Catching "intermedia" trends

I know some folks are doing great with hot trends on google, but I am more of an "intermedia" guy.... taking it a bit slower than day to day action these guys are engaged in.

So I wanted to ask the group for ideas about how to detect intermedia term trends. I am thinking of writing a process to save the hot trends and then I do some analysis from day to day or week to week or month to month and see what is popping, but maybe that is too much work, and there is something better available?

Hope to hear from ya!