by Claudine Zap On July 4, the U.S. throws itself a big birthday party. That usually means town parades, backyard barbeques, and lots and lots of fireworks. This year, not so much. Given belt-tightening budgets and bone-dry lands, fireworks displays have been canceled across the country. Here are some guidelines about whether it's safe - and legal - to get your own sparklers. Regulations are set locally and vary by county, even within the same state. So,

by Claudine Zap Nothing quite says Independence Day like " Independence Day ." The all-American, alien-invasion movie opened on the July fourth weekend 15 years ago. What better excuse to watch it again? The movie takes place as aliens attack Earth, and a group of survivors converge to stage a counter-strike led by Will Smith - on July 4, natch. The 1996 movie, which also stars Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum , was a huge success, taking in $817,400,891 worldwide ,

by Mike Krumboltz There are a lot of stories surrounding the Declaration of Independence . One of the most famous concerns John Hancock and his comically large signature. According to legend, the founding father signed his name bigger than everyone else's because he wanted to make sure "fat old King George" could read it without his spectacles. It's a neat story about American brashness, but it isn't very accurate. The truth is a tad less dramatic. Snopes.

by Vera H-C Chan Summer arrived, but there were no fair-weather breaks for rioters, sinners and humorists grappling with the double-entendre scandal of the season. In a month jam packed with news, politician disowned his briefs and lost his job instead, marriage rites became a right, and two questionable protests had very different endings. Forget mediocre blockbusters and fizzling finales , here is where the online action on Yahoo! Search buzzed this June.

by Mike Krumboltz An ATM receipt showing a balance of nearly $100 million dollars was discovered at a New York bank. That can only mean one thing: Scrooge McDuck lives in the Big Apple. Who knew? The receipt, dated June 18, doesn't list the account holder's name but does indicate that the person has $99,864,731.94 in a personal savings account )that's after a $400 withdrawal and a $2.75 service charge(. Is the receipt a mistake of some kind? Perhaps.

by Claudine Zap The summer blockbuster " Transformers: Dark of the Moon " brings back the battle between good and evil robots - this time with a pulsating score, bigger explosions, and 3D action that's coming right at you. The action flick spends a good deal of time blowing up Chicago , and includes a scene of actual base jumpers leaping off a high-rise. Many of the actors have returned from the last "Transformers" movie: Shia LaBeouf , John Turturro , Josh Duhamel ,

by Mike Krumboltz With the special-effects blockbuster "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" hitting theaters, now's a good time to remind budding auteurs that one doesn't need a hundred million dollar budget to make a good movie. In fact, with some creativity, you can make an award-winning flick for next to nothing. Tech company Nokia recently held a competition to see who could make the best short film using only a cell phone camera.

by Mike Krumboltz Look closely during the trailer for the new Tom Hanks movie "Larry Crowne" and you might notice something familiar. Near the end of the preview, when the movie's title flashes across the screen, does the font and color scheme remind you of any other Tom Hanks flicks? We'll give you a hint: Life is like a box of chocolates... Check it out for yourself. Here's the font used in "Forrest Gump," and here's the one used in trailer for "Larry Crowne.

by Mike Krumboltz If you've seen one optical illusion, you've seen 'em all, right? Nope, not even close. This video, which you can watch below, was taken near China's Xin'an River. It isn't your typical mirage. It's something else. As seen on the British news station ITN, the video clearly shows buildings and trees looming over the river. There's just one problem - the buildings and trees don't exist. According to ITN, they're an optical illusion.

by Mike Krumboltz The swastika, infamous for its use as a symbol of Nazi power, has been banned in Germany for some time. However, neo-Nazis are finding ways around that law by using new codes that symbolize their Hitler-inspired beliefs. A new brochure titled "Hide and Seek," profiled in German news magazine Der Spiegel , explains the troubling trend. Many people don't recognize the neo-Nazi symbols because they're so innocuous.

