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by Mike Krumboltz
New faces stirred the Search box this week. Folks quickly turned to the Web to learn more about the president's half-brother, a vilified soccer player, and a 2-year-old who helped deliver his baby brother. Catch up on these stories and more with the Buzz Week in Review.
President Obama's family time
He's still incredibly busy running the country, but President Obama found a little time this past week to catch up with his half-brother. While visiting Beijing on a diplomatic trip, Mr. Obama set aside a few minutes to talk with Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo, who shares the same father as the president. Mr. Ndesandjo made some headlines several months ago when he spoke about growing up with whom he called his "abusive father." He and the president have rarely seen each other in person. After their latest meeting, Mr. Ndesandjo said he felt overwhelmed and "over the moon" about getting to see his famous sibling. Details of what was discussed weren't revealed, but Searches still soared on both men's names, as well as "obama family tree."
Foul play on the pitch
In the Internet age, a person can become famous in the blink of an eye. Or, in Elizabeth Lambert's case, infamous. The college soccer player became the focus of intense scrutiny this week after footage surfaced of her pulling an opponent down by her ponytail. The clip has been viewed millions of times on YouTube, and Ms. Lambert has since been suspended indefinitely by her team, the University of New Mexico Lobos. For her part, Ms. Lambert has expressed intense regret for the poor sportsmanship, and is seeing a psychologist to "help her better understand her actions."
Special delivery
It was something out of a bad sitcom: Mom can't get to the hospital fast enough, so her toddler has to help deliver the new baby. This time it really happened, and we're happy to say that both mom, toddler, and baby are doing fine. Bobbye Favazza of Mississippi went into labor and ended up giving birth on the living-room sofa. According to a popular AP article, the woman's toddler, Jeremiha, "got her a towel and caught the baby before firefighters arrived to cut the umbilical cord." The story caught the attention of searchers. Lookups on "two year old delivers baby" experienced a miraculous surge.
Also buzzing this week...
• "New Moon" opened to ravenous crowds and tepid reviews.
• Oprah will end her talk show in 2011.
• Look out, Homer: There's a new character in Springfield.
by Claudine Zap
The vampire sequel "New Moon" may not be scoring big with critics. But that sure won't be true for the box office. Hordes of Twi-hards stampeded movie theaters for a first look at a midnight viewing.
In fact, fans helped make the teen sensation a record-breaker, with the largest audience ever for a midnight movie. The picture reportedly raked in over $26 million, and beat out similar midnight showings of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "The Dark Knight."
Of course, we could have guessed that the Robert Pattinson vehicle would go over well: One-day lookups on the Web have soared over 100% for "new moon movie." Movie buffs have also been busy searching on "new moon movie tickets," and "pre order new moon tickets."
All this suggests, says USA Today, a movie weekend that could be the biggest of the year. Stay tuned for further record-breaking news.
by Claudine Zap
We would want to be the last ones to ruin movie night, but this just in from Center for Science in the Public Interest: Chowing down on a medium popcorn and soda is the calorie equivalent to three McDonald's quarter-pounders and 12 — yes 12 — pats of butter. And it gets worse: About 90% of this 1,600 calorie bomb comes from fat.
We know, shocker: Movie popcorn is bad for you. But it's even worse than we thought. The killjoys who conducted this test point out that sitting through a two-hour movie isn't exactly "climbing Mt. Everest," but theaters are feeding us like we are. After all, where else do we get food in containers called tubs?
Mainly, the blame lies with the coconut oil used to pop the corn that really packs on the pounds. The two worst offenders are the biggest movie theater chains, Regal and AMC. The theater chain Cinemark switched to the healthier canola oil, so their salty snack comes in slightly better at under 1,000 calories for a medium popcorn. But still. Not exactly diet food. And all this is before you pour on the butter-flavored topping. Not to mention sodium levels that are off the charts. Those super-sized candy boxes are pretty bad too, adding up to around 500 calories for your favorite sugary snack. (And soda — simply extra empty calories in extra-large cups, the study says.)
The L.A. Times quoted a spokesperson for Regal defending the supersized practice by explaining that movie food is a "treat and not intended to be part of a regular diet." But heck, it's so unhealthy, should it even be part of an irregular diet? Clearly, the popcorn police think not.
Intrepid reporters at the New York Post headed to a local movie theater for follow-up. One movie-goer suggested cut-up fruit and veggies as a better way to go. Health food at the movies — why would anyone even bother?
