by Mike Krumboltz U.S. News and World Report isn't just about ranking colleges. The magazine also ranks diets. And the little-known DASH diet is numero uno for 2012. Not surprisingly, news of the diet's top spot sent searches on the program soaring. Web lookups for "dash diet concepts" and "what is the dash diet" both went on binges in the Search box. So, what is the DASH diet ? What's it all about? And, while we're at it, what does DASH stand for?

by Mike Krumboltz Rick Santorum's almost-win against front-runner Mitt Romney at the Iowa caucuses inspired an avalanche of interest. Almost overnight, web lookups on the underdog spiked on Yahoo!. Below, a quick primer on the family man who came within eight votes of winning in Iowa. Santorum, a social and fiscal conservative, served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania for 12 years. He is married and has seven children with his wife, Karen Garver Santorum.

by Claudine Zap Just in time for the new season of " Jersey Shore ," Snooki is showing off a new slender physique. These days, Nicole Polizzi, also known as Snooki, the pint-sized "guidette" with the supersize personality, sends more Twitter updates about her gym workouts than about her bar hopping. A typical post to her nearly 4 million followers: "As everyone's planning their night at the club, I'm wondering when Gold's [Gym] closes.

by Claudine Zap The GOP Iowa caucuses caused plenty of talk. But when Sarah Palin appeared on Fox to give her take on the race, it was her new wavy 'do that caught viewers' eyes. The former governor of Alaska gave her rundown of the candidates while debuting a look that had the signature Palin pouf )the Huffington Post , noting Palin's new 'do, suggested the pouf might have been from a Bumpit ( - but went a little more curly than the usual flat-ironed straight tresses that,

by Mike Krumboltz Want to see the Quadrantid Meteor Shower? Don't forget to set your alarm for 3:00 a.m., Eastern time. The shower, the first of 2012, should put on an impressive show, provided the skies are clear. According to " Good Morning America ," the Quadrantid Meteor Shower is one of the best, but also one of the shortest. The show is over after just a few hours. Discover Magazine suggests prospective watchers bring a comfortable chair,

by Mike Krumboltz Action figures have come a long way from green army men. The figures )don't you dare call them "dolls"( have become a lot more realistic and, in some cases, a lot more expensive. Take a look at the )unauthorized( Steve Jobs action figure. It's so realistic, it's downright creepy. Follow Apple on Yahoo! Finance . The 12-inch figure , which will be sold by in icons, is set to ship next month and will retail for an Apple-like premium of $99.99.

by Mike Krumboltz Two months ago, a story about Bobby Montoya, a 7-year-old boy from Denver, hit the Web. Bobby, who prefers playing with girl-oriented toys and, according to his mother, Felisha Archuleta, " identfies as a girl ," wanted to join his local Girl Scout Troop. Initially, this was met with resistance by a representative from the Girl Scouts, who said that Bobby couldn't join.

by Claudine Zap As you can imagine, this is a very busy time for one Santa Claus of the North Pole. But thanks to social media, it's easier than ever to stay in touch with the man in the red suit: On Christmas Eve, when Santa loads up the sleigh and readies the reindeer, his every move is followed by NORAD's Santa Tracker . Normally, NORAD )North American Aerospace Defense Command( is the U.S.

by Mike Krumboltz Pop superstar Rihanna has never been shy about tattoos. So why should a grill for her teeth be any different? The 23-year-old recently showed off her new golden grill in a sneak peek for her upcoming video "You Da One." Rihanna's new dental accessory is causing no small amount of interest on the Web. The grill appears be to be gold and covers only the lower half of her mouth. For those who aren't well versed, most grills are removable,

by Claudine Zap The '80s teen idol Corey Haim would have been 40 on Friday. The young Canadian, who was one of a group of talented stars born in 1971, rose to fame only to fall into a losing battle with addiction. He died suddenly last March. In happier times, the youngster first caught notice at age 10 with his 1984 film role " Firstborn ," appearing opposite "Sex and the City" actress Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey, Jr. ,

