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by Vera H-C Chan

From Olympic highs to financial lows, “fall” took on a whole new meaning this harried September. Among the many events that befell Search, hurricanes hit fragile coasts, politics went into overdrive, and bailouts tried to stop a sinking market. Glumly mull over what the world was searching for in September.

Path of Resistance

Like the grotesque nursery rhyme of the old lady who swallowed a fly,
it seemed inconceivable how formerly redoubtable Wall Street firms had
to be swallowed up by fellow firms or the government itself. As names
like Lehman Brothers, AIG, and Goldman Sachs rippled into everyday consciousness, it was Washington Mutual’s
teetering collapse that truly captured people’s online attention and
brought uncertainty into the pocketbook. People keep close tabs on a
proposed massive bailout and the man behind the plan (+14,762%), and introduced the dread phrase “u.s. financial crisis” into the Search vernacular.

Path of Glory

Mother nature and father finance disrupted the presidential campaigns, so people really had to rely on the Web to keep track on the candidates, the debate, and most importantly whether Republican vice presidential pick Sarah Palin was indeed Tina Fey’s alter ego.
The countdown to the Nov. 4 elections dropped into mere double-digit
days, pressuring searches to investigate rumors, media appearances,
family members, religious affiliations, voting records, personal
history, and porcine make-up tips.

Path of Destruction
Hurricane Ike followed closely behind Tropical Storm Hannah, but he gave fair warning of his category 4 visit. People monitored the impending disaster and its “projected path” (top 500 searches), but still its sheer, kinetic intensity resulted in a death toll of 67 and a devastated Texas coastline. A hopeful but critical eye turned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (+23,989%) and searches popped up for food stamps and other aid. Many organizations, private citizens, former presidents and undocumented laborers came to clean up what was left behind. Small miracles did surface, from a single Gilchrist house withstanding the impact to a mystery ship unearthed, and a lionness seeking sanctuary.

September 2008 Fastest Movers in Search

Search Terms with the Biggest Percentage Changes

1. Hurricane Ike (+infinity spike. See above.)
2. Hurricane Ike Projected Path (+infinity spike. See above.)
3. Sarah Palin Tina Fey (See above)
4. Don LaFontaine (+80,143. The deep-throated trailer guy spoke his last.)
5. Shackle (+64,991%. The lionness sought refuge from Ike in a church.)
6. Jerry Reed (+45,657%. The country singer died Aug. 31)
7. Eva Longoria Parker (+36,182%. Pregnancy rumors surround the actress, but it could be just lots of M&Ms)
8. FEMA.com (+23,989%. See above)
9. New iPod Nano (+21,843%. Its slim figure debuted at Apple’s developer conference.)
10. Atom Smasher (+20,949%. Flouting doomsday predictions, the world’s largest debuted to Search fanfare, then promptly got glitches.

September 2008 Top 10 Personalities

People Commanding the Most Searches Overall

1. Sarah Palin (+138%)
2. Britney Spears (+24%)
3. Obama (+32%)
4. Jessica Alba (+38%)
5. Lindsay Lohan (-15%)
6. Kim Kardashian (+7)
7. Miley Cyrus (-36%)
8. John McCain (+91%)
9. Paris Hilton (-9%)
10. Lil Wayne (+7)

by Mike Krumboltz

It’s something straight out of “The Simpsons.” A man bets his buddy that he can eat an amazingly hot bowl of chili. He does. But then, a little while later, the man dies of heart failure. Was the atomic chili to blame?

That’s the question authorities are wrestling with in Edlington, Doncaster. Andrew Lee, who was only 33 years old, was believed to have been in perfect health before eating the chili. In fact, the fork lift operator had just passed a medical test at work.

The sad and bizarre nature of the story has stirred up interest in the Buzz. An article from the Telegraph is gaining interest. Another piece from Fox News explains that Mr. Lee used red chilies grown on his father’s allotment. Toxicology tests are currently being run to see if there were other factors that contributed to Mr. Lee’s passing. Expect a lot more interest once those tests come back.

by Claudine Zap

Today, our top five picks in Buzz.

