the buzz log

A deceptive autumn lull settled on the domestic scene, partly as people tried to dodge H1N1. Amidst all the handwashing, though, tumult remained over health care discussions, Afghanistan policy, and an exciting but perplexing Nobel Peace Prize honor bestowed on a freshman president. Besides headlines and Halloween, the Buzz had time to listen to creepy confessions and flights of fancy. Below, just a bit of the stories—and searches—on Web overdrive.

The Other Kind of Swine
The tale of cheating men is as old as man itself, but yet their shenanigans never fail to rivet...especially when it involves David Letterman, who has taken jabs over the decades at cheaters, and attempted blackmail by a CBS "48 Hours" producer. The host made a "creepy" confession on his show and another apology to offended females this year. The late-night drama made the sex-addiction confession by fired ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips seem tame, although he got the boot for canoodling with a 22-year-old production assistant (one of many events that helped end his 19-year-old marriage). Philips entered sex rehab. At this rate, someone might want to start a mobile clinic.

Frolicking Flyboys
Eyes turned to the skies when it seemed an amateur storm chaser's son had accidentally taken off in a helium ballon. The media frenzy was for naught, as the now ironically named Falcon Heene had hid in the rafters, and the whole episode turned out to be a really bad reality-TV audition. No hoax but questions remain over how Northwest Flight 188 pilots overshot their destination by 150 miles and remained incommunicado for 75+ minutes. The cockpit blamed "heated" scheduling discussions and laptop distractions. The FAA called their excuses "a frolic" and suspended them. Passengers can still believe in the skies: Hudson River hero Captain Chesley Sullenberger published his biography this month.

Afghan Course
In the long conflict, October has proven the deadliest for US forces in Afghanistan. General Stanley A. McChrystal has argued for more manpower and, after much consultation with military commanders and civilian advisers, the White House will lay out "broad strategic guidelines" until the Nov. 7 election runoff between President Hamid Karzai and challenger Abdullah Abudullah...even if the challenger boycotts. Reports point to a compromise which follows American history, as Newsweek details in a look back at troop requests since the Revolutionary War.

Filed under: Reality TV, Celebrities, Monthly Wrapup, Hoaxes, Military, Halloween, War, Nobel Prize, Barack Obama, David Letterman, Afghanistan, Wrap Up

The hot days of August became days of mourning for political leaders (Cory Aquino, Kim Dae-Jung, Ted Kennedy). Health conversations took on an unhealthy tone, and reality TV dominated real-life crime headlines. Below, a look at searches and buzzy stories on Yahoo! this month.

The Last Days of Camelot
While June's celebrity departures seemed a turning point for Generation X, the loss of two political paladins marked an era's passing. The legacy of America's most well-known political family came under review twice with the deaths of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who founded the Special Olympics, and brother Edward Kennedy. Dogged by the Chappaquidick incident, the Massachusetts senator abandoned presidential ambition but still shaped everyday American life by helping to create nearly 1,000 laws on health, civil rights, disability, immigration, education, and more. 

Health Check-Up's Negative Results
High decibel levels and superheated rhetoric complicated the already unwieldy mission to reform health care. Rifle-toting protesters and outright falsehoods made town-hall meetings look like a Jerry Springer episode. Still, online outreach—including details from the White House—and research into "obama health plan details" persisted. Meanwhile, more immediate health concerns pushed up queries for flu shots.

Reality Checks
The normally escapist fare of reality TV took an awful turn with a murder-suicide. The VH1 series "Megan Wants a Millionaire" had finished filming and aired only two episodes when news came out that a finalist, Ryan Jenkins, had allegedly killed his wife and swimsuit model, Jasmine Fiore. His suicide three days later led VH1 to cancel that show, as well as celebreality show "I Love Money 3," which Jenkins had competed and won.

Filed under: Health, Reality TV, Politics, Monthly Wrapup, Crime, Recaps, Death, Wrap Up

As if to make up for the relative quiet of May, June brought news of transportation mayhem, historical revolutions, political scandals, and celebrity passings. Below, the stories that reverberated on Yahoo! Search and beyond.

In Memoriam
The word icon was invoked repeatedly with shocking deaths, sad passings, and unexpected departures. In the TV arena, David Carradine's apparently accidental hanging exposed a startling private life, while Ed McMahon's end reminded us the importance of sidekicks. Farrah Fawcett's strength to the end underscored the sex symbol's dignity. The unexpected death of pitchman Billy Mays brought in many tributes. But, it was the King of Pop's passing that stunned the world. News and questions persist over his death, but the loss restored the luster of his legacy.

International Relationships
President Barack Obama reached out to the Muslim world at Cairo University, managed to find destinations for Guantanamo's Uighurs, and pulled out troops from Iraq. That might've been enough drama on the world stage, but Iranians took to the streets and online in a historic protest over presidential election results, putting the country's theocracy in doubt. Leadership issues also explain North Korea's bristling stance (with two American journalists embroiled in the morass), and a coup in Honduras.

Domestic Affairs
A superstitious mind might start considering the label 'possible 2012 presidential candidate' a curse, at least among the GOP. The first extramarital confession came from Nevada senator John Ensign, but his startling admission was soon overshadowed by the mysterious case of the missing South Carolina governor. Mark Sanford's reapperance and rambling confession of an Argentinian liasion gave new meaning to hiking the Appalachian trail—and finally pushed "Jon & Kate Plus 8" from headlines. All these scandals made Alaska governor Sarah Palin look good, especially after her victory in a (TV) late-night spat.

Filed under: Politics, Celebrities, Monthly Wrapup, Recaps, Death, Scandals, Wrap Up