Not all was about financial lows and jittery panic this week. Good news slipped in among the black yawning chasm of bad news, as celebrities made pitches for motherhood, college football fans exulted in pigskin hotspots, and lawmakers got to yell at Wall Street executives. Here now is the week in Buzz.

The Economy Just Needs a Mud Bath
Timing is everything. The Buzz Log reported an incensed surge for "aig spa" searches, but no, not for recommendations. AIG, which may have to dip back in taxpayer pockets after last month's $85 billion bailout, was handed a clue during this week's Senate hearing, when lawmakers chewed out execs for a $440,000 spa trip to reward "top-performing" life insurance agents. The Wall Street firm cancelled another junket and the plan to pay for pricy ads to apologize. Now free: $400/night rooms available at the Ritz Carleton in California's Half Moon Bay. Still wanted: Apology.

Hot Magazine Mamas
Motherhood isn't just sexy, it's high fashion. Halle Berry, the Oscar winner who also tortured audiences as Catwoman, now wears the Esquire crown of Sexiest Woman Alive. Berry's acceptance essay pondered hip dysplasia, the ripe smell of her man's (Gabriel Aubry) car, and how she feels sexier after motherhood. Meanwhile, 2004 honoree Angelina Jolie has received props from advocates like La Leche League International for being W magazine's breastfeeding cover woman for November. No essay, but she talks up pregnancy and her beau Brad Pitt. 

Something to Cheer About
At least there's always college football. USA Today lowered its head and ran with its list of "10 great places to stand and cheer college football." Among the stadiums, Neyland got kudos for passion, Husky for its views, and Camp Randall for its deep-fried cheddar balls.

Also buzzing this week ...
 • A 92-year-old tradition ended in a sad pun when Mother's Cookies baked its last Circus Animal cookies. Even NPR couldn't resist the crumbling metaphor, when the private equity firms that bought the company three years ago now declared it bankrupt.
 • Markets may fall, but the two wheels keep turning: The Economist reports pumped-up bike sales worldwide, thanks to gas prices and the battle of the bulge.
 • Forget staycation. People hankering to get away from the madding crowd found budget travel sites devoted to the cause of relaxation.

Voters have a big decision to make this fall. How big? Let's just say that it will largely determine the future of facial hair fashion. The choice: Who will win the 2008 Mustache of the Year Awards?

The award, also known as "the Goulet," is a big deal in certain circles. Folks place their votes with the American Mustache Institute, an organization dedicated to the advancement of the hairy lip. The award aims to recognize the most "impactful mustached American." This year's nominees include both treasured celebrities like swinging cat Pat O'Brien and "regular folks" like Sgt. Jon Alvarez of the U.S. Army. Other honorees include the entire staff of the Boston Phoenix newspaper, which implemented a mandatory mustache policy, and ex-baseball player Rich "Goose" Gossage, who has been rocking the 'stache for as long as we can remember.

Buzz on this prestigious award is building in anticipation of the October 25th ceremony. Articles from a variety of sources are picking up steam and searches on "mustache awards" and "best mustaches" refuse to be trimmed. The winner will be announced in a few weeks, so be sure to vote soon and have your voice heard. It's your patriotic duty.

1. "W magazine" (+8,647%). The fashion mag's November ogle-worthy issue has Angelina Jolie on the cover, "apparently breast feeding" one of her new-born twins, according to USA Today.
2. "Neiman Marcus christmas book" (+1,366%). Dear Santa: All we want for Christmas is a limited-edition BMW. The $160,000 price tag looks almost reasonable compared to the Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course for a cool million. Buzz platinum users cruised over to the online catalog to take a look: Luckily, that's free.
3. "Alexander McQueen" (+1,360%). The English high-fashion designer was trending up in Buzz after Project Runway judge Michael Kors told contestant Kenley that her wedding dress was a ringer for a McQueen design just off the runway. See for yourself.
4. "Cheap weekend getaways" (+609%). Staycations are so last summer.
5. "Mother's cookies" (+446%). Sentimental searches surged for the pink-frosted treats from childhood. The cookie company crumbled today, citing the cost of ingredients and the credit crunch, according to NPR.

Beefcake's the main entree served up at the Buzz Multiplex this weekend, with A-list actors and historical sports figure. Of course, movie offerings also include the tasty family-film appetizer amd the guilty pleasures of junk-food horror. Feast your eyes upon the top four menu options based on Searches in the past seven days.

