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If we are what we Google, then Google Hot Trends—an hourly rundown of search terms "that experience sudden surges in popularity"—is the Web's best cultural barometer. Here's a sampling of today's top searches. (Rankings on Hot Trends list current as of 10 a.m.)
No. 25: "Obama NAACP Speech Video." Googlers were eager to watch and read Barack Obama's speech at the 100th annual NAACP Convention. Obama spoke on the themes of responsibility and individual achievement, telling his audience that there were "no excuses" for failure. Addressing black parents, he said he wanted to see more children aspiring to be doctors or Supreme Court justices because "our kids can't all aspire to be the next LeBron or Lil Wayne."
No. 74: "Billie Holiday." Billie Holiday died 50 years ago today. To commemorate the anniversary of her untimely death, WNYC's Leonard Lopate show interviewed jazz historian Dan Morgenstern on her legacy, and Baltimore sculptor James Earl Reid reinserted panels referring to Jim Crow into a Billie Holiday statue. (The panels had been removed by city officials in 1985, right before the dedication.) Watch rare footage of the lady singing the blues here.
No. 94: "Jumbo Squid." San Diego residents no longer need to go to the zoo to see mysterious creatures: Flying jumbo squid have invaded the shoreline in recent days. Known as Humbolt squid, marine bioligists have been trying to figure out what is causing the invasion—theories range from a recent earthquake to global warming. Watch a video of a dazed squid on the National Geographic Web site.
Jumbo squid photograph courtesy David McNew/Getty Images.