by Claudine Zap Predictions of the coming end times have been filling the air waves and searches on the Web. Here, a Buzz roundup of the apocalyptic predictions. May 21, 2011 . Some Christian followers of Harold Camping , who has broadcast his beliefs on his Family Radio network based out of Oakland, California, expect the end of world to come on Saturday. The prediction is a literal interpretation of the bible, expecting the second coming of Jesus Christ. Why Saturday?

by Claudine Zap Are you prepared for the zombie apocalypse ? We're guessing not. But we're also guessing we have your attention. That's the thinking behind the Center for Disease Control , a generally serious-minded government organization, when it blogged advice for surviving a zombie invasion. Conveniently enough, the tips from th e CDC also work for just about any disaster, even the kind that doesn't involve the undead: Floods! Tornados! Earthquakes! Still,

by Claudine Zap Jack's back: Captain Jack Sparrow, played by a puffy-shirt-wearing Johnny Depp , takes his fourth turn )in 3D( in the " Pirates of the Caribbean " series. The actor is joined by Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa, and the two characters team up on a quest to find the fountain of youth. The cast also includes love interest Penelope Cruz and rival pirate Blackbeard, played by Ian McShane . )And, yes, a cameo by Keith Richards as Depp's dad.( So, is four times the charm?

by Becky Uline This week is Homecoming Week on " American Idol ," where the show documents a return to the respective hometowns of the final three contestants, where they were offered the red carpet treatment and greeted as local heroes. Each one started their day with a text message telling them their judges' song choice for next week )Scotty: Kenny Rogers's "She Believes in Me"; Haley: Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know"; and Lauren: Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance"(.

by Claudine Zap Is truth stranger than conspiracy-theory fiction? A new book on Area 51 that's already generating a ton of buzz says there was no alien spacecraft that crashed in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. Instead, Stalin did it - maybe. According to Annie Jacobsen, the reporter who authored " Area 51 ," the spaceship was actually a Soviet spy plane that came down during a storm. Jacobsen claims it was filled with bizarre,

by Mike Krumboltz The United States Navy has reportedly decided to name a Lewis and Clark-class cargo ship after iconic labor organizer Cesar Chavez . The decision, which is expected to be formally announced today, has caused no small amount of controversy. Congressman Duncan Hunter, R-California, has objected to the Navy's decision. In a statement released by his office, the congressman wrote,

by Mike Krumboltz May 16 marks the 25th anniversary of "Top Gun." Here's a rundown on what the movie's stars are up to: Tom Cruise Cruise was already a star before "Top Gun" hit theaters, but the highly quotable action flick about elite naval aviators sent the actor's career to another level. In the years since he crooned "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," Cruise has starred in megahits "Jerry Maguire," "Mission: Impossible," "Minority Report," and "A Few Good Men.

by Mike Krumboltz If there's one day you don't want to walk under ladders, break any mirrors, or run afoul of any hockey-mask-wearing lunatics, it's Friday the 13th. The day, which occurs one to three times every year, is synonymous with bad luck, and folks on the Web are eager to know how it got such a scary reputation. The urban legend experts at Snopes.com offer several theories on why Friday the 13th is so feared.

by Becky Uline After a night of watching Lady Gaga make people blush, it's " American Idol " prediction time again! Tuning in. According to the Radio & Television Business Report , last night's "American Idol" ratings "crushed" the rest of Wednesday night TV. It beat its closest competitor by more than 72% in total viewers. That domination should continue during the final weeks of the season. That's great news for FOX )and Rupert Murdoch , who was apparently in the audience(,

by Becky Uline This week, Lady Gaga is back on " American Idol " and will be mentoring the last 4 contestants. So far this month, "Idol" just can't seem to get enough of Gaga. Last week, she premiered her new video for " Judas " on the show, and on Wednesday, for the "Something Old, Something New" theme, Haley Reinhart sang one of her unreleased songs, "You and I". Though the bold choice was not the favorite of the judges,