1. "Quarantine" (R). Horror movies usually draw lots of online interest, especially from the kiddies too young to catch an R-rated flick about reality TV show hosts caught in a quarantined building. Likely destined for the DVD bargain bin, the movie's also getting some traffic for its site, Contain the Truth, as well as stars Jennifer Carpenter, Jay Hernandez, and Columbus Short.

2. "Body of Lies" (R). So what stirs people's curiosities when Leonardo DiCaprio pairs with Russell Crowe in a spy film? DiCaprio's offscreen and onscreen lady loves, including Bar Rafaeli, Kate Winslet (in "Titanic") and his current romantic lead, Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani (+96%). War on terror films have garnered mix reception, and this one gets mixed critical feedback like "excessively intricate and extremely dull" to "throat-gripping urgency and some serious insights." The title does intrigue males and females 13-54, enough to reach the top 5,000 searches and claim the honor of political family movie of the week.

3. "City of Ember" (PG-13). Inspired by the novel of nearly the same name, the fantasy delves into the lives of two teens who try to figure out how to save their dying underground city. A 38% chunk of online lookups hails from the under-18 set. Teen stars Saoirse Ronan and Harry Treadaway may save the day, but only Ronan's getting the time of day among searchers. Among the old-timers, Bill Murray and Tim Robbins have been getting a gratifying bump in their online profiles.

4. "The Express" (PG). Don't be deceived by the fourth-place ranking in Search: Lookups for "ernie davis" (+131%), the first black man to win the Heisman Trophy, are five times as popular as the movie and higher than "Quarantine." Davis is also more popular than DiCaprio, the top searched actor of the week. As for star Rob Brown, the relative newcomer is making only a tiny Search ripple, while Dennis Quaid as the coach gets more love. Guys (especially those from the Eastern shores of the U.S., Texas, and California) make up two-thirds of the interest for the we-shall-overcome-feel-good-historical-sports movie of the week.

Both Barack Obama and John McCain have passionate supporters. Oddly, on Election Day, that enthusiasm could work against the candidates.

According to several sources within Yahoo! Buzz, voters who wear a candidate's t-shirt to the polling place may be told to take a hike. NPR reports the law "requires poll workers to keep political displays away from the voting booth." A "political display" could include a shirt, button, hat, unitard, whatever.

This rule has been on the books for years, but some predict that this will be the first time it is widely enforced. Supporters for both parties, but especially those who back Obama, are known for wearing official shirts and buttons. If they show up to do their patriotic duty while adorned in such attire, there could be some drama.

Or maybe not. Other articles within the Buzz point out that, at worst, the poll worker could ask the voter to turn their shirt inside out or remove the button. Odds of a riot are extremely slim. Our advice: No matter who you're voting for, stick with a plain white t-shirt on November 4. Or, if you prefer, a non-political themed unitard.

While systemic financial malfeasance has put our nation in grave peril, it is beneficial to remember that we remain, as John Adams wrote, “a government of laws and not of men." Let's take a look: 

Item: From WJZ, Baltimore - The Baltimore County Health Department plans to fine Stan Dabowski for ignoring its warning not to hold pig mud wrestling matches at his farm. “There were clear cut examples where the pigs were being mistreated,” the Health Department said. Let's just hope no costumes were involved.

Item: The Daily Item, of Sunbury, PA reports that a judge offered to reduce an Ohio college student’s fine for playing loud rap music on his car stereo from $150 to $35 if the student would listen to classical music by Bach, Beethoven, and other great masters. A probation officer reported 24-year old Andrew Vactor lasted just 15 minutes before bailing on the music, opting to pay the full fine instead. We say next time, reduce the fine to $0 and make him listen to Yanni.

Item: In what some may consider an outrageous assault on the civil liberties of drivers, Chicago has banned texting while driving, The Chicago Sun-Times reports. Fines range from $75 to $200, hopefully more if you take the time to type an emoticon.

Item: Again from The Daily Item: A judge in Philadelphia slashed a lawyer’s request for $180,000 for his work on a winning civil rights suit to just $26,000 because of excessive errors and typos in his paperwork, the second time his fee’s been reduced for sloppiness. Attorney Brian Puricelli said he mistakenly filed an unedited copy and blamed the mistakes on spell-Czech. Check!

International item: Citizen Sugar informs us a UK mailman has been fined $200 for “snapping what the judge deemed an 'unchivalrous' photo of a woman. . . decorating the gutter outside of a bar.” At the behest of the woman's friends, the police charged the photographer with breach of the peace. No word yet whether any Lindsay Lohan paparazzi issued a brief for the defense.

