Hey all- The politics section of Digg took off and has grown faster than almost any other content area on the site. Since then, we've added new categories for political opinion, political news and the 2008 U.S. elections. And, last fall we launched Digg the Candidates as another way to discover news on Digg and to follow content on the candidates and see what they are Digging. As the U.S. election season hits full swing,

Back in July, Democratic and Republican National Convention Committees called upon YouTube users to answer the question: "Why are you a Republican (or a Democrat ) in 2008?" Hundreds submitted, ten finalists were selected ??" and now, after tallying your votes, two winners have been chosen to attend this year's upcoming Democratic and Republican National Conventions and spend a day on the campaign trail with their party's candidate.

Which of these budding entertainment journalists will win a press pass to report from the red carpet at a major awards ceremony this fall? It's up to you to decide! People.com narrowed down the hundreds of entries to these final 10, and now it's your turn to pick your favorite YouTube reporter to strut their stuff on the red carpet next month. The finalist with the most "thumbs up" votes will not only win a trip to L.A.

For this month's Guru Challenge, Lance Armstrong ??"- who just joined YouTube and launched a wellness web site, Livestrong.com - wants to know how you've dared to change your life or the life of someone else . Make a response video to his video, telling the legendary bicyclist your inspiring stories, particularly how you've overcome obstacles in your life. The Livestrong.

If you can spare about a dozen minutes on TrendspottingTuesday , you can catch 12 examples of tight film-making, as we highlight short films that punch the clock around the one-minute mark. At a time when Hollywood blockbusters often run for more than two hours, it can be exhilarating to catch videos that can make a point in a minute. Take film maker Ari Gold, who delivered a sharp 60-second riff on culture ,

In June, Michelle Kaufmann asked you to share your creative alternatives to recycling. Many great ideas were submitted, but perhaps the most impressive was the Bejeweled 'Cuff Style' Bracelet by beadclub . To take an everyday coffee sleeve and to turn it into a fun accessory exemplifies what this challenge was all about: Other entries didn't disappoint, either. With baby shoes made out of plastic bags and art pieces constructed out of old magazines ,

by Claudine Zap The music wasn't enough. Neither was the popular Broadway show or the frothy movie starring Meryl Streep. And so Hollywood has given us " Mamma Mia! The Sing-Along Edition ." The flick will open August 29 nationwide. Searches for " mamma mia soundtrack " surged today, possibly in anticipation of this latest Abba-infused event. But if Mamma Mia doesn't get your groove on, there are plenty of soundtracks to choose from. Here are the top soundtracks in Yahoo!

by Molly McCall In an interview on Wednesday, John McCain said he doesn't know how many homes he and his wife own. This confession hit the Web like an under-priced condo in a mortgage-friendly market. Demand for " john mccain homes " whizzed up the Search charts, and articles on the gaffe filled the Buzz. This is hardly the first time that a presidential candidate found himself at the center of a housing spectacle. In 2004,

Google has made a big to-do over several election related product launches lately ??" most recently with their dedicated Power Readers section of Google Reader that aggregates stories handpicked by Obama and McCain's campaigns (what, no Bob Barr and Nader?) as well as high-profile political reporters. There is also a Google Maps election maps mash-up thingamajig .

The tools I am listing today are not for daily use. I personally play with them once in a while if I want to get a really profound understanding of (top ten) search results. 1. Map out how Google and Yahoo search results are linked to each other: Yahoo vs. Google tool identify "authority" sites that do (similarly) well in both the search engines; get more in-depth competition research .