by Michele Meyer

It was only a matter of time. After tirelessly serving him through an exhausting presidential campaign, groundbreaking election, and six months in office, President Obama's teleprompter has prompted its last prompt. It was nearly 2 years old.

Teleprompter of the United States (TOTUS) gave selflessly, asking nothing in return. Despite this, it became the butt of many jokes, some made by the man who loved it most. At a White House press corps dinner in May, the president joked that he wanted to "speak from the heart." On cue, TOTUS rose into view, much to the audience's delight.

Vice President Joe Biden got a taste of what life without TOTUS would be like, while speaking at the Air Force Academy's graduation ceremony in May. After the wind blew down the road-weary teleprompter, Biden realized the gravity of the situation and asked, "What am I going to tell the president when I tell him his teleprompter isn't working? What will he do then?"

The world found out the answer to that question Monday, while the president was speaking about urban policy at the White House. Although it was just a few minutes into his speech, the exhausted TOTUS could prompt no more. It collapsed from its stand, crashing to the floor and shattering its glass plate. With shards of glass lying at his feet, President Obama exclaimed, "Oh goodness!", then quickly collected himself and apologized to the tittering audience. Hardly missing a beat, he continued his speech—using the backup teleprompter positioned at the other side of the podium.

Has the president learned from TOTUS' untimely demise? Or will TOTUS' backup suffer the same cruel fate of overuse and under-appreciation? Only time will tell.

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by Mike Krumboltz

It's not every day that you get to hear U.S. Senators and a Supreme Court nominee talk about nunchucks. Today was one such day.

In one of the more unintentionally light exchanges of the second day of confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah questioned Sotomayor on Maloney v. Rice. The case involved the banning of nunchucks, a martial arts weapon made from two sticks of wood and connected by a chain or, as Sen. Hatch suggested, "rawhide."

The mention of nunchucks, which Sotomayor judged to be a deadly weapon and thus subject to a ban in New York, sparked off a huge flurry of searches. Lookups on "nunchucks" and the alternate spelling "nunchaku" both chopped up the Search box.

Likely to surge as the day wears on: "origin of nunchucks." Where do these things come from and who, aside from Napoleon Dynamite, actually finds them to be an effective weapon? Well, Bruce Lee used them in various films. Oh, and let us not forget Michelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 'Nuff said.

You can watch Sen. Hatch and Judge Sotomayor talk nunchucks below...

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by Vera H-C Chan

From the people who have rocked your abs, mastered your thighs and trimmed your nose hairs comes a device to fix that turkey gullet you call a chin. 

The Neckline Slimmer is the latest As Seen on TV fix-it to rock the Buzz. Yahoo! searches on "neckline slimmer" have swelled, mostly from the double-chinned contingents in Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas, New York City, and D.C. (Yes, the nation's capitol. Maybe something to do during the Sonia Sotomayor hearings.)

While we don't doubt "world renowned physiotherapist" Paul Younane for his ingenuity, the little device looks like an asthma inhaler with springs. According to the infomercials, you sandwich the device between your chest and your chin, and raise your head up and down...and for just two humiliating minutes a day, you could look years younger. The slimmer offers three resistance levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced), so you can build jowls so mighty you could break bricks with your jaw.

Of course, people aren't swallowing this fad whole, despite Younane's "personal" guarantee and bonus European firming accelerator cream (with separate shipping costs). Skeptical consumers have been scouting online for "neckline slimmer reviews" and asking "does the neckline slimmer really work." So far, blog comments from people who actually bought the exerciser just complain about shipping costs.

No feedback on its Amazon page either—although under "Customers also looked at" related links, there are at least 14 favorable reviews for the "facial flex" firming tool, AKA the Hannibal Lecter training mask.

But really, this is just one of the classic TV moments. Watch this for just two minutes a day, and the guffaws will make you look years younger. Stick a squishy ball under your chin for the extra burn.

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by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.

