Google's hot searches list of 2012 is out. Whitney Houston was the top trending search, according to the Zeigeist report - Google's 12th annual round up of top internet trends. Korean rapper PSY's Gangnam Style music video was the second most searched term. The video has nearly a billion views on YouTube. Superstorm Sandy ranked third. Round out the top 10: iPad 3, Diablo 3, Kate Middleton, the 2012 Olympics, Amada Todd, Michael Clarke Duncan and BBB12 (also known as Big Brother Brasil, a reality show featuring barely dressed men and women living together).
Wait there's more!
The top memes (a way to spread addictive ideas and phrases) are out. Facebook says its top memes included TBH (To Be Honest), YOLO (You Only Live Once), SMH (Shake My Head) and Big Bird, thanks to Mitt Romney.
Yahoo's top searched memes include Kony 2012 (the short film and campaign against Ugandan militia leader Joseph Kony), "stingray photobomb" (a vacation photo that went viral) and "binders full of women," thanks again to Mitt Romney.
And last but not least, the most popular retweets of 2012 according to Twitter are President Obama's "For more years" and Justin Bieber's "RIP Avalanna. i love you." Avalanna was a six-year-old girl who died from a rare form of brain cancer. She was one of Bieber's biggest fans.
Speaking of Tweets, the Pope has tweeted for the first time. "Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart," Pope Benedict tweeted early this morning. He actually has 8 Twitter accounts, so he can tweet in different languages.
Two giant asteroids passed close to Earth today. The asteroids 2012 XE54 and 4179 Toutatis did not pose any danger to the planet, experts say. Toutatis was the much larger of the two, often described as a “malformed potato.” Well, this potato is about 3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. By comparison, the asteroid suspected of wiping out dinosaurs is estimated to have been about 6 miles wide. Close, of course, is a matter of perspective, but Toutatis came within 4.3 million miles of Earth, or about 18 times the distance between planet rock and the moon. That was close enough to be picked up by telescopes and streamed live on various space watching sites. Toutatis passes by Earth about every four years.
An outpouring of remembrances for Pandit Ravi Shankar is a trending topic on Twitter this morning. Shankar's music transcended cultural barriers, bringing Indian music to the west, during a life that lasted nearly a century. Shankar, already famous in India at the time, taught Beatle George Harrison to play the sitar in the sixties and took Eastern music mainstream, performing at Monterey in 1967 and at Woodstock in 1969. One of his daughters is jazz singer Norah Jones. Shankar, who was 92, had been in failing health over the past year, but continued to perform. He shared a stage with another daughter Anoushka, who is also a sitar virtuoso, just last month. It was his last public performance.
Actress Amy Adams continues to pick up honors ahead of Oscar season. She will receive the Santa Barbara International Film Festival's Cinema's Vanguard Award for her performance in The Master. The honor comes on the heels of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association naming Adams as best supporting actress for her performance as the wife of a charismatic spiritual leader in the 1950s. She has been nominated for Oscars three times, but has never won.
Ask Men's annual list of 99 most desirable women is out and the bigger winner is Jennifer Lawrence, the star of The Hunger games. Desirability is determined by attractiveness, personality, talent and other factors, according to Ask Men. Mila Kunis and model Kate Upton round out the top 3. Kim Kardashian, who ranked in the top 10 on the list last year, has dropped to 98.
From YouTube, Silent Night 2012 at Taylor University. It's one of the coolest traditions in college sports. Fans remain silent until Taylor U scores its 10th point of the game. Then, the crowd goes wild.
It appears that catfish like bird hunting, at least in this viral video.
So this guy was apparently babysitting and having some fun with the kids, but he didn't think it through. Check out the video.
Finally, be careful on the road if visiting New Zealand. Dogs can drive.
Happy Towel Day! Yes, there is such a thing. Carry a towel with you wherever you go and no one will think it odd. And if anyone does think it odd, you can tell them it's a tribute to the novelist Douglas Adams, who wrote The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.
There is even a website dedicated to the event. You can even send us or Tweet us your towel photos if you wish. The commemoration started two weeks after Adams died in 2001. And if you want to know why, read chapter 3 of Hitchhikers, and you will find yourself asking, where's my towel?
Star Wars marks its 35th Anniversary today, so if you walk around in a Darth Vader costume today, it's okay too.
Grammy-winning folk musician Doc Watson is listed in critical condition after falling at his home, making him a top search on Google this morning. The blind singer and guitarist known as a master of the flatpicking-style of guitar playing is being treated at a hospital in North Carolina. The 89-year-old Watson has won several Grammys and received the National Medal of the Arts.
Chris Brown has rolled out a steamy trending video called Sweet Love. The song is from his upcoming album Fortune, due out on July 3.
While Warren Buffett is all hot on buying up newspapers, one of the nation's oldest is cutting back. The (New Orleans) Times Picayune is ending daily publication and plans to offer three printed issues a week starting in the fall. New Orleans will become the largest metro area in the nation without a daily newspaper. This is the digital age.
Memorial Day is also trending as we mark the unofficial start of the summer season with beaches and barbeques and fun times, but lest we forget that Memorial Day is about the men and women who have served and sacrificed for our country.
Army Specialist John Finner, 23, left, of Sikeston, Missouri, and Army Specialist Kevin Wilson, 23, of New York City, soldiers with the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, or "Old Guard," place flags before each grave in preparation for Memorial Day, during the annual "Flags-In" at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on Thursday, May 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Most Americans today have little direct connection to the military, and so perhaps the holiday should take on even greater meaning. Less than 1 percent of our population serves in the U.S. military (just a couple of million) compared to the 16 million men and women who wore a uniform during World War II. Pew Research Center found that only a third of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 have an immediate family member who had served in the military. As Ben Patton writes in a blog post this morning, perhaps the best way to spend this Memorial Day is to try to spend a few minutes with a veteran. "Give him or her a chance to talk. And listen."
You may have seen the photo of President Obama bowing to a 5-year-old boy who is touching the president's hair to see if it feels like his. The photo has gone viral after appearing in an article by the New York Times.
(Pete Souza/The White House)
The boy, Jacob Philadelphia, is the son of a former Marine who was leaving the White House staff three years ago and asked for a family photograph with the President. You can read the full story behind the photo on the Times website.
A viral video out of Mexico shows a reporter appear to be using someone to fake a wind storm by having them kick dirt in the air. The translation, according to one commenter, the reporter is actually saying the person is kicking the dirt in the air to demonstrate how windy it is. The video has nearly a million views since this writing.
This next video shows a helicopter take off fail. Fortunately, a major accident was avoided.
This viral video tries to answer the question why is yawning contagious?
This guy can put a lot of stuff in his hair.
Maru, YouTube's most popular cat with 200k subscribers and 150 million views, is celebrating a 5th birthday.
Happy Towel Day! Yes, there is such a thing. Carry a towel with you wherever you go and no one will think it odd. And if anyone does think it odd, you can tell them it's a tribute to the novelist Douglas Adams, who wrote The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.
There is even a website dedicated to the event. You can even send us or Tweet us your towel photos if you wish. The commemoration started two weeks after Adams died in 2001. And if you want to know why, read chapter 3 of Hitchhikers, and you will find yourself asking, where's my towel?
Star Wars marks its 35th Anniversary today, so if you walk around in a Darth Vader costume today, it's okay too.
Grammy-winning folk musician Doc Watson is listed in critical condition after falling at his home, making him a top search on Google this morning. The blind singer and guitarist known as a master of the flatpicking-style of guitar playing is being treated at a hospital in North Carolina. The 89-year-old Watson has won several Grammys and received the National Medal of the Arts.
Chris Brown has rolled out a steamy trending video called Sweet Love. The song is from his upcoming album Fortune, due out on July 3.
While Warren Buffett is all hot on buying up newspapers, one of the nation's oldest is cutting back. The (New Orleans) Times Picayune is ending daily publication and plans to offer three printed issues a week starting in the fall. New Orleans will become the largest metro area in the nation without a daily newspaper. This is the digital age.
Memorial Day is also trending as we mark the unofficial start of the summer season with beaches and barbeques and fun times, but lest we forget that Memorial Day is about the men and women who have served and sacrificed for our country.
