the buzz log

Let's start cheery: It's Cinco De Mayo, a recognition (albeit not formal) of an outnumbered Mexican army routing out the French about 157 years ago, a brief victory before Napoleon III got control over the nation for five years. Since then, it's become a Diaspora party of sorts embracing all things Mexican.

Now, let's get real. The celebration timing hasn't been the best, with the H1N1 panic that has made parts of Mexico look like ghost towns. This year, no re-enactment over the famous Battle of Puebla there, although at least businesses are opening again after a five-day shutdown.

And, as the New York Times reports, Mexicans have been feeling like pariahs these days, what with countries the world over canceling sporting events or herding them like, er, cattle into quarantine. The reaction has been less dire America, although the Mexican Embassy in Washington scaled back its fiesta, cutting back the twin staples of mariachis and the margaritas. Still, that fighting determination to parade and party persists in the U.S. There may be a little more handwashing than usual, but that's always a good thing.

Online, the interest is still strong, with the occasion popping up into the top 1,000 searches on Yahoo!. Austin, Cleveland, Tampa, Detroit and Sacramento lead the regions paying their Web respects, while states getting into the "cinco de mayo" spirit include Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, and California. Some searchers have haven't forgotten Benito Juarez, the president at the time of the battle and later the French takeover. Also, expect celebrants to wield maracas, apparently the instrument du jour even though its origins are reportedly Puerto Rican.

For those who be conservative about their health and stay homebound, Entertainment Weekly poses the perfect solution: Dip into Mexican cinema. Might as well mix yourself up a blood-orange margarita while you're at it.