Moment of Strange

Mike Westhoff, the Jets’ special-teams coach, has had his carefully researched list of free-agency targets ready to go for months. On Monday morning, he was staring at a roster on his office wall full of blank spots, and preparing to pick up the phone to start recruiting the players he wants the Jets to sign as soon as he is allowed. Across the country, some of the most prominent agents in the game were preparing to sleep in their offices, the better to manage the expected round-the-clock negotiations...

The NFL is back in business and the Philadelphia Eagles are winging their way to Lehigh for training camp. NFL players agreed to a new 10-year contract on Monday after owners approved a deal last week. For now, the Eagles' players will show up on Wednesday in Bethlehem, Pa., and go through a walkthrough practice on Thursday. Fans will probably see some players on the field on Friday, but it certainly won't be the entire team. One issue is that the Eagles can't start signing rookies and draft picks...

The Bears had big issues on the offensive line last season, and even though Kreutz might not be quite the dominant force he once was, he remains one of the team's leaders. Heading into his 14th season, he's healthier than he was this time last year. And agent Mark Bartelstein made it clear he hopes to stay. Players put an end to the 4 {-month lockout when they OK'd the deal on Monday, days after the owners approved a tentative agreement, and turned the focus from the negotiating table to the field....

The Dallas Cowboys have some serious money issues. The team is $20 million over the salary cap limit, and they spend two times as much on their players than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who played better than the Cowboys last season. Something’s got to give. Jason Garrett is going to have the Dallas Cowboys on the practice field during training camp for nearly as much as the new rules allow. With a lost offseason to be made up for, and with the new coach still trying to implement a tougher work ethic...

With at least 92 dead and a suspect in custody, Norwegians trying to make sense of the bombing and shooting attacks here turned repeatedly Saturday to the one example that seemed to fit: the Oklahoma City bombing. Here, as there, a quick assumption that Muslims were at fault proved to be erroneous. Norwegians now know that a 32-year-old Christian, who railed against multiculturalism, is the principal and perhaps only suspect in the killings that occurred Friday in Oslo and at an island nearby....

Amy Winehouse’s passing, other celebrity parents who left us due to addiction are coming back into the light including Kurt Cobain and Heath Ledger. But it’s their children that we worry about. Frances Bean Cobain was not even 2-years-old when her father tragically took his own life. Cobain turned 18-years-old last summer and inherited a multi-million dollar inheritance. But Cobain has gained so much more than just a lump sum of money. The late rocker’s daughter interned for Rolling Stone magazine...

Commander Chris Ferguson gently steered the 100-tonne spaceship high overhead, then nose-dived toward the swamp-surrounded landing strip at the Kennedy Space Center, a few miles (kilometers) from where Atlantis will go on display as a museum piece. Double sonic booms shattered the predawn silence around the space center, the last time residents will hear the distinctive sound of a shuttle coming home. Ferguson eased Atlantis onto the runway...

Several people in a hiking group at Yosemite that included three who were swept away and presumed dead had climbed over a barricade and were in the water about 25 feet from the edge of a waterfall, standing, playing and taking photographs, witnesses told Yosemite rangers. One of the victims then slipped and fell, the second victim tried to rescue that person, and the third victim tried to save the other two, said Yosemite National Park spokesman...

Two days after Warner Bros. released the first teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises, the third installment of the rebooted Batman franchise, Sony Pictures has released its first teaser trailer for the first installment of the rebooted Spider-Man franchise. Like The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man won’t hit theaters until next summer, but fan interest in both are sky-high. In the latter case, the back story is also of interest: Sam Raimi, who directed the three most-recent Spider-Man...

The Reds took advantage of a pair of miscues from Pittsburgh shortstop Chase d'Arnaud to beat the Pirates 3-1 on Wednesday and avoid a three-game sweep. Johnny Cueto (6-3) gave up one run over six innings to whittle his ERA to 1.98 as Cincinnati found a little punch following two nights of futility against the surprising NL Central-leading Pirates. Though Baker has stressed it's not time to panic, Cueto knows the Reds are at a critical point in their season. The defending division champions haven't...

The head of the Congressional Black Caucus told Fox News on Wednesday that members are "furious" about the incident, saying he's going to speak with the Florida Republican about the matter. Shortly afterward, several female lawmakers held a news conference, at which they called on West to apologize. Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) reiterated his controversial descriptions of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) on Wednesday in an email to supporters, and appealed for donations because "it's times...

