by Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Sonia Sotomayor (Searches increased by 29,208%). The first Puerto Rican from New York has been tapped for the Supreme Court. California Prop 8 (+1,250%). The ballot initiative that invalidated same-sex marriage was upheld by the California Supreme Court. The decision spurred noisy protest by gay marriage advocates . Compost bins (+602%). Turn your table scraps into nutrition for your garden. Bed bug bites (+401%).

by Vera H-C Chan Elegiacal . Vivisepulture . Appoggiatura . Yeah, those seem tough to spell . But what about Susan Boyle, the name of our president, and the trademark of a U.S. train system? Elementary school kids the world over are gathering this week for the Scripps National Spelling Bee . Thanks to documentaries , plays , movies , and the sheer spectacle of kids dismantling words bigger than the average person's entire vocabulary,

by Claudine Zap It's hard to know what motivates Scarlett Johansson . Whatever her reasoning, the actress continues to dabble in song. She has already put out one album covering Tom Waits tunes (really). Scar Jo's singing debut underwhelmed critics , to put it mildly: "Unremarkable," "fussy and forgettable," and "deeply in a druggy ambiance." But this star won't be stopped. She teamed up with songster Pete Yorn for a new album, "Break Up.

by Mike Krumboltz Supreme Court nominee  Sonia Sotomayor is sure to face some tough questions when she undergoes confirmation hearings later this summer . To prepare, she may want to look at what Yahoo! searchers are interested in. Folks are seeking the scoop on her background, biography, and stance on key issues. Here's a quick rundown on a woman who is sure to be one of the top news stories for months to come. Ambition: From Nancy to Perry As a child, Ms.

by Mike Krumboltz Warning: Jon and Kate Gosselin aren't going away. Far from it.  E! Online reports that TLC has ordered a groan-inducing 40 episodes of "Jon and Kate Plus 8." To confirm, that's a "4" and then a "0." The entire Sopranos series had 86. The complete series of BBC's "The Office" had just 12 episodes and a special. 15 minutes of fame never seemed so long.

Yes, I know it's old! And yes, I know the Internet is clogged with spam! But the recession is giving email marketing new life! Why the new life? The answer is simple. Businesses are turning to cost-effective proven programs that get results. Email marketing fits this bill perfectly. First, email is one of the most cost-effective direct marketing methods. Email campaigns can be fully implemented at a fraction of the cost of direct mail campaigns.

Today, we're making some changes to the Google Base Terms of Service. We've also added a section to the Settings tab called "Business Information," which will enable you to associate more information about your business with your listings in Google Base. You will be prompted to accept the new Terms of Service and add your business information the next time you log in to Google Base.

As evidenced by innovations like Google's Wonder Wheel , and Kosmix  the search engines have recently been focusing a majority of their efforts on enhancing their user experience. The logic is sound - Instead of just returning the traditional list of ten text links, search engines have begun to add related suggestions that the user might not otherwise have thought of, or a list of local vendors that can provide what they're looking for.

Putting the "Pop" back into your Father's Day ads Oates. Tonto. Robin. Father's Day. What do all these things have in common? Well, they're all overshadowed by slightly more famous counterparts. Oates had Hall, Tonto had The Lone Ranger, Robin had Batman and Father's Day' has Mother's Day. But despite the second-banana status they share, they're all celebrated in their own way"and Father's Day is no exception.

When I last blogged , Derek Jeter searches had tripled and major league baseball was in full swing. Fast forward a few weeks, and while Derek Jeter is probably still a top search (when is he not?), some may argue that the current show stopper is Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who's leading his team in the Eastern Conference finals of the 2009 NHL playoffs . Or Kobe Bryant ,