Buehrle completes perfect game to throttle Rays

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=290723104

CHICAGO -- The 105th pitch of Mark Buehrle's day broke in toward Gabe Kapler, who turned on it and connected. Buehrle looked up and knew -- his perfect game was in jeopardy.
Just in as a defensive replacement, Chicago White Sox center fielder DeWayne Wise sprinted toward the fence in left-center, a dozen strides. What happened next would be either a moment of baseball magic or the ninth-inning end of Buehrle's bid for perfection against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Wise jumped and extended his right arm above the top of the 8-foot wall. The ball landed in his glove's webbing but then popped out for a split second as he was caroming off the wall and stumbling on the warning track. Wise grabbed it with his bare left hand, fell to the ground and rolled. He bounced up, proudly displaying the ball for the crowd.
Magic. A home run turned into an out.
His biggest threat behind him, Buehrle coolly closed out the 17th perfect game all-time in the regular season, a 5-0 victory Thursday.
"I was hoping it was staying in there, give him enough room to catch it. I know the guys were doing everything they could to save the no-hitter, the perfect game, whatever it might be," said Buehrle, who has now thrown two no-hitters in his career.
More from ESPNChicago.com
On the scene for the perfect game:Jon Greenberg:• Just like you, but perfectNick Friedell's blog:• Being there was special• In their wordsBruce Levine's blog:• First fan checks inPodcast:• Postgame news conference ZOOM gallery:• Perfection in pictures
Wise knew the stakes.
"I was with the Braves in '04 and I was there when Arizona's Randy Johnson pitched a perfect game. So I've been on both sides of it," he said. "It was probably the best catch I've ever made because of the circumstances.
"It was kind of crazy, man, because when I jumped, the ball hit my glove at the same time I was hitting the wall. So I didn't realize I had caught it until I fell down and the ball was coming out of my glove, so I reached out and grabbed it."
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was happy he made the switch to Wise, who came in at center while Scott Podsednik shifted to left and Carlos Quentin was pulled out.
"I guess that's our job," Guillen said.
Buehrle fell behind 3-1 in the count to Michel Hernandez, the second batter in the ninth, who took a called strike and then swung and missed at strike three.
With fans chanting Buehrle's name, Jason Bartlett got ahead 2-1, then grounded to shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who threw to first baseman Josh Fields. Buehrle put both hands on his head and was mobbed by teammates between the mound and first base.
"Never thought I'd throw a no-hitter, never thought I'd throw a perfect game, never thought I'd hit a home run," said Buehrle, who has done all three. "Never say never in this game because crazy stuff can happen."
The pitcher received a congratulatory telephone call from President Barack Obama -- a White Sox fan -- following the 16th perfect game since the modern era began in 1900 and the first since Johnson's on May 18, 2004.
"We joked around, a 30-second phone call, and I'm like 'What? That's all he's got for me?" Buehrle said.
Fast Facts
• Mark Buehrle threw the 17th perfect game in the regular season, throwing 116 pitches and striking out six. He is the 28th pitcher with multiple no-hitters.
• Buehrle became the sixth pitcher to have thrown at least two career no-hitters, including a perfect game. Randy Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Jim Bunning, Addie Joss and Cy Young are the other five.
• Buehrle improved to 15-1 in his last 21 home starts since the 2008 All-Star break.
• It was Chicago's 17th all-time no-hitter, ranking third behind the Dodgers (20) and Red Sox (18).
• Josh Fields hit his second career grand slam in the second inning.
• Scott Kazmir is winless in his last seven starts for the Rays.
-- ESPN Stats & Information
Obama, a lefty like Buehrle, wore a White Sox jacket when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at last week's All-Star game in St. Louis.
"I told him how surprised I was that he actually did it," Buehrle said. "He said, 'Congratulations, and it's an honor. A lot of people are going to remember this forever."
Obama had spoken with Buehrle -- a St. Charles, Mo., native -- in the AL clubhouse last week.
"As a fan, it's extraordinary," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs quoted Obama as saying. "When you're a White Sox fan and know the guy who did it, it makes it even more fun."
Backed by Fields' second-inning grand slam, Buehrle (11-3) threw 76 of 116 pitches for strikes and fanned six in his second no-hitter, helping Chicago move within a percentage point of AL Central-leading Detroit.
Kapler understood his role.
"That moment was magical for both Wise and Buehrle," Kapler said, "and most guys earn those moments."
In a 6-0 win over Texas on April 18, 2007, Buehrle also faced the minimum 27 batters. He walked Sammy Sosa in the fifth inning of that game, then picked him off two pitches later.
"I bought everyone watches after the last one. That was an expensive no-hitter," Buehrle said. "This one will probably be more expensive."
Buehrle and Johnson are the only two active pitchers with a pair of no-hitters, according to STATS LLC. In addition to his perfect game in 2004, The Big Unit tossed a no-hitter for Seattle on June 2, 1990, against Detroit.
Before the ninth, Buehrle needed no great plays behind him. In the fourth, Evan Longoria hit a line drive right at Ramirez. In the eighth, third baseman Gordon Beckham didn't have to move to catch Pat Burrell's liner.
"I've been involved in no-hitters before and you just have to move along," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "It's just a loss, but it does impact the team that gets the win, I believe."
Buehrle went to three-ball counts on five batters, including 3-0 to Bartlett in the sixth. Bartlett took the next two pitches for strikes, fouled one off and then hit a routine grounder to Ramirez. As the shortstop threw to first, those in the crowd of 28,036, sensing history, cheered loudly.
With one out in the eighth, Ben Zobrist hit a weak grounder that just rolled foul and later popped out on a 3-2 pitch. The next batter, Burrell, lined one just foul to left, with third-base umpire Laz Diaz making an emphatic "foul" call. Burrell then lined out to third moments later.
The 30-year-old Buehrle became only the second pitcher to throw two no-hitters for the White Sox: Frank Smith did it against Detroit in 1905 and the Philadelphia Athletics in 1908. The only previous perfect game for the White Sox was by Charles Robertson at Detroit on April 30, 1922. There has been only one perfect game in the postseason.
It was the second no-hitter against the Rays. Derek Lowe accomplished the feat for Boston on April 27, 2002.
Scott Kazmir (4-6) allowed five runs and five hits in sixth innings. In addition to Fields' grand slam, Ramirez hit an RBI double in the fifth.
Toward the end, Buehrle's wife Jamie was a wreck as she watched from the seats near home plate with 4-month-old daughter Brooklyn.
"I'm so proud of my husband, it's unbelievable," she said. "He just never ceases to amaze me. He keeps accomplishing more and more in his career."
Game notesThe Rays placed RHP Chad Bradford on the 15-day DL with low back tightness and recalled RHP Dale Thayer from Triple-A Durham. ... After failing on their previous four attempts to go five games over .500, the White Sox succeeded. ... Chicago activated RHP Bartolo Colon from the 15-day DL and optioned RHP Carlos Torres to Triple-A Charlotte.

