the buzz log

Thirty days hath November, and every moment seemed fraught with anticipation. Who would win the election? Why did militants take Mumbai? Would the economy stumble even more? How much hope would be pinned on Black Friday? As 2008 approaches its end, review the historical dramas and prosaic concerns that rocked November searches on Yahoo!.

Hitting the Ground Running
And it all came down to this—it being the run to be the 44th president of the United States, and this being the Election Day victory for Democratic candidate Barack Obama. American citizens knew before midnight who would be the new White House tenant for the next four years. Before month's end, Obama unveiled bit by bit what the nation hoped will be his dream team—which includes many familiar faces. No word on the family dog yet. To review Nov. 4, see the day unfold in slices in this Buzz Log.

The Benefits of Carpooling
The benefits got extended for the unemployed, Secretary Treasurer Henry Paulson took a woman's prerogative and changed his mind about buying bad assets, and Big 3 automaker executives found that taking jets to ask for a bailout was a baaad public relations maneuver. As politicians and taxpayers split over whether GM, Ford and Chrysler deserved to be at the feeding trough, the three worked to improve their pitch and travel plans.

Thanks for this Bounty and Discounts
Not that there wasn't already plenty of distractions this month, but Thanksgiving coming a little later this year delayed celebrants' planning, at least online. Stories also reported higher food costs and less traveling. What didn't make America's holiday more low-key was retailer anticipation of whether Black Friday would be its financial savior. Good news and bad news: Sales proved 3% higher than 2007, but the rise was slower compared to last year's 8.3% jump and could portend a weak shopping season.

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

1. Wal-Mart Black Friday 2008 (+20,775%. Many retailers slashed and burned to make post-Thanksgiving sales.)
2. CMA Awards 2008 (+61,253%. George Strait hit a record 22 trophies on the 42nd country music show.)
3. Michael Crichton (+60,183%. The author of science fiction thrillers like "Jurassic Park" died on Election Day.)
4. Obama Cabinet (+42,899%. See above)
5. Green Bean Casserole Recipe (+35,219%. See above)
6. Karolina Kurkova (+29,146%. The Victoria Secret model got the top vote for the world's Sexiest Woman.)
7. Tony Dow (+27,045%. The former "Leave it to Beaver" star sold sculptures and stirred up nostalgia.)
8. Minnesota Senate Race (+26,984%. Al Franken's senate challenge to Norm Coleman still remained unresolved.)
9. Cornbread Dressing (+24,024%. More Thanksgiving feast classics.)
10. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (+21,331%%. It must be Oscar season, as this Holocaust film joins many other critical plaudits.)

October 2008 Top 5 Events
Happenings with the Most Searches Overall

1. Black Friday (+1,068%)
2. Twilight (+208%)
3. Dancing with the Stars (+71%)
4. Thanksgiving (+158%)
5. Electoral Votes (+48%)

 

1. Barack Obama (+90%)
2. Britney Spears (-7%)
3. Beyonce (+95%)
4. Taylor Swift (+90%)
5. Jessica Alba (+88%)

Filed under: Politics, Holidays, Monthly Wrapup, Thanksgiving, Elections, Barack Obama, Wrap Up, Economics

Heads up: Thanksgiving falls on Nov. 27, which means you have less than two weeks to prepare.

If you accept the premise that the occasion is a time for celebrating family and not dysfunction, then you might be disheartened to know that cumulative searches for the occasion—from turkeys to Thanksgiving prayers—are 44% lower than the same time period last year.

Considering how fired up citizens have been about the election year, that's not a good sign for America's holiday. Not that the day isn't respectably ensconced in the top 750 searches on Yahoo!. Still, the comparatively lackluster interest might show lingering election fatigue. More likely, an unstable economy may force travelers to stay homebound, away from the family hearth, and cut down on the homestead festivities. Whatever the reasons, people are especially lagging in researching "thanksgiving recipes"  and "thanksgiving dish" online (though good progress is being made on  "thanksgiving side dishes" and "thanksgiving recipes desserts" searches).

My fellow Americans, it's time to buck up and jump back into the fray. Despite reports that the Thanksgiving menu may cost a wee bit more, there are red-blooded men and women out there right now (well, usually women) who've been to get their ducks in a row. Actually, make that turducken (+77%, past 7 days), honey-baked ham (+93%) and Butterball turkeys (+857%). (In case you mistakenly filed it away as a bad horror movie, turducken combines a turkey, duck and chicken in one triple-carnivorous delight, and understandably requires advance orders.)

As for the rest of the menu, lookups for seasonal mainstays like "sweet potato recipes," "sweet potato pie," "deviled egg recipe," and "turkey stuffing" have risen in the past seven days. If that doesn't give you inspiration, Esquire pulled out 14 recipes from the '80s, like Jimmy Carter Plains Special Cheese Ring and Nancy Reagan's Persimmon Pudding. (And, per Fox News, Obama homage can be paid by having a side dish of chili or pumpkin pie.)

Don't forget the kids. Some young'uns have been working on crafts, learning about the "first thanksgiving" and its first host, Squanto. Even if you're not hosting, you still may need to put your turkey game-face on: Someone out there is making "thanksgiving invitations" and preparing a night of prayer and songs. (Y'know, like "Over the River and Through the Wood," and, um, lots more.)

The most compelling reason to prep for Thanksgiving now: The holiday comes late this year, and leaves only a few scant weeks to gird up for a double dose of Hanukkah (Dec. 21) and Christmas. Some holiday overachievers have jumped ahead in search of "santa tracker," suggestions for a "christmas wish list" and "ugly christmas sweaters"—for the theme party, of course. At least maybe you can bow out of the white elephant fruitcake exchange.

Filed under: Food, Recipes, Thanksgiving

Your turkey is defrosted, your ham is glistening with glaze, and your turducken is overstuffed. But what about the side dishes and desserts? These traditional delights are what make Thanksgiving everyone's favorite feast.

Curious about what's cooking in kitchens nationwide, we donned our apron and checked the Buzz. We focused on the 20 recipe searches with the largest percentage jumps over the past week. These piping hot searches tell us that the Thanksgiving table will sag under the weight of fabulous food. Dig in...

Filed under: Food, Recipes, Thanksgiving