Final item: A business column from the San Antonio Express-News warns us it’s illegal to lie on a mortgage application.

Oh, now they tell us.

The economic meltdown has been stressful for everyone. That need to decompress may have been the excuse that AIG execs gave themselves when, after receiving a hefty $85 billion government bailout, 70 "top performers" were rewarded with a trip to a posh California resort for a little R & R. Then ran up a tab of $440,000 — $23,000 at the spa alone. Yes, as taxpayers will undoubtedly remember, that's our money they're spending on mani-pedis and the mini bar.

Not to worry, Congress is so on it. The Washington Post  reported that Rep. Henry Waxman kicked off a hearing on the matter saying, "We will ask whether any of this makes sense." That's a relief.

The public may have first learned of this rather flagrant disrespecting of the U.S. rescue plan when Sen. Obama mentioned the junket during the last presidential debate. Search on "aig spa" surged 827%. Conscientious investors also sought out "aig executives," "aig bailout," "aig retreat," and "latest aig news."

AIG says it's all a big misunderstanding. Sure, it may not look good that they went on a self-indulgent spending spree, when many people have lost their homes, their retirement funds, and their jobs. But this er, unfortunately timed "business event" was planned way before the bailout, according to U.S News and World Report. And no executives from the financial products division—the one that almost brought the company down—were invited to the junket.

Still, Americans may not appreciate the subtlety of that defense. Even the White House called the week-long excursion of wining and dining "despicable." It's enough to send us straight to the massage table.

Between the draining presidential campaign and the world economy going down the drain, it's easy to forget that there is still fun to be had. That's especially true for baseball fans. The playoffs are in full swing and we now know that one of four teams will be World Series champions.

Below, you'll find a chart that compares the level of interest on the four squads. Red Sox, Rays, Dodgers, and Phillies—who's the tops in Search? (Spoiler alert: It's not the Red Sox, Rays, or Phillies.)

1. "In-n-out burger" (+833%). October marks the 60th anniversary of this family-owned burger chain. If you are jonesing for a double-double animal style, find the nearest location here.
2. "SNL bailout skit" (+303%). The skit on the Bush bailout has been garnering clicks for its lampooning of George Soros and George Bush. Although the segment was briefly pulled from the NBC website due to concerns around its—ahem—unflattering portrayals of certain public figures, an edited version has been restored, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
3. "Easy halloween cookies" (+228%). The bakers among us are eagerly preparing for the Halloween holiday. Who among us would turn down a black cat cookie? Find the recipe here.
4. "New horror movies on dvd" (+175%). Of course, Halloween isn't all sweet. Dish out the horror for a Halloween movie night. Guest list should include: Freddy, Jason, and Dracula.
5. "Evel knievel toys" (+159%). We thought his toys were all those motorcycles he used to jump over stuff. But the action figure collectibles (check out those supercool commercials from the 70s) are still sought after by toy collectors.

Kim Kardashian may get a second chance at dance. The celeb, who was kicked off  "Dancing with the Stars" last week, thinks she deserves to show her high kicks once again. According to Jezebel the ex-contender was "inconsolable" after being booted.

Now that fellow contestant Misty May-Treanor is out after suffering an injury during practice, Kardashian wants back in. When asked to comment if she would consider it, the ex-contestant told ABC, "If they ask me to, I'm available."

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the reality show star is available for a reason: After performing what USA Today called a "lackluster rumba," she underwhelmed the judges with the third lowest score. That combined with the disappointed audience vote led to her ouster.

Of course, fans and foes of Kardashian should keep in mind this is only the stuff of rumor, for now. But with May-Treanor out with a bad Achilles tendon, it's possible viewers of the show may again see Kardshaian's Dancing with the Stars Achilles heel.

Tuesday night's debate was a bit of a snoozer. Despite the rumors that Senator McCain would take the gloves off, he remained a polite pugilist (not counting his "that one" comment). Meanwhile, Senator Obama stayed on message while ignoring Tom Brokaw's numorous pleas for brevity. Though certainly not a "game changer," the town hall meeting was notable for John McCain's $300 billion plan to have the government buy and renegotiate mortgages on houses whose value have dropped.

The proposal has folks talking. Forbes.com points out that this is hardly a new idea among economists. The New York Times writes that "the mortgage renewal idea actually originated with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, said Charlie Black, a senior adviser to Mr. McCain."

