Dearly beloved. We gather here today to mourn the demise of the sport utility vehicle , or " SUV " as its friends like to call it. The gas-guzzler lived a full life, driving in the fast lane from the 1990s to the mid-2000s. Alas, the vehicle fell ill a few years ago and was never able to recover. Though the cause of death has yet to be officially determined,

As soon as audiences see the words""Based on a true story""they sprint to the Search box for confirmation. It's the one disclaimer no moviegoer can resist. " The Strangers " is the latest flick to spark a run on " true story " lookups. The horror film opens with an ominious voiceover stating that the carnage you are about to witness is based on actual events. Filmgoers, perhaps wise to Hollywood's tendency to stretch the truth like taffy,

Sunday night, New York City police officers arrested actress Tatum O'Neal on a charge of possession of crack cocaine. Now, the actress would like to say thanks. Since emerging from a Manhattan jail, the beleaguered star has gushed to a reporter about how grateful she is that the boys in blue kept her sober. In an exclusive interview with New York Post writer Andrea Peyser, O'Neal said, "Just when I was about to... wreck my life, the cops came and saved me!

It's been a long trip, seemingly headed toward a sure victory lap, despite all the invective along the way. Now, concession may finally be at hand. We're talking about the Hummer. What else? Vilified by environmentalists and embraced by Hollywood musclemen, prom dates, and other people with inadequacy issues, the Hummer's swollen militaristic might might soon follow the dead-end route of the Edsel and the Oldsmobile " at least as far as General Motors is concerned.

Sunday night, New York City police officers arrested actress Tatum O'Neal on a charge of possession of crack cocaine. Now, the actress would like to say thanks. Since emerging from a Manhattan jail, the beleaguered star has gushed to a reporter about how grateful she is that the boys in blue kept her sober. In an exclusive interview with New York Post writer Andrea Peyser, O'Neal said, "Just when I was about to... wreck my life, the cops came and saved me!

Is the to-read pile of June magazines clogging your inbox? A few periodicals celebrate their anniversaries this month... just in case you need an excuse to wallow in the pleasures of the slickly printed word. Whet the appetite by reading some features online. Gastric Guzzlers To celebrate its 10th anniversary, "Budget Magazine" has gone UGC: user-generated content. With the exception of one feature, every tip comes from a regular Joe,

Legendary French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent died Sunday at the age of 71. The Parisian couturier was a superstar among stylists and socialites. But was his passing marked by the greater public"those of us who have never slipped on one of his "le smoking" suits, shelled out for one of his exquisite gowns, or looked askance at his ooh-la-la blouses? Mon dieu , yes. Searchers turned out in droves to bid Saint Laurent good-bye. The day after his death was announced,

Kids love asking their parents "Why?" Searchers, it seems, are no different. Every week, we see dozens of queries on topics ranging from pet behavior to rock band comings and goings. Here are some of last week's most interesting "why" questions in no particular order... • Why do cats purr? This is a riddle that has plagued humankind for centuries. And, according to the Library of Congress , vets are still somewhat baffled. • Why do dogs eat grass?

What if they gave an election and nobody came? For years, that was the political scientists' doomsday scenario, even though the lament over low voter turnout may have been exaggerated . Whatever the case, the primaries have allayed those fears, at least for 2008. Crabby pundits may feel that the presidential race has been a slog, but the contest has stimulated more than just higher voter participation. Considering how complicated the whole process has turned out to be,

Tragedy struck this May after a cyclone devastated Myanmar and an earthquake killed thousands in China. In the political realm, primaries continued to dominate online searches, but the diagnosis of Senator Ted Kennedy's brain tumor made the statesman one of the most queried Democrats of the month. These stories and many others reverberated through Search. Unnatural Disasters The number of casualties is still unknown in Myanmar,

Ever since word hit that Hollywood's hunkiest bachelor is free, free, free, Buzz has been aglow with articles about George Clooney . "Clooney loose," cried the New York Post . "George is back on the market," declared the New York Daily News . "Time to take up cocktail waitressing," crooned Shine . Searchers were so eager for more on the split that lookups for Clooney's ex, Sarah Larson , rose a staggering 9,582% yesterday. While Sir George was breaking up,

Imagine what it was like to be a hipster before the Internet. Oh my, it must have been tough. Cool dudes and dudettes had to travel from thrift store to thrift store in covered wagons. And, when they arrived, there was no guarantee that the store would have any ironic t-shirts or faux fur jackets in stock. Truly, these were trying times. Now, of course, everything has changed. The Web has made it far easier to join the ranks of the tragically hip. Want proof?

It's double entendre week at the Buzz Multiplex. " Sex " pairs with " Strangers " on the marquee, and documentary " Bigger, Stronger, Faster ," about America's roid rage, sparks mild interest. "The Strangers" follows the usual pattern of horror films with a strong showing in Search, partly because of its vague "based on a true story" claims. Crime fans are researching possible cinematic inspirations like the " keddie cabin murders " and the Manson murders and Barbara Hoyt .

Scott McClellan was the White House press secretary for three years . During that time, he defended the Bush Administration on such hot-button topics as the Valerie Plame affair and the Iraq war. Now, with the publication of a furious memoir , the Texas Republican has let us know what he really thinks about the experience. And it isn't pretty. Lashing out at "Washington's culture of deception," the one-time member of the Bush inner circle has lambasted his ex-employer.

Gamers annihilate aliens, win Super Bowls, and save galaxies. And yet their victories are rarely appreciated or even acknowledged by anyone out of earshot. The Xbox 360 's achievement system is changing all that. Achievements are "game-defined goals" that, when reached, reward the player with achievement points )scoring five touchdowns before halftime, for example(. Achievement points go towards ones " gamerscore ," which is visible across the Web. The higher the gamerscore,

We're just two weeks out from the rumored release of the new iPhone , and speculation is flowing fast and free in Buzz. Will it be solar powered ? Will it allow geo-tagging ? Will it sashay down the aisles in a variety of stylish colors ? And most importantly, will it be ours? Playing coy, Apple refuses to confirm that a new version of the sleek mobile masterpiece is, in fact, coming. But fans of the design-oriented company seem convinced . Over the past seven days,

Few celebrities are worshipped like Oprah Winfrey . And yet, according to the New York Times , Oprah's influence may be on the decline. The Times reports that "the average audience for 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' has fallen nearly 7 percent this year." The article goes on to explain that her magazine, O , is losing subscribers, and some of her longtime fans are upset with her endorsement of Barack Obama . All that may be true,

Few celebrities are worshipped like Oprah Winfrey . And yet, according to the New York Times , Oprah's influence may be on the decline. The Times reports that "the average audience for 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' has fallen nearly 7 percent this year." The article goes on to explain that her magazine, O , is losing subscribers, and some of her longtime fans are upset with her endorsement of Barack Obama . All that may be true,

In the wilds of the southern U.S."and particularly among the sawgrass marshes and mangrove clusters of Florida's Everglades"a hefty, hairy, and elusive creature reportedly lurks. Called the " skunk ape ," this oversized mystery is said to be a near-relative of Bigfoot 's. It's also, apparently, quite stinky. The malodorous biped may be shy, but yesterday it made a splashy appearance in Search.

In the wilds of the southern U.S."and particularly among the sawgrass marshes and mangrove clusters of Florida's Everglades"a hefty, hairy, and elusive creature reportedly lurks. Called the " skunk ape ," this oversized mystery is said to be a near-relative of Bigfoot 's. It's also, apparently, quite stinky. The malodorous biped may be shy, but yesterday it made a splashy appearance in Search.