by Mike Krumboltz Optical illusions are all over the Web. But only one is mind-bending enough to be called the 2011 Best Illusion of the Year . )See, there really are award shows for everything.( The illusion , which was created by Jordan Suchow, a Harvard University graduate student, and George Alvarez, an assistant professor in Harvard's psychology department, is called "Silencing awareness of change by background motion." OK, so the name isn't super-catchy,

by Claudine Zap What is a Maytag washing machine without the Maytag repairman ? We're about to find out. The company has launched a new ad campaign without its trusty "Ol' Lonely": The guy in the blue uniform that has nothing to do because the machines work so well. That theme worked for over 100 years, when the machines rarely broke, and while the economy hummed. But a bad housing market meant a drop in sales for large appliances, and the lonely repairman had even less to do.

by Mike Krumboltz The death of Osama bin Laden was an event that affected billions of people in one way or another. Before the news was made public, a very select group of people were watching the top secret military operation unfold from the White House Situation Room. A single photo that captured the incredible tension in the room quickly became the stuff of legend. Online interest in the various people in the image caught fire almost immediately. The photo,

by Mike Krumboltz He loves her, yeah, yeah yeah. Paul McCartney is getting married. The Beatles legend recently announced his engagement to New York businesswoman Nancy Shevell. The news was first published in People magazine , which quoted an unidentified source. McCartney's publicist later confirmed the report. Almost immediately, online interest in McCartney's future bride zoomed up the charts. Unlike her soon-to-be hubby, there isn't much information about Shevell.

by Claudine Zap The real-life horse whisperer who inspired the 1998 fictional movie " The Horse Whisperer " is now the star of his own film. Called "Buck," the documentary follows the life of the cowboy-philosopher Buck Brannaman , as he works his magic with horses and their owners. )And yes, Robert Redford even appears.( The movie was directed by Cindy Meehl , who shot 300 hours of film to put together the narrative ,

by Claudine Zap Beyoncé : Pop diva, movie star, and now: gym teacher. The performer surprised a squealing class of middle-school students at PS 161: Pedro Albizu Campos middle school in Harlem. The students were in the gymnasium, dancing to a choreographed routine to a remix of her hit, " Get Me Bodied ." The singer, wearing sky-high heels, skinny white jeans, and a "Let's Move!" top, joined 85 starstruck students to dance up a storm to the song she adapted for the workout,

by Mike Krumboltz Mel Gibson suffered an epic fall from grace in recent years. But fellow Oscar-winner Jodie Foster has continued to stand by her embattled friend. This weekend, the pair releases a new movie, "The Beaver." The film, directed by and co-starring Foster, focuses on a hopelessly depressed man )Gibson(, and how he uses a beaver puppet )yes, really( to help get his life back on track. To say the film has an odd premise is probably putting it a tad lightly.

by Claudine Zap Kate Middleton has gone from commoner to royalty with her marriage to Prince William . But marrying a prince does not, apparently, get you out of doing the dishes. Or making the bed. Or scrubbing the floors. )Tiara optional.( The newly titled Duchess of Cambridge will be trading her wedding veil for a vacuum when she returns with her husband to Anglesey, in North Wales.

by Vera H-C Chan " American Idol " is down to some serious single digits now, and Top 5 week seems a good time as any to assess how the show's faring. The New York Times, taking a gander at the show's Nielsen ratings, found that the seemingly doomed Fox reality competition show has reversed its decline, " gaining total viewers for the first time since 2007 ." The boost's just 1 percent, but hey, in these times of economic recovery,

by Claudine Zap The royal wedding didn't just make Kate Middleton the Duchess of Cambridge : It made her younger sister Pippa , also dressed in a white Alexander McQueen dress, a star. The Daily Mail called the famous maid of honor "the world's most eligible woman." Even Pippa's backside gained fame on Facebook. Searches on Yahoo! have soared since the wedding: Fans of Pippa wanted to see " pippa middleton photos ," " pippa middleton dress ,