This study is a follow-up to the original report that exposed the shocking truth about popcorn back in 1994. In response, some movie theaters offered — gasp — an airpopped alternative. Guess how well that went over. So successful, the study had to be done again 15 years later. The critics may whine, but the people have spoken: Feedbags with extra butter and salt, please.
by Claudine Zap
Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.
- Lebron James' house (Searches increased by 1,586%). The basketball star's 35,000 square-foot abode will include a barber shop, sports bar, and a casino.
- Thawing turkey (+957%). Yes, it probably is about time to start thinking about doing that.
- Project Runway (+576%). Spoiler alert: The mean girl finishes first.
- Congo (+157%). Fights over fishing rights have forced 50,000 to flee.
- Susan Boyle (+156%). The Internet singing sensation will have a real-live record released next week.
by Mike Krumboltz
Movie critics probably shouldn’t have bothered. All the reviewers in the world can't stop “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” the second film in the hit franchise, from raking in mountains of cash. Still, a few critics tried.
Roger Ebert, perhaps the most famous movie critic of all time, granted “New Moon” 1 star out of 4, and noted that its teen stars lack energy. “Never have teenagers been in greater need of a jump-start,” said the Pulitzer Prize-winner. The deliciously catty Kyle Smith of the New York Post was predictably unimpressed. Moaned Smith, “This movie moves like the line at the post office."
Other publications were a bit kinder. Claudia Puig of USA Today granted “New Moon” 2.5 stars out of 4 and noted that the film is "an improvement" over the original. The Hollywood Reporter’s Michael Rechtshaffen offered similar sentiments and wrote that “New Moon” is also “exceptionally faithful to its 2008 beginnings.” That quote alone ought to send the franchise’s fans over the moon.
While “New Moon” is getting the vampire’s share of the buzz, there are two other major Hollywood releases hitting theaters this weekend. “The Blind Side,” based on a true story, stars Sandra Bullock as a sassy Midwestern mother who takes in a homeless African American teenager. Heartwarming moments ensue.
Reviews on “The Blind Side” range from positive to “meh.” Respected online critic James Berardinelli applauded the movie for not being cloying, something that can easily happen with inspirational tear-jerkers. Mr. Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter complimented the “energetic performances” from the cast. But there are dissenters. Entertainment Weekly’s Owen Gleiberman commented on the film’s hypocrisy, calling it “a kind of liberal Hollywood version of conservative values.” Ouch.
The last of the three flicks to hit theaters is an animated movie called “Planet 51.” Featuring the vocal talents of Dwayne Johnson, Justin Long, and Gary Oldman, the film is a kind of child-safe, sci-fi adventure with a twist. Instead of aliens landing on Earth, an astronaut lands on an alien planet.
Reviews are, in a word, mixed. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe recommended the movie only to “young children and adults with high pain thresholds,” while Roger Moore of the Chicago Tribune called it “genial but generic.” Other reviewers were more complimentary. Adam Markovitz of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a “B” and said that it "delivers a few pleasant surprises.” Roger Ebert called it “perfectly pleasant as kiddie entertainment."
by Claudine Zap
Move over, Barbie. Stand back, Hillary Clinton Voodoo kit. There's a new action figure in town. Able to bare her strong arms (that bend at the elbows) and look smashing in a sleeveless shift dress, it's first lady Michelle Obama. As a six-inch plastic doll.
Fans of the figurine can collect all three models (available for $12.99 in stores or online): Election Night Michelle, sporting the memorable red-and-black number. "The View" Michelle, styled in black and white. Or "fist bump" Michelle, in a purple sheath with black belt — the look she wore when Obama accepted the party nomination and she made the hand gesture that launched 1,000 news stories.
Jailbreak Toys already offers a popular Barack Obama action figure. To date, 200,000 plastic presidents have sold. According to the blog Coolhunting, the toy company predicts Michelle will blast her husband's sales figures as a companion/competitor to him.
The Daily Mail notes that the White House had no comment on the Michelle addition to the Obama family doll collection. Earlier in the year, the first family did object to two Beanie Baby dolls named after the Obama daughters, saying it was inappropriate to milk two private citizens for marketing purposes.
But come on, you know Michelle and Barack Obama will be play acting with their plastic avatars when nobody's looking.
by Mike Krumboltz
It’s Goliath vs. Goliath! AT&T and Verizon, two titans of the mobile phone industry, are slugging it out for your amusement. In a race to one-up each other, the two companies have each produced snarky TV ads that paint their not-so-friendly competition in an unflattering light. Let’s take a look at the ads...
