Sucker Punches, Jabs and Bruises: September 2011 Buzz

Cover of George W. Bush
This past month dealt out a handful of smackdown across the board. From weather, the market, and politics to the skies above our heads, there was nowhere to hide.

Round one: Political squabbling

A congress that can barely agree on anything has a hard time getting things done, as demonstrated again this month when it narrowly avoided another shutdown due to infighting over FEMA funding. No wonder its approval rating is at a painful 15%. Ouch!

Progress on the passing of Obama’s jobs bill is also slow -- a tough blow to the hopes of the 9.1% of Americans who are unemployed. President Obama’s approval ratings also took a hit this month, with numbers now lingering in the low 40s, though it is reported that his likability remains slightly higher.

In other political news, the Republican candidates for the 2012 nomination duked it out in four primary debates this month, with newcomer Rick Perry now in the mix. This month’s top Republican searches were for Herman Cain (+321%); Ron Paul (+300%) winning the California straw poll; and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (+5,264%), under rumors that he may join the race.

Round two: The market takes a beating

Market turbulence was in full force in September for our battered and bruised economy, with news of rising unemployment and European austerity. The NYSE invoked its rarely used Rule 48 earlier in the month as a stability measure, and we’ve seen bankruptcy, with Solyndra, as well as worries about the USPS going broke. Many have taken to the streets in protest against Wall Street.

Round three: Mother Nature with a right hook

Hurricane Irene soaked the eastern United States with floodwaters early this month, damaging historical bridges and destroying homes. In the southwest, Texas suffered record-breaking heat this year, as well as drought, and wildfires that have ravaged large areas of the state, leaving hundreds homeless and destroying crops and timber.  Further afield, Mount Etna erupted, earthquakes shook Alaska and the Himalayas, and typhoons blasted Japan, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia.

And, as if Mother Nature’s forces weren’t enough to contend with, we had the additional worries of getting hit on the head by space junk, as NASA’s UARS satellite came hurtling back to Earth. Lucky for us, it ended up landing safely in the middle of the ocean, which was for the best, since you wouldn’t have been able to keep any souvenirs anyway.

Down for the count: Top two punches

September’s sucker punch award belongs to the Mayweather/Ortiz fight (+12,436%), which ended early with a Mayweather victory in the fourth round. The runner-up is the self-inflicted punch thrown on this month’s very popular Roast of Charlie Sheen, when Steve-O made a running jump into Mike Tyson’s fist, leaving him with a broken nose.

Tragedy strikes

Two major air accidents occurred this month. First was the Russian KHL jet crash that killed 43 people, many of whom were professional hockey players, and then the Reno Air Race Crash later in the month, that left nine dead and dozens injured.

We were also reminded of tragedy as people around the world paused to observe the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. President Obama addressed the nation, the names of the victims were read, and former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush spoke at the memorial for the heroes of United Flight 93. "With their brave decision, they launched the first counteroffensive in the war on terror,” said Bush. Clinton and Bush joined forces with Rep. John Boehner to raise $10 million to help pay for the completion of the memorial.

Farewells

We said goodbye this month with the passing of Kara Kennedy (the oldest daughter of Ted Kennedy), Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, Arch West (the inventor of Doritos), actress Frances Bay, Dolores Hope (a singer and the widow of Bob Hope), and singer Vesta Williams.

Saved by the bell: Happy distractions

This month we sought to distract ourselves with the changing of seasons and, as always, the beauty of the entertainment world.

Reality TV grabs our attention like nothing else. This month’s new seasons of America’s Got Talent, X-Factor, and Dancing With the Stars are proof of that, with searches on Chaz Bono “before and after” (+328%) and Nancy Grace’s unfortunate wardrobe malfunction (+off the charts) topping the list.

Last but not least, we are left punch drunk with the cuteness of a few lovable creatures: Frank and Louie, the Janus cat, dazzled us with his two faces; the Bunawan crocodile amazed us with its size; Winter the dolphin impressed us with her prosthetic fin and acting debut; and Willow the cat finally found her way back home.