the buzz log

Our picks from the day's hottest searches.

• MacLaren Strollers (+4,166%). Heart-breaking reports about finger amputations have resulted in the one-million baby carriage recall.
• Mutual Funds (+331%). People are re-evaluating financial investments, especially as some pools are diversifying into old-fashioned gold.
• Joseph Cao (+296%). The Louisiana representative and first Vietnamese-American in Congress was the solo Republican to vote for the health care reform package. Boom, instant media circus.
• California State Bar (+268%). The state bar president has been speaking out after the governor rejected a bill authorizing the bar to collect annual dues, calling the organization "overtly political, unresponsive...and inefficient."
• Carrie Prejean (+84%). The ex-Miss California has gone on the regrets circuit for a naughty tape. The discovery spurred her to settle her lawsuit against the Miss California USA pageant over contractual issues.

Filed under: Politics, Recalls, Finance, Beauty, Babies, Law

Come rain, sleet, or bad economy, the wedding will still go on. Like Pacific gray whales heading to Mexico, brides-to-be are migrating toward the Web to seek inspiration, deals, and um, prenups.

An iron vein of pragmatism runs through otherwise ivory-laced visions of wedding planning. Searches on Yahoo! for "prenuptial agreements" have percolated recently, a tender topic explored at a time when people are already feeling raw over the economy. The potentially affianced are checking for "free nuptial agreements," "sample nuptial agreement," and "prenuptial agreements checklist." While Askmen takes on a more protect-thyself-against-the-vultures tone, some may be considering if the whole concept's a bad idea ("prenuptial agreement negatives," "bad influence of prenuptial agreements") because it offers a pre-arranged escape route rather than locking couples into a I-do-or-die mindset.

As for those escape routes, some are reviewing pay-out clauses, which subs in a lump-sum cash-out rather than monthly alimony in an event of a divorce, and the infidelity dealbreaker. (Much more pragmatic than the prenups used as a kind of glorified new-life-resolutions package, like lose 50 pounds or no marital relations.)

While SFGate reported last year that "no reliable figures" exist for prenup popularity (and after all, marriage itself has been on the decline for decades), but couples are getting hitched at an older age, may have had a marriage or two already in their personal resume, and so have more assets to protect. Ultimately, though, prenups may just be one way for otherwise dreamy-eyed couples to reconcile their financial compatibility before the reality of the first credit card bill. A slightly romantic alternative that a handful have been exploring in Search: "irrevocable trust alternative to prenuptial."

In less pessimistic news, far more searches have spiked for more ceremonial fare, including "wedding venues" (+669%), "wedding cake designs" (+558%), and, naturally attracting the most online attention, the all-important bridal "wedding dress." The most popular outfit? Cheap, followed by Vera Wang-designed, Hawaiian-style, strapless, and black. Check out what other wedding-related searches have been stewing this past week:

Filed under: Finances, Weddings, Law

"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