Army Specialist John Finner, 23, left, of Sikeston, Missouri, and Army Specialist Kevin Wilson, 23, of New York City, soldiers with the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, or "Old Guard," place flags before each grave in preparation for Memorial Day, during the annual "Flags-In" at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on Thursday, May 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Most Americans today have little direct connection to the military, and so perhaps the holiday should take on even greater meaning. Less than 1 percent of our population serves in the U.S. military (just a couple of million) compared to the 16 million men and women who wore a uniform during World War II. Pew Research Center found that only a third of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 have an immediate family member who had served in the military. As Ben Patton writes in a blog post this morning, perhaps the best way to spend this Memorial Day is to try to spend a few minutes with a veteran. "Give him or her a chance to talk. And listen."
You may have seen the photo of President Obama bowing to a 5-year-old boy who is touching the president's hair to see if it feels like his. The photo has gone viral after appearing in an article by the New York Times.
(Pete Souza/The White House)
The boy, Jacob Philadelphia, is the son of a former Marine who was leaving the White House staff three years ago and asked for a family photograph with the President. You can read the full story behind the photo on the Times website.
A viral video out of Mexico shows a reporter appear to be using someone to fake a wind storm by having them kick dirt in the air. The translation, according to one commenter, the reporter is actually saying the person is kicking the dirt in the air to demonstrate how windy it is. The video has nearly a million views since this writing.
This next video shows a helicopter take off fail. Fortunately, a major accident was avoided.
This viral video tries to answer the question why is yawning contagious?
This guy can put a lot of stuff in his hair.
Maru, YouTube's most popular cat with 200k subscribers and 150 million views, is celebrating a 5th birthday.
Josh Hamilton is red hot on the net and at the plate. An amazing four home run night, only the 16th big leaguer to accomplish such a feat, has vaulted him into the viral universe. The quartet of two-run homers in the Texas win over Baltimore gave Hamilton pause to reflect after the game. He has battled the demons of drug and alcohol addiction throughout his career.
(AP Photo)
"I think about what God's done in my life, everything I did to mess it up," he said. "To finally surrender everything and pursue that relationship with Christ on a daily basis and understanding when I don't pursue it, I end up messing up. Understanding that what I'm doing and what God's allowed me to do, coming back from everything I went through and allowing me to play the game at the level I play it, it's pretty amazing to think about."
Hamilton's home run heroics are an exclamation point to a season that it is off to a blistering start for the former MVP. He's batting .406 and leads the majors with 13 homers and 36 RBIs.
Speaking of baseball, Harvard players have put together a viral video. Members of the Ivy League school's baseball team choreographed a routine to Canadian Songstress Carly Rae Jepsen's hit "Call Me Maybe."
North Carolina is a hot topic again this morning after voters overwhelmingly slammed the door shut on same-sex marriages. They approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage solely as a union between a man and woman.
Also on the political front, six-term Indiana Senator Dick Lugar has been forced into retirement, routed in a primary battle by the right-wing of the Republican party. Tea Party-backed Richard Mourdock, the state treasurer, has pained the 80-year-old Republican as too moderate for the conservative state. Mourdock will face Democratic Rep. Joe Donnely in November in what will likely be a hotly contested campaign. The big question is whether the outcome in Indiana is a reflection of the national mood. As one Tea Party activist put it, the party has abandoned street protests and become a stealth movement of average Americans fed up with Washington, D.C. Lugar outspent Mourdock by a 3-to-1 margin, but Mourdock out-hustled Lugar on the ground with door-to-door canvassing, logging nearly a half-million miles to talk to some groups as small as a dozen people at a time.
Against Me! singer, guitarist and songwriter Tom Gabel has revealed that he will soon undergo the transition process to become a woman. Rolling Stone broke the news. Gabel will soon begin taking hormones and undergo electrolysis to transition to Laura Jane Grace. What really gets me about this story is Gabel plans to remain married to his wife, Heather. They have a 2-year-old daughter.
"For me, the most terrifying thing about this was how she would accept the news," he told Rolling Stone. "But she's been super-amazing and understanding."
Huh?
Ever wonder what Los Angeles Clippers star forward Blake Griffin's game face would look like on a child? Point guard Chris Paul's son has you covered.
There's a hot debate on Twitter this morning: Iron Man or Hulk? The responding tweets appear to be pretty evenly divided, and a few people have tossed Spider-Man and Superman into the fray.
When the elephant keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo hear the sound of a harmonica, it's not the radio they've left on. Instead, it's the zoo's 36-year-old Asian elephant, Shanthi, who, unsolicited, has a propensity for coming up with her own ditties using whatever instruments the keepers have provided. These include harmonicas, horns and other noisemakers. The zoo has captured some of Shanthi's most recent capriccios on this viral video.
Former all-pro wide receiver Cris Carter has jumped into the bounty bowl, saying he put bounties on opposing players as a form of protection during his 16-year career in the NFL. Carter, an ESPN NFL analyst, says he would offer money to his teammates to take out opponents who he thought were trying to take out him.
"I'm guilty of (bounties) -- I mean, first time I've ever admitted it -- but I put a bounty on guys before," Carter said. "I put bounties on guys. If a guy tries to take me out, a guy takes a cheap shot on me? I put a bounty on him right now!" When asked if he was alone in bounty hunting, Carter replied "Hell no!" However, Carter added that the bounties in his day where not intended to purposely injure opponents. "The bounty was based on protection, or a big hit, excitement or for helping your team win. It wasn't to maim or hurt the dude," he said.
Finally, in the day's most inspiring story, we have Coleman Shannon. South Carolina's Weekly Observer profiles the one-armed high school baseball player, who recently pitched a no-hitter.
It would appear that the presidential race of 2012 has gone to the dogs. First, we had Mitt Romney criticized for a story published a few years ago by the Boston Globe in which the Republican hopeful allegedly put the family's dog in a crate in on top of their car during a 12-hour drive to Canada for vacation. Now, we have President Obama eating dog meat as a child in Indonesia. He actually wrote about it in his autobiography:
With Lolo, I learned how to eat small green chill peppers raw with dinner (plenty of rice), and, away from the dinner table, I was introduced to dog meat (tough), snake meat (tougher), and roasted grasshopper (crunchy). Like many Indonesians, Lolo followed a brand of Islam that could make room for the remnants of more ancient animist and Hindu faiths. He explained that a man took on the powers of whatever he ate: One day soon, he promised, he would bring home a piece of tiger meat for us to share.
Of course, all this is fuel for conservatives to strike back against liberals who have gone so far as to launch Facebook pages based on the story that's hounded Romney for years. Blogger Jim Treacher writes, "Say what you want about Romney, but at least he only put a dog on the roof of his car, not the roof of his mouth."
Where do the campaigns go from here?
Tributes continue to pour in for Dick Clark, especially on Twitter. The iconic host of American Bandstand and New Year's Rockin' Eve and countless other television programs died of a massive heart attack on Wednesday. Here is a sampling of the celebrity remembrances on Twitter:
@MariahCarey R.I.P. DickClark. Your memory will live on eternally as an incredible legend.
@levarburton As a professional, DickClark was all about excellence. I learned so much from him. He was authentic, talented and generous!
@JoeMantegnaDickClark gave me my first job in LA 35 years ago. Thanks Mr. Clark, I hope I did you proud.
@MCHammerDickClark When a man invites you to his home you learn the substance of whom he is, thank you for your love & wisdom You're The Best.
@IAMANITABAKER He opened the door wide enough to let ALL the MUSIC come thru. Thank You. DickClark ...r.i.p.
One of my favorites tweets came from Alice Cooper, who wrote "Nobody loves rock n' roll more than Dick Clark" and included a personal letter to him after the American Music Awards in 1982.
Dick Clark was 82. RIP.
Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel, life came to halt for two minutes this morning as people paused in memory of the six million Jews killed during the Holocaust. The theme of this year's commemoration is "My Brother's Keeper - Jewish Solidarity during the Holocaust."
Earth Day is Sunday, but it continues to rise in searches and in Twitter trends. Many of the tweets contain information about Earth Day events and "green" deals to help you save money on Earth-friendly products.
Cannes is trending after this year's line-up for the annual film festival was announced this morning. The 54 films include a strong American slant, including an adaptation of Jack Kerouac's Beat classic On The Road. The festival runs May 16-27. You can find the complete line-up on the Cannes website.
