by Vera H-C Chan The holiday may not have carols or decorative trees, but it's got a pole. Festivus dawns upon us, that '90s creation dreamed up by a Reader's Digest editor and given a television life by his son, a sitcom writer. Although said sitcom â€" " Seinfeld " â€" has been off the air since 1998, a persistent group of celebrants has kept the holiday's crusty spirit alive. Who are these Festivus adherents? Dan O'Keefe ,

by Claudine Zap The Obama family faces yet another first this holiday season: their first Christmas in the White House. The people want to know what they'll do and where they'll be. One-day searches on Yahoo! show that lookups on " obama christmas " grew 100% in the last day. Queries on " obama christmas card " and " obama christmas eve " were also popular. Here, a rundown of what to expect from the first family. Tradition: He said,

by Claudine Zap Christmas Eve is a busy day for one Santa Claus of the North Pole. But just leaving out cookies and milk and hoping that St. Nick will make it to your house is so last century. This year, with the help of social-networking tools and GPS, you can track Santa's movements throughout the night, from your mobile phone, your computer, or your car. Normally, NORAD )North American Aerospace Defense Command( is the U.S.

by Vera H-C Chan Our picks from the day's hottest searches. Aston Martin )+759%(. James Bond has dibsâ€"the One-77 supercar is being tested, and reported is breaking records and " predictions " with speeds up to 220 mph.. Tavern on the Green )+896(. Come New Year's Day, this Central Park institution shuts its doors . The closure of the once massively-profitable restaurant inspires much analysis into the powerful LeRoy family , who had owned the place since 1976.

by Vera H-C Chan Horrendous holiday knits? Too "haute." For a few years now, " ugly christmas sweater " parties and contests have spurred young hipsters to model the gaudiest of the season. But now the trend is too popular: From coast to coast, thrift stores and attics have been cleaned out of grandma's best intentions â€" and ugly inventions. Although the Yuletide is upon us, searches on Yahoo! for the homeliest stitched eyesores persist,

by Claudine Zap Not that anyone needs to remind the snowed-in people on the Eastern seaboard, but today is the first day of winter , known as the winter solstice . The Buzz sheds light on the darkest day. What exactly is the winter solstice? The bleak news: It's the shortest day of the year, meaning the earth's tilt is at 23.5 degrees. As LiveScience puts it, the top half of the earth will spin on its axis away from the sun.

by Vera H-C Chan Our picks from the day's hottest searches. Simon Monjack )breakout(. With actress Brittany Murphy 's shocking death commanding the Web, comes the focus on her handler and husband. One observer says they were " crazy in love ." Michael Schumacher )+1,612%(. A motorcycle accident sidelined the Formula One driver, but the retired seven-time world champ has been declared " super-fit " and may return to the circuit. Montazeri )+896(.

by Mike Krumboltz Forget to return a movie, and they fine you. Late to feed the meter, and they fine you. Annoying, but at least those fees don't make the news. This past week, a couple of doozies did. A library book that was overdue for nearly a century was finally returned. And then a cell phone bill that cost more than your typical car had one customer a wee bit alarmed. Read on for those stories and more with the Buzz Week in Review.

by Claudine Zap It's almost time to put this year â€" heck the whole decade â€" to bed. But first, people want to know about the best parts. Searches are soaring on " best quotes ," " best albums of the decade ," and " best books of the decade ." Here, a Buzz roundup of some of the noteworthy â€" and cringeworthy â€" moments and mementos of the year, and decade. Catch phrases of the year Kanye " I'm gonna let you finish " West, please don't interrupt. OK, darn it, he's in.