N. Korea: Clinton 'funny lady, by no means intelligent'

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/07/23/us.north.korea/index.html

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- North Korea launched a scathing personal attack on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday after she likened the leadership in Pyongyang to "small children and unruly teenagers and people who are demanding attention."

Hillary Clinton says N. Korea's refusal to discuss nuclear program could provoke arms race.

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At a meeting of southeast Asian nations in Phuket, Thailand, a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman blasted Clinton for what he called a "spate of vulgar remarks unbecoming for her position everywhere she went since she was sworn in," according to the state-run KCNA news agency.

The spokesman called Clinton "by no means intelligent" and a "funny lady."

"Sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping," the statement said. Read other colorful insults by N. Korea

The verbal tussle between the two countries culminated with the reclusive communist state making it clear that six-party nuclear talks, stalled for over a year, were effectively finished.

Clinton had earlier warned that North Korea's refusal to discuss its nuclear program could escalate tensions and provoke an arms race in northeast Asia. Watch as North Korea insults Clinton »

"I was gratified by how many countries from throughout the region spoke up and expressed directly to theNorth Korea delegation their concerns over the provocative behavior we have seen over the last few months," Clinton said at a meeting of southeast Asian nations in Phuket, Thailand.

"Unfortunately, the North Korean delegation offered only an insistent refusal to recognize that North Korea has been on the wrong course," she said. "They expressed no willingness to pursue the path of denuclearization. In their presentation today, they evinced no willingness to pursue the path of denuclearization, and that was troubling not only to the United States, but to the region and the international community."

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Her remarks came after the North Koreans issued their blunt statement in response to Clinton's interview earlier in the week with ABC News.

Before Clinton's remarks in Phuket on Thursday, the North Korean delegation attempted to take the podium to speak to the media. But it was turned away by security guards.

