Well, the California Supreme court has upheld Prop 8. :( But they are also upholding the existing 18,000 marriages as valid. And efforts for change in 2010 are already gearing up.

Please watch this 60 second video. Or you can watch the original 4 minute version below.

I was researching the most popular searches on Google.

What? That's a perfectly normal thing to do. So I was researching the most popular searches on Google, so what?

Why?

Oh. Well, because I'm shameless and I was hoping to capitalize on what is interesting the world right now by writing a post on it. Which would (hopefully) generate more traffic for my blog. That's why.

So, like I was saying. I was researching the most popular searches on Google (the Preakness is topping the current searches). And I decided to take a look at the top searches of 2008. They were:

1. sarah palin
2. beijing 2008
3. facebook login
4. tuenti (the Spanish "Facebook")
   
5. heath ledger
6. obama
7. nasza klasa (the Polish "Facebook")
   
8. wer kennt wen (the German "Facebook")
   
9. euro 2008
10. jonas brothers

What does is say the Barack Obama didn't even make the top five? What does it say that only two politicians made the list but four social networking sites did? And what does it say about the future for music that the Jonas brothers made the list?

I'm not sure. But I can tell you this...

I am so not qualified to write about the Preakness.

For a while I've had only a vague understanding of the financial crisis that's happening. Every time I'd try to read about it my brain would kind of fog up and my eyes would glaze over. The cure? A fancy, animated video of course! Here's an explanation for those of us who are ADD (video from Vimeo via The Consumerist).

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Last night, as Adam was driving home from the hospital...

What?! Hospital?!

Relax. He's mostly OK. He managed to dislocate his shoulder (again) and chipped a bone in the process. He said it wasn't as painful as usual, in fact he didn't really want to go to the hospital in the first place but needed a doctor's note for disability/work issues. When the doc wanted to do an x-ray he didn't think it was necessary. But, low and behold, a chipped bone. So other than not being able to use his right arm for two weeks (and therefore not being able to work) he's doing fine. He's a little stiff and sore but the sling prevents him from moving it in such a way that would be painful.

Anyhow...he was driving home from the hospital yesterday and suddenly "a bright flash caught [his] attention up ahead. [He] looked up and a streaking fireball hurled out of the clouds towards the ground. It was really a spectacular sight to behold. At first [he] wasn't sure if it was the end of the world. [He] cringed and waited for the shock wave but since the nuke didn't go off [he] assumed it was a meteor instead."

Apparently the celestial light show was seen all over Alberta and Saskatchewan. You can read about it here. As you've probably guessed, the accepted explanation is meteor (though they're hoping it was a meteorite). Of course, there are other theories.

• Wormwood
• Alien spacecraft
• The infamous toolbox
• The Economy crashing and burning

My personal favorite is Wormwood, since it would coincide so nicely with the recent election of the Antichrist (insert eye rolling here).

What are your theories?

ETA:

At the start of the year I didn't believe America was ready to do it. I didn't think they'd elect a black man, even if he was the best choice. Thank you, America. Thank you for proving me wrong! And thank you for electing Barack Obama! I am proud of the United States, and proud of my home state of Ohio for making up for a poor choice the last 8 years.

There is so much I want to say, so many feelings I'm feeling tonight. I am so looking forward to telling my grandchildren some day about what I witnessed tonight. But nothing I have to say won't be said more eloquently by someone else. So I will leave you with these two links (the first of which is for humor, the second of which inspires me).

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/4/213412/858/705/653220

http://www.patrickmoberg.com/november-4-2008.jpg

Note: Honest Abe was never a senator (he ran for Congress, but unsuccessfully); however he was a representative. But even if it's slightly inaccurate the sentiment is the same.