Some might say Verizon started this fight. A short time ago, the company began airing commercials that showed how much more 3G coverage Verizon offered than AT&T. Maps were shown side by side, driving home the point to consumers that if it’s 3G coverage they long for, Verizon is the way to go. Here’s the ad that got AT&T so riled up. Note the clever and snarky tagline: “There’s a map for that.” Snap!
But AT&T is no chump. The company is fighting back with the help of Hollywood A-lister Luke Wilson. In a new ad hitting the airwaves, Mr. Wilson stands next to an orange chart with checkboxes. One by one, Wilson explains that AT&T has the “nation’s fastest 3G network,” lets you “talk and surf the web at the same time,” and has the most popular smartphones (no doubt a reference to Apple’s iPhone, an AT&T exclusive). At the end, Wilson admits that Verizon does have one thing AT&T doesn’t: a name that starts with “V.”
Which ad do you find more convincing? Feel free to sound off in the comments below.
by Claudine Zap
Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.
- Johnny Depp (Searches increased by 1,057%). It's official. People magazine has decreed the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star the sexiest guy on the planet.
- Abraham Lincoln biography (+317%). On this day back in 1863, the 16th president delivered the immortal words of the Gettysburg Address.
- Eggo shortage (+283%). Remain calm. But the frightening prospect of an Eggo-less breakfast remains a reality through summer.
- Sarah Palin book tour (+116%).The former Republican VP candidate kicks off a three-week, multi-city tour. Is it just us, or does it feel like we're re-living last year's campaign.
- Beaujolais nouveau (+109%). The first French wine of the season has been released. Cheers.
by Claudine Zap
Here's a heavy subject: If obesity trends continue, more than 40% of the U.S. will be obese by 2018. According to a new study, that's not the only number to go up: The health care costs associated with a tubby country will quadruple to $344 billion a year, making up a rotund 21% of all health costs.
That's a lot to swallow. The reason? Health care economists who authored the study say that obesity is connected to other illnesses, like diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Unhealthy people are costly to the health care system.
Japan has been attempting to rein in weight with a mandated measure on waist size, spurring chubby residents into unhealthy behavior like crash diets to make their numbers. But it's hard to imagine the U.S. doing anything of the kind. Or that it would work.
The solution, say researchers, is to keep the obesity level the same. (You're obese if you're 30 pounds overweight.) The states most at risk to tip the scales are Kentucky, Maryland, and Mississippi. While the slimmest areas are led by Connecticut, Massachusetts, and D.C. But even the least obese state of Colorado estimates its obesity health costs to be over $3 billion.
It's not like Americans aren't trying to lose weight. The quest for the ultimate diet that will magically shed the pounds (preferably painlessly) is an ever-popular quest. Lookups on "400 calorie diet," "bellyfat diet," and "low protein diet," all top the search box.
Scientists are also offering up their solutions, like investing communities and employers in a nationwide weight-loss effort. Paging Richard Simmons.
by Mike Krumboltz
Attention, class. Here’s a logic question for you: If it’s true that everyone loves a deal, and Black Friday offers the best deals of the year, then is it safe to assume that folks will go into a state of high-grade hysteria the day after Thanksgiving? The answer is: duh, of course.
Though over a week away, Black Friday is already igniting the Search box. Shoppers have pushed up searches on “black friday 2009” and “black friday ads” to dizzying heights. One might think that retailers would keep the deals a secret until the big day, but nothing could be further from the truth.
In an effort to get spend-happy shoppers to their stores, retailers have “leaked” many of their most drool-worthy deals. Offers from Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are all garnering a ton of lookups. And, interestingly, many of the deals are quite similar.
CNN Money explains what shoppers can expect find at Walmart on November 27. According to sources, there will be HDTVs, laptops, toys, and Blu-ray players for the grabbing. Confirmed products include a 50-inch Sanyo 720p plasma TV for $598, a Magnavox Blu-ray player for $78, and a GPS from TomTom for $59.
And across the urban sprawl at Target? A lot of the same, actually. There, you can get a 32-inch LCD HDTV from Westinghouse for $246, some toys for 50% off, and toasters and coffee makers for just $3. Best Buy will reportedly offer shoppers a 50-inch Samsung plasma TV for $898, "huge discounts" on GPS units, and a PlayStation 3 Slim with two games for $300.
It's worth noting that none of these deals are "official," as the stores have yet to confirm them. But odds are, they're the real deal. Set your alarms and sharpen your claws — it's gonna be a long day.
by Mike Krumboltz
In the olden days, when an American citizen was ticked off at those “bureaucrats on Capitol Hill,” he or she would write to their congressperson. These days, some folks are going a step further, sending their representatives pink slips. Over 5 million of them, to be exact.