Among the trending videos on YouTube is a mix of Stars Wars and the Tupac hologram performance. (Note: Foul language in this clip.)
Then we have Yahoo! Studios producing a parody of Fun.'s "We Are Young" called "We're NOT Young."
Next, a woman demonstrates how she transforms herself into Mona Lisa.
How would you like to travel from New York to Los Angeles in 45 minutes?
If you like attention while driving, check out this scooter.
From the BBC, we have what is described as the "best videobomb behind a reporter ever." You be the judge.
Finally, I don't know anyone with a pet lamb, but they sure do look like fun. At least on wood floors.
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01/04/2012 Goalkeeper from New Jersey scores a goal!
A goalkeeper from New Jersey made the record books by SCORING for his team. Tim Howard, who is from North Brunswick, is goalkeeper for Everton of the English Premier League. Around the 63rd minute of the game against Bolton, Howard kicked the ball about one hundred yards and, with a little help from the wind, over the head of the defending goalkeeper.
"I was delighted that we were in the lead and would hopefully go on to get three points, but it’s not a nice feeling for a keeper. It’s really awful actually," Howard told Sky Sports, explaining why he did not celebrate scoring.
His goal is only the fourth time in Premier League history that a goalkeeper has scored. His team lost the game, 2-1, but the highlight has gone viral. (replay around :35)
Howard was also the starting goalkeeper for the 2010 United States World Cup team.
Technorati Tags:premier league, soccer, tim howard Posted by WABC on January 4, 2012 in Viral Video | Permalink | Comments (0) Iowa caucus, Sugar Bowl and Page 4 of 366
While you were sleeping, Mitt Romney won the Iowa caucus by 8 votes, the slimmest margin in history, over surging Rick Santorum.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Santorum was polling around 3 percent. He won 25% of the vote. Santorum is also trending high in searches and discussions online. His campaign has been short on support and cash, but Santorum did a lot of leg work to earn his late rise in Iowa.
(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The question is whether the surge carries over to New Hampshire, South Carolina and then Florida, or will he fade away like previous surging GOP candidates.
Iowa's caucus is non-binding, which means the vote is nothing but a straw poll. However, Ron Paul, who finished third in the voting, focused on making sure that Paul supporters stuck around after the vote to make sure they were selected as county delegates - the first step towards being elected as a delegate to the Republican National Convention.
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Sources close to the Paul campaign told Business Insider that Paul nailed down the delegates in all of Iowa's smaller counties and made a strong showing in several larger ones. Paul could end up being the real winner in Iowa.
Although Romney claimed victory, he earned only a few more votes than he did in Iowa's 2008 caucus. He also remains stuck in the mid-20 percent range as has been the case in all the polling. Romney seems like a lock in New Hampshire next Tuesday, but in 2008, he lost the primary to the fourth place finisher in Iowa, John McCain…. And we know what happened after that.
If the social media world means anything, Romney enjoyed a surge in popularity over the last month to put him over 1.2 million fans on Facebook, nearly twice that of his nearest competitor Ron Paul. Yet, according to the folks at socialbakers.com, Paul supporters are more engaged and the potential viral reach of Paul is twice as high as Romney - 65 million to 35 million. Basically, that means Paul's "fans" have a lot more potential influence than Romney's followers. Of course, both of them and the rest of the Republican field pale in comparison to President Obama's almost 25-million fans and viral reach of nearly 175-million people.
While political pundits watched or fell asleep waiting for the end in Iowa, football fans watched Michigan pull out an overtime victory in the Sugar Bowl. Virginia Tech had tied the game in the final seconds on a field goal by third-string kicker Justin Myer. His heroics proved short-lived as Justin Myer missed a 37-yard field goal in overtime. Michigan kicker Brendan Gibbons then booted a field goal from the same distance to give Michigan the 23-20 victory.
Michigan's Brendan Gibbons (34) kicks the game-winning field goal against Virginia Tech (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
After the game, Gibbons said he focused on his dating prospects prior to the kick. "Brunette girls," he said. "Every time we were like struggling in kicking, coach tells me to think about girls on a beach or brunette girls. So that's what we did. Made the kick."
Somehow, I think he'll have plenty of options.
Meanwhile, in the NFL, the Chicago Bears are considering their prospects for a new General Manager and a new offensive coordinator. The Bears axed GM Jerry Angelo and offensive coordinator Mike Martz, but kept coach Lovie Smith after Chicago failed to make the playoffs after five straight losses to end the season The Bears cited a talent gap with the Packers and Lions in announcing the firings.
The Steelers have benched safety Ryan Clark for this weekend's playoff game in Denver because the high altitude could kill him. Clark suffers from what is called sickle cell trait, which restricts the flow of oxygen to his organs. The last time Clark played in Denver, he lost 30 pounds, his spleen and gall bladder, and, yes, he nearly died. Clark said he wanted to play this weekend, but Coach Mike Tomlin is taking no chances.
It seems to happen every year, and again this January some are trying to turn Twitter into a diary for 2012. You will notice one of the trending topics is "Page 4 of 366." And yes, there has been a page 1, 2 and 3 if you feel like searching. The wonder is whether the Twitter diary will continue all the way to the end or if this is a temporary fad like so many New Year's resolutions. Usually, by page 10, people become bored and the Twitter diary fades away.
Here's an example of what goes viral may not always be what it seems. The Utica Phoenix, a weekly newspaper, posted what appears to be an incriminating video featuring Utica Police Officers placing baggies, possibly filled with drugs, in a vehicle of a person they pulled over for running a stop sign. The video received so many views that the site crashed and caused an uproar on social media sites. You can see it here:
But, you are only seeing a portion of what happened. The police department then released the full video, which the department says shows the officers pulling those drugs from the occupants before going back to the car. You can view the full video here: http://www.uticaod.com/features/x1819707736/As-video-alleges-Utica-police-planted-evidence-chief-responds
Here's a video that you don't want going viral. A guy proposed to his girlfriend on a jumbo tron at a UCLA game… Well, it didn't go as planned.
Another video showing off quantum levitation is trending. Can it be long before we actually see this technology put to use in some real world way?
This is pretty cool (or geeky depending on your point of view). A guy created a robot that he controls using X-Box Kinect and Wii controllers. This video shows it in action as he controls the robot to brush a cat.
You may have heard of ice fishing, but you have probably never seen ice fishing quite like this video from Finland.
Time to play name that tune… or tv show.
That's the trend!
Have a great day,
Bob
Technorati Tags:iowa caucus, jerry angelo, michigan, mitt romney, rick santorum, ron paul, sickle cell trait, sugar bowl, twitter, viral videos, virginia tech Posted by WABC on January 4, 2012 in The Trend | Permalink | Comments (0) 01/03/2012 Meteor shower tonight
If you are an early riser or up all night, you have a chance to see one of the briefest meteor showers of the year.
The Quandrantid shower is lesser known than its cousins, the Perseid and Germinid, but it still offers a dazzling display with more than 200 meteors per hour.
After the moon sets around 3:00 a.m., you can catch the meteor shower at its peak.
Miss it, and you'll have to wait until next January. This is a one night affair.
Too cold to go outside? Marshall Space Flight Center has set up a live all-sky camera feed of the skies over Huntsville, Alabama, which you can see below.
You can also discover more details on NASA's website by clicking here.
Technorati Tags:meteor shower tonight, meteors, quandrantid Posted by WABC on January 3, 2012 in Pick of the Day | Permalink | Comments (0) #firstdayback, Bowl Games and a funny talent
Happy New Year! If you are like many people, today is your first day back after the holiday. That's the top trending topic on Twitter as people share their #firstdayback thoughts. You'll see a lot of kids grumbling about going back to school and a few adults "miserable" about the return to work and the cold weather, but at least one Twitter user is looking on the bright side of life. Mark Lindores (@MarkLindores) tweets, "At least it's not Monday…"
College football is a hot topic of discuss as we are deep into bowl season now. The biggest talker is the wild Rose Bowl game won by Oregon 45-38 over Wisconsin - the highest scoring Rose Bowl ever.
Darron Thomas passed for three touchdowns, De'Anthony Thomas scored on runs of 91 and 64 yards, and the No. 6 Ducks earned their first Rose Bowl championship in 95 years.