1. “Yves Rossy” (+4,175%).A Swiss adventurer made it across the English Channel with nothing but a jetpack on his back to fuel his flight.
2. “Kathleen Parker Palin” (+551%). The conservative columnist is making waves and Buzz with a call for Sarah Palin to put country first, and step down from the Republican ticket.
3. “Cadbury” (+1,225%). The British candy company announced a recall of some of its made-in-China chocolate found to contain the tainted milk product that has sickened thousands of children in China.
4. “Portuguese Shipwreck” (+945%). Archeologists are racing to save a king’s ransom. Gold coins, bronze cannons, swords, and sabers have all been salvaged from a 16th-century Portuguese trade vessel found by chance by Namibian diamond miners.
5. “Moon sighting” (+588%). Muslims observing the month-long fast Ramadan searched for the new moon as a sign that the holy month had ended.

by Mike Krumboltz

There’s an old saying: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But in the competitive world of video games, such clichés don’t apply. Game companies that “stay the course” become road kill. Nintendo must know this. The company has elected to rethink its hugely popular DS by adding some surprising new features.

According to multiple sources, including Digital Trends, the “Big N” is redesigning the portable game machine with music playback and a camera. This is pretty huge, and, if you ask us, an unspoken acknowledgement that Nintendo suspects Apple’s iPhone is capable of stealing a huge chuck of its customers.

Search certainly supports the theory. iPhone’s App Store is growing bigger every day. Search wise, everything from “app store reviews” to “app store games” to “best free iphone apps” is gaining steam. No question about it—people are aware of the iPhone’s potential as a gaming device. Now it’s up to Nintendo to do the same thing—convince consumers that its newest effort will do a lot more than just play games.

by Claudine Zap

What’s generating Buzz in Search today? We look at some of the top movers that caught our attention.

1. “MI6″ (+6,535%). The real-life version of James Bond’s spy agency is looking for the next 007 on — of all the not top-secret places — Facebook.
2. “Amazing Race 13″ (+2,987%). The new season of the competitive reality show with a race around the world teams up duos with a shared past.
3. “The Lone Ranger” (+2,337%%). Rumor has it that Disney’s take on the classic TV show will star George Clooney and Johnny Depp. Be still, our beating hearts!
4. “Tina Fey SNL” (+1,207%). The “30 Rock” star reprised her role satirizing Republican V.P. candidate Sarah Palin on “SNL.”
5. “New Kids on the Block Tour” (+173%). The original boy band from the 1980s has reunited with a new sound, a new look, and a fall concert schedule. The only thing that might be old is the fans.

by Claudine Zap

It was a weekend of sad good-byes, comic relief and even a breakthrough. Here, our scoop of what buzzed this weekend to help jump-start your week.

Good-bye, ol’ blue eyes
Paul Newman, who died after a long battle with cancer at the age of 83, was remembered for more than his presence on the silver screen — and his piercing gaze. News of his death caused a sentimental 22,000% surge in searches for information on the movie star. Beyond his screen career, Newman’s legacy includes racecar driving, a 50-year marriage to actress Joanne Woodward, and a product line of healthy and organic foods, Newman’s Own, which contributes 100% of its profits to charity. The company, which started as a lark when Newman began bottling salad dressing in his basement, has resulted in $250 million in donations, according to People.com.

Hello, snack attack
In China, the tainted milk scare appears to be spreading beyond its borders. According to the Washington Post, products that contain the bad milk have seeped into snack offerings around the world, from cake in Hong Kong to sausage products in Japan. The FDA even issued a consumer warning to avoid the made-in-China products White Rabbit Chocolates and Mr. Brown Coffee. So far, 54,000 children in China have been sickened and more than a dozen countries have issued warnings or product recalls.