Six stalwart U.S. senators delivered yesterday the outlines of an intelligent and ambitious deficit- reduction proposal. It is, as President Barack Obama succinctly said, “good news” at a time when some is needed. The bipartisan Gang of Six plan takes the sensible policy framework of the Bowles-Simpson fiscal-reform commission and turns it into a workable package for the Senate to consider. Although the plan’s details are not all clear, the senators say it would reduce deficits by $500 billion...

From the looks of it, Snooki, The Situation, Pauly D, Vinny, Deena, Sammi, JWoww and Ronnie are in for the most dramatic season yet, as the roommates do what they do best: go clubbing, hook up and fight. "I'm going back to the Motherland," The Situation declares. Jersey Shore Season 4 Trailer Game Played Release Get More: Jersey Shore, MTV Shows, Jersey Shore (Season 3), MTV Shows Adds Pauly: "Every street sounds like my last name, DelVecchio." Vinny has good intentions – "There's a lot...

The USA women's soccer team takes on Japan on Sunday in the Women's World Cup final. The game will begin at 2:45 p.m ET on ESPN. In the quarterfinals against Brazil, the U.S. came back in the 122nd minute after Abby Wambach scored on an incredible header to tie the match at two. They went on to win in a penalty shootout and then dominated France 3-1 in the semifinals. Despite getting shut out by England in the group stage, Japan managed to crush Germany and then take down Sweden in the semifinals....

Starting with a complete 2002 Mercury Cougar coupe, Duff set to work transforming the vehicle's entire exterior into that of a world-class supercar. He used fiberglass and composite material to create the Veyron's iconic lines, and laid it all over a tubular steel frame. After a professional paint job and plenty of buffing, the car was ready for the showroom, but Duff wasn't done yet. He then took to the Cougar's interior, covering everything from...

MTV’s Top 10 Most Outrageous Sex Myths sets the record straight on many of the most common myths about STDs and other sexual health issues. Part of the GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign, this countdown features artists such as Ludacris Travie McCoy, Michael B. Jordan, and Tinsel Korey as well as talent from MTV shows, including Vinny from the “Jersey Shore,” Maci, Amber and Catelynn from “Teen Mom,” Kailyn from “Teen Mom 2,” Paul Iacono from “Hard Times with RJ Berger,” Liz Lee from “My Life as...

Frontier Days festival with a carnival, food and live music: Noon-midnight Sunday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday in Recreation Park, 500 E. Miner St. Parade: 10 a.m. Monday, Highland and Oakton to Recreation Park. BARRINGTON Festival with live entertainment, games, beer and food: 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday in the commuter train lot at 201 S. Spring St. Parade: 10 a.m. Monday along Main Street. BUFFALO GROVE Fireworks with symphonic band concert: 7 p.m. Monday at Rotary Village Green,...

The fourth season of True Blood will contain 12 episodes: the first, titled “She’s Not There,” will air Sunday, June 26, 2011, on HBO. It will be loosely based on the fourth novel in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series, Dead to the World. The good news about the fourth season is that, judging from the early episodes, Ball appears to have found a way to integrate many of these characters into one major arc, centering on new baddie Marnie (brilliant Irish actress Fiona Shaw), a Wiccan who runs...

Gwyneth Paltrow loves being a stay-at-home mother. The 38-year-old actress - who has children Apple, seven, and Moses, five, with husband Chris Martin - feels "fulfilled" now she has learned to work less and spend more time with her children and spouse. Gwyneth said: "I enjoy being a mother and staying at home and looking after my kids. I like being able to take the children to school and to make their food and spend a lot of time with them. It's...

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Legendary rocker Peter Frampton has filed for divorce from his wife of 15 years, Christina Elfers. Frampton filed the divorce papers in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences. The 61-year-old singer is asking for joint legal custody and visitation rights of the couple's 15-year-old daughter, Mia. However, Frampton is asking that the primary physical custody of their daughter be awarded to Elfers. Frampton is also asking that the lawyer's fees be shared with Elfers....

The film Snow White revolves around the story of how CIA and Canadian government officials joined forces to rescue six Americans who’d been taken hostage in Iran (circa 1979) – by convincing the country’s officials that the captives were actually members of a production crew working on a new Hollywood film, titled “Argo.” Oscar-winner Alan Arkin signed onto Argo a couple weeks back – and now Variety says that Golden Globe-winner John Goodman is...

