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Featured Beauties

Jessica Alba
Jessica Simpson
Lindsay Lohan

Top 5 Actors Buzz

1. Sandra Bullock

 
2. Amanda Bynes

 
3. Gwyneth Paltrow

 
4. Lindsay Lohan

 
5. Miley Cyrus

 

Top 5 Movies Buzz

1. Sex and the City

 
2. Inception

 
3. Salt

 
4. The Last Airbender

 
5. Dinner For Schmucks

 

Top Buzz

Row, Row, Row Your Boat -- Around Great Britain

by Claudine Zap

Ordinarily, the news that a grandma had decided to row around Great Britain would make you want to tell her to stick to knitting. But when the grandmother in question is a former U.S. Marine, you better believe she is darn well going to do it.

The all-female team of amateur rowers included one Angela Madsen, 50-year-old grandmother, wheel-chair bound Paralympics athlete — and yes, former Marine. Not content with competing in the Paralympics, the Longbeach, California resident pursued other challenges, such as rowing on the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic.

This time, with Masden's sights set on Great Britain, the athelete got a team together. The four women called themselves the "SeaGals." They had initially been competing against a male team, but the sea guys dropped out after less than two weeks. Once the men were out, the women carried on alone, with no assistance for the rest of their journey.

If you think rowing around the British mainland is easy, think again. The race started on June 1 and took till Friday to complete. The trip included the four women, a 24-foot boat, 2,000 miles of rowing, rogue waves, the most unpreditable tide patters on the planet, evading oncoming ships — and one broken finger when Madsen attempted to set off a flare. You know where this is going: She taped it up and carried on.

The four women finally reached London's Tower Bridge, marking the end of their non-stop adventure in 51 days, 16 hours, and 42 minutes. The Virgin GB Row 2010 team, as they are officially known, also set the record as the first all-gal team to make it.

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by Mike Krumboltz

If you found "Inception" confusing, then "Salt" may be just what you're looking for. Starring Angelina Jolie as a CIA agent who may or may not be a Russian spy, the over-the-top action flick is earning mostly positive reviews from the critics.

In contrast to "Inception," where intricate plot (gasp!) played a key role, "Salt" is all about action. Glorious, completely unrealistic, could never happen in a million years, action. Here's what the surprisingly kind critics have to say about "Salt," as well as some remarks on other new movies "Ramona and Beezus" and "Countdown to Zero."

Salt
We can almost imagine the Hollywood pitch. "Angelina runs, jumps, and kicks tail for 90 minutes. Oh, and maybe she's a Russian spy. Period." Yes, the screen stunts are ridiculous to the point that laughter may be the audience's natural reaction, but Angelina pulls it off.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gives the movie his highest rating, calling "Salt" "a damn fine thriller." Of the film's titular star, he writes, "she throws herself into it (the role) with animal energy. Somehow, improbably, she doesn't come off as a superhero (although her immunity suggests one), but as a brave and determined fighter."

Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman is on the same wavelength. He gives the movie a "B," and writes that while the movie is "flagrantly preposterous and over-the-top — impossible to buy on any sober, adult level," it still works. "To call it out for being ludicrous," he writes, "would be like complaining that Superman flies."

Kirk Honeycutt of the Hollywood Reporter is similarly impressed. Calling Ms. Jolie "the only female action star in Hollywood," he writes that "Salt" is "a better Bond movie than most recent Bond movies, as its makers keep the stunts real and severely limit CGI gimmickry."

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gives the movie three out of four stars, but like his fellow critics, he does go out of his way to note just how insanely improbable the stunts are. "Suspend disbelief, all who enter here," he writes.

But there are those who, try as they might, can't recommend the movie. USA Today's Claudia Puig throws some salt in Angelina's game, giving her flick just two out of four stars. "The film has its tense moments," she writes, "but instead of dazzle, there's a workmanlike quality to the action sequences."

Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe gives "Salt" identical marks. He writes: "So much of its fights and chases share a generic sameness both in their sloppy construction and where they’re situated."

Also opening this weekend...
Kid-friendly movies that aren't animated are in short supply during the summer. Does "Ramona and Beezus," based on the Beverly Cleary characters, fill the void? Roger Ebert liked it enough to award the family comedy three out of four stars. He calls it "a sweet salute" to a simpler time. EW's Lisa Schwarzbaum, who calls herself a "proud graduate of the School of Cleary Classics," wishes that the movie "dared more often to color outside the lines."

"Countdown to Zero," a documentary about the continuing dangers of nuclear catastrophe, is earning strong marks. The Hollywood Reporter calls "Countdown" a "well put-together doc (that) reminds viewers there's plenty to fear on the nuclear-weapons front." And EW gives the movie an "A-." In the magazine's estimation, "Countdown" might be the "rare film that could trigger and unite the reflexes of the left and the right." That's a stunt not even Angelina could pull off.

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by Mike Krumboltz

Last week, the Web was aflutter over rumors that a UFO had been spotted over Xiaoshan Airport in Hangzhou, China. There was even video that showed, well, something, soaring high in the sky.

The Atlantic reports that Geoffrey Forden, a weapons expert from MIT, has analyzed several of the alleged UFO videos. He has come to the conclusion that a) what people saw in one of the videos wasn't a UFO, but a rocket, and b) the same video wasn't taken anywhere near China. It was shot near Kazakhstan.

CNN explains how "Forden used scientific theories to examine the images of the flying object that he felt were not created with Photoshop." Then, on a blog, Forden wrote: "It seems to me that a DF-21 [missile] launch somewhere near Jiuquan and aimed at a point somewhere in the eastern Gobi desert is the most likely cause of this 'UFO.'"

Here's where it gets a little tricky. As mentioned, there are actually several "UFO over China" videos floating around on the Web. Some appear to have been altered with photo-editing software, while some were not.

One of the videos making the rounds on the Web may have really been taken at the airport on the night in question. But (there's always a but), those photos are likely of a missile. The Atlantic writes that "the likeliest scenario, it turns out, is that the Great Twinkling Light of Hangzhou was actually a Chinese ballistic missile, the DF-21."  

In other words, don't go calling the Men in Black just yet.

Other popular Yahoo! content: • Video: Truth behind crop circles • Photos: Big test for world's biggest dam • Video: Watch lightning in slow motion

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by Mike Krumboltz

An Antarctic octopus that spews cold-resistant venom! A giant jellyfish that might have stung up to 100 people! A 40-ton whale that crushes yachts (well, at least one yacht, anyway)! The Web loves weird sea creatures. This past week, there was a lot to love.

Octopus fears no cold
They almost sound like some kind of a cartoon super villain. But not only are they real, they might have something to offer medicine. This past week, researchers discovered four new species of octopus "with venom that works at sub-zero temperatures." Odd as it sounds, the discovery may have an effect on medical research. A buzzy blog at Discovery.com explains that the different proteins in the venom may lead to developments for pain, allergy, and cancer medications. Web searchers were clearly interested. Almost immediately, Web searches on "antarctic octopus" and "octopus venom" both spewed skyward.

Giant jellyfish stings dozens
On Wednesday, between 50 and 100 beachgoers from New Hampshire were treated for jellyfish stings. Amazingly, they may have all come from the same jellyfish. An article from LiveScience explains that authorities believe that the lion's mane jellyfish (fancy name: Cyanea capillata) may have done the damage all on its own. Experts remain dubious that just one jellyfish, however huge and angry, could lash out at that many people. But LiveScience explains that "it is in the realm of possibility." Web lookups for "giant jellyfish" swam their way to a 347% gain for the week.