The big bowl match-up tonight is Michigan vs. Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. The Hokies are making their 19th straight bowl appearance.
The Iowa caucus is also trending as the Republican campaign for president finally gets to the real thing. The polls have been all over the place for the last three months, so we will finally have a true answer to the question "who would you vote for?" Smart money says Mitt Romney is the most consistent so he would be the likely winner, but I'd keep an eye on Ron Paul. He's the only other candidate with a strong organization (boots on the ground) in Iowa. Our Dave Evans is there and we'll be bringing you coverage on Eyewitness News all day.
Some people started out the New Year by starting a new life. Figure skating champion Johnny Weir is making news after tying the knot with his boyfriend Victor Voronov on New Year's Eve. "I am so happy to have found my match," Weir said in a statement.
The Queen of Soul has found her prince. Aretha Franklin announced that she is engaged to longtime friend William "Willie" Wilkerson.
Meanwhile, apparently after having a few too many on New Year's Eve, Real Housewives star Brandi Glanville tweeted she was "getting married" to Mixed Martial Arts manager Darin Harvey in Las Vegas.
The 38-year-old reality star apparently had second thoughts after the quickie wedding and told Us Weekly, "[We're] married! But to make it legal, I have to go to the courthouse today and I don't think we're gonna. Super fun though!"
It could be the perfect Valentine's gift for the Apple lover in your life. A toy company is rolling out a 12-inch figurine of Apple founder Steve Jobs. From the pictures, the figurine looks almost too real.
In Icons said it is selling the action figure “to honor the American icon and great visionary...” The figurine will sell for $99, before shipping, when it goes on sale in the U.S. in February.
You just need a little bit of talent to become famous. Take this girl with a funny talent, who now has topped 7 million views on YouTube.
In a follow-up video, her name Sarah from Sydney, Australia. She turns 14 on January 10th, and she's used her new found fame to launch a Facebook page and a Tumblr. Book and movie deals in the works?
Another trending video was uploaded in early December, but it's gone viral now… and you might find it useful in the future as Aunt Chippie shows us how to wrap gifts "faaaabulously with style and class." (Note: Lots of adult language)
The How to Love project has hit the subway in Los Angeles.
One of the most popular videos from New Year's Eve is the London fireworks. What a show!
And finally, just into the trend, a performance of Come Together featuring Steven Tyler, Alice Cooper and Weird Al caught on camera on New Year's Eve in Maui.
That's the Trend!
Have a great day,
Bob
Technorati Tags:aretha franklin, brandi glanville, college football, iowa caucus, johnny weir, new year, rose bowl, steve jobs, sugar bowl, twitter, viral videos Posted by WABC on January 3, 2012 in The Trend | Permalink | Comments (0) 12/30/2011 Michael Jordan, Zooey Deschanel and trick-shot basketball
Another day, another celebrity engagement. This time, it's arguably the greatest basketball player who ever lived and a well-known fashion model. "Yvette Prieto" and "Michael Jordan engagement" are ranked 1-2 on Google Trends after the six-time NBA champion popped the question to his longtime girlfriend. The Cuban-born model has lived with Jordan since 2009.
This will be Jordan's second marriage. He married Juanita Vanoy in September 1989, and they divorced in 2006 after 17 years of marriage. They have two sons, Jeffrey Michael and Marcus James, and a daughter, Jasmine.
Actress Zooey Deschanel is tops among Yahoo searches, while actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is climbing on Google after the "500 Days of Summer" co-stars teamed up to record YouTube's current No. 1 trending video this morning. Check out their rendition of "What are you Doing New Year's Eve."
"Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy," "Kid Cudi" and "Breedlove" continue to trend, as word spreads about the tragic story of Ben Breedlove. As we told you about yesterday, the 18-year-old from Texas died of a heart attack on Christmas day, and Cudi, Breedlove's favorite rapper, responded with a blog post about his heartbreak over the incident. Breedlove chronicled his struggle with the heart condition and near-death experiences in YouTube videos.
Another trick-shot basketball video is gaining steam. This time, it's from Oklahoma freshman James Fraschilla, who is supporting Hayden's Hope, a charity to raise awareness for pediatric organ donation.
Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant is getting attention as people search for his dramatic buzzer beater in a win over the Dallas Mavericks last night. A three-pointer by the Mavs' Vince Carter gave Dallas a two-point lead with just over a second to go. Durant's three-point heave found nothing but net as time expired.
Emma Watson is trending (though oddly Justin Bieber ISN'T) after the two were awarded the "Most Influential Haircuts" of 2011 by the Wall Street Journal.
The Harry Potter actress and Canadian pop superstars' respective decisions to chop off their floppy locks earned them top honors.
Finally, we have some time-lapse video of an elaborate Angry Birds-themed gingerbread house, from the initial sketch design to the completed product.
That's the Trend!
Posted by WABC on December 30, 2011 in Spiking , The Trend, Viral Video | Permalink | Comments (0) 12/29/2011 Rachel Uchitel, Ben Breedlove and a lion cub
Good morning!
Rachel Uchitel is pregnant. The woman most famous for derailing Tiger Wood's pro golf career is about to become a mom for the first time with husband Matt Hahn. The 36-year-old Uchitel announced on Twitter that she is "Expecting big things for 2012...Five down, four months to go." She also posted a picture of her and her hubby holding her baby bump.
Uchitel has usually been in the news over the years for less-than-desirable reasons. The nightclub manager's fiance, Andrew O'Grady, died on 9/11, and she was linked to an affair with married actor David Borneanz a few years ago. Then came the now-infamous tryst with Woods, and she also did a stint on Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab. Now, it seems her luck might be changing. She wed Hahn, a former Penn State football player, in October and is now expecting a baby girl on May 12.
It appears she has expensive tastes, though. The Daily Mail reports that she has asked her friends to choose from a list of 50 items that include a $1,000 stroller and $300 nipple pumps.
In a heartbreaking story, Kid Cudi and "hypertrophic cardiomyopathy" are getting a lot of attention after the rap star paid tribute to an 18-year-old fan who died of the heart condition. Ben Breedlove suffered a fatal heart attack on Christmas day after a lifelong struggle that he chronicled in two YouTube "My Story" videos. The teen, from Austin, Texas, detailed his health scares as well as offered advice to those facing hardships. Part 1 has been viewed more than 1.2 million times.
Breedlove posted a clip about a vision he had during one of his three near-death experiences, in which he saw himself in a white room with Kid Cudi, his favorite rapper, and "couldn't stop smiling." After seeing the videos and learning of Breedlove's death, Cudi wrote, "I broke down, I am to tears because I hate how life is so unfair. This has really touched my heart in a way I can't describe, this is why I do what I do. Why I write my life, and why I love you all so much…We love you Ben. Forever. Thank you for loving me."
Click here to read the full text of the letter.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a condition that causes thickening of the heart muscles, which can lead to death.
In slightly more uplifting news, the Amputee Football (Soccer) Championships is one of the top videos on YouTube. Some ridiculous soccer skills were on display at the African Cup of Nations for Amputee Football.
"Mars Needs Moms" is trending after it was named the biggest flop film of 2011 by the Hollywood Reporter. Flopping is determined by a film's worldwide gross compared to its budget. "Mars Needs Moms" cost $150 million to make, but it only grossed $39 million worldwide. "Sucker Punch" came it at No. 2, with Russell Brand's "Arthur" taking the third spot. "Green Lantern" and "Cowboys and Aliens" round out the top five.
Another YouTube video gaining steam Thursday is a treat from Delta, showing you how your bags get from Point A to Point B. The airline shared a behind-the-scenes look at the journey luggage takes from a flight from Atlanta to New York. It's kind of a commercial for Delta's new smart phone app, which allows users to track their bags as they travel.
Lady Gaga is also trending after the pop star was spotted home shopping. But Gaga was not looking in her native New York or Hollywood. She was house hunting in Lititz, Pennsylvania, hometown of her "Vampire Diaries" boyfriend Taylor Kinney. The $1.7 million mansion resides within a gated community in Lancaster County. Does this mean the megastar is looking to settle down? Time will tell.
Finally, we have a lion cub trying his best to let out a ferocious roar. The cute little guy isn't quite there yet.
