List O’Mania: Hot Failures
While a lot of sites are coming up with the year or decade’s best, the FAIL Blog voters got together to give their collective thumbs-down on the Most Memorable FAIL Moments of 2009. Kanye West’s improv Video Music Awards tops the list. Lots of crossover with Search attention: Outbursts from…
Scorned but Not Forgotten: Political Wives Speaking Out
Jenny Sanford, Elizabeth Edwards, Darlene Ensign. They may not all be from the same political party, but they are the latest members of the Scorned Political Wives Club—that unwilling sorority of ladies whose political husbands confess extramarital indiscretions to a flabbergasted public. Except these days, the old, stoic, stand-by-your-man stance…
List O’ Mania
The ’09 chart-poppers are being released. The iPhone summer upgrade mesmerized searchers, and now Apple Insider sends out the alert of iTunes and iPhone tops.
Yo! Jersey! The Downs and Ups of Garden State’s Year
Another black eye the Garden State doesn’t need: the Nets‘ title for worst start to an NBA season. New Jersey has been trying to clean up its image, but 2009 hasn’t exactly turned out to be a banner year. Native son Jon Stewart called it “Stinkachusetts” on “The Daily Show,”…
The Apologies of ’09
“I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.” And so goes the latest regrets in a year full of “transgressions,” as Tiger Woods calls them….
Reality Hoaxes, Photo Doctoring, and Death Rumors: ’09’s Buzziest Stunts
A congressional hearing is no glitzy White House party. The now notorious Salahis, who exposed Secret Service gaps when they crashed a state dinner—declined their exclusive invite to a Dec. 3 Congressional hearing investigating the incident. Some hosts just won’t take “no” for answer: A special pass—called a subpoena—has been…
Recruit Gets the Boot for a Tattooed Salute
In a week when the president committed to sending more troops to Afghanistan, the Post-Gazette reports that a U.S. Air Force recruit may have been taken out of service for her tattoo. According to the Pittsburgh paper, 19-year-old Kayla Bresnan passed all her exams and qualified in every way. But,…
Digging In: A Look Back at 2009
As promised, change came. The year 2009 swept in on a tide of history, with presidential highs and economic lows. Extraordinary moments became common occurrences this year, with a new White House boss, global economic brinksmanship, and mini tech-revolutions. People dug in to do the hard work and stayed home…
Top 10 Searches for 2008
Britney Spears The singer’s steep trajectory to redemption restored her to the top of searches. Her year began with a police visit, hospital stay, and psych evaluation. She returned under her father’s shelter and, by summer, settled custody with her ex. Professionally, she guested on a sitcom, won thrice at…
Flashback: A 2008 vs. 2007 Analysis
Vera H-C Chan, Buzz Log senior editor The Web equivalent of reading tea leaves, at least here at Yahoo!, is sifting through billions of searches. From last year’s frenzy of queries about the Wii, Britney Spears’ shaven-headed outburst, and tainted pet food, we declared ourselves a culture teetering on the…