Whale crashes into yacht
There's the kind of whale watching, when you sit on your yacht and watch from a distance. And then there's the up-close kind that Paloma Werner and Ralph Mothes partook in this past week. While sitting on their 10-meter boat, off the coast of South Africa, a 40-ton whale jumped out of the ocean and landed in the middle of their yacht. Not surprisingly, the whale caused significant damage to the vessel, crushing the mast and rigging. But the two sailors were unhurt, as was the whale, who left behind a bit of blubber before sliding back into the sea. Experts believe the whale didn't know the boat was there, because the engine was off.

Also buzzing this week...
• Lindsay Lohan was sent to the big house (not to be confused with a mansion).
• IPhone 4 owners can order their free case now.
• They're gonna have beautiful kids: Orlando and Miranda tie the knot.

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by Claudine Zap

Let's face it: What you do in college should stay in college. The late nights, the parties, the contracts signed. Wait, what? If you're Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and founder of Facebook, this is the kind of thing from your undergrad years that comes back to haunt you.

While he was a student at Harvard, Zuckerberg may have signed over 84% of his social-networking company to, well, basically, some guy.

Turns out the Harvard student picked up a coding project for Paul Ceglia, a web developer, in his freshman year. The fledgling Facebook mogul charged $1,000 for the work. Then, according to Ceglia's attorney, the budding businessman mentioned he had a side project of his own: An online yearbook for Harvard students that he wanted to expand. He called it "The Face Book."

Ceglia gave the entrepreneur an additional $1,000 to continue his website work, in exchange for a 50% share of the company, plus 1% extra "for each day the project went past its Jan. 1, 2004, due date." Zuckerberg can't say whether he signed the document his ex-employer claims is evidence of what he's owed. But there is one thing everyone can agree on: The stakes are monumental. Facebook now boasts 500 million users and is said to be worth $24.6 billion. That's billion. With a B.

Facebook's lawyer, Lisa Simpson (seriously), argued in U.S. District Court that the contract, if really signed by her employer, was written before Facebook even existed. The case will continue on August 6. Facebook will argue to have the case dismissed.

One question the judge will surely ask: If Ceglia has a valid contract, why wait six years before making the case? Zuckerberg's Harvard classmates sure didn't: The Facebook chief settled a lawsuit back in 2008 with three people who claimed he stole their idea.

Ceglia has his own legal troubles to contend with: He has been accused of defrauding $200,000 from customers of a wood-pellet fuel company in New York. That case is pending.

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by Mike Krumboltz

If the measure of a great movie is that it confuses, divides, and causes endless debate about "what it all means," then "Inception" may be the best flick to hit theaters in a good, long while.

The Christopher Nolan-directed film, about a man (Leonardo DiCaprio) who invades people's dreams to steal their secrets, has earned strong reviews from critics. But not everybody believes that the intricate (and confusing) plot actually makes sense.

The Daily Beast hosts an interesting blog post by Allen Barra on the conflicting opinions, particularly about the movie's ending. Without giving too much away, let's just say that the finale is ambiguous. Audiences (and critics) seem to like the ending (see the positive reviews and huge opening weekend for proof). But that's in the moment. After moviegoers go home and think about what they saw, does "Inception" hold up to cold, hard logic?

A person would have to watch the movie more than once to give a definitive answer to that question. At one point, a character is three layers deep in somebody's dream. We doubt even Stephen Hawking "got it" after one viewing.

We can say that the film has inspired a flurry of searches from folks seeking a little help with the ending. Web lookups for "inception explanation," "what does the end of inception mean," and "inception spoiler" have all soared since the film opened last Friday. Such after-the-fact searches are rare, especially for a blockbuster. But it's not just the public that's confused. Even Mr. DiCaprio admitted to SlashFilm in a February interview that the movie "didn’t make sense to many of us when we were doing it."

An article from Time magazine brings up the interesting point that "Inception" shares many of the same traits as the TV series "Lost." Both "were stories constructed on one level as puzzles—mind-pretzeling constructions that required the viewer to simultaneously juggle multiple narrative threads and timelines." And both left many scratching their heads and wondering if what they had witnessed was a great story or just a big con.