That's the Trend!
Posted by WABC on December 29, 2011 in The Trend, Twitter, Viral Video | Permalink | Comments (0) 12/28/2011 John Legend, Danny Gokey and Kevin vs. the tomato
Two big stories are trending across Google, Yahoo and Twitter this Wednesday. The first is that John Legend will no longer be a bachelor. The singer's publicist said Tuesday that Legend proposed to his longtime girlfriend, model Chrissy Teigen, recently in the Maldives. No more details are being provided. Legend has won nine Grammys Awards and released four albums. Teigen was named "rookie of the year" in the Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue last year. She also has a food blog.
The other top trend is the Mega Millions lottery, which offered a $206 million jackpot in Tuesday evening's drawing. It's looking to be a very happy new year for at least one person on Long Island, after the only winning ticket was purchased at a King Kullen supermarket on Middle Country Road in Middle Island. The ticket has a cash value of about $152 million, before taxes.
One of the top videos on YouTube this morning is "I don't like the Cubs!" which is up to nearly half a million views. In it, a mother plays a prank on her 6-year-old twins by switching their Christmas gifts. Mya, a diehard White Sox fan, at first tries to hide her disappointment at receiving a Cubs Pillow Pet. But she can only hold it in for so long before the water works start and the meltdown begins. Of course it all ends happy when mom reveals the White Sox Pillow Pet. It all reminds me that I really cannot wait to have kids...
Former "American Idol" season 8 contestant Danny Gokey is also making headlines. The singer, who famously lost his wife during heart surgery in 2008, is engaged again. The 31-year-old Gokey proposed to girlfriend Leyicet Peralta and says he wants wedding presents in the form of donations to his Sophia's Heart charity, which is named after his late wife.
Just in time for New Year's, we have "Why Alcohol Makes Your Head Spin." The video offers an explanation of how booze affects the inner ear.
In keeping with the holiday spirit, another video going viral is a 94-year-old grandmother busting a move to some dance music this Christmas. The poster reports that not only is she an awesome dancer, but she also bought herself an iPad recently and enjoys the Angry Birds.
Finally, we have two animal videos to make you smile. The first is a tiny turtle trying to eat a tomato. Unfortunately, Kevin the baby sulcata tortoise has really bad depth perception. Will he eat or won't he eat? You have to watch to find out.
We leave you today with both mean AND funny, as a surly kitten pushes his furry friend off a ladder. The poster reports that no cats were seriously injured and that both cats are in good health (though Kimba is slightly above average weight for his age.)
That's the Trend!
Posted by WABC on December 28, 2011 in The Trend, Viral Video | Permalink | Comments (0) 12/27/2011 Facebook rescue, cheating ex and dog in pants
Check out this video of Sandy, who is just as happy as Daniel is at the new car toy he got for Christmas.
Facebook is being praised for helping save a woman and her son who were being held hostage for nearly five days. The Utah woman hid in a closet with a laptop to post her plea for help on the social networking website, saying she and her son would be "dead by morning" if they were not rescued. The post prompted someone to call police (and at least one person to "like" it), who went to the home to check on the woman's welfare. Troy Reed Critchfield, 33, was arrested and is facing aggravated kidnapping, forcible sodomy, aggravated assault, domestic violence, child abuse, animal cruelty and other charges.
"Packers ex-boyfriend sign" is getting lots of love on Yahoo after Annie Wagner exacted her revenge on her ex by bringing a sign to the Packers-Bears game on Christmas night. As you can see in the now-viral picture below, Wagner dumped her cheating man and went to watch football, letting the world know he did not have the privilege of freezing his butt of in near-freezing temperatures at Lambeau Field.
Video of the amazing Rollerman is taking off on YouTube. The wheel-covered gentleman zooms through the Alps. No word on his top speed, but he passes cars and motorcycles along the way.
Sears is trending after the retailer announced plans to close between 100 and 120 Sears and Kmart stores after poor sales during the holidays, the most crucial time of year for retailers. The closings are the latest and most visible in a long series of moves to try to fix a retailer that has struggled with falling sales and shabby stores.
Next, it's no Optimus Prime, but video of this Transformer-inspired gingerbread house is being billed as "the most epic gingerbread house of the holiday season." I'm not sure what competition there is, but at just 19 seconds, it doesn't take too much of your time to check it out.
Drew Brees set the NFL mark for yards passing in a season, breaking a record that Dan Marino had held for nearly three decades, and New Orleans clinched the NFC South title with a 45-16 victory over the Falcons on Monday night. Brees threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns, the last a 9-yard strike to Darren Sproles that set the record with 2:51 to go.
"Honestly, I was really trying not to think about the record or anything," Brees said. "I knew we were close. A couple guys mentioned stuff to me on the sideline. I didn't want to hear it. It's like a pitcher with a no-hitter, I guess."
It was Brees' final pass of the game and it gave him 5,087 yards passing - with one game still to play. Marino finished with 5,084 yards for the Miami Dolphins in 1984. An emotional Brees offered a pretty touching speech to his teammates afterwards. CLICK HERE to watch it on ESPN.
Finally, we've got a dog wearing pants. Running down the stairs. On two paws. Enjoy.
Google Trends is down for maintenance this morning, so that's the Trend!
Posted by WABC on December 27, 2011 in Social Media , The Trend, Viral Video | Permalink | Comments (0) 12/26/2011 Boxing Day, Riley on Marketing and Dogs who Love Guitar
It's December 26, and that means people around the world are celebrating Boxing Day! "Happy Boxing Day" is the top trend on Twitter, as people in Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and some Commonwealth nations mark the day with shopping (similar to Black Friday in the U.S.). Boxing Day was traditionally the day after Christmas when rich people and homeowners in the UK would give a box containing a gift to their servants. Now it is mainly just a bank holiday.
Sports are the hot topic on Google after a big NFL weekend narrowed the playoff field and the NBA kicked off its lockout-shortened season."Bears vs. Packers" is the most searched item after quarterback Aaron Rodgers rode his first five-touchdown game to victory, locking up the number one seed for Green Bay and ensuring the playoff road will go through Lambeau Field.
"Golden State Warriors" comes in at No. 2 after the Los Angeles Clippers outscored them 21-3 over the final five minutes to ruin St. John's alum Mark Jackson's debut as an NBA coach.
Other sports-related items getting big time play in Google's top 20 this holiday Monday are Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls guard hit a game-winning shot with five seconds left to sink the Lakers), Blake Griffin (Clippers forward), Monta Ellis (Warriors guard), Tyson Chandler (Knicks center), Chicago Bulls, Knicks (battled back to knock off the Celtics), Ron Artest, Lakers, Stephen Curry, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, David Lee and the Sacremento Kings.
In fact, there are only four items in Google's top 20 that DON'T involve sports. They include Port Charlotte Florida, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, ipad 2 cases and Stratfor. The last one is making headlines after a Christmas day hacking by the group "Anonymous," which claimed Sunday to have stolen thousands of credit card numbers and other personal information. One hacker said the goal was to pilfer funds from individuals' accounts to give away as Christmas donations, and some victims confirmed unauthorized transactions linked to their credit cards.
Anonymous boasted of stealing Stratfor's confidential client list, which includes entities ranging from Apple Inc. to the U.S. Air Force to the Miami Police Department, and mining it for more than 4,000 credit card numbers, passwords and home addresses. Austin, Texas-based Stratfor provides political, economic and military analysis to help clients reduce risk, according to a description on its YouTube page.
Speaking of YouTube, a special holiday tune from Zach Braff and Donald Faison is one of the weekend's most viewed videos. The former "Scrubs" co-stars team up for their own personal take on the classic "Baby It's Cold Outside."
In another video that's gone viral, a young girl who is struggling with gender roles and gift expectations goes on a rant in a toy store because she wants superheroes. She doesn't think they should be considered "boy" presents. The video is called "Riley on Marketing."
Dido is the top trend on Yahoo after the 40-year-old singer gave birth to her first child on Christmas day. She had Baby Stanley with writer husband Rohan Gavin.
Finally, in our awesome pet video of the day, we've got a dog who loves listening to his owner play the guitar. He is decidedly less happy once the music stops…
That's the Trend!
