the buzz log

Judgment seemed in short supply this July. The trial of the summer ended in a verdict that dismayed even the Florida jury that rendered it. A long-submerged media scandal was dragged out, knocking over a domino of editors and coppers in the process. Meanwhile, a debt ceiling impasse deadlocked American lawmakers, threatening global financial stability. Most horrific was a native son's extremism, which caused a massacre Norway has not seen since the second World War. In a roiling hot month, a look at the buzz that burned.

Norway massacre
For decades, Norway (up 1,242% in searches) has been a country at peace. Its police are unarmed. Rehabilitation, not just incarceration, defines its legal system. The 2009 homicide rate was 0.6 per 100,000. (By comparison, the United States is eight times higher.) Against this backdrop, 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik spent years formulating a xenophobic philosophy — recorded in neo-Nazi forums, anti-Muslim videos, and a 1,500-page manifesto — and building up an arsenal that would leave seven dead in Oslo and 76 massacred in a Labour Party Youth Camp. The mass shooting led people online to dig into Breivik's background, family, and motives — including his invocation of the Knights Templar, the medieval Christian crusaders. And peaceful as it may be, Norway and countries beyond its borders, is re-examining its own standards of tolerance and right-wing extremism.

Journalistic hacks
Watergate (boiled down to -gate) gets evoked every now and then in political scandals, but the phone hacking ignominy may well measure up to the 1970s disgrace that brought down a president. The practice of Britain's leading tabloid, News of the World, went back at least a decade, but it took a cross-continental effort (The Guardian's Nick Davies and the New York Times) to surface the seedy extent to which tabloid reporters and private investigators hacked into the cell phone voicemail of a missing (and later found dead) teenager, and possibly many others. The paper, part of Rupert Murdoch's sprawling media empire, was shut down, but that didn't stop the domino effect of high-powered editors toppling, followed by Scotland Yard's top two men. And while Americans are used to the spectacle, a rare Parliamentary hearing took a humbled Rupert Murdoch and son James to task, although without resolution. As investigations continue, including one into the "non-suspicious" death of whistleblower Sean Hoare, only the image of Wendi Deng Murdoch — thanks to an overhead spike of a foam pie — has improved under pressure, for the moment. 

Debt ceiling
On May 16, the U.S government hit its $14.3 trillion debt ceiling. Instead of raising it like the 102 times before since this limit was established in 1917 (most recently, eight times under President George Bush and three times under President Obama), the rote exercise became a political symbol of big government vs. political intransigence vs. American safety nets. As Congress played chicken, exasperated spectators included investors, executives, the International Monetary Fund managing director, Chinese media (China owns the majority of American debt, followed by Japan) and Americans in general. Now, among the many questions people pose online (besides how to pronounce John Boehner's surname): Will Obama pull the 14th Amendment trigger, even if he doesn't want to?

Search Terms with Significant Percentage Changes   Amy Winehouse dead (off the charts). The British singer's death was met with both shock and acceptance, as though joining the so-called 27 Club had been inevitable. Toxicology reports for the woman with the "once-in-a-generation voice" are still due, but theories circulate cutting back completely on alcohol may have compromised her system. Jennifer Lopez American Idol (off the charts). The busy "Most Beautiful Woman" announced her divorce, celebrated her 42nd birthday, shot scenes for her next movie in Atlanta, and isthisclose to renewing "Idol." Staples Center L.A. Lakers (off the charts). Despite a lockout, the Lakers' schedule was among the highlights with the release of the 2011-12 NBA schedule. Zara Phillips (+156,003). The Scottish queen's granddaughter wed rugby player Mike Tindall in a (comparatively) low-key matrimony with royal guests. Rupert Murdoch (+92,296%). See above. Srebrenica Massacre (+46,044%). About 40,000 gathered July 11 in Bosnia-Herzegovina to observe the 16th anniversary of the largest massacre on European soil since 1945. Trials against those who oversaw the deaths of 8,000-plus Muslims, including Ratko Mladic, are still underway. Univision Copa America 2011 (+25,134%). Futbol (aka soccer) fans tuned into the network to catch Uruguay defeat Paraguay 3-0. Favorites Argentina and Brazil were ousted during the semifinals. Knights Templar (+16,406%). See above. Alex Morgan Soccer (+11,271%). The U.S. player broke the tie in the Women's World Cup final, although Nadeshiko, aka the Japan team — whose players work day jobs — went on to win. The match made records for Tweets-per-second and ESPN (second highest rated women's soccer game). Voldemort (+8,073%). The villain and the rest of Harry Potter's concluded its cinematic run, ending a literary saga.

Biggest Search Terms   Casey Anthony Jennifer Lopez Cindy Anthony Emma Watson Amy Winehouse Lindsay Lohan Olivia Wilde Heidi Montag Dolly Parton Kirstie Alley