by Mike Krumboltz Is Zoe Saldana Hollywood's next big thing? With starring roles in two of the year's biggest blockbusters )" Star Trek " and " Avatar "(, there's no need to consult our magic eight ball. We're going to go out on a limb and say "absolutely." Web searches on the alluring actress have soared 293% over the past 30 days, putting her among Yahoo's top 4,000 overall lookups. And with "Avatar" poised to dominate the box office,

by Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Hillary Clinton )Searches increased by 703%(. The Secretary of State came to Copenhagen ready to bankroll poorer countries' climate goals. Cobra subsidy )+642%(. The House of Representatives voted to extend health care benefits for the unemployed. The Senate is expected to vote today . Free Shipping Day )+556%(. Unfortunately, that event was yesterday. But you can still find loads of free shipping deals .

by Claudine Zap Here's a fairy tale that could only happen in the movies. Man makes YouTube video. Goes to Hollywood. Gets pots of money and a movie deal. Except this story is true. An unknown producer from Uruguay, Fede Alvarez , shelled out about $300 to create a cool video of a robot invasion in Montevideo, the capitol of Uruguay. The four-minute short, " Ataque de Panico !" )Panic Attack( features ginormous )but slow-moving( weapon-wielding robots that blow stuff up.

by Mike Krumboltz 20 years ago tonight, " The Simpsons " premiered on Fox. In the two decades since, Homer, Marge and the rest of the maniacal citizens of Springfield have aired over 300 episodes, starred in a movie and a slew of videogames, and have remained one of the more popular searches on Yahoo!. In honor of their show's considerable contribution to pop culture, we tracked down the 20 most popular Simpsons characters in Search. Homer tops the list )woo hoo!(,

by Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Tina Fey )Searches increased by 1,248%(. The "30 Rock" star and Steve Carell may take on a new movie project, " Mail Order Groom ." Dubai Zoo )+503%(. The zoo is publicizing the problem of illegally trafficked exotic animals into the United Arab Emirates. " Iron Man 2" trailer )+402%(. OK, Robert Downey Jr. fans: Christmas come early . Chocolate truffles recipe )+194%(. If you make them, please invite us over.

by Claudine Zap Whatever you do, don't call these shiny stretchy legwear " leggings ." The re-invented trend from the 80s has also been re-named. Introducing " sheggings ," A.K.A. shiny leggings. Hold the legwarmers and Jane Fonda sweat band. The leggy look is sweeping the search box: Word of the new fashion jargon sent fashionista queries on "sheggings" shooting up. We're guessing a nation of sparkly-legged trendsetters can't be far behind.

by Mike Krumboltz A shutterbug at TMZ snapped a shot of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on vacation. Ms. Palin's wearing a McCain sun visor, but she's made one interesting alteration. Check out the link and see if you can find it.

by Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Christmas cupcakes )Searches increased by 1,962%(. Here are some festive ones . Sandra Bullock )+1,263%(. The mega-movie star said she was "stunned" to earn two Golden Globe nods . Mayon Volcano )+1,235%(. The Philippine mountain, which has blown its top 40 times in 400 years, has started to spew ash . Comic Con )+201%(. Mark your calendars.

by Claudine Zap The comedian Stephen Colbert may be a fake TV pundit. But single-handedly saving the U.S. Speedskating team is completely, totally real. The satirical host got his just reward as he scored this month's cover of Sports Illustrated , an honor usually reserved for, well, actual athletes . Here's what happened: Colbert picked up on the news that the U.S. speedskating team was left on thin ice after its main sponsor, a Dutch bank, went belly up.

by Claudine Zap Forget about " 2012 ." We have seen the end of the world, and it's happening now. OK, not to our planet, but light years away a star like our sun is in its death throes. A dramatic â€" and eerie â€" video captured for the first time by researchers at Whipple Observatory  in Arizona gives the clearest look yet of what happens when a star dies â€" and gives us clues to the fate of our own sun. The death watch goes something like this. As reported by Physorg.com ,

by Mike Krumboltz Senator Joe Lieberman has never been one to shy away from controversy. The Connecticut lawmaker and former Democratic vice presidential candidate caused a huge stir when he spoke on John McCain 's behalf at the Republican National Convention in 2008. Now Sen. Lieberman is back in the political spotlight, thanks to his opposition to health care reform. Until very recently, Sen.