speech after speech. An AP story explains that Sen. Biden talked about his kitchen table in great detail. Why? Experts believe politicians use “the potent metaphor” because it connects them to average voters. After all, just about everybody has a kitchen table.

Now, what of the yellow dogs? Several delegates described themselves as such, and while it sounds like an insult, the phrase’s true meaning is anything but. Historically, a Yellow Dog Democrat is someone from the South who consistently votes with the Democratic Party. No. Matter. What. According to C-SPAN, the phrase got its start from the belief that a loyal southern Democrat would sooner vote for a “mangy yellow dog” than a Republican. Now that’s loyalty. Considering the stronghold the Republicans have held over the South in recent elections, Democrats better hope their yellow dogs aren’t just chasing their own tails this November.

by Claudine Zap

Party planning. If you’re throwing a shindig that only happens once every four years, you had better bring in the blockbuster entertainment. If you don’t mind all the bad dancing that goes along with rocking out, well, then, get your groove on with Buzz.

You may have noticed some oldies but goodies filling the Pepsi Center where the first few days of the Democratic National Convention was held, with toe-tapping tunes like “Celebration” and “Love Train”. That would be the DNC house band and they sure got those 4,000-plus delegates moving. (For better or worse.)

Every good party needs a theme song. John Legend stepped in by introducing his new tune, “If You’re Out There.” Legend told Rolling Stone, “‘If You’re Out There’ reflects the themes of hope and change, responsibility and leadership, and commitment to a better tomorrow expressed in the principles of Barack Obama and the hearts of the American people.” And it’s catchy, too.

Rebels with a cause. On Thursday night, Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen will warm up the crowd, which is expected to top 70,000.

But for now, Jennifer Hudson is getting the love in Search. Queries surged on news that the American Idol contestant and Academy Award winner would belt out the national anthem at Barack Obama’s request.

The only two people who may be dissatisfied with the all-star lineup are Obama’s daughters. The two girls were apparently a little disappointed when the on-stage “surprise” mom promised was dad on video conference. Reportedly, the girls had hoped it would be the Jonas Brothers.