1. Molly Ringwald (Searches increased by 13,176%). The 41-year-old who plays a grandmother on TV is now a mom to twins.
2. Giant squid (+530%). The three-to-four-foot long sea creatures began swimming to shore after a small earthquake in San Diego.
3. "Thor" movie (+338%). It's official: Natalie Portman has been cast as the female lead.
4. Al Franken (+308%). Hopes were high that the congressman would bring comedy to the Supreme Court confirmation hearings. But the senator was all business.
5. Goldman Sachs (+192%). The investment company has emerged from its government bailout with huge profits. Go figure.

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by Mike Krumboltz

Michael Jackson was as controversial as he was talented. Of all his contributions to pop culture, his Moonwalk may be the most memorable.

When Jackson died several weeks ago, lookups on the King of Pop, his songs, and his videos all soared to the top of the Search charts. Searches on MJ's signature dance also posted some impressive moves. Now a website has pledged to never let the moonwalk end.

Called "Eternal Moonwalk," the site features clips of countless men, women, animals, and cars (yes cars) doing MJ's reverse stride. Bleeding from one video into another, the site seems to go on forever. Not all the dances are as killer as the creator's, but all show off a love of MJ's work.

Like to show off your own moves? You can submit your own Moonwalk now. It doesn't even have to be of you -- it can be of your kid, your dog, or even your Chevy (just as long as it's going backwards).

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by Claudine Zap

President Obama talks a lot about the importance of discussion with hostile countries like Iran and North Korea. But the sound of music can breach divisions beyond language.

That's the idea behind the invitation extended to the New York Philharmonic to visit Cuba, a country just 90 miles from Florida but with no diplomatic ties to the U.S. (The U.S. government has given the orchestra special permission to travel to the Communist country.)

It may seem odd to send a world-class orchestra to an isolated place. But it wouldn't be the first time. The symphony traveled to the standoffish North Korea just last year. While the symphony leaves politics out of it, an orchestra official told Yahoo! News that it was a little harder for the North Korean government to call America the devil after the trip. "When we played a Korean piece, you should have seen the change in the stoic, impassive faces of the Koreans. Many of them were weeping."

The request for the tour comes as the baton is being passed to a younger conductor, the 42-year-old Alan Gilbert. The new maestro told the Wall Street Journal he hopes to take the orchestra beyond its home of New York City. He may get his wish.

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by Mike Krumboltz

The first day of Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings held few surprises, but several moments did stand out. Below, a summary of the tense moments, endorsements, and unscripted remarks from senators, audience members, and, of course, the nominee herself.

Praise for the Nominee
Ms. Sotomayor's supporters didn't go light on the praise. Fellow female leaders Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, both Democrats, paid tribute. Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch crossed the aisle to give his own kudos. A fawning Sen. Gillibrand had to be told to hurry it up. The most moving supporter, however, didn't say a word. Sotomayor's proud mom Selena was visibly moved as her daughter gave her statement. Her tears of pride proved to be one of the day's most indelible moments (video below).

Tense Moments
Among the day's most memorable moments were the numerous disruptions from critics in the audience. The first outburst (video below) took place just as the hearing was getting underway and featured an unidentified man yelling "abortion is murder" before being led out by security. Pro-life protesters, including "Jane Roe" of "Roe vs. Wade," were arrested at a gathering outside.

Also buzzing was Sen. Lindsey Graham's assertion that "barring a meltdown," Sotomayor will be confirmed. However, that's not to say Sen. Graham will go easy on the nominee. He made that clear with his reference to Ms. Sotomayor's infamous "wise Latina woman" comment (video below), one of the first mentions of her controversial quote we'll hear a lot about this week.

Unscripted Moments
The day went (mostly) according to plan, but several unscripted moments did make their way into the public eye. While politicians aren't exactly known for their sense of humor (even comedian-turned-Minnesota senator Al Franken kept it serious), Minnesota Sen. Klobuchar's Grateful Dead anecdote drew some chuckles. Apparently Sen. Lahey is "quite the Dead-Head." Once upon a time, Lahey was called by the President while on stage with the band. Awkwardness ensued.

Also amusing: Ms. Sotomayor's fidgeting nephews. The two young boys, who alternately napped and giggled, join a long, distinguished list of children forced to sit through political proceedings when they'd rather be playing Nintendo (click here for a telling photo).

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