the buzz log

The news has hit hard this week, and it's only Tuesday. During this time of hardship and indecision, the Buzz sought perspective, and even the upside.

A Disastrous Past
Compiling a list of the top 15 calamities may seem callous at first. Yet creating such a list can help us grasp the magnitude of a tragedy, and can also provide an opportunity to evaluate past disaster responses to help deal with a current crisis. As Myanmar faces the aftermath of the cyclone and the world mobilizes to help, LiveScience.com looks back at the natural catastrophes that have occurred throughout history.

A Political Future
The notion has been introduced before, but a Time blog thought it bore repeating: The drawn-out presidential contest between the Democratic rivals is actually good for democracy as a whole. An Indiana party chairman pointed to increased voter registrations and the fundraising infusions into the electoral process. A quick search finds similar stories happening in state after state: Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania. And a recent AP survey confirmed the new-voter registration numbers have bubbled up significantly on a national level.

An Equine Presence
Two years ago, readers monitored the injury and eventual death of racehorse Barbaro. His death then spurred searches for his condition, laminitis. With the recent case of Eight Belles' broken ankles, a question is raised: How could those seemingly minor conditions prove so fatal to such a robust creature? Another LiveScience.com report explains the connection between a horse's step and its circulation, and how immobility compromises that vital bodily function.

Other stories spiking in Buzz ...

• The 2008 MTV Movie Awards didn't deviate from its tradition of crowd-pleasing irreverence, as it announced films like "Superbad" and "Juno" in its running for Best Movie. Us Magazine took care to point out that Angelina Jolie had been nominated for Best Villain. The complete list of noms can be found here.
• Countries throughout the world have been raising their adoption-policy thresholds. Vietnam recently barred U.S. citizens from their process, and now Guatemala has temporarily banned Americans from their process. Guatemala is the second-largest source of overseas adoptions by Americans.
• A drug sting operation ensnared 75 San Diego State University students and 21 others. Some of the activity seems to have involved the frat Theta Chi. The haul included 2 kilos of cocaine, 350 Ecstasy pills, guns, and an unfortunate quote from the fraternity's national executive director, who said of the San Diego chapter, "They had improved their recruitment. They were trying to raise money for a new house."