the buzz log

File this under the Halloween Tricks or Treats: Once again, three politicians made the top 10 most searched personalities this month. Considering all the campaign spending and debating and "Saturday Night Live"-ing they had to do, they deserve it.  Ponder also how the Dow proved manic-depressive and baseball pitted underdog against underdog, in this overview of October searches on Yahoo!.

Debates, Infomercials, and Plumbing Issues
When a political candidate calls his own 30-minute ad an infomercial, you know we're near the end of the slog. October politicking, however, started with a long-awaited meeting of the minds—okay, a rubbernecking event to see which political vice presidential pick would implode first. More bickering followed, in which one name stood above all: Joe the Plumber. The media lavished attention on the undecided, but searches surged for "early voting," "absentee ballots," local polling locales, and last-minute registration.

Losing Interest
Bailouts turned into multiple rescue plans this month, as the U.S. government made an unprecedented move to inject cash into banks. A benumbed public had the energy to summon up one more burst of outrage against AIG's spa retreat, and triggered the beleaguered company's profile to leap 656% into the top 300 searches. Meanwhile, the Dow whipsawed historic turnabouts. The Fed cut the interest rate to 1%, but at least one blogger is zeroing in on nothing.

Willies Over the Phillies
What a game, watching the Chicago Cubs go against the defending Red Sox champions, in a match that... excuse me, what? Um, so this season's performance will be brought to you by the understudies. The boys from Philadelphia and Tampa played a nice, albeit lopsided game. Blame it on the rain, but the series made trivia as the lowest-rated in history. Online nostalgia meanwhile pumped up for series 1906 and 1956.

October 2008 Fastest Movers in Search
Search Terms with the Biggest Percentage Changes

1. If I Were a Boy (+67,708%. Beyonce takes on gender issues in her newest single.)
2. Sophie Okonedo (+441,537%. The Oscar-nominated actress opened in "The Secret Life of Bees.")
3. Early Voting Locations (+41,706%. See above.)
4. Kristin Scott Thomas (+39,463%. The actress got critics' tongues wagging with her prison take in the French release "I've Loved You So Long")
5. 2008 World Series Schedule (+535,864%. See above)
6. Howard Stern Wedding (+26,706%. The radio show host exchanged rings with galpal at a New York restaurant)
7. Pumpkin Seed Recipe (+22,437%. Halloween hysteria monopolized searches this month, as did gourd recipes.)
8. Bernard Hopkins (+19,125%. Another scrappy Philly, "The Executioner" proved 43 can still be tough when he schooled 26-year-old Kelly Pavlik.)
9. Pumpkin Designs (+18,166%. Even Jack-O'-Lanterns went political this season.)
10. California Fires (+18,111%%. The annual Santa Ana winds spread wildfires in southern California.)

October 2008 Top 10 Personalities
People with the Most Searches Overall

1. Sarah Palin (+13,527%)
2. Britney Spears (-20%)
3. Obama (+42%)
4. Jennifer Hudson (+448%)
5. Miley Cyrus (-40%)
6. Gina Carano (+112%)
7. Angelina Jolie (+84%)
8. Jessica Alba (+8%)
9. Kim Kardashian (-2%)
10. John McCain (+8%)