by Mike Krumboltz Can't get enough of listening to presidential candidates talk about how great they are? Try listening to their wives - it's even more fun! Mitt Romney and Rick Perry have both released ads aimed at Iowa voters in which their significant others play a starring role. In Perry's clip, which you can see below, his wife Anita Perry talks about how growing up in small towns helped to give her and her husband the values that they share today,

by Mike Krumboltz It was the monitor toss seen 'round the world. FedEx has responded to a viral video that showed one of the company's drivers throwing a )now broken( computer monitor over a fence . The statement reads: "The situation has now been resolved to the customer's satisfaction, and we are handling the employee according to our disciplinary policies.... While we continue to be surprised about the behavior shown,

by Mike Krumboltz Hot on the heels of the trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises" comes the first look at " The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ." The hotly anticipated prequel )the first of two( to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy hits theaters December 14, 2012. As expected, the trailer spurred massive interest on the Web. Online searches for "hobbit trailer," "watch hobbit trailer," and "hobbit trailer 2012" all roared into breakout status.

by Mike Krumboltz The new trailer for " The Dark Knight Rises " is out and moviebuffs are all over the clip. We think even the most jaded fanboy or fangirl would agree that, all in all, the trailer is stunning. More importantly, it offers up new looks at key characters, amazing effects )watch a football field disappear!(, and some timely character motivation. Perhaps most telling is what Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle )aka Catwoman( whispers to Bruce Wayne while dancing.

by Mike Krumboltz The holidays aren't just a time for gift-giving - they're also a time to escape your family and take in a flick. So, if you want to see a movie this weekend, you're in luck. You've got plenty to choose from. Of the new releases, " The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo " holds a slim lead over "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol." Interest in the David Fincher-directed version of "Tattoo" is solid across the board.

by Claudine Zap The action thriller " Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol " is already getting raves for its star Tom Cruise and the film series' heir apparent, Jeremy Renner . But two lesser-known cast members are stealing the show: Paula Patton and Léa Seydoux . The rivals square off in a hair-raising fight scene - which IGN dubbed the "babe battle" - that makes some of Cruise's antics look tame. Find movie showtimes and tickets >> Searches on Yahoo!

by Mike Krumboltz Most folks would feel pretty cool if they happened to share a birthday with just one A-list celebrity. Anybody born on December 18 has three to choose from. On Sunday, Brad Pitt turns 48, Katie Holmes turns 33, and Christina Aguilera celebrates her 31st. All three are poised to have big years. Below, a rundown on what Brad, Katie, and Christina are each up to. Brad Pitt recently scored a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for his work in "Moneyball.

by Claudine Zap It's official: Britney Spears is engaged to be married to her longtime boyfriend, Jason Trawick . The 40-year-old agent confirmed to "Access Hollywood" that he and 30-year-old Spears are to be married. The performer hinted on her Facebook page of the big event, posting on her wall , "OMG. Last night Jason surprised me with the one gift I've been waiting for. Can't wait to show you! SO SO SO excited!!!! Xxo." The news certainly caught the Web by storm,

by Mike Krumboltz Kids are cool. Pranks are awesome. Pranking kids? Really cool and very awesome. Earlier this week, " Jimmy Kimmel Live " aired a video segment of parents taping their kids opening underwhelming )to put it mildly( Christmas gifts. Several days later, the clip is still buzzing on blogs and social networks. Yahoo! searches on " jimmy kimmel christmas gift " surged 953% on Thursday. The clip, which features kids excitedly opening presents,

by Claudine Zap George Clooney was showered with three Golden Globe nominations for his roles as a family man in " The Descendants " and a married politician )and for directing( in " The Ides of March ." But in real life, the actor is a confirmed bachelor. The 50-year-old told Esquire magazine that "I don't talk about )marriage( because I don't think about it." Clooney may be the only one who doesn't wonder about his romantic intentions. Searches on Yahoo!