North Korea tested a nuclear device in May and fired seven ballistic missiles earlier this month in defiance of a U.N. resolution.

At the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting, Clinton said she had unanimous support for U.N. Resolution 1874, passed by the Security Council in June. It tightened sanctions on North Korea, imposing an embargo on the shipment of arms from that nation.

The North protested the resolution by saying it would enrich uranium and weaponize plutonium, according to KCNA. When enriched to a high degree, uranium can be used as weapons-grade material. Plutonium can be used in atomic bombs.

Clinton said the United States will continue to push North Korea to come to the table. She said a "full normalization of relationships" was possible if North Korea agreed to a verifiable dismantling of its nuclear program.

"The United States and its allies and partners cannot accept a North Korea that tries to maintain nuclear weapons, to launch ballistic missiles or to proliferate nuclear materials," Clinton said. "We are committed to the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in a peaceful manner."

The United States has also expressed concern that military cooperation between North Korea and Myanmar could destabilize the region.

Breaking News! Cocktails in a Bag in Ilsan!

... Or not so Breaking News if you are the Best Friend (and Twitter Best Friend!) who saw them a month ago and didn't say anything!

Cocktails in a bag have been spotted in Ilsan. Where? you may wonder. Well, I have managed to ascertain from Sophie, my best source for anything Ilsan, that cocktails in a bag are distributed when leaving the new bar above Frog & Toad. Club Zan maybe. This bar is supposed to be very large but does not have darts or anything. It does have plenty of seating though. and cocktails in a bag are your reward for leaving...

Source: my friend Sophie

28 finalists named in ‘7 Wonders of Nature’ poll

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32028046/ns/travel-destinations/

GENEVA - The Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef are competing with 26 other spectacular natural landmarks in the final phase of the global poll to choose the "New 7 Wonders of Nature," organizers said Tuesday.
The Amazon rain forest, the Dead Sea, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and Ecuador's Galapagos islands are also among the finalists, according to the organization New 7 Wonders led by Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber.
People can vote by Internet or phone. The winners will be announced in 2011 and share in the glory already enjoyed by the seven man-made wonders chosen two years ago.

Over 1 billion people are expected to join in the voting, said Weber.
"This campaign should contribute to the appreciation — to the knowledge — of our environment and not just the one in our country but worldwide," he told The Associated Press. "If we or our children want to save anything, we should first appreciate it."
A panel of experts chose the finalists among the 77 nominees that gained the most votes in an early round of polling. People had suggested 261 landmarks in countries all over the world.
The panel chaired by Federico Mayor, former chief of UNESCO, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, picked the finalists depending on geographical balance, diversity and the importance to human life, Weber said.
He said he was happy to see that the nominees include places that lie in more than one country, such as the Dead Sea or the Amazon rain forest, which makes people work together across borders.

Magnificent SevenThe New (architectural) Seven Wonders of the World.
more photosHigh voter participation has come from other Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh and Vietnam, as well as from Latin America, he said.
Weber declined to give any numbers of votes so far. But the organization plans to release detail about voter profiles later, he added. Registration on the Web site aims to prevent people from voting twice.
"U.S. voters' participation is always quite high up," he said.
Africa, where most people vote by mobile phones, has had the biggest increase in votes over the last few weeks, Weber said.
The finalists also include Azerbaijan's Mud Volcanoes, Lebanon's Jeita Grotto, Ireland's Moher Cliffs and Germany's Black Forest.

World Heritage SitesFrom amazing to mysterious, view the natural, cultural, archaeological and architectural wonders of the world.
more photos
Around 100 million people voted in the selection of the seven man-made wonders in 2007. The winners were the Colosseum, Italy; the Great Wall of China; the Taj Mahal, India; Petra, Jordan; Christ the Redeemer Statue, Brazil; Machu Picchu, Peru; and the Pyramid at Chichen Itza, Mexico.
Choosing world wonders has been a continuing fascination over the centuries. UNESCO keeps updating its list of World Heritage Sites, which now totals 890 places.
The New 7 Wonders campaign aims to promote cultural diversity by supporting, preserving and restoring monuments and natural sites. It relies on private donations and revenue from selling broadcasting rights.

you can vote at http://www.new7wonders.com/

S Korean politicians in mass brawl

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8162862.stm

Chaotic scenes erupted in South Korea's parliament as politicians introduced a bill on media reform.