As many out-of-work Americans are no doubt aware, a pink slip is the traditional symbol that someone has been laid off or fired. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, and Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., have both gone as record as saying that the pink slips are a sign that Congress needs to start listening to the people or risk being voted out of office.
The fury stems from what some people feel is “out-of-control spending” and dismay with health care reform. According to CNN, the slips seem to be coming from conservative voters, and some Republicans in Congress have reacted positively. The campaign has certainly been a hit in the Search box. Over the past 24 hours, lookups on “pink slip congress” surged from nearly nothing into breakout status.
But who exactly is sending the pink slips? Conservative website WorldNetDaily, a supporter of the campaign, is giving breathless updates and offers a unique service to its fed-up readers: The site will send "an individualized notice to every member of Congress in the form of a 'pink slip' with their name on it and your name on it." The cost? $29.95. Outrage can be very lucrative.
by Claudine Zap
Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.
- Manatee (Searches increased by 6,926%). The monster supposedly spotted in a Florida canal may actually be a sea cow.
- Minnie Driver (+4,275%). The actress will guest star on "Modern Family."
- Apple tablet (+2,954%). The mythical device that may or may not exist, has caused lots of rumors as the gadget to end all gadgets.
- Deep-fried turkey recipe (+1,017%). Because nothing quite says Thanksgiving like a vat of hot oil.
- Kristen Stewart (+316%). The "New Moon" star has become a hot property, thanks to the vampire series, and helped break the record of advance ticket sales for the upcoming movie.
by Mike Krumboltz
People love it when animals exhibit human-like emotions because it brings us closer to them. A photographer for National Geographic recently had an experience with a leopard seal that proves many traits we think of as “human” are actually far more universal.
In an exclusive interview with his employer, photographer Paul Nicklen described his encounter with a gigantic, deadly, and curiously helpful predator. While shooting photos underwater near Antarctica, Nicklen noticed a staggeringly large seal coming toward him. Nicklen explains that he initially thought he might be in real trouble, but it turned out the seal wanted to help.
Well, kind of. According to Nicklen, the seal thought the photographer (dressed in a wetsuit and carrying a heavy-duty camera) was another predator. The seal, wanting to help a carnivore in need, proceeded to show Nicklen how to kill and eat penguins, the leopard seal’s meal of choice.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Nicklen obviously wasn’t going to eat the penguin, but the seal took that as a sign that the photographer wasn't so much disinterested as he was slow-witted and pathetic. So the seal proceeded to bring over injured penguins that would be easier to eat. Then she brought over dead ones to the photographer. Finally, the seal would offer up partially eaten penguins and attempt to shove them into the photographer's camera. In the end, the seal left, presumably disgusted with what she saw as an extremely weak predator.
The video, which you can watch below, is absolutely worth a look. Even if you can’t imagine ever loving anything that could hurt a penguin...
by Claudine Zap
Cheapskates and cable-discontents will rejoice in the news that a TV service called Sezmi is coming soon. Customers in L.A. are already testing out the competitor to TV and DVR services that "sez" it offers a cheaper, more net-friendly alternative.
The all-in-one idea is a combo of local broadcast, cable channels like CNN, TNT and Comedy Central (without the cable price), Internet offerings like YouTube, and downloadable movies. (To get the service, you do need a Broadband connection.)
There's still a box and a remote. The welcome screen can be customized for you, and even for the kids, so the choices are geared toward whoever logs in — and you can have your own list of shows recorded just for you.
It's lower cost than cable, about $5 a month — or about $25 if you want to include pay channels. There is an initial hit of $300 for the box — but at 1 TB it supposedly holds a whopping 1,000 hours or programming — about six times bigger than Tivo. Still, for both movie downloads and cable, it's not a bad deal.
There is a downside: Some key sports channels aren't included, like ESPN, which we know would be a deal-ender for some die-hards. And movie buffs might miss the lack of HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax. But Sezmi has a library of TV shows available for download and rental, so you could potentially dump your Netflix. (More savings.)
Now if we could just have one remote control. That would really be priceless.
by Mike Krumboltz
Wanna buy Coca-Cola at Costco? Too bad. The two giants are currently in a tiff over prices. Costco contends that it won't sell the sugar-water unless Coca-Cola agrees to lower prices. So far, the soda makers aren't bugging. But, hey, in the meantime, there's always water.