January 2012 the Buzz that Was: Political Campaigns, Ships Aground Water Dragons

Ah, January -- a time of reboots, resolutions, that invigorating resolve to be leaner and ... meaner? A drier winter aside, the seasonal sport devolved into political mudslinging, from the GOP to the Occupy movement to Uncle Sam. Meanwhile, an Italian cruise captain is under house arrest as millions try to piece together what happened on the fatal Mediterranean cruise. The upside? The Year of the Water Dragon is supposed to be one of cooperation. Here now, the buzz that was.

Political brawls
The GOP game of musical chairs devolved into a belligerent seesaw face-off between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney. Michele Bachmann (January 4), Jon Huntsman (January 16), and Rick Perry (January 19) dropped their Oval Office bids, but Rick Santorum and Ron Paul have hung on.

Gingrich dusted off his brass knuckles after the "avalanche of negative ads" and blasted his closest rival and the "Republican establishment." Gingrich, who won South Carolina, refrained from commenting about his ex-wife Marianne's revelations about his adultery and desire for an "open marriage." Romney, who almost took Iowa and won New Hampshire, had to endure some outrage from the 99% after releasing tax forms that revealed he paid a 13.9% rate afforded investment income. (His kids have received $100 million tax-free thus far.) The Florida primary looks to go Romney's way, but the polls also show Obama -- who delivered his State of the Union earlier this month -- still has the edge. Crooning "Let's Stay Together" -- now a ringtone -- might have helped.

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Cruise uncontrolled

Costa Concordia, capsized
Costa Concordia, capsized

On January 31, or 18 days after the cruise liner Costa Concordia capsized, Italian officials pulled their divers from the waters off Giglio Island, abandoning its search for the missing. Out of the 4,200 passengers and crew, 16 died and 16 are unaccounted for. Captain Francesco Schettino, under house arrest on suspicion of manslaughter, has been under intense scrutiny for his questionable maneuvering (was he taking orders from the cruise offices or showboating for a ballerina?) and abandoning ship (Schettino has claimed he was "catapulted" and that he "tripped"). Costa Cruise, owned by Carnival Lines, has already thrown its sea captain under the bus with its statement, "...preliminary indications are that there may have been significant human error on the part of the ship's master, Captain Francesco Schettino...." Heroes have emerged from the chaos, including Coast Guard port official Gregorio De Falco, who scolded Schettino to get back on board, and chief purser Manrico Giampedroni, who rescued passengers until he broke his leg.

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Mooning over the dragon

Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year

Moon colonies aside , the Lunar New Year ushered in a spring awakening for China, Vietnam, and other observers of that moon-based calendar, and a second chance for those who have already broken their Gregorian resolutions. This year, the water dragon (different elements rule different signs). According to the site Lunar New Year Houston, the Lunar New Year ushered in a spring awakening for China, Vietnam, and other observers of that moon-based calendar, and a second chance for those who have already broken their Gregorian resolutions. This year, the water dragon (different elements rule different signs). According to the site Lunar New Year Houston, "This year favors the art of negotiation, progressive ideas with an eye to reinforcement of foundations for all we plan to build for the future ... Given the challenging conflation of current events, both natural and man-made, it is truly fortuitous that the Year of the Water Dragon is heralded for its serene, visionary intelligence."

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Yahoo! January 2012 Web-Hot Searches


Search Terms With Significant Percentage Changes

  • Turbo Tax 2012 (off the charts). Uncle Sam awaits.

  • Total Recall remake (off the charts). Oh, yes. Coming August 2012 and starring Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, and Jessica Biel.

  • San Diego Comic Con (off the charts). Co-founder Richard Alf died of pancreatic cancer at age 59. This year's convention takes place July 12 to 15.

  • Nowhere Boy (off the charts). John Lennon's biopic, where director Sam Taylor-Wood, 44, and fiance Aaron Johnson, 21, first met. They became parents again, to a baby girl.

  • PIPA (+34,897%). An online protest against the Protect IP Act and the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) delayed congressional approval.

  • Natalee Holloway (+34,449%). The missing Alabama teenager's suspected killer, Joran Van Der Sloot, was sentenced to 28 years for the murder of Peruvian woman Stephany Flores. He has not confessed to any crime in the Holloway case.

  • ABC The Bachelor 2012 (+34,139%). Ben Flajnik is winnowing them down.

  • Oscar nominations (+26,149%). Martin Scorcese's "Hugo" had one more nomination than Michel Hazanavicius's "The Artist," but a recent Director Guild Awards' win gives the silent film the edge.

  • 2012 Detroit Auto Show (+24,614%). Among the NAIS rides, the Hyundai Elantra, 2012 Chrysler 300 Mopar, and Acura NSX Concept.

  • Solar storm (+22,146%). The biggest in seven years hurtled against Earth.


Biggest Search Terms