The session descended into a mass brawl as politicians from both sides pushed and wrestled each other while some tried to jump the Speaker's podium.

The bill was finally passed by the Deputy Speaker after the Speaker was blocked from entering the room.

Piecing It All Together

http://www.newsweek.com/id/207384

... Historically speaking, there's nothing quite like a puzzle during a recession. In fact, despite their educational origins, puzzles tend to peak in popularity during times of economic distress; the first jigsaw "craze" occurred during the Panic of 1907. As the stock market dropped 50 percent that year, anxious businessmen turned to puzzles to calm their nerves—some under doctors' orders—and J. P. Morgan reportedly used them to clear his mind before closing a deal. The practice spread through wealthy living rooms and Newport, Rhode Island, house parties, and by the time the economy recovered, jigsaws were a staple leisure-time pursuit of the upper class.
The Great Depression ignited a second craze, but this time the introduction of mass-produced, die-cut, cardboard puzzles meant more people could afford them. "Completing a puzzle was an accomplishment during a time when there was very little to celebrate," says Anne D. Williams, who has documented jigsaw history. Puzzle clubs and lending libraries sprouted, and milkmen in Maine delivered puzzles along with dairy. By 1933, 10 million puzzles were being produced every week.
But the flooded market didn't prevent two jobless New Yorkers from creating a luxury model. Starting in 1932 at their dining-room table, Frank Ware and John Henriques developed a line of high-quality jigsaws crafted on commission. Par Co. jigsaws were hand-cut from three-ply Honduras mahogany, featuring cleverly personalized figural shapes—a rake, say, for a gardener or a wine bottle for an oenophile—cut in "trick" styles meant to challenge the puzzler. Eschewing the static pastoral themes of traditional puzzles, the pair introduced customers to prints by Picasso, Dalí, Matisse, and Van Gogh. By the 1940s a custom Par jigsaw sold for as much as $1,500.
Today's recession finds us on similar terrain. A recent report in the trade journal Playthings noted that puzzle sales were up 13 percent in the first quarter of 2009, despite an overall decline in the traditional toy market. Sales have also remained strong at the luxury end. Britain's Wentworth Puzzle Co., which makes laser-cut wooden puzzles, recently introduced a Platinum Collection to its heirloom-quality line, featuring limited-edition prints with pieces twice their standard thickness. Buyers can customize a Platinum design with a variety of "whimsy" figurals, such as animals, musical instruments and letters (from £350; jigsaws.co.uk). Paula Tardie of Stave Puzzles, the world's premier maker of hand-cut jigsaws, confirms that "sales are strong, if not better than ever."
Stave, founded in 1974, now holds the spot once occupied by Par at the top of the market, and its designs have brought a higher order of challenge to puzzling. Stave puzzles are cut from cherry-backed, five-layered wood and incorporate a multitude of trick features, such as split corners and irregular edges. Apprentices spend a year or more perfecting their technique on jigsaws fitted with whisker-thin European blades; if cut just right, a completed puzzle can be lifted by one corner and held aloft without losing a piece. Prices range from several hundred dollars for a small "Teaser" puzzle to several thousand for a limited-edition work. Customers include Bill Gates, Barbara Bush, and Queen Elizabeth (stavepuzzles.com)...

Emma Watson Gears Up For Ivy League Life

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/emma-watson-gears-up-for-ivy-league-life/25465?nc

LOS ANGELES, Calif -- While the cast of "Harry Potter" might stay hush about plotlines, "Half-Blood Prince" star Emma Watson has revealed an important change is in her future.
According to Paste magazine, Emma confirmed she will enroll as a college freshman at Brown University this fall.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince' NY Premiere
"I am going to Brown, which is an Ivy League establishment in the U.S.A. I've got a place there to read literature," she revealed to the music mag.
In recent months, the studious star made a worldwide college tour that involved many stops on the East Coast and Great Britain. But although her "Potter" co-star Daniel Radcliffe previously told Britain's Guardian newspaper that Emma was attending Brown, the actress remained mum on the subject until now.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Harry Potter's Yearbook
And with the cat out of the bag, Emma opened up about her enthusiasm for hitting the books.
"It sounds so geeky, but I really do like studying and reading, and if I'm not working on 'Harry Potter,' then my greatest relaxation is to sit with a book," she told Paste. "That's how I escape stress -- in literature. I always have several books on the go at any one moment, so it's no good you asking 'What's on the bedside table at the moment, Emma?' because often I can't even see the table."
Emma does realize that many at Brown will recognize her for her performances and not for her test scores, but she hopes her fellow students will get over it quickly.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince' World Premiere
"I do hope that it will be only a short time before I am known as 'Emma Watson, the student from the U.K.' rather than 'Emma Watson who starred in those 'Harry Potter' films.'"