Delay upon re-entry
Lance Armstrong, the veteran winner of multiple Tour de France races, may be held back from a planned comeback in Australia. The cancer survivor could be stymied by strict anti-doping laws, according to USA Today, which noted that racers coming out of retirement need to be registered with the anti-doping program for six months before being allowed to race. Officials have not yet approved the timing of Armstrong’s competition. Armstrong’s goal is to compete and win his eighth Tour de France race, and put to rest the suspicions of doping that followed his seven Tour de France wins.

Tina Fey’s Palin replay
As if we didn’t get enough presidential politics during the week, “Saturday Night Live” served up another dose of vice presidential satire this weekend that caused all kinds of Buzz. Tina Fey reprised her role as Sarah Palin, the part that gave the “SNL” season opener its highest ratings since 2001, according to TV Guide. Fey, who looks eerily similar to the Alaska governor, used the opening segment to mock Palin’s recent interview with Katie Couric (played by Amy Poehler). Digs included yet another Alaska-Russia joke, an inscrutable explanation to the economic crisis, and a request to “phone a friend” in response to a question she couldn’t answer. You can view the skit here.

Also buzzing this weekend…
• This weekend marked the opening of the California Academy of Science in San Francisco. Featuring an aquarium, a planetarium, a rainforest, and an undulating sod roof, the eye-popping modernist architecture of Renzo Piano is barely overshadowed by the diverse range of exhibits housed in the museum. And it’s the largest green-certified building in the U.S.
• Chinese astronauts made history when they landed safely on Sunday after accomplishing the country’s first-ever space walk. The landmark event was considered a major step forward in China’s quest to become a space power.

by Mike Krumboltz

Last night’s debate provided viewers the chance to see the two presidential candidates talk turkey on a variety of issues. It also gave voters the opportunity to see if Senators Obama and McCain knew the difference between fact and fiction. A slew of sources within the Buzz examine whether what each candidate said was actually, well, true.

Associated Press
The AP offers in-depth analysis on statements from each candidate. Their findings are that (surprise!) both Obama and McCain stretched the truth at times. For example, Senator Obama’s line that his Republican rival wants to give “oil companies another $4 billion” in tax breaks may have been misleading. Meanwhile, Senator McCain’s accusation that Senator Obama voted to cut funding to the troops was a bit vague. The Democrat opposed the bill in question because it did not contain “language calling for a troop withdrawl.” He did support “another bill that had such language — and money for the troops.”

USA Today
The colorful newspaper investigated the candidates’ claims and concluded that both senators know how to spin. Obama asserted that the current economic fiasco was caused by President Bush’s policies, which were supported by Senator McCain. In reality, McCain voted against “two of the most important parts of President Bush’s policy — the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.”

But, according to USA Today, McCain also stretched the truth when he accused Obama of asking for $932 million in earmarked and pork-barrel spending. In reality Obama, like most lawmakers, obtained only a small fraction of what he requested. Side note: Many viewers seemed confused by this Beltway lingo. Searches on “what are earmarks” and “what is a pork barrel” both skyrocketed.

The New York Times
The “Paper of Record” kept its own scorecard. McCain said Obama voted “to increase taxes on people who make as low as $42,000 a year.” The Times reports that, according to the nonpartisan FactCheck.org, the claim is “simply false. However, when it comes to how much the United States owes China, Senator McCain said the amount is $500 billion. Senator Obama claimed it’s actually a trillion bucks. McCain was correct on this one.

CNN
The news outlet’s Political Ticker breaks down the statements made by the candidates during the debate and while out on the campaign trail. Check out their analysis and see for yourself what you’ve probably suspected all along: A politican’s version of  “fact” is probably very different than yours.

by Vera H-C Chan

Bail or no bail? Debate or no debate? In a suspenseful news week, the Buzz took some time to seek out true beauty, true courage, and true happy endings … at least for a cat. Here are some stories you may have missed this past week. 

Makeup Stunts Your Growth?

