the buzz log

The political world swooned over the twists and turns in President-elect Barack Obama's nomination dramas, but other stories preoccupied the Buzz this week. Take a moment to rewind and look back at the survival of the cutest, the 18th-century criminal enterprise that's enjoying a renaissance, and which child star couldn't get a break on Broadway.

Too Cute for Extinction
Anthropologists have ferreted out the tiny but unbearably cute pygmy tarsier, who quickly leapt into the top 500 searches on Yahoo! this week. The palm-sized, big-eyed Indonesian primates were believed extinct for 80 years, but stayed in hiding likely because they were tired of people squealing about how adorable they were. Researchers rewarded their indomitable spirit by scooping them up in nets and attaching radio collars around their necks. Coincidentally, the announcement comes the same week as the Bush administration's deadline to change the Endangered Species Act.

Pirates' Big Catch
Modern-day piracy reached dangerous levels of absurdity this week, as Somali pirates  asked for a $25 million ransom for its biggest haul yet: a 26,000-ton oil super-tanker hijacked last Saturday. The booty is bigger than the previous week's haul of a Ukranian warship. So far this year, the speed-boating pirates have attacked more than 80 ships, hijacked 33, and are still holding 12 for ransom. (Check a live piracy map here.) While global forces gather to unite on the high seas, Somalian towns have boomed from the pirate industry.

Short Walk on the Great White Way
Pity the poor child actor who's all grown up. Haley Joel Osment, who received a Oscar nomination in 1999 for "The Sixth Sense," made his Broadway debut Sunday. David Mamet's "American Buffalo," also featuring John Leguizamo and Cedric the Entertainer, met poor reviews and weak ticket sales, and may close just after one week.

Also Buzzing...
• Auto executives asking for a government bailout didn't help their cause by taking private luxury planes to the congressional hearings—and they didn't even jetpool. The rebuffed execs agreed to present a "detailed loan application," and a sheepish GM will return a couple of jets.
• Testimony began in the Sheik vs. King of Pop lawsuit, which accuses Michael Jackson of reneging on a $7 mil recording contract. The defendant, as Jackson is frequently known, will testify next Monday. His earlier attempts to duck out due to illness were rejected.
• HowStuffWorks lists 13 hiccup cures, which include yanking one's tongue or getting someone to scare the bejeezus out of you.