Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

Equal time:

Wanna meet former VP AL GORE in Copenhagen later this month and talk a little climate change with him? A VIP ticket to meet the former veep, get a copy of his new book, "Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis," and have your picture taken with him will set you back 5,999 Dutch Kroners --$1,209 U-S dollars at the latest exchange rate.
   And don't worry, the VIP tickets include "drinks and a light snack."
   There are cheaper tickets available to hear Gore speak on December 16. They range from $40-to-$300-dollars, depending on where you'd like to sit. (Pacelli)

The Internet:

Top Product Searches On Cyber Monday
15. nuvi 205 GPS
14. Farouk CHI GF1001 1 Inch Ceramic Ionic Flat Iron Hair Straightener
13. Microsoft Xbox 360 Premium System
12. Tomtom ONE 130 GPS
11. Nintendo DS Limited Edition Pokemon Pack
10. Apple 8GB iPod nano Blue
9. Apple iPod touch 32GB - Black
8. nuvi 205W GPS
7. nuvi 765T GPS
6. Office 2007 Home and Student (Full Product, PC)
5. D90 SLR Digital Camera Kit
4. Digital Rebel XSI 12MP Black Digital SLR Camera w/ EF-S 18-55mm Kit
3. Apple iPod touch 16GB
2. nuvi 265WT GPS
1. Wii Fit

Source: PriceGrabber.com:

The King of Pop ruled the Internet this year. Google, Yahoo! and Bing all say the most popular search term for 2009 was MICHAEL JACKSON. BRITNEY SPEARS topped Yahoo's search list for the last four years, but the pop princess is now in fifth place, behind "Twilight," World Wrestling Entertainment and actress MEGAN FOX. LADY GAGA and "Twilight" came in high on Google's most searched terms, while "Twitter" and "Swine Flu" ranked behind Michael on Microsoft's new search engine, Bing. (Marino)

Top ten overall Yahoo! Searches:
10. Runescape
9. NASCAR
8. Kim Kardashian
7. American Idol
6. Naruto (Japanese Anime)
5. Britney Spears
4. Megan Fox
3. WWE
2. Twilight
1. Michael Jackson
# # #
Fastest Rising Google Searches (Global):
10. Torpedo Gratis (SMS service)
9. dantri.com.vn (Vietnam site)
8. Windows 7
7. Lady Gaga
6. New Moon
5. Sanalika (virtual world)
4. Twitter (social network)
3. Tuenti (social network)
2. Facebook(social network)
1. Michael Jackson

Off the beaten path:

Iraqis got quite a surprise this past weekend when they turned on their TVs and saw none other than SADDAM HUSSEIN staring back at them.
   A new satellite station dubbed, "The Saddam Channel," premiered on Iraqi TV and across the Arab world just days ago, attracting its share of curiosity seekers.
   There are no anchors, no live shows and no scripted programs on the channel. Instead, traditional music plays over a steady stream of still images of Saddam. His old speeches are broadcast and written words of praise pop up.
   According to the Jerusalem Post, the chairman of the new 24-hour channel is in Syria but refuses to say where the broadcast is coming from and who's bankrolling it. Many Iraqis suspect Baathists loyal to Saddam are behind it. (Maiman)

Surprising revelations about Hussein revealed on the Saddam Channel (Maiman):

   --Bought most of his medals on eBay
   --Of his 24 palaces, 19 were just timeshares
   --Occasionally dressed up in frilly pink burqas from Victoria Secret
   --That "Brokeback Mountain" movie made him cry
   --Refrigerator was fully stocked with Hebrew National Hot Dogs
   --Was up for the game show host role in "Slumdog Millionaire"
   --Use to liven up Thanksgiving leftovers with anthrax
   --High school yearbook shows he was voted "Most likely to successfully dupe an American president"
   --They should combine Iran and Iraq into one country and call it Irrational
   --Favorite artist: Barry Manilow