That's up to the viewer. But even if the film's many rules and twists don't make perfect sense, it can be argued that a popcorn flick that inspires people to figure that out for themselves is, in its own way, a triumph.

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by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.

1. Sara Gilbert (Searches increased by 14,641%). The former "Roseanne" actress will be hosting a "mom" show on CBS that will go up against "The View."
2. Stonehenge (+1,077%). The ancient monument has a wooden twin.
3. Cheerleaders (+481%). Nothing to cheer for here: A judgment ruled that the pom-pom dance moves are not an official sport.
4. Lion's mane jellyfish (+464%). Ouch: One of these managed to sting 100 people.
5. iPhone (+290%). Want a white one? Sorry, they won't be available until later this year.

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by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.

1. Jennifer Aniston perfume ad (Searches increased 2,496%). The actress is launching her new scent today: She says it smells like California and the beach.
2. Chris Isaak (+887%). Throw the singer's name into the pool of possible replacements for Simon Cowell on "American Idol."
3. "Salt" movie reviews (426%). If you're more team Angelina, you'll want to check out her "flagrantly preposterous and over-the-top" spy thriller.
4. Julie Chen (+332%). Where does she find the time? The "Early Show" co-anchor and "Big Brother" host will now also appear on a "View" style talk show for CBS.
5. Olivia Munn (+290%). The newest reporter making a splash on "The Daily Show" will guest star on "Chuck."

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by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.

1. Wesley Snipes tax evasion (Searches increased by 1,623%). The movie star lost his appeal to avoid a three-year prison sentence for failing to file his tax returns.
2. Botox (+1,529%). The 18-year-old Filipino pop star Charice, who will appear on "Glee," did not get cosmetic treatments for the show: The surgical procedure was to relieve a jaw problem.
3. Lindsay Lohan court (+1,026%). The actress reported for jail duty.
4. Lucille Ball (+733%). While the comedian's love letters will be auctioned off, her awards will go to her daughter.
5. Glenn Beck (+551%). The conservative talk-show host has been diagnosed with macular dystrophy, which could leave him blind in a year.

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by Claudine Zap

Friday evening in New York City's Bryant Park, the place to be is a box. Literally. An arts organization called art.party.theater.company is setting up a temporary installation that magician David Blaine could love. An 8 by 8 foot mylar container. Contents: One secret star.

Paparazzi (or at least actors playing the role of tabloid photogs), red carpet and velvet rope included. All that's missing is you: People are invited to stop by and peek in. Who will be inside? That stays a secret. And once you know, you're not allowed to say. Anyone who wants to meet the mystery guest must first sign a non-disclosure agreement.

So the unnamed VIP hiding in the no-window, no frills shiny box could be an A-lister. Or someone on the D-list. Kathy Griffin always seems to be available.

The organization's artistic director, who says the project is about hope and hype, promises, "It's someone probably everybody knows and someone that probably everyone likes." Well that narrows the options. We're guessing Mel Gibson was not invited.

The Daily Beast has its money on the odd-ball James Franco, before he starts his PhD program at Yale. The New York Daily News guesses pop stars Beyonce or Justin Bieber. But to find out, you actually have to show up.

The so-called "starbox" will be coming to the park's fountain terrace for two hours every Friday evening through August 13. The boxed-in celeb will receive bottled water and a fan (the cooling kind) while submitting to be surveyed. Think of it as the lion cage for humans. One very famous human.

This just goes to show: Stars are definitely not like us. Nobody besides the famous or sort-of famous would ever agree to such a deal.

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by Claudine Zap

James Franco may have played a juvenile delinquent on "Freaks and Geeks," but in real life, he's a doctoral candidate.

You read that right: The actor now making appearances on "General Hospital" may soon require you to address him as Dr. James Franco  — after his soap opera run ends, 'natch.

Franco is really full of surprises. Aside from his academic pursuits, the actor's role on the soap has confounded his followers — why the step down to daytime TV when he's already a movie star? The artist/actor/writer apparently sees his appearance as performance art. In the TV show he plays a character named Franco. Who is also an artist.

