Blackouts, Eruptions, and Amendments: What's the Buzz
Our picks from the day's hottest searches.
- Brazil Blackout (+3,067%). A storm left 60 million in the dark,and now the government's busy defending its grid as the country preps for a good economy and the 2014 World Cup.
- Carl Sagan (+1,199%). His 75th birthday on Monday prompted a Stephen Hawking musical salute, and now people are surfacing up the astronomer's own musical talents.
- Mayon Volcano (+903%). Philippine's most active volcano is spewing again.
- Stupak Amendment (+563%). The US Conference of Catholic Bishops got the anti-abortion amendment into the health care bill, prompting concerns about its constitutionality and viability.
- Route 66 (+99%). The Santa Monica Pier got formal cred as the Western Terminus of the historic highway's 83rd anniversary.
Filed under: Health, Travel, Politics, Music, Weather, Science, Astronomy
Dubious Distinction: Most Boring City
It's the time of year when thoughts turn to summer getaways. According to a TripAdvisor survey, travelers would rather go to New York, San Francisco, and Miami over, well, Cleveland. That metropolis was voted "most boring city" by vacationers who would prefer even the windy city of Chicago over a boring one.
Cleveland does have some notable aspects that could draw tourists: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is there. And now, so is basketball great Shaquille O'Neal, who recently joined the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cleveland residents should take heart. The Midwestern locale could have been voted "dirtiest" (Detroit), "most annoying accent" (Boston), or "least healthy (Detroit again).
Travelers are a fickle bunch. New York City earned the title of "favorite city" but also won out in the category of "least friendly and helpful." Could vacationers be gluttons for punishment? Maybe after a few more doses of the rude Big Apple, boring won't sound so bad after all.
Filed under: Travel
Buzz with Mike and Juliet - A Celebrity Tragedy, Reality Show Talent, and Road Trip Trends
After a Memorial Day break, Yahoo! Buzz pays another visit to "The Mike and Juliet Show" to talk about the heartrending accident with Mike Tyson's daughter, the return of Susan Boyle, and a Search road trip trend.
This Airline Is for the Dogs -- and Cats
When economists say airlines have gone to the dogs, seems one of them took it literally. Pet Airways is only for dogs — and cats — no humans allowed. (Except for the people flying the plane. Although dogs flying planes: That would be cool.)
So far, the airline only travels to a few cities, including New York, D.C. and L.A. In case you're imagining purebreds curled up in first class while flight attendants serve up filet mignon. . . not quite. The seats of the turbo-props have been removed for pet carriers, although the pets will be checked in at a special pre-boarding pet lounge.
The "pawsengers" (the airline's term) will be watched over by pet attendants who will be no further away than a cat's meow. More than we can say about our recent travel experiences. Me-ow.
And Then There Was Another Place to Visit: An Agatha Christie Home
Hankering to craft a murder? Now you can rent the perfect environs to plot your misdeeds.
The holiday home of Agatha Christie, the First Marm of British Mystery, just opened to the public. Restored by the National Trust, the newest tourist stop in Greenway, England, scored some Search traction for the creator of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. The 1,933% spike boosted "agatha christie" into the top 2,000 terms in the past 7 days. Mysteriously, while Christie's thought to have a huge female following, males 13-64 were guilty of conducting 83% of searches.
Like many outlets, the Independent took the occasion to re-evaluate her enduring appeal, despite "cardboard" characters and "implausible" settings. (One explanation for the "Abba syndrome:" She's the "ultimate narrative technician.") The AP listed 15 mysteries set in Devon, the area in which Greenway is located, while Daily Telegraph unfolds a detailed scene of this retreat more accessible by boat than by auto, plus hosts a video of the surroundings.
While the Georgian mansion gives insight into her archaeological collections, Christie actually never penned a murderous word here, although she did host private readings.
No reason to stop you from renting part of this home for nefarious literary purposes. The only limitation (besides the logistics in getting there): The holiday apartment is limited to 10 people ... the same number of the doomed party in the biggest mystery bestseller ever, "And Then There Were None," set in a remote Devon retreat.
Filed under: Travel, Authors, Home and Garden, England, Mysteries
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford 400 | Breakout! |
| 2 | Indonesia Ferry | Breakout! |
| 3 | Jordan Chandler | 3481% |
| 4 | Evan Chandler | 2322% |
| 5 | American Music Awards | 1841% |
| 6 | John F. Kennedy | 1529% |
| 7 | Turkey Stuffing Recipes | 1361% |
| 8 | Liam Hemsworth | 1172% |
| 9 | Lou Dobbs | 1142% |
| 10 | Hendrick Motorsports | 888% |

top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Friday | +340 | 1290 |
| 2 | NFL | +489 | 670 |
| 3 | Jennifer Lopez | +451 | 515 |
| 4 | New Moon | -67 | 250 |
| 5 | American Music Awards | +236 | 249 |
| 6 | UFC | -36 | 239 |
| 7 | Miley Cyrus | +66 | 169 |
| 8 | Hulu | -11 | 154 |
what's the buzz?
A subject's buzz score is the percentage of Yahoo! users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant to make the number easier to read. Weekly leaders are the subjects with the greatest average buzz score for a given week.
For more detailed information, visit our FAQ.