From the same people who stirred up a tizzy over sunscreens comes a study about how cosmetics and puberty don’t mix. The Environmental Working Group poked needles and took urine samples from 20 teenage girls and found what blog Ecoplay called “13 different hormone-altering chemicals in their bodies.” To help girls avoid paying the price for beauty, EWG offers a shopper’s guide to safe cosmetics. For ladies past puberty, Glam blogs about products that have earned Beauty with a Conscience awards.

A CEO Who Says No?

Bailout or not, many CEOs who helmed financially troubled companies have already collected their millions in severance packages. Several news outlets, including Philly.com, have singled out Robert Willumstad not for his three months as primo honcho for the failed AIG, but for rejecting a $22 million payout. His predecessor, who left in June, got $15 million plus a $4 million bonus.

A Hemingway Tale with a Happy Ending?

Ernest Hemingway wasn’t what you’d call the cheeriest novelist, so who knows what kind of ending he would’ve planned for a colony of six-toed cats in his Florida home. However, a five-year legal catfight between the USDA and the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum ended peaceably this week. The USDA had demanded that the Home obtain an animal exhibition license for the descendants of the writer’s pet
Snowball, but the agency allowed the felines to remain after a fence was installed. The literary darlings can be seen here.

Also buzzing this week …

• As “fall foliage” Web interest intensifies (+688%), scientists will be among the leaf peepers to study whether global warming puts a damper on pigment changes. For people who think less kindly of the mess autumn leaves can make, RedPlum blog scopes out power tools that sweep up after Mother Nature.

• If this week’s economic news prompts comfort-food cravings, see Forbes Traveler’s daring declaration of where the nation’s best chocolate chip cookies are.

• Don’t share chocolates with airport security dogs. NaturalNews has taken up the legal cause of chocolatiers accused of drug smuggling, after Toronto pups mistook two pounds of cacao as hashish. The blog reveals how cacao registers false positives for NIK field kit drug tests. And you thought poppy seed muffins were bad.

by Mike Krumboltz

When one imagines what sort of activities ghosts pursue in the afterlife, maintaining a vigorous exercise routine probably doesn’t come to mind. After all, why would something without a body need to stay in shape? And yet, at a Kansas gym, there are rumors that a ghost is blasting its glutes during off hours.

CNN reports that the health club experienced some spooky activity the other night. After the gym was closed for the evening, the motion-activated lights went on eight separate times during the night. And that’s not all. Security cameras captured a spectral orb moving around the equipment. Here’s hoping it wiped down the bench press.

A local CBS affiliate has video of the alleged specter, and viewers can clearly see the ghostly images. We’re not sure if this trespasser is getting in shape for Halloween or what, but we do know that ghosts are always popular in Search. We tracked down the top 20 “ghost” searches from the past week and listed ‘em here for your investigating pleasure. We ain’t afraid of no ghost. Are you?

by Claudine Zap

Once is enough. Tunes like “Baby Got Back” from Sir Mix-A-Lot (1992) and “I’m Too Sexy” of Right Said Fred (1992) got their 15 minutes of fame, and then, nothing. Entertainment Weekly calls out 25 of its favorite “one hit wonders” (+183%) in honor of One Hit Wonder Day. So take a moment to give Edie Brickell and Deee-Lite their due.

The get. Since he left office, we haven’t heard a peep from Eliot Spitzer. You remember him: The former governor of New York who, at the peak of his career built on a reputation for ethics and reform, flamed out on reports of his breach of ethics and reform through an alleged connection to a prostitution ring. Searches on “new york magazine” (+1,238%) leapt at the news that it had secured the first interview with the now very private, very quiet ex-governor.

Brangelina or bust. The superstar couple is back in Buzz. Fans hit the Internet looking for “brangelina split rumors” (+130%) to confirm online gossip of the supposed break-up. Searchers were undeterred by the couple’s publicist debunking the story. Concern for the power couple’s relationship hasn’t stopped interest in “brangelina baby pictures,” “brangelina twins photo,” and “brangelina twins.”