the buzz log

Labor Day weekend typically brings the barbecue grill out for one last cookout before back-to-school gets us all back to the grind. This year, millions had to hold on tight during a dark and stormy weekend. Hurricanes, politics, family and personal dramas, and a unique festival in the desert all met a tempestuous reception in the Buzz.

Storm watching
Many watched warily as the Hurricane Gustav approached New Orleans. Painful memories of Hurricane Katrina three years ago resurfaced, and people turned to Search in large numbers to recall Katrina's power (it was a Category 3 storm when it made landfall in Louisiana) and find out more about hurricane categories. At the time of this writing, Gustav's strength and the damage it wreaked were less than feared. Things may be returning back to normal in the French Quarter, but as we've all learned, no matter what a hurricane's size, its effects can be felt for days or weeks to come. Meanwhile a wary collective gaze shifts to Hurricane Hanna, approaching Florida and the Carolinas.

Conventional politics
Lessons learned from Katrina aren't confined to FEMA or to those within the New Orleans city limits. In St. Paul, Minn., the potential for natural disasters to lay waste to human affairs seemed top of mind for the Republican Party.  The GOP national convention opened with messages from two women-one current first lady and one hopeful-calling for aid to potential victims of Hurricane Gustav.

Family affairs
One of the week's biggest stories, of course, was the announcement of John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Controversial and energizing (and surprising) as Palin's entry into the presidential campaign may have been, it didn't take long for mud to be slung across the Alaska tundra, dragging the former beauty queen's family into the fray. Palin decided to take control of the rumors and announced herself that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter, Bristol Palin, is five months pregnant.

Other stormy items that rose above the Buzz horizon this weekend...

• The private life of David Duchovny became unavoidably public this week when he announced an affliction that fans of his show "Californication" found more than familiar. He's asking for help and forgiveness from his family, and we'd ask people just to look the other way, but the story still remains strong in the Buzz.
• Every year a massive horde of adventurers gathers in the desert to set a giant effigy ablaze. Burning Man 2008 went off without a hitch, except for a dust storm that sent many partyers home a little early.