Posted by WABC on December 26, 2011 in The Trend, Twitter, Viral Video | Permalink | Comments (1) 12/23/2011 Air Jordan, #iwannameet and Prometheus
Footlocker and Michael Jordan are hot topics this morning because of the release of the new Air Jordan XI Concord. This is a really big deal for sneaker lovers.
In Houston, people lined up for days in anticipation of the Concord. At one mall, more than 200 people lined up at one store, some people camping out since Monday. At the other end of the mall, another 200 people camped outside a Footaction store. So why, you ask, would anyone line up for days to own a pair of sneakers? For the shoe fanatics, or "sneakerheads" in footwear speak, the Air Jordan XI, with its black patent-leather accents on white, is identical to the original released in 1996. Wearing the shoes, the Chicago Bulls star would win the most valuable player award for the 1995-96 season, for the All-Star Game and for the NBA Finals. Many of the people who are buying these sneakers will never actually wear them. Sneakerheads just like collecting, leaving the sneakers pristine in the original box.
Former Met Carlos Beltran will be shagging flies in St. Louis next season. Beltran and the World Series champion Cardinals agreed to a two-year contract pending results of a physical, a move that would fortify the team's lineup following the departure of Albert Pujols.
(AP Photo/AJ Mast)
The Indianapolis Colts won their second game of the season, and second in a row, in dramatic fashion. Reggie Wayne, whose contract expires at the end of the season, caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Dan Orlovsky with 19 seconds left, giving the Colts their only lead of the game (and the only one that mattered) in a 19-16 victory over AFC South champion Houston.
American Idol star Adam Lambert landed in a Finnish jail on Thursday after getting busted for fighting with his boyfriend outside a Helsinki gay bar. According to reports, the fight began with his Finnish boyfriend, local reality star Sauli Koskinen, inside the bar and then spilled out into the streets. Both men were taken into custody, and then later released. No one is saying what sparked the fight, but Lambert tweeted: "Jetlag+Vodka=blackout. Us?blackout=irrational confusion. jail+guilt+press=lesson learned.Sauli+Adam+hangover burgers= laughing bout it. :)"
A top trending topic on Twitter this morning is #iwannameet… Among the top tweeted celebrities: Eminem, Noel Gallagher, Ian Somerhalder (the dead guy from Lost), Mila Kunas, Tyler Perry and the guy who invented donuts. Other interesting tweets - "@NuriffaFmz #iwannameet my future husband.lol"… "@m19mccann #iwannameet you again from the beginning..." …. And "@Janeninonu #iwannameet my baby....soooooon! :)"
Another movie trailer is making a buzz online. "Prometheus" is the long-awaited next installment to the "Alien" series. The movie hits theaters next summer. The film takes the audience into the late 21st century in what fans believe is a prequel to the original Alien series.
Here's a first - video of Comet Lovejoy as seen from about 240 miles above the Earth's horizon on Wednesday. International Space Station Commander Dan Burbank captured the video.
And here's something else you don't see every day - a chance encounter with a troop of wild mountain gorillas.
Today's holiday house comes from California where a guy transformed his Halloween light show into a Christmas light show to music of "I'm Sexy and I know It." He also asked that no one show up at his house because the light show is on hold -- the neighbors needed a break.
Finally, the most popular video on YouTube is the dancing antics of Cebu Pacific’s flight crews… They are dancing safety instructions to the song All I Want for Christmas on fights through the holidays. The dancing routine started last year when a passenger-shot video of the crew dancing safety instructions to a tune by Lady Gaga went viral on YouTube, accruing more than 10 million views.
That’s the trend! It’s my last Trend of the year as I head off into holidayland until 2012. Have a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and an extra spectacular New Year!!!!
Until we meet again,
Bob
Technorati Tags:adam lambert, Air Jordan XI Concord, alien, carlos beltran, indianapolis colts, prometheus, reggie wayne, st. louis cardinals, twitter, viral videos Posted by WABC on December 23, 2011 in The Trend | Permalink | Comments (0) Categories Internet security Pick of the Day Social Media Spiking The Trend Twitter Viral Video Recent PostsGoalkeeper from New Jersey scores a goal!Iowa caucus, Sugar Bowl and Page 4 of 366Meteor shower tonight#firstdayback, Bowl Games and a funny talentMichael Jordan, Zooey Deschanel and trick-shot basketballRachel Uchitel, Ben Breedlove and a lion cubJohn Legend, Danny Gokey and Kevin vs. the tomatoFacebook rescue, cheating ex and dog in pantsBoxing Day, Riley on Marketing and Dogs who Love GuitarAir Jordan, #iwannameet and PrometheusRecent CommentsAmy on Boxing Day, Riley on Marketing and Dogs who Love GuitarCharlotte Traffic Tickets on Echoes of Silence, Pro Bowlers and FroggerBingo Generator on Snake in a Christmas treeBrandon on Laughter is contagious :)Jill Madura on A boy named Brandon and how you can help himJohn Keane on Santa's Google RapMickey Carroll on Coming home from warMrJohnGalt on The top Tweets of 2011Lynn on Hedy Lamarr, Anne Hathaway and the kangaroo kittenMario Tanner on Joe Frazier, Sharon Bialek and J.R. MartinezArchivesJanuary 2012December 2011November 2011October 2011September 2011August 2011July 2011June 2011May 2011January 2012SunMonTueWedThuFriSat12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://wabc.typepad.com/thetrend/", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});
Independence Day is all over the trends this morning. While most Americans will celebrate with barbeques, a day at the beach or fireworks, according to Marist about a quarter don't know their history.
The new survey out over the weekend shows only 58% of residents know that the United States declared its independence in 1776... 26% are unsure, and 16% mentioned another date.
Twenty-four percent did not know from which country the United States declared its independence. While most were simply unsure, five percent mentioned France, China, Japan, Mexico, and Spain. The correct answer is Great Britain.
If you'd like to brush up on your history, you can find an array of websites with information. Here are a few links, including one to the Declaration of Independence itself:
Twitter is also buzzing with the Fourth of July spirit including hashtags #happy4thofjuly and #godblessamerica. Among my favorite tweets, @ZackRothman, a senior at Florida State University wrote, "No matter how much we may complain about or government or our politicians, we are all very fortunate to live in the USA."
The celebration continues on YouTube, where a fireworks music video by a couple of guys named Aaron Sorensen and Stephen Anderson is trending. Some pretty cool visual effects in this video.
Then we have a flash mob at a hair salon in Simi Valley, California where the mob sings "Proud to be an American."
And how about Megan Rapinoe scoring early in the 2nd half in a USA World Cup game against Colombia and grabbing a field level microphone to sing "Born in the USA.” The highlight made for one of the most viewed videos over the weekend.
Two non-Fourth videos trending and worth watching…. First, the squirrel vs. the Lamborghini. The physics of this incident make it almost impossible to be real, but some people are convinced that it really happened…
That may or may not be real, but this next video of a lonesome dove trying to wake up a napping kitty is the real deal. Just glad the cat appeared to be de-clawed, or this dove might have been dinner.
That's the trend!
Make it a fantastic Fourth of July, and please don't drink and drive!
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05/23/2011 Tornado terror in Joplin
Good morning,
The tornado disaster in Joplin, Missouri this morning is all the buzz on the net as dozens of people are dead and the damage is extensive. Videos of the aftermath of the tornado began showing up within an hour after the tornado hit. One of the most terrifying is a video shot by people hiding in a store as the tornado hit. It's dark, but what is terrifying is the audio as glass from the store gets sucked out by the force of the twister. It reminds me of that movie The Blair Witch Project.
Also trending… Joseph Brooks, the composer of You Light Up My Life, who apparently took his own life over the weekend while awaiting trial on charges of sexually assaulting more than a dozen women…. And Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader in Afghanistan, who Afghan TV reported was dead, but then the Taliban said he's still alive.
On YouTube, Shaq Attacking Sleep Apnea was the most watched video over the weekend. The video is one in a series that explains the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea, which is characterized by abnormal breathing during sleep. It can result in serious medical problems. For more information, visit www.understandingsleep.org.
My personal favorite video of the weekend comes from Byron Louie in Sacremento, California, who created a time lapse of his German Shepherd, Dunder, comprised of daily photos from just eight weeks old to the dog’s first birthday.