The actor told "Good Morning America" his performance is on "different levels." And here we just thought it was "GH." Is it art imitating life? We hope not, since he also plays a serial killer. This is a soap opera, after all.

Still, not content to be a mere soap star, even one played on "different levels," the brainiac is headed to Yale University in the fall to study English and film studies. Yes, looks and brains.

The multi-talented Franco graduated from UCLA and studied at Columbia University — you may remember the infamous photo of the overloaded student caught napping during a lecture — and will now pursue a PhD at the Ivy League, where he will also teach. He promises a "very special class" is in the works.

While speculation of the subject Professor Franco would propose (Franconomics 101 is our best guess), we have a feeling whatever it is, there will immediately be a run on that major.

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by Mike Krumboltz

Paloma Werner and Ralph Mothes were sailing their 10-meter ship near the coast of South Africa, when they were joined by an unexpected guest: A 40-ton whale.

The Southern Right Whale soared from the water and landed on the deck of their boat, crushing the mast and rigging. Amazingly, the two escaped the encounter unhurt. Even more amazing, so did the whale. After landing on the deck, the whale slid back into the sea. It left some blubber behind, but overall, appeared unhurt.

Experts speculate that the whale wasn't aware that the boat was there, because its engine wasn't on. Says Ms. Werner: "We were just going out sailing because it was an awesome day. Obviously it's a bonus if you see a whale but we didn't quite count on having one on top of the boat."  Seems like the whale was just as surprised.

 

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by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.

1. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (Searches increased by 911%). The model/actress who replaces Megan Fox in "Transformers 3D" is seen doing similar moves in early photos from the set.
2. Bed bugs (+421%). The unwelcome critters decided to make a home in a Victoria's Secret store in New York City.
3. Auschwitz (+405%). On this day in 1944, one man made a daring escape from the Polish concentration camp.
4. David Cameron (+236%). Sure, the British prime minister came to America for diplomatic reasons, but what really impressed him: The tidy kids' bedrooms in the White House.
5. "Pretty Little Liars" (+148%). It's not too late to get hooked on teen TV.

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by Claudine Zap

The Mexican airport security guards were not monkeying around when they stopped a man with a suspicious lump in his shirt.

The moving bulge turned out to be — yes, actual monkeys in his pockets. In fact, 18 tiny titis were tucked into Roberto Sol Cabrera Zavaleta's pants. Two had died on the journey from Lima, Peru.

News of the smuggled simians immediately caused a surge of searches for "titi monkeys" on the Web.

Amazingly, the live animals aren't what alerted the authorities to the monkey business: Zavaleta apparently became "markedly nervous" when asked what he was bringing into the country — which led to the body search.

The reason for all the subterfuge: The monkeys — officially known as callicebus stephennashi — are a protected endangered species. Owning them requires a license, and we're betting, a better way to carry them than a band in your pants.

At first, the monkey man said he had the little bundles in a suitcase, but was worried that they would be harmed by the airport X-rays. So instead, he stuffed the six-inch creatures in his trousers. He called the animals "pets" and claimed he had bought them for $30.

Pets or no, Zavaleta has been charged with trafficking an endangered species.

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by Mike Krumboltz

It hasn't gotten the press of the "Retina Display" or "Facetime," but the iPhone 4's tethering capabilities are nothing to sneeze at.

Tethering, for those who don't know, allows a person to use their cell phone's signal to get their Wi-Fi enabled laptops online. It's pretty cool. Unfortunately, it isn't free. AT&T wants $20 a month for the feature. But a 15-year-old named Nick Lee found a way around the fee.

Lee created an app, called "Handy Light," for the App Store. It looked like a simple flashlight, but it was actually a tethering application in disguise, available to users for the low, low price of 99 cents. The app has since been yanked, but you can about the undercover operation at Gizmodo...

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