the buzz log

You know things are bad when a state has to throw a garage sale to help pay the bills. Welcome to the California nightmare. The state is super-broke, in the hole by about $26 billion. They've cut the budget to the bone, but are still in need of some quick cash. (They really have tried everything else, from IOUs to considering early release of prisoners.)

So the state did what any hard-up citizen would do on a summer weekend. It rifled through its supply closets to come up with all sorts of odds and ends — and priced them to move. Some items are already for sale online, while the warehouse sale continues through the weekend at the state capitol. Yahoo! searches for "state of california garage sale" surged 128% on the news.

To add some sizzle to the sale, Gov. Schwarzenegger autographed 15 sun visors of the 500 government cars up for auction. (About those cars: No guarantees, no returns, no exceptions.) You can conveniently place bids on the state's eBay site. Bargain hunters hoping to take home the governator's Hybrid Hummer for a song, guess again. Some of the options are the far less glamorous GMC office van, Pontiac Grand Prix, and Honda Civic Hybrid — and that one's going for over $8,000.

Beyond cars, surplus inventory includes your basic office supply furniture: chairs, wood desks, coat racks. (We're hoping no government employees show up at work only to find their desks and chairs gone). Laptops are also selling on Craigslist (operating systems not included). Not too sexy, admittedly. But hey, money is money. And in this sad state, every penny counts.

Filed under: California, Craigslist

"I now pronounce you spouses for life." With those words from San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, 87-year-old Del Martin and 83-year-old Phyllis Lyon wed... again.

Technically, the first words allowing their same-sex marriage came from the California Supreme Court on May 15, who ruled that "the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right (of marriage) to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual."

If the couple of 55 years had to save on wedding expenses, they could've safely cut wedding photographers and videographers. Local and national media, including the San Francisco Chronicle and KTVU, covered the ceremony and cake-cutting here and throughout California. As more gay and lesbian couples register to wed Tuesday, sites such as the California Report have created special pages to monitor the legal, nuptial, and social upheavals. Within the Buzz mix, different regions have been considering gay marriage's impact, whether it be the Midwest, Georgia, or California itself and its November face-off over a proposed marriage amendment.

The issue, at least in Search, had been in a lull the past two years, except for the spike surrounding the court ruling. Last week's online interest in "gay marriage" mainly hailed from California and New York.

On Monday, however, the term leapt up more than 200%, as searches from Missouri, Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio, and Michigan squeezed between these two coastal states. Texas rounded out the top 10 states, but surprisingly, Massachusetts didn't number among the top searchers. Perhaps Bay State newlyweds recognize that political triumphs don't always guarantee marital harmony, as the New York Times reported.

Other related terms spiking Monday included "gay rights activists" and "gay rights movement." Searchers for these terms, as well as "gay marriage" and "california gay marriage," were split evenly between females and males 13-64, with teens well-represented in this mix.

What do these numbers mean? Based on search spikes, the issue doesn't seem to resonate as strongly as it once did, except on special occasions. This could change as the marriage amendment and presidential vote draw nearer. In the meantime, expect San Francisco and the rest of the state to enjoy its 21st-century summer of love, complete with rose petals and protest signs.

Filed under: Weddings, San Francisco, Gay Marriage, Law, California

The devastating fires of southern California are big news. Not surprisingly, the fear, grief, and anxiety they've caused can be seen in Search.

The variety of queries is too vast for just one post, so we'll focus on just a few themes. First, news outlets. People are searching on just about every San Diego news agency for updated local information. Interest in "san diego union tribune" jumped 775% and queries on "channel 8 san diego" surged 702%. Other related searches include "cbs san diego" (+656%), "channel 10 news san diego" (+511%), and "san diego tv stations" (+1183%).

Second, maps. Queries on "san diego fire maps" skyrocketed 4,026% and searches for "orange county map," "orange county wildfire map," and "san diego evacuation map" are each posting huge gains. It's not technically a map, but "san diego satellite photos" are getting broad interest, as well.

Finally, though folks are understandably worried about their homes, they're also very concerned about animals caught in the fire's path. Searches for "san diego zoo fire," "san diego wildlife fire," and "san diego zoo evacuation" are spiking.

Filed under: Disasters, California