the buzz log

Cats Can Get Swine Flu

Interspecies swine flu, the buzz on Bigfoot, and a really, really old fossil. All these stories and more for your Buzz Week in Review.

Please don't sneeze on your pet
It's enough that you have to worry about you and your kids catching swine flu this season. But now you also have to be concerned for … your cat. That's right. Your furry friend can catch it, from you. At least that's the case for a 13-year-old feline in Iowa diagnosed with H1N1 after its two owners both came down with the flu. The cat was treated at a veterinary hospital after appearing lethargic, losing its appetite and having trouble breathing. All three have recovered. Although this is the first documented case, consider it a cautionary tale. While searches on "swine flu symptoms" were up this week almost 400%, lookups on "swine flu in cats" also increased. (Read up on how to protect pets from the swine flu.)

Bigfoot gets big buzz
Bigfoot: It's a riddle wrapped in a mystery, or something like that. But is it an enigma because it doesn't exist (say it isn't so!) or because we haven't had the technology to properly document the evidence? Members of Sasquatch Watch are definitely in the latter camp. And a group of intrepid Bigfoot hunters were on the move in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, armed with all the gee-whiz gadgets needed to prove, for sure, without ambiguity, definitely, that Bigfoot exists. Maybe. Although some suspicious footprints were preserved with plaster of Paris in areas where there have been previous so-called sightings of the beast, un-fun skeptics are unsure if this is the real deal. But enthusiasts of the furry biped have already helped launch big buzz on the Web. Searches on "latest bigfoot sightings" shot up over 100%. Amateur sleuths also sought out "real bigfoot pictures," "bigfoot evidence," and "bigfoot research organization."

Tyrannosaurus Rex has ancestors
We knew T. rex was old and big, but that he had family? This comes as a surprise. Here's the story: Thanks to CT scans, a newly identified dinosaur Proceratosaurus has been named as the oldest known T. rex. That dates the tyrannosauroid group back to 170 million years, older than any other known fossil, according to Scientific American. But here's the thing: While the bigger, badder T. rex lived 65 to 99 million years ago, the Jursassic-Era cousin was still a meat eater, but way smaller, measuring just 10 feet. But it was just as ferocious, with four knife-like teeth and a pointy horn jutting from its nose. Of course, all these gigunda-saurs were the earliest ancestors of birds, like the ones we eat. Take that, dinos.

Also buzzing…
•Sarah Palin's book spawned a publishing bonanza.
•The movie "Precious" opened to rave reviews and lots of buzz.
•Jon Stewart takes on Glenn Beck.

Follow Buzz Log on Twitter.

Filed under: Week in Review

This past week, folks got a chance to see a famous CEO's return to the spotlight, as well as the long hidden hair of one of daytime's biggest names. Not to mention a congressman who couldn't hold back. Take a look back at those stories and more with the Buzz Week in Review.

Back on the job
Few CEOs can be considered celebrities. Steve Jobs, the big guy at Apple, is certainly one of 'em. The visionary founder has been out of the public eye for months after undergoing a liver transplant earlier this year. This past week, the mock-turtlenecked Jobs returned to the stage to announce some new products from his company. Truth be told, the announcement didn't really create much buzz, but Jobs' appearance and his public thank you to his organ donor inspired a huge boom in search. Queries on "steve jobs cancer," "steve jobs photos," and "steve jobs liver transplant" all roared.

Releasing Tyra's locks
Tyra Banks has been keeping her hair prisoner for years. The talk show host has been wearing wigs and weaves and apparently never once let her real hair out on her TV show. This week she finally shared it with the world. In celebration of her show's fifth anniversary, Ms. Banks performed her hosting duties sans wig. The "big reveal" brought in a boatload of buzz. Searches on "tyra banks hair" and "tyra banks real hair" posted big gains. As for the hair itself, it looked perfectly ordinary to us. Kind of a letdown, really.

Say it ain't so, Joe
On Wednesday night, President Obama gave a highly anticipated speech on health care reform. Everybody knew passions would be running high. Still, it came as a bit of shock when Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina yelled, "You lie!" while the president was speaking. Rep. Wilson apologized to Obama a short time later, but by then the search engine had left the station. Queries on "joe wilson" and "who yelled you lie" both screamed to the top of the search box. And, while both Republicans and Democrats criticised Wilson's behavior, it's worth noting that he took in $200,000 in donations in the days following his outburst (his Democratic opponent for 2010 earned $750,000 in donations, thanks to the episode).

Also buzzing this week...
• The NFL season just started and Pittsburgh is already down a man.
• Tyler Perry released another Madea movie on the masses.
• GM announced a new money-back guarantee.

Follow Buzz Log on Twitter.

Filed under: Recaps, Week in Review, Wrap Up

Danger! Justice! Kate Gosselin! This was another wild week on the Web. Searchers sought the scoop on the world's most "dangerous celebrity," as well as updates on a long-running Hollywood dispute. Oh, and, of course it wouldn't be planet Earth if there wasn't something going on with Kate, right? Right! Buckle up for the Buzz Week in Review.

Danger is her middle name
Jessica Biel is undeniably gorgeous. In fact, she's so attractive that her looks tend to inspire otherwise rational human beings to seek out her image on sketchy sites and via dubious downloads. This past week, Ms. Biel was named the world's most dangerous celebrity to search for by McAfee, a computer security company. According to Yahoo! Tech, fans who search on the lovely lady have a 20% chance of "landing at a website that has tested positive for online threats, such as sypware, adware, spam, phishing, and viruses." Ironically, the news did little to stem the tide of searches on Biel. Queries on "jessica biel photos," "jessica biel pictures," and the redundant "jessica biel pretty" all stayed strong. Now that's devotion.

The Chris Brown Case
Several months ago, singer Chris Brown was involved in a domestic violence case with fellow singer Rihanna. The case took the world by storm as many wondered what sort of punishment Mr. Brown would eventually receive. Those questions were answered this past weekend when a judge sentenced Brown to five years of probation, one year of domestic violence counseling, and six months of community service. The judge also placed a restraining order on Brown that requires him to stay 50 yards away from Rihanna. Over the week, lookups surged on "chris brown punishment" and "chris brown sentence." But the story ain't over yet. Word has come out that Brown may have already violated his probation. If so, a spokesperson from the LAPD says "it won't be taken lightly."

Kate coming to "The View"
Anyone with half a brain could have seen this one coming from a mile away. Kate Gosselin, formerly of the super group Jon and Kate Plus 8, will sit in as co-host on "The View" for a few times in September. She with the spiky locks will apparently fill in for Elisabeth Hasselbeck while she's on maternity leave. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that devotees of Ms. G will want to tune in on Sept. 14 and 15 to watch their favorite supermom mix it up with Whoopi and company. And from the looks of Search, many are already programming their TiVos. Queries on "kate gosselin on the view" posted triple digit gains. Whether those lookups come from fans or from folks hoping she'll screw up, we can't say.

Also buzzing this week...
• Troubled starlet Mischa Barton talked about her stay in Cedars.
• Los Angeles coroners ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide.
• You know that dude who plays Jim on "The Office"? Well, he's engaged to Emily Blunt.

Follow Buzz Log on Twitter.

Filed under: Recaps, Week in Review, Wrap Up