The Politics of Girl Scout Cookies

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Photo: transgriot.blogspot.com

It is that time of the year again, when people purchase multiple boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. As such, people craving those ever shrinking morsels of goodness, are searching the internet for information on where they can get their hands on some Thin Mints (which are excellent straight from freezer, in my opinion). Which part of the country is most excited about these annual treats? According to Google Insights, it is Omaha, Nebraska.Also based on Google searches, the most favored cookies are Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs (these results correspond with the most sold percentages listed on Wikipedia). What is your favorite?

 

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Photo: CNN.com

Of course, there has been a lot of buzz about the Republican Debates associated with this year's presidential primary. I thought it was interesting, but not surprising, that Utah has logged the most internet searches on the debates. I am fairly sure that this is the case because many Mormons are interested in the fate of Mitt Romney. The four states where most Mitt Romney searches occur are: Utah, Idaho, New Hampshire, and Massachussetts. Of course, Utah and Idaho have large Mormon populations and Romney was Governor of Massachussetts and has a home in New Hampshire. Gingrich searches are concentrated in South Carolina, Georgia, DC, and Iowa. Just as an experiment, lets see how well Google search scores (the numbers associated with the candidates below) translate into votes for a candidate. The search scores were for the day before the votes.

IOWA: Santorum - 36, Romney - 20, Gingrich - 11

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Romney - 75, Santorum - 47, Gingrich - 18

SOUTH CAROLINA: Gingrich - 59, Santorum - 36, Romney - 32

Florida
Chart: Google

If this pattern holds true, if the Florida election were held tomorrow, Gingrich would be the slight favored to win. However, my assessment is that the trends favor Romney, and my prediction is that Romney will be number one in searches and will win Florida. It will be interesting to see how tonight's debate will shift these numbers, which based on the opinions of the pundits, I expect again to see the numbers to shift towards Romney.

Nationally, Gingrich peaked on Sunday, Jan 22, but has since slipped with Romney regaining the lead in the "search votes" on Tuesday.

1/26/12 NATIONAL: Romney - 18, Gingrich - 15, Santorum - 6

On a side note, I have often heard that Ohio is a good measure of the nation as a whole, and it appears that the Google search scores of the candidates provides further proof of this.

1/26/12 OHIO: Romney - 18, Gingrich - 16, Santorum - 7

(Note: I purposely left Ron Paul out of the rankings, because his numbers are anomalies. Also as you can see, so far the numbers correspond with the winner, but not necessarily the second, third, ... places.)

 

Practical Accessorizing

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Photo: Crocs.com

While flying to an interview in Connecticut, I was thumbing through the in-flight magazine when I stumbled upon an article highlighting some famous person's favorite travel items. One of the items was a pair of Crocs Santa Cruz loafers. I thought that they looked very comfortable, so I asked my wife to buy me a pair for Christmas. That said, I didn't get them for Christmas as they were all sold out for most sizes, including my size of course. These are the most popular Crocs loafers, and while many sizes are still unavailable, my wife was finally able to hit the right window to but me a pair. They are as comfortable, if not more comfortable than they look. I walked around Utah University's dinosaur museum all day without even a hint of foot discomfort. In terms of searches, these loafers are most popular in Texas, California, and New York. I am guessing that a lot of men read the same in-flight magazine article that I did.

 

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Photo: AsianPoses.com

This past weekend I went shopping at Da Zhong, one of the largest Chinese markets in the Greater Salt Lake area, to purchase items that I would need to prepare a feast for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration. At Da Zhong, I finally witnessed firsthand the trend among Asians of wearing glasses without lenses. I wondered if it was an attempt to look smarter, but decided it was merely a fashion statement...frames as another "must-have" accessory.

An article in Neojaponisme on this trend mentioned that this trend is Asia wide and may have started in Taiwan, Korea, or Japan. Another interesting part of this article was a quote from Japanese magazine Jelly , which said: “It’s common sense to take the lenses out of your fake glasses.” Jelly claims two reasons for this practice. First, lenses tend to smash against gyaru’s enormous fake eyelashes. Second, the reflection from the actual glass in the frames ruins photographs. So whether you wear "fake" glasses to look smart, fashionable, or both, it is just practical to pop out those lenses, especially if you have long, luscious, lashes.

Tasty Fungus and the Granthams Go to War

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Photo: Claude Paris, FILE / AP Photo

A "60 Minutes" segment got truffles trending this week. Although most of my exposure to the fungus variety has been in the form of Trader Joe's truffle infused oil, I can claim to be a big fan of the expensive morsels. Not the most shocking aspect of the segment, but disappointing still the same, was the fact that many truffles in the United States are a less flavorful variety from China, and you probably won't know until your tastebuds are let down after high expectations for the tuber. If I only had some oak trees and climate to cultivate my own.

 

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Photo: ITV

Another trending topic this week was Downton Abbey, as the second season of the popular British series debuted on PBS. The popularity of this show is another highlight for the growing British creativity in the film industry, at a time when many claim that Hollywood is struggling for new ideas. In addition to direct imports of shows like Downton Abbey or Merlin, many of the popular US shows are direct adapatations from British shows (e.g. American Idol, The Office, etc.) What are the British doing to feed this creativity? Is this creativity spilling over into other industries on the isles as well? 

Back to the specific show, Downton Abbey, which I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy. The show apparently gained most attention in New England (Massachussetts and New Hampshire specifically). Seems appropriate, doesn't it? I would imagine that quite a few New Hampshire families took a respite from the drama of modern politics to watch the Grantham family cope with the struggles of World War I.

A Brand New Year for Goals and Watching TV

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Photo Source: http://msdcenter.blogspot.com

Resolutions

As we all rang in the new year across the globe, there is no surpirise that the internet was a buzz about the new year and all things related. Of course, many people take part in the tradition of making resolutions for how they plan to better themselves or the world, more than they did the year before. Anyone going to the gym this week can confirm that one of the most common resolutions is to become more healthy. As such, Weight Watchers was a top performer in the ethernet, breaking the top ten search terms this week. Searches were especially high in the US, Ireland, and Germany. Citizens in West Virginia, Maine, and Alabama originate the highest searches within the United States. The company's share prices has increased by 13 percent this week, which gives reason to resolve to look for quick returns on resolution related companies for 2013.  

 

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Photo Source: BBC

Pop TV

Sunday, in the US, was all about NFL football with talk of the Giants, Cowboys, Saints, Jets and, of course, about Tebow. Across the pond in the UK and Ireland, it was all about BBC's Eastenders and the death of a character named Pat. Later in the week, in Canada, our northern neighbors enjoyed Canada vs. Russia in Ice Hockey. Finally, a trip back down south has viewers engaged in discussions of Jersey Shore. Assessment: TV advertising still matters, a lot.