by Vera H-C Chan It is officially time to panic if you haven't done anything yet to prepare for Mother's Day. As for moms hankering to know what recognition you might get on Sunday, May 10...okay, you can take a peek in the Search box. Be warned: There's bad news and good news.

by Vera H-C Chan Come online leaks or swine-flu )aka HINI( delays , the blockbuster season has begun with a mutant thud. The "X-Men" start doesn't inspire quite the same online delirium as "Iron Man" provoked last year , but hey, these are tough times and audiences are gladly taking what they get . Should a hairy mutant with an attitude problem not pull in the zillions that Hollywood wants, more awe-inspiring, gaudier-than-life opportunities await in the Buzz Multiplex.

by Vera H-C Chan The Buzz That Was: An April Overview... ... March's mass shootings didn't let up in April. The Binghamton spree, a Pittsburgh police ambush, and domestic killings in Washington seemed to be violent eruptions of these hard times. ... The last thing America expected was piracy, but Navy SEALs ended a hostage stand-off with three bullets to the heads of the Somali pirates holding an American captain. ... Between recovery acts and trillion-dollar budgets,

by Claudine Zap Though the H1N1 flu )swine flu( hasn't been hugely damaging in the states, the bug has gone positively viral online, and some argue it's having a sickening effect on the public . Concerned citizens are logging on to track the flu through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, and are being infected with worry. Facebook groups for "swine flu" have over 15,000 members,

by Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Zodiac killer )Searches increased by 1,066%(. A California woman has come forward to claim that the Zodiac killer was her dad. She says she knows because she played a part . )Insert scary music here.( 300 workout )+206%(. You don't have to be a Spartan to work out like oneâ€"or at the very least, get buffed like the "300" movie cast. States with swine flu )+312%(. Swine flu: probably coming to a state near you .

by Claudine Zap It wasn't so long ago )say, 100 days( that Barack Obama 's stern inaugural speech sent a sobering message to the nation that the time of maxed-out credit cards and worry-free mortgages were over. It was a time for change, sure: The unflappable Dad in Chief had moved in to the White Houseâ€"part FDR , part Ward Cleaver. To mark his first 100 days in office,

by Claudine Zap It wasn't so long ago )say, 100 days( that Barack Obama 's stern inaugural speech sent a sobering message to the nation that the time of maxed-out credit cards and worry-free mortgages were over. It was a time for change, sure: The unflappable Dad in Chief had moved in to the White Houseâ€"part FDR , part Ward Cleaver. To mark his first 100 days in office,

by Vera H-C Chan Just after we declare that Danny Gokey's lost his edge , his numbers pump up again to chug past Kris Allen after Tuesday night's Rat Pack performance. The judges falling over themselves to praise Gokey probably helped too, topped weith Simon Cowell's declaration that Gokey was in it to win it. )Those Brits do like their internal rhymes.( All well and good for Danny boy, but at the risk of being Debbie Downers, there is bad news for the Wisconsin warbler. No,

by Vera H-C Chan In the last of our series, " A Searching Portrait: Barack Obama's 100 Days ," here are the grumbles, economic obsessions, and stimulating controversies that dominated April 2009 searches. )Check for January , February and March posts on those past searches.( Eruptions on the homefront As people tried to understand the bloodshed from shoot-outs at home,

by Claudine Zap I think we can all agree that the only thing better than ice cream is paying almost nothing for it. So of course we took note of some sweet deals around the country. How cool is this: Carvel , the soft-serve chain that brought us Fudgie the Whale ice cream cakes, is celebrating 75 years with a freebie. To mark the anniversary, they're giving away their version of an ice cream float for a few hours on April 30 . Dive in and chill out.

by Vera H-C Chan As part of our continuing series, " A Searching Portrait: Barack Obama's 100 Days ," here are the grumbles, economic obsessions, and stimulating controversies that dominated March 2009 searches. )Check for January and February posts on those searches.( Home is where the stimulus is Readers absorb headline after headline on the " economic crisis " and " stimulus package ," and wonder exactly " what is an earmark ?

by Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Al Franken )Searches increased by 675%(. The still-not-yet senator Al Franken has hired a chief of staff in hopes that the race will be decided soon , in his favor. Bo Obama )+410%(. The first pet has created a crazy for the Portuguese water dog , both in search and in pet adoptions . Eleanor Roosevelt )+272%(.

by Claudine Zap Are you having 90s flashbacks? The Luke Perry sideburns circa Beverly Hills 90210 are back. Matthew Broderick can be seen sporting some serious man chops . )For a role in a play, but still.( "17 Again" heartthrob Zak Efron is mussing up his clean-shaven look for the facial hair trend. And, well, New York Daily News unkindly points out that Samantha Ronson seems to have gotten into the side-hair game as well. We're not at the Peach Pit anymore.

by Claudine Zap Are you having 90s flashbacks? The Luke Perry sideburns circa Beverly Hills 90210 are back. Matthew Broderick can be seen sporting some serious man chops . )For a role in a play, but still.( "17 Again" heartthrob Zak Efron is mussing up his clean-shaven look for the facial hair trend. And, well, New York Daily News unkindly points out that Samantha Ronson seems to have gotten into the side-hair game as well. We're not at the Peach Pit anymore.

by Vera H-C Chan As part of our continuing series, " A Searching Portrait: Barack Obama's 100 Days ," below are the people, economic obsessions, and animated controversies that dominated February 2009 searches. )Check here for January 2009( Approval, threats, and cartoon protests Days into the Obama administration, and searchers already look for  " obama approval ratings ." Pleased citizens craftily learn " how to make hope poster barack obama ,

by Claudine Zap Apologies to the petite and the mousy haired: Sometimes bigger really is better. What other proof do you need than the International Fantasy Hair Competition . Walking with head held upright optional. You can put away your hairspray for now. The teased tresses we're seeing were on stage, not on the street. For one night in New Hampshire, feathers, flowers, chicken wire, and birds topped the noggins of 50 models looking to be a head above the rest.

by Vera H-C Chan Now that "American Idol" is down to the Top 5, questions of leadership are being asked.  The president can audition like everybody else No sirree, Fox is putting its foot down: No more free time for Barack Obama . The network finally said no to the leader of the country who had the temerity to ask for yet another primetime spot..and during ratings sweeps week. The 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET would only disrupt "Lie to Me," but who knows: No. 44 could go on and on,

by Vera H-C Chan As part of our continuing series, " A Searching Portrait: Barack Obama's 100 Days ," below are the questions, subjects, and issues that dominated January 2009 searches. A new year It's New Year's Day, and some citizens check out the Obamas' temporary digs at Hayes-Adams hotel . Others impatiently scour for an " obama stimulus package ." Meanwhile,

by Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Mia Farrow )Searches increased by 43,356%(. The 64-year-old actress is on a water-only diet for three weeks in solidarity with the people of Darfur . Peanut butter cookie recipes )+694%(. Not on Mia Farrow's fast, but the best comfort food known to humans. iPhone Verizon )+542%(. Good news for iPhone coveting Verizon customers: A version of the Apple phone may be in your future . Freida Pinto )+538%(.

by Vera H-C Chan No other presidency has undergone such scrutiny within its first 100 days, for no other reason than blogs and technologies like Facebook and Twitter didn't exist before. Barack Obama deployed the Internet as a community organizing tool during his campaign, and later as a direct channel to the White House . The Web hasn't always loved him back, monitoring every headline and hiccup of his administration and sometimes operating as a perpetual-motion rumor mill.