Trends

If you want to know what people are interested in, who better to tell you than the modern Oracle? And, luckily, Google provides a page called Google Trends, which tracks what people are search for. You can find Trends at http://www.google.com/trends.

At the top right now is "maria belen shapur photo" - that would be the Other Woman in Mark Sanford's life - trailed by various searches related to Farah Fawcett's death.

Catching up fast, though, are stories related to the reported death of Michael Jackson, one of the very biggest stars of the last 35 or so years. I remember him fronting the Jackson 5 as an adorable adolescent in "The Love You Save" and other '70s hits. I haven't heard much of his music in the last 30 years, though I am aware of huge hits like the Thriller album. And of course I've watched his descent into the grotesque with a mix of fascination and horror, between the drugs, the payoffs to the parents of young boys, and whatever the hell happened to his appearance. I have to admit, that's one autopsy report I'd love to read.