The things you're searching for.	September 2, 1999

You Can't Fire Me, I Retire!

BEANIE BABIES are the topic du jour after the sudden shocking announcement that the dolls would be "retired" later this year. (Putting them right up with major league umpires.) If you're koo-koo for Beanie Babies, try the jazzy Beanies 4 U site, or the more personal Lauren's Beanie Page, or see the Wired News article about the $100,000 Beanie rip-off artiste. You can also try Lycos Auctions, where (last we checked) Rex the Tye-Dye Tyrannosaurus was going for a cool $250.

RISING STARS

Now on to five of the fastest-rising search terms from Lycos users in the past 48 hours:

FERRET

FERRETS are among the finest smelly, biting, feral pets you can own, and maybe that's why we're seeing a sudden rise in searches for them. (boards if you know a better reason.) Ferret fanciers may enjoy Ferret Fun (with tips on the popular "No bite! No bite!" technique) or Chelsea's Ferret Page (just right for the kids).

RENA MERO

It's a little confusing: RENA MERO used to be Sable, the buxom bombshell pro wrasslin' star. Since she sued the boards she's gone back to being just plain Ms. Mero. A staple of the Lycos 50 (#15 this week), she chatted on Lycos the other night, which may explain the recent rise in searches. You can get more from our Sable celebrity guide which is still in fine shape despite the lawsuit.

HALLOWEEN

HALLOWEEN searches are already rising, if you can believe that. Chief among the terms is Halloween costumes, which maybe explains the early-season rush: it can take a long time to sew the sequins on that Blair Witch outfit. Halloween photos? We've got 'em, including this cheesy landlocked creature from the Black Lagoon. But wouldn't you rather wait another six weeks or so?

MARLBORO

Take your pick of reasons why MARLBORO is currently hot. It's either a) news that the lawsuit of the former TV Marlboro Man, now dead of lung cancer, is moving ahead in court; or b) cigarette prices just went up to (good grief!) $3.75 per pack. Or c) junior high is back in session.

BAD BREATH

We're not sure where this one comes from, and truth be told it was only a small bump in queries. But ain't it intriguing? If you're the one who's been doing the searching, here's an article from our partner WebMD recommending that the tongue "should be vigorously raked" daily to prevent the agony of halitosis.

Up and Coming: CREED

Turns out CREED is no big secret, but I'd never heard of them and maybe you haven't either. They're a newish rock band which the RollingStone.com writeup describes as having a "progressive sound... infused with the classic rock traditions of Led Zeppelin." And they seem to be getting hotter. For more details see Alabcarian's Creed Page or (for you Latin fans) Creed en Espanol.

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