That's the trend!
Posted by WABC on May 23, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) 05/20/2011 Book buys, space rides and human bowling
Good morning,
With time running out according to believers, Judgment Day is dominating the trend as people search for information and answers to questions. ABC News has a pretty good story about the psychology of this mania and why people are so obsessed with Armageddon.
Lance Armstrong is trending after his ex-teammate Tyler Hamilton says he saw his former U.S. Postal Service teammate use the performance-enhancing drug EPO "many, many times" in order to win the Tour de France.
Barnes & Noble is making headlines after cable mogul John Malone made a surprise $1 billion dollar bid for the company. In cash. The Wall Street Journal headline clabels it "Insane!"
From our sister station WJRT comes the story of a pair of New Yorkers who moved to Flint and within 24 hours got robbed, shot at and attacked. The couple decided to move to Flint from Upstate after finding an abandoned home online for $1600.
Happy birthday to Cher! She turned 65 today. According to Yahoo! Clues, 59% of searches for her today are by males and her top searched song this week is still her 1998 hit, “Believe.” Top states searching for Cher on Yahoo! today are Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Texas, and Georgia.
Also from Yahoo! one of the big searches this week in New York and New Jersey is for strawberries, including “strawberry pie,” “strawberry rhubarb pie” and “strawberry shortcake recipes,” perhaps because many strawberry festivals kick off this week throughout the nation.
The Google Doodle art contest is over and the winner is an 8-year-old boy from San Bruno, California. KGO has more on Matteo Lopez, who’s doodle is gracing the Google.com home page.
A trending video on YouTube is the maiden test flight of the Virgin Gallactic’s SpaceShip Two. The flight over California’s Mojave Desert is another step toward Richard Branson’s vision of suborbital space tourism. The craft is carried to 51,000, then dropped. It’s not for the feint-of-heart. My stomach was twisting and turning just watching the 15,500 foot-per-minute dive.
Back on Earth, what do you do when rain delays a baseball game? The players in the Clemson - Davidson by entertaining the crowd with human bowling. Might try this one with the kids this weekend.
That’s the trend!
Have a great day,
Bob
Posted by WABC on May 20, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) 05/19/2011 Zombie Apocalypse
Good afternoon!
One of the hot tweets today is Zombie Apocalypse, and while you might think it has something to do with the predicted end of the world on Saturday, the source is actually the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It seems the CDC tweeted a blog post “Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse.”
Someone at the CDC thought this idea would be great for attention, and it was. The blog post got so many hits that it’s still down. (http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/)
Bloggers who claim to have seen the post prior to the site crash, claim the CDC presented guidelines such as “Identify the types of emergencies that are possible in your area. Besides a zombie apocalypse, this may include floods, tornadoes, or earthquakes….” and “Plan your evacuation route. When zombies are hungry they won't stop until they get food (i.e., brains), which means you need to get out of town fast!”
While the blog post is unavailable, the CDC main site is up and there’s a link to http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies.asp, which includes zombie-related buttons and badges to spread the word about preparing for emergencies…. And that was the point of all of it… if you are prepared for a zombie attack, you’re prepared for any emergency.
The idea came about when the communications team at the CDC noticed that mentioning the word 'zombie' in a Twitter session caused traffic to spike, a spokesman told The Wall Street Journal.
If nothing else, the CDC may have learned it needs to prepare its servers in the event of a real zombie attack.
One other notable trend this afternoon is LinkedIn, which became the first major social media company to go public this morning on the New York Stock Exchange. The IPO was $45, and it more than doubled in the first hours of trading, topping $100 a share by mid-day. Imagine what Facebook will do if and when it goes public.
That’s the trend!
Posted by WABC on May 19, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) Arnold, DSK and the real Glee choir in trouble
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s love child is a dominant story across the web this morning. Checking about a half-dozen major media outlets finds the story is the most popular across the board, including on abcnews.com. Lots of searches surrounding this story too as people try to learn more about the mother of the child.
The other sex scandal making headlines this week is also trending high as Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as IMF chief overnight and heads into a bail hearing later today.
The Cannes film festival jumped into The Trend overnight after Lars Von Trier declared himself a Nazi and Hitler sympathizer and was banned from the festival. At the same time, his film Melancholia premiered at the festival and one of the stars, a very pregnant French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, jumped into The Trend by wearing a sheer black dress with a see-through bra.
KABC has a pair of stories trending this morning. The first is a story about a TSA agent stealing from suitcases at LAX. The second is the high school choir that inspired the hit TV series 'Glee' is facing financial trouble, and trying to raise enough money to stay afloat.
Looking for fashion ideas? KGO has a popular shared story focusing on hot celebrity fashions.
We’re seeing many interesting “how to get rid of” searches this week on Yahoo!. Specifically, people are interested in getting rid of fleas, bed bugs, ants, and gnats. We’re even seeing searches spike for “how to get rid of cellulite” (25% by males) and “how to get rid of stretch marks” (33% by males).
Searches on Yahoo! for “gagaville” spiked 12,192% fans unlock songs from Lady Gaga’s upcoming album in the Gaga-themed game. We’re seeing lots of interest in her upcoming song, “Judas,” which receives 200% more searches than her other new song, “Marry The Night.” According to Yahoo!, 52% of searches for “gagaville” are from males. Lady Gaga kicks off the GMA Summer Concert Series next Friday, May 27 in Central Park.
From the video vaults, Beyonce is rising in the ranks with the release of her new music video, while Newt Gingrich getting glittered in Minnesota is the most popular video of the day on YouTube….
A promotion spot on waffle balls is also trending as it shows off some wicked curves…
And hanging around in the top ten this week has been an unusual video put to music of a cat and owl playing together. See, we can all get along.
That’s the trend!
Posted by WABC on May 19, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) 05/18/2011 The end of the world, super soccer shot, and the Beatrice hat
Good afternoon!
As we get closer to the much-hyped end of the world, the searches for information are rising.
For those who have not heard yet, believers say that on May 21 at 6 p.m., judgment day will arrive. The hype over it has resulted in many stories, from the serious to the silly including one that asks what will become of our pets?
Guinea is among the big searches on Google as the hotel maid in the Strauss-Kahn sex case is an immigrant from Guinea. The BBC has a nice profile page about the West African nation.
TMZ is trending with more scoops on the Arnold Schwarzenegger love child… the latest being a copy of the birth certificate of the boy.
Cesar Chavez moves into the trend with the US Navy deciding to name a ship after the labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Associated (later known as United Farm Workers).
Sad news from actress Jennifer Aniston is trending on Yahoo!. Her 15-year-old Welsh corgi-terrier Norman has died.
Bill Clinton is trending on Twitter as he gives the NYU commencement speech at Yankee Stadium.
Hot on YouTube is a high school soccer highlight from a match between Bryant High School against Conway High School in Arkansas. It's drawn more than 700,000 views in just two days.
Finally, Princess Beatrice's wedding hat has become a hot topic as online auctioneer eBay says that bids for one of the wackiest pieces of royal wedding headgear have approached 18,400 pounds ($30,000.)
The hat has something of a cult following, including a Facebook page with 140,000+ likes. Money raised by the auction will go to the UNICEF and Children in Crisis charities. You still have time to get in your bid as the auction is open until May 22, assuming the world doesn't end before then.
That’s the trend!
Have a great rest of today,
Bob
Posted by WABC on May 18, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) Oprah, Kyrie and the greatest marriage proposal ever
Good morning!
Oprah, Oprah, Oprah. Her star-studded send-off party in Chicago last night is all the buzz on the net this morning. She recorded two of her final three shows last night, the last with an audience. The final show airs on Wednesday, May 25.
If people are not talking about Oprah, they are tweeting about the NBA draft lottery. Kyrie Irving is buzzing as the potential number one pick by the Cleveland Cavs, which won the lottery. That apparently did not sit well with David Kahn, the GM of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who hints that the lottery was fixed (he’s joking, we think?)
"This league has a habit, and I am just going to say habit, of producing some pretty incredible story lines. Last year it was Abe Pollin's widow and this year it was a 14-year-old boy (Nick Gilbert, son of the Cavs owner) and the only thing we have in common is we have both been bar mitzvahed. We were done. I told (Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor): 'We're toast.' This is not happening for us and I was right," Kahn said.