by Claudine Zap Michele Bachmann made it official : The Republican from Minnesota is a candidate for the 2012 presidency. Word of her announcement sent searches on the politician sky high. Here, a primer on the presidential hopeful. She's from Iowa . The tea party Republican rep for Minnesota is originally from Iowa. And that connection seems to be helping her with the polls . She is running neck and neck with Mitt Romney, who is considered the front runner.

by Mike Krumboltz It was never as popular as World of Warcraft, but Star Wars Galaxies had something that the king of MMORPGs didn't: The Force. Galaxies used the power of the Star Wars brand for eight years, an eternity in the games space. Unfortunately, those days are almost at an end. In December, the game will suffer the same fate as Princess Leia's home planet of Alderaan . It will be terminated . Now before you start writing an angry letter to George Lucas,

by Claudine Zap It's the stuff of summer disaster movies: An asteroid the size of a tour bus is headed straight to earth. But don't bother trying to get out of work: The massive rock will come within 7,500 miles of earth, but it won't hit. It's the space version of buzzing our planet. Supposing, though, it did hit: NASA scientists assure us that even if your commute involves a trip through Antarctica-where the asteroid will be flying by - you're still safe. Here's why.

by Mike Krumboltz Mom! Pick up the phone! In a video that's going viral, two kids attempt to call their mom from the back of President Obama's limousine. The president invites the boy and girl to call somebody from his fancy phone and, like good kids, the pair decides to call their Mom. Alas, nobody's home! The boy and girl leave a message detailing their surreal situation, and the President chimes in with a "Goodbye" at the end of the call.

by Mike Krumboltz Think some pop stars are just a little too perfect? You were right to be suspicious. Aimi Eguchi, the newest member of Japan's pop group AKB 48, has been revealed to be entirely computer generated . News that the entertainer is just a composite of the other members of AKB 48 spurred no small amount of searches on the Web. Online lookups on "aimi eguchi fake" earned breakout status in the Buzz. Related queries on "akb 48 band" hit a high note as well,

by Mike Krumboltz First lady Michelle Obama is visiting South Africa with daughters Sasha and Malia and her niece and nephew. On Thursday, the group had planned on visiting an island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. Those plans had to be scrapped due to foul weather. But the first lady, never one to just veg out, didn't let the day get away from her . Instead she visited a stadium in Cape Town and met with 79-year-old Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

by Claudine Zap Call it " The Departed " II: The real-life mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger , portrayed in the Boston crime drama by Jack Nicholson , was finally arrested . News of the fugitive's capture immediately sent searches on the Martin Scorsese film soaring on the Web. Here, a look at the real-life Irish crime boss whose activity inspired the movie. The FBI's No.

by Mike Krumboltz Planning on seeing " Cars 2 " this weekend? We hope you like Larry the Cable Guy )real name: Daniel Whitney(. Unlike in the first flick, where Lightning McQueen )voiced by Owen Wilson( was the unquestioned star of the show, "Cars 2" thrusts Mater into the spotlight . Not everybody agrees that this was a good call. It wouldn't be fair )or accurate( to call "Cars 2" a critical crash and burn. But Pixar films are held to a higher standard,

by Mike Krumboltz An hour outside of Amsterdam in Dordrecht, Netherlands, a ship is under construction. But this ain't your typical sailboat, bub. Johan Huibers is building a full-scale replica of Noah's ark. Yes, that Noah's ark. And Johan, an expert builder, isn't skimping on the details. The ship, which he's been constructing for the past three years, is built to biblical specs. Johan culled information on the ark's size and shape directly from the good book. In the end,

by Claudine Zap Ciao, Elisabetta Canalis . The Italian beauty and George Clooney have said their relationship is finito . But we're sure plenty of guys are hoping this is not the last they hear )or see( of the stunning Italian star. Word of the breakup caused scorching hot searches on Yahoo! for " Elisabetta Canalis " " Elisabetta Canalis images ," and " Elisabetta Canalis boyfriend ." So who is this spurned woman? Arguably the hottest woman in Italy,