CC Sabathia will try to become the first 10-game winner in the majors when he takes the hill for the New York Yankees in the second contest of a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium. A few players have had a chance at 10 wins this season, but thus far they have all failed, and now it will be Sabathia's turn along with three other hurlers today. The lefty has won six of his last seven starts, but the veteran hurler has struggled over his past three outings. Even though the...

Team Fortress 2 developer Robin Walker in which he says that the company has decided to make the popular class-based shooter completely free-to-play, supported only by microtransactions. Walker says the game has experimented with multiple price points over its long history (including allowing players to play for free during temporary periods) and that making this transition now "feels like a fairly straightforward next step along the 'Games as...

The 2011 NBA draft served up a fair share of trades Thursday night: The Dallas Mavericks reached a trade agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers in which Dallas acquires swingman Rudy Fernandez, according to sources with knowledge of the deal. The trade includes picks and Denver's involvement as well. "Marc Stein story" • Blazers receive: Raymond Felton (from Denver); rights to No. 57 overall pick (from Dallas)• Nuggets receive: Andre Miller (from Portland); rights to Jordan Hamilton (26th overall...

Anna Nicole Smith has lost its legal battle to claim a portion of the $1.6 billion estate left behind by her late Texas husband, Texas billionaire husband, the Associated Press reported. The Supreme Court on Thursday invalidated a bankruptcy court's decision to give the now-deceased Smith $475 million from the estate of oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall.Smith and Marshall were wed in 1994, and he died the next year. Marshall's will left his estate...

Singer Glen Campbell has revealed that he is battling Alzheimer's disease. In an interview with People, the 'Rhinestone Cowboy' hitmaker broke the news about his condition and his plans for a farewell tour. The 75-year-old and his wife Kim decided to go public with the news now in order to keep fans from speculating about his behavior during the upcoming performances. Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's six months ago after years of short-term...

The same epicenter of  Japan as the deadly March 11, 2011 earthquake. The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake at 6.7 magnitude on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 9:50 PM UTC (actual time in Japan was at 6:50 AM on Thursday, June 23). Three minutes after the 6.7 magnitude earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning for Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island in Japan. The height of the tsunami was expected to be about 0.5 meters...

Flamboyant fashion designer John Galliano goes on trial Wednesday, accused of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people. Fashion giant Christian Dior fired Galliano in March after video surfaced that showed him praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and making anti-Semitic remarks. He faces a six-month jail term and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,410), if he is convicted, according to prosecutors. Wednesday's proceedings are expected to last several hours. No verdict is expected on Wednesday.He'll...

Severe thunderstorms are on the way following a steamy first day of summer in the Chicago area, and they could stick around throughout the week. The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for several Illinois countries. Weather Chicago. Wednesday was a specific of the hottest days of June recorded in new york city, with 100 degree heat index crossing areas in the field of the tri-state and insert effective in the early 1990s on the five Tornado warnings the Chicago area...

The 2011 College World Series game between the Florida Gators and Vanderbilt Commodore's seemed like it was destined to never end. The game that began Monday afternoon finally ended just minutes ago as the Gators pulled off the 3-1 win. The hero for this game has to be Florida's Steven Rodriguez. Rodriguez pitched 4 1/3 innings of relief over two days without giving up a hit! The Gators sophomore lefty retired three batters Monday night before storms came rolling into Omaha and delayed the game...

When Walgreens said Tuesday that it plans to stop filling prescriptions for customers covered by St. Louis-based drug benefits manager Express Scripts on Jan. 1, 2012, after the two companies failed to reach an agreement in contract renewal negotiations. Express Scripts, which has an office in Irving, processes approximately 90 million prescriptions that are expected to be filled by Walgreens in fiscal 2011, representing approximately $5.3 billion in annual sales. Beginning next year, Express Scripts’...

It was no accident that Jon Huntsman chose the Statue of Liberty as the backdrop to announce his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Sure, the scene had echoes of Ronald Reagan, who used the same spot to launch his 1980 White House run. But it was also far from the cornfields of Iowa. The former two-term Utah governor plans to keep his distance from those cornfields in his quest to go from a largely unknown politician to his party's...

Southwest is one of the youngest large airlines in the U.S., founded in 1971. The company's original CEO, Herb Kelleher, was a stickler for customer service. He encourage pilots to help load luggage and stewardesses to help clean planes. Kelleher, who was active in the airline's management until 2008, would ride Southwest flights routinely to ask customers what they thought of the airline's service. Southwest has probably done well with passengers...