Stevie Nicks hit the trend this morning because she sang new song “Single Love” on Dancing With The Stars.
Around the country, WPVI has a trending story about a terrible accident in which a toddler died after falling into a grease pit… KFSN in Fresno is buzzing with a story about a 13-year-old questioned by the Secret Service over a Facebook post. Turns out, after Osama bin Laden was killed, Vito Lapinta posted an update to his Facebook status that got the feds attention. "I was saying how Osama is dead and for Obama to be careful because there might be suicide bombers." … and KABC has a viral surveillance video that shows an Ohio mom driving over her teenage daughter in a parking lot after an argument.
Speaking of viral videos, the greatest marriage proposal ever is fighting for the most popular video of the day with perhaps the most uplifting story ever.
The first video is about a guy who's girlfriend went to the movie theater to see Fast Five. After a preview for the Hangover 2, a trailer for a movie comes on…. But the trailer was made by the boyfriend, showing him asking dad permission for her hand in marriage. You have to watch the video to see what happens next…
And from UC Berkley comes the story of Austin Whitney, a student who was paralyzed in an auto accident four years ago. At his commencement ceremony this week, Austin walked across the stage using the "Austin" exoskeleton, developed by Berkeley's Prof. Homayoon Kazerooni and his team of mechanical engineering students. How great is that!?!
That’s the trend!
Posted by WABC on May 18, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) 05/17/2011 International Museum Day, Princess Beatrice Hat and other Yahoo! trends
These are some of the top items that we are seeing spike in Search on Yahoo!:
Museum Day: Tomorrow is International Museum Day, so we decided to take a look at the top searched museums this week on Yahoo!. Topping the list is the Museum of Moving Image, followed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of National History, The Smithsonian Museum, and the Museum of Science and Industry.Going Once, Going Twice: Searches are up 29,276% this week for “princess beatrice hat” and off the charts 25% this week for “prince beatrice of York hat” on Yahoo! as the Princess auctions off her attention grabbing hat online tomorrow. Who may be most interested in bidding? According to Yahoo!, mainly women are interested and 37% of searches are by females ages 35-54 (see here: http://yhoo.it/BeaHAT).How To Cook: This week we’re seeing searches for how to cook fiddleheads (a fern plant), kale and spaghetti squash, as well as some fun searches for “how to cut a mango,” “how to make ice cream” and “how to make fondant.”Grape Seed Extract: Searches for “grape seed extract” and “benefits of grape seed extract” are spiking off the charts today on Yahoo! as they now being touted to increase metabolism and therefore help with weight loss. 64% of searches today are by women (see here: http://yhoo.it/GraPES).ACL: With people hitting the outdoors and getting fit, are more people tearing their ACL’s? Searches for “anterior cruciate ligament” are spiking 230% today on Yahoo! and searches for “torn acl” are up as well. According to Yahoo!, the majority of searches today for both terms were by females (see here: http://yhoo.it/tornACL). Posted by WABC on May 17, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) Playing catch
One of our favorite fun videos of the day from Japan. A beagle that likes to play catch. Real catch.
Posted by WABC on May 17, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) Panhandlers on the subway and 25,000 Big Macs
Good afternoon!
MTA has jumped into the trends this afternoon on the heels of Mayor Bloomberg’s response to a question about increasing panhandlers in the subway. "There aren't very many panhandlers left, c'mon, that's a cheap shot at an agency that has worked very hard to fix that problem," he said. Advocates and subway riders are scratching their head at that comment. Joel Berg, head of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, called the remark "absurd" and said it "bears no relation to reality."
We would love to know what you think about this issue. Click on comment below to leave your response. We may publish it here or use it on Eyewitness News.
Ireland is also trending as the Queen Elizabeth II began the first visit by a British monarch to the Republic. Her grandfather visited Dublin a century ago, when Ireland was still part of the British Empire. The painstakingly choreographed and highly secure visit has been designed to highlight improving relations between the Ireland and Britain.
May 21 is approaching, and so is doomsday according to believers. It’s trending on both Google and Twitter this afternoon, and our special from Eyewitness News at 11 is the most popular story of the day on 7online.com.
From around the country, visitors to KABC’s website in Los Angeles are sharing a story about massage to treat laryngitis. The source of the problem is muscle tension dysphonia. It happens when muscles around the voice-box tighten up, causing hoarseness and voice fatigue. "We're applying it directly to the throat, the larynx area," says physical therapist Carey Tomlinson.
And WLS is trending with a story about a Wisconsin man who has eaten 24,999 Big Macs. Guess where he’s having lunch today? Don Gorske plans to eat number 25,000 on the 39th anniversary of eating his first one at McDonald's in Fond du Lac Tuesday afternoon. The 57-year-old Gorske says he ate nine on May 17, 1972 and has only missed nine days since then, for various reasons. He usually eats two a day.
Finally, why did the sloth cross the road? Well, check out one of the most popular videos on YouTube to find out. It’s gotten a quite a few laughs here in the newsroom.
That’s the trend!
Make it a great rest of today,
Bob
Posted by WABC on May 17, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) While you were sleeping...
Good morning!
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver are not topping the trends, but they sure are rising fast. That follows a Los Angeles Times story early this morning in which he admits to fathering a child with a household staff member, resulting in his separation from wife.
"After leaving the governor's office, I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family. There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I am truly sorry."
Expect to hear more about this story throughout the day as it is certainly buzzing.
The latest encounter between Jon Stewart and Bill O’Reilly last night is getting a lot attention as they debated whether it was right of the Obama administration to invite rapper Common to the White House for a poetry event last week. O’Reilly told Stewart that he was “shocked that you don't understand why people like me and millions of Americans are upset” because, he said, Common supported "cop killers." Stewart fired back that Common was actually supporting people who he felt were unjustly convicted of killing.
“Why are you drawing the line at Common?" Stewart asked. "There is a selective outrage machine here at Fox that pettifogs only when it suits the narrative that suits them. This guy is in the crosshairs in a way that he shouldn't be."
Also in the news, U.S. book stores are censoring the cover of Dossier featuring androgynous model Andrej Pejic. Dossier Co-Founder and Creative Director Skye Parrott told The Huffington Post that the bookstores asked for all copies of the magazine to be placed in "opaque poly bags because even though they knew Andrej was a man, he looked too much like a woman, basically." Judge for yourself.
Actress Jenna Fischer is trending because she and new husband Lee Kirk are expecting their first baby…. Kate Bush is buzzing with a new album called Director’s Cut, which revisits earlier recordings… and Top Gun is trending because May 16th marked 25 years since the Tom Cruise classic hit the big screen.
From the video files, great video on You Tube this morning of the Tuscaloosa tornado. The person literally stands their ground as the tornado passes directly overhead. Don’t try this at home, please.
Also trending, is a lacrosse highlight that you don’t see every day. In fact, I rarely see lacrosse highlights, but this one is worth watching as Maryland pulls off a hidden ball trick in the NCAA tournament.
Finally from London comes The Wembley 360. You’ve probably seen photos like this one if you’ve gone to a Major League Baseball game or an NFL game… now there’s a 360-degree, 10-gigapixel panorama of the Wembley stadium. It was taken at the the FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Stoke City on May 14.
Photographer Jeffrey Martin used nearly 1,000 individual high resolution photos, which makes it the largest 360-degree sports panorama ever created. Facebook fans can tag themselves, and nearly 18,000 fans have done so. Martin used a professional Digital SLR and zoom lens mounted on a custom designed programmable robotic tripod head, which then rotates and snaps photos non-stop until the entire stadium has been captured.
That’s the trend!
Posted by WABC on May 17, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) Categories Web/Tech Recent PostsTornado terror in JoplinBook buys, space rides and human bowlingZombie ApocalypseArnold, DSK and the real Glee choir in troubleThe end of the world, super soccer shot, and the Beatrice hatOprah, Kyrie and the greatest marriage proposal everInternational Museum Day, Princess Beatrice Hat and other Yahoo! trendsPlaying catchPanhandlers on the subway and 25,000 Big MacsWhile you were sleeping...Recent CommentsArchivesMay 2011May 2011SunMonTueWedThuFriSat12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://wabc.typepad.com/thetrend/", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});
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