So, is it feasible and, more importantly, is it a good idea? Not surprisingly, it depends on who you ask. The $300 billion used to buy back the dodgy mortgages would be part of the much discussed $700 billion bailout package. The Associated Press writes that the Treasury's plan for the money could be underway by the time the new president is sworn in. In other words, maybe the money would be spent by then.

Both candidates appear to support the idea, which is ironic. Why? According to Marketwatch the proposal originated with President Bush, a politician who both candidates want nothing to do with.

She's only 26 years old, but Britney Spears has already had more comebacks than Rocky, John Elway, and the American economy combined. This Friday, she'll launch her latest attempt with the video debut of "Womanizer."

The song has been on the radio for a weeks, but so what. When it comes to Britney, folks don't care nearly as much about the vocals as they do the visuals. To that end, Britney should be happy that her video is generating a tremendous amount of buzz. Articles from a variety of sources share "leaked images" and explain that in the video, Brit will play several characters including a sexy secretary and a waitress who prefers writhing to refills.

Search interest is equally strong. Lookups are on the rise for "britney spears womanizer" as well the starlet's new album, the aptly titled "Circus." And, believe it or not, some people are interested in the song's lyrics. Sheesh, just when you think you've seen it all...

So is this the comeback to end all comebacks? Tune in to ABC on Friday night to see for yourself—the video will debut during "20/20." A stodgy news magazine may seem like an odd place for a pop star to launch her comeback, but, hey, it's not like last year's strategy worked.

1. "Misty May" (+109%). The lindy hop did it. Olympic gold medalist and "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Misty May-Treanor is out of the competition after injuring herself during dance practice.
2. "Martini" (+387%). We'll take ours shaken, not stirred. The iconic gin or vodka cocktail is buzzing in Search. Perhaps investors want to take the sting off the current economic forecast. Get your mixology lessons here.
3. "Definition of recession" (+363%). Nobody seems to agree on the meaning of the economic term. Maybe it's like obscenity: We'll know it when we see it.
4. "Vh1 hip hop honors 2008" (+237%). Here is something you can understand: Think of it as the hip hop hall of fame. This year's honorees include Cypress Hill, Naughty by Nature, and De La Soul. See who got top honors here.
5. "Presidential debate" (+204%). The New York Times describes the current tenor of the campaign as "a knife fight in a telephone booth." So let the bloodletting begin. See what to watch for tonight.

Tell us if this sounds familiar. You're 15-years-old. Your five page essay on Copernicus is due tomorrow and you have very little to say and even less motivation to say it. What's a slacker to do? Simple—seek out the largest font your word processor allows. When each word is larger, you'll have to write less.

That little trick saved our bacon back in the day (thank you Courier New!). These days, fonts of all types are surprisingly popular in Search. Some folks want the scoop on different tattoo fonts. Others want to know the name of the font Metallica uses on its albums. And still others are on the hunt for "scary halloween fonts." Spooooky.

We took the liberty of tracking down the ten most popular fonts in Search. Move over Wingdings—there's a new sheriff in town.

What with stock portfolios a study in red, home values sinking to Mediterreanean Avenue levels, and the nation still fighting two wars, our personal Fetal Position Index is through the roof. These days, we’re scared of everything and everyone: Bush, Cheney, Obama, McCain, earthquakes, ghosts, credit default swaps, and Miley Cyrus. Not to mention hurricanes and Chinese milk. Plus Osama bin Laden’s still on the loose, and Sarah Palin keeps winking at us. Seems the only thing we're not afraid of anymore is Kimbo Slice.

Web searchers, too, are feeling the Fear, and not just of events in the news. Aversion to spiders, heights, and other sweat-inducing objects of terror are on the rise, still driving search results with clammy regularity. So in this time of National Nervous Breakdown, we'd like to present to you the top phobia searches for the week.

And remember, the only thing to fear is fear itself.

And spiders. 

1. Agoraphobia (fear of open or public spaces)
2. Xenophobia (fear of stangers or foreign people)
3. Acrophobia (fear of heights)
4. Claustrophobia (fear of Santa - no not really - fear of enclosed spaces)
5. Social phobia (aka “social anxiety disorder,” fear of social situations)
6. Arachnophobia (fear of spiders)
7. Homophobia (fear of or contempt for lesbian and gay men)
8. Photophobia (abnormal sensitivity to or fear of light)
9. Triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13)
10. Commitment phobia (coined in a 1987 book, usually refers to fear of committing to a permanent relationship)