by Mike Krumboltz Owning a baseball team isn't always a license to print money. Take the Texas Rangers , for example. Ten years after signing Alex Rodriguez to a then unheard of $252 million contract, the MLB franchise has filed for bankruptcy. Now, it's probably not exactly fair to blame the team's financial failings on the current Yankees slugger. Still, USA Today explains that A-Rod is one of the team's largest unsecured creditors.

by Mike Krumboltz She's not going to the pokey, but troubled actress Lindsay Lohan did receive a sentence of a different sort. The tabloid mainstay must submit to weekly drug tests . In addition, Ms. Lohan will have to wear a "SCRAM bracelet" that monitors her alcoholic intake. Following Judge Marsha Revel's ruling, Web searches on " scram bracelet " and " what is a scram bracelet " both roared,

by Vera H-C Chan Our picks from the hottest searches of the day. Jose Lima )breakout(. The former MLB pitcher died at age 37 of cardiac arrest. Grilling Recipes )+873%(. BBQ maestros are gearing up for the Memorial Day weekend. Snapple )+483%(. Designer tea? Two formulas from "Celebrity Apprentice" finalists. Agent Orange )+260%(. The toxic herbicide used during the Vietnam War may still afflict native Vietnamese as well as Vietnam vets . Ceiling Fan Direction )+165%(. Okay,

by Claudine Zap After six seasons, a mind-bogglingly complex plot that messed with time, space, and physics, and still no real escape from the island where the passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 first crashed, fans will be tuning into the final episode of the ABC drama " Lost " this Sunday. The show has covered a lot of ground, but somehow, the group of castaways always end up back at that mysterious island, which has been host to a "smoke monster," a polar bear,

by Vera H-C Chan One epoch, you're king of the ancient world, the next epoch some runt of a human takes you down an evolutionary notch. News from the modern-day animal kingdom was less of a downer, but just as exciting, with previously unknown species introducing themselves to the world, and a mystery find reviving ancient )well, maybe vintage( tales of strange monsters from...Canada? Check out the latest pecking order with the Buzz Week in Review.

by Vera H-C Chan Time's magazine's May 24 cover ladies and the Senate's passage of the financial overhaul bill is nicely timed, but no coincidence. By many accounts ) including Time's (, Elizabeth Warren , Mary Schapiro , and Sheila Blair have been consistent voices of reason in the financial maelstrom that have been years in the )un(making. Of varying political persuasions but of )mostly( heartland roots, they've warned against possible bank failures )check(,

by Claudine Zap The oil gushing out of the busted rig in the gulf of Mexico has not been stopped . But it can be watched . As investigators try to pinpoint the blame, and oil company executives point fingers, the curious are heading to the Web to take a look at the deep-sea drama unfold 5,000 feet underwater. Turns out, the oil company BP has a video feed of the rig, which now gives a front-row seat to the unending oil leak .

by Vera H-C Chan Our picks from the hottest searches of the day. Summer Jobs for Teenagers )+503%(. Welcome to your new real world. Coalition )+447%(. In this politically fractured age, figuring out what an alliance means is tough. Here's how it's brokered , and what policies look like in Great Britain...and how Germany's checking flirting with the concept. London 2012 Olympics )+394%(. England's strategy: to win by frightening all the competitors to death with its mascots .

by Claudine Zap While yet another " Shrek " movie is opening this weekend, fans may want to take a moment to honor the sequel of all sequels: " The Empire Strikes Back ." May 21 marks the 30th anniversary of the film that gave sequels a good name. You remember this one: Young Luke learns knight skills from Jedi Master Yoda of the twisted sentences. Plus the young warrior discovers the shocking truth about his father. The dialogue is memorable. The plot is dark,

by Claudine Zap A green monster gives his swan song in " Shrek Forever After ," but can it recapture the magic of the original? And " MacGruber " goes from " SNL " skit to feature-length film. Bad idea jeans? It's your Movie Critic Roundup. Shrek Forever After The once mean, green ogre )voiced by Mike Myers ( has been transformed through true love, and in this final chapter, the jolly green giant's life looks more like a suburban parent's than a scary monster's.

by Vera H-C Chan If you belonged to a defunct boy band, now's your chance to step forward. For a brief moment in the early 2000s, boy bands were flooding the market like Crocs. One of those bands, NLT, lasted three years, got a few singles out )one immortalized in "Bratz: The Movie" soundtrack(, and then scattered to the winds after a 2009 break-up. Boy band bond This week,

by Vera H-C Chan Our picks from the hottest searches of the day. Travis Garland )+757%(. Courtesy of patron Perez Hilton , the singer got his "American Idol" moment. Garland's a former boy-band mate of Kevin McHale , the wheelchair warbler in "Glee." Water for Elephants )+687%(. Robert Pattinson's new movie, and reason for his new 'do. Human Growth Hormone )+420%(. We hear you, Floyd Landis . Ok, any else â€"in baseball, football, golfâ€"wanna come clean? Angler Fish )+307%(.

by Claudine Zap Ah, nothing like getting ready for the first year of college: Hitting the bookstore with a reading list, stocking up on ramen noodles, and handing over your DNA. Wait, what? At University of California, Berkeley , the incoming freshman class will be, in addition to signing up for their first-semester course load, sending in a genetic sample by swabbing the inside of a cheek. Relax. This is not " 1984 " redux â€" it's simply a group exercise.

by Vera H-C Chan Humpday Buzz ... Our picks from the hottest searches of the day, the week, and coming up. Blanche Lincoln )+462, one-day spike(. The Arkansas senator plays overtime with Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in a June 8 runoff for the Democratic position, and the game's fierce . Austin City Limits Festival )+329%, one-day(. Only one-day and VIP tickets left for the Oct. 8-10 music fest. Mikhail Prokhorov )+759%, past 7 days(.

by Claudine Zap Whoa â€" Keanu Reeves is back. The actor has signed on to the sci-fi flick "Passengers," a $90 million project billed as "Adam and Eve in space." No word yet on who will play Eve. May we suggest Carrie-Anne Moss ? Still, Reeves and a futuristic spaceship â€" we're already hooked. The story centers on a distant future where a space mechanic )played by one brave Keanu( is on a 120-year journey to a distant colonized planet,

by Vera H-C Chan mWas the judicial praise, not to mention an entire choir, too extravagant for Lee DeWyze 's "Hallelujah" take? Did Casey James show his vulnerable side with "Daughters"? And was Crystal Bowersox aiming for the all-important hermaphrodite vote when she didn't change the gender point-of-view in her rendition of "Maybe, I'm Amazed"? The water-cooler moments may be lukewarm on this season's American Idol ,

by Claudine Zap Will this recession ever end? While the belt-tightening continues, you may want to take comfort in the fact that Congress members have to do more with less, too: President Obama signed a law that denied Congress its cost-of-living increase for the second year running . To be fair, Congress voted not to give themselves raises. )If they don't, the raise just happens automatically. Hey, we want that job.( As the Hill pointed out ,

by Claudine Zap Oprah Winfrey is getting out of the talk show business to run the Oprah Winfrey Network, OWN. Could you do her job? If you think so, then Oprah Winfrey wants to make you a star â€" maybe: You could be the lucky winner of Oprah Winfrey's nationwide talent search . And the best part is, no special skills are required, aside from a sparkling personality and a killer idea. You can check out Oprah's video promoting the host hunt, which will be its own reality show,

by Vera H-C Chan Will Crystal Bowersox ever get a proposal from her boyfriend? Can Lee DeWyze stop channeling the fretful spirits of Richard Lewis and Zach Braff ? Will Casey James ever unleash his tightly wound sex appeal? All right, not exactly the kind of questions to ask in figuring out who will win " American Idol ." But in a season hobbled by rampant viral infections, a punch-drunk host, lame-duck judge, and musical turntable stuck in the 20th century,

by Claudine Zap If you're flying Qantas Airways anytime soon, we have some good news: The air carrier still serves in-flight meals. The bad news: They'll be serving up used plastic cutlery with the plane food. According to a story in the Daily Telegraph , Australia's largest international airline admitted to reusing its plastic forks, spoons, and knives "multiple times" before throwing them away. That's enough information to make us lose our lunch. What would you do?