Weight Loss Tip #1: Get Real! Setting unrealistic goals in your weight loss program is the most common error that deters a lot of people from really sticking with it. While it’s good to have an ultimate goal, you want to set smaller goals for you to meet along the way. Setting smaller goals allows you to achieve them and get ever closer to your ultimate goal. Baby steps is the key to any weight loss program. You have to learn to crawl before you...

June 21 is the first day of summer "in the Northern Hemisphere", and Google is commemorating it with a bright logo by contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, who is celebrated for his so-called Superflat style that echoes Japanese animation and blends whimsical colors with--at times--dark themes. But while half the globe enjoys the longest day of the year, June 21 also marks the shortest day of the year for the half located south of the equator. Thus, Googlers in the north will see Murakami's...

The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman recently began its second season on the Science Channel. Scientific programming is one of my secret vices and it's nearly impossible to dislike Morgan Freeman, so a "big question" series featuring tons of scientific all-stars seems like perfect fodder for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Or, in my case, a busy Friday or Saturday night. When you reflect on all the classic films that Morgan Freeman has starred in during...

Michael Bay broke his silence for the first time about why Fox was replaced after two films as Shia LaBeouf's lady co-star, saying that it was her unfortunate dictatorial comparison that did her in. Megan developed this Spice Girl strength, this woman-empowerment "stuff" that made her feel awkward about her involvement with Michael, who some people think is a very lascivious filmmaker, the way he films women," LaBeouf told the Los Angeles Times....

Miss USA Pageant was won by Alyssa Campanella of California. While Campanella took home the title of Miss America. While these beautiful ladies obviously have good genetics on their sides, they still have to work out to get those swimsuit ready physiques for the Miss USA pageant. Five exercises that can help you look more like the Miss America 2011 contestants you saw last night. 1. Plank. When you're time crunched like the Miss USA 2011 contestants...

Mariah Carey is a 42-year-old wife and mother of twins but looking at her latest perfume ad it seems she is laboring under the delusion she is a 13-year-old Lolita. The ad, for the singer's latest Elizabeth Arden perfume line Lollipop Splash: The Remix, features Mariah Carey in a twee lace-trimmed top, sucking on a pink lollipop with her hair pulled back in a baby barrette. Mariah Carey for acting a little immature and younger than she actually...

The third time was anything but a charm for Hugh Hefner, whose wedding to Crystal Harris has been called off. "The wedding is off," Hefner glumly told his Twitter followers Tuesday. "Crystal has had a change of heart." According to TMZ, the 25-year-old model left the Playboy Mansion over the weekend after having a fight with the publishing mogul, 60 years her senior. Hefner, 85, and Harris, 25, began dating in January 2009 and became engaged around...

Samantha Jones is joining the chorus of voices saying that a third installment in the 'Sex and the City' franchise looks unlikely, following poor critical reception of the second film. "I don't know if it will happen. I really, really have no idea," Cattrall told PopEater at the second annual Aruba Film Festival red carpet gala for her independent film 'Meet Monica Velour. "I love playing Samantha Jones. I would love playing Samantha Jones again,...

The year's first Total Lunar Eclipse of the moon will last an unusually long time, a rare celestial treat for a wide swath of the globe. Except if you're in the United States and Canada. North America will be left out of Wednesday's lunar spectacle, which will be visible from start to finish from eastern Africa, central Asia, the Middle East and western Australia weather permitting. The period when Earth's shadow completely blocks the moon  known as totality –will last a whopping 1 hour and...

2011 Guinness World's Shortest Man has a "22 inches tall", A Filipino teenager whose tiny stature has made him a celebrity in his homeland in Zamboanga del Norte will soon enter the record books as the world's shortest man in June 2011 as he will celebrate his 18th birthday. His name is Junrey Balawing who is standing at a mere 22 inches or who might only be slightly taller than a glass bottle. According to Balawing's family, Junrey stopped growing...

The Mavericks were an 18-1 afterthought prior to the start of the NBA Finals, the red carpet over which the Miami Heat would step to accept their crown. The assumption was that a team comprised of mostly 30 year olds didn't have the flash or fury to overcome the superstar triumvirate assembled in Miami 10 months ago when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade on South Beac...

Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Dynasties come and go, but the Kardashians reign supreme. Throughout five seasons and multiple spin-offs, the family has wielded power over the airwaves, and challenged fans to keep up with their relationships, business ventures, squabbles, travels and triumphs. Now, as they prepare for even more drama, they realize even the most storied rulers need support from their loved ones. In season six, the Kardashians put...