Solar Eclipse of July 2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_July_22,_2009

This article has been edited for space. I only chose to include my favorite parts. Instances of omitted text are indicated by ellipses...

The solar eclipse that will take place on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 will be a total eclipse of the Sun. It will be the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, lasting at greatest eclipse 6 minutes, 39 seconds, it has sparked tourist interest in eastern China and India....

A partial eclipse will be seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including most of South East Asia (all of India and China) and north-eastern Oceania...

This solar eclipse is the longest total solar eclipse that will occur in the twenty-first century, and will not be surpassed in duration until June 13, 2132. Totality will last for up to 6 minutes and 39 seconds, with the maximum eclipse occurring in the ocean at 02:35:21 UTC...

Urban legend: According to majority of scientists earthquakes are not caused by the moon or any event such as this, no matter how long the eclipse lasts or how significant it is from other eclipses. The moon's gravitational pull is only known to cause tides. In this instance also there is a high probability for a mild change in ocean tides during the eclipse which should not be mistaken for a Tsunami.However, there has been an unendorsed earthquake prediction by a software developer who specializes in Computer Game physics and has posted an article on a blog post. His statement is based on an existing theory by James O. Berkland originally posted on National Geographic. According to this speculation, the combined gravitational pull of sun and moon during the long total eclipse will cause a undersea tectonic uplift in south of Japan resulting a major tsunami. However, the author states that this is only a hypothesis and acknowledges that he is not qualified to make a formal prediction. The news is swiftly gaining attention worldwide as an electronic chain letter. Mainstream scientists and media have already rejected this hypothesis stating that there is no credible evidence to prove any correlation between solar eclipses and earthquakes.

Moon or Mars? 'Next giant leap' sparks debate

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/07/20/nasa.future.human.exploration/index.html

(CNN) -- Blasting off from Earth and hurtling through space at thousands of miles an hour, it takes astronauts three days to reach the moon -- a tiny distance in a universe measured in light years, but a fantastic voyage on a human scale.

Buzz Aldrin walks on the moon on July 20, 1969. NASA is preparing to send astronauts back and build a lunar base.

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Now plans are under way to go back, even as the future of U.S. human space exploration is under close scrutiny and pressure is growing on NASA to aim for another alien world.

It's a crossroads Neil Armstrong could have hardly imagined on July 20, 1969, when he became the first human to set foot on the moon and uttered his now famous phrase: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Today, NASA is working to return astronauts to the moon by 2020 and establish a lunar base that would allow them to stay on the desolate surface for up to six months by 2025.

The goal this time is for the explorers to make themselves at home, study the terrain and learn how to work in a harsh environment to prepare for trips beyond the moon.

"The next giant leap has begun," NASA promises on the logo of its Constellation Program, the new fleet ofspace exploration vehicles that the agency's former administrator, Michael Griffin, once famously called "Apollo on steroids."

Set to replace the space shuttles, Constellation builds on the legacy of Apollo -- the program that landed humans on the moon six times in the late 1960s and early '70s -- but incorporates modern technologies and influences.

(.....story continued....)

150-Pound Cupcake In Minnesota Sets Guinness Record

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/19/150pound-cupcake-in-minne_n_240400.html


MINNEAPOLIS — A 151-pound cupcake in Minneapolis has been certified as the world's largest. The 1-foot tall, 2-foot wide cupcake on display Saturday at the Minneapolis Mall of America had 15 pounds of fudge filling and 60 pounds of yellow icing.
Guinness World Records adjudicator Danny Girton Jr. called it a "fun and creative achievement."
The cupcake was made by cakes.com, which is run by cake-decoration supplier and marketer DecoPac.
Company spokeswoman Jamie Miller said the giant cupcake will go to a pig farm. The company decided against giving away pieces to mall patrons because most would not have had frosting.
Instead, cakes.com gave away 4,000 smaller cupcakes.

Pope fractures wrist, undergoes successful surgery

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=16589

Aosta, Italy, Jul 17, 2009 / 09:44 am (CNA).- Only three days into his vacation near the Italian mountain town of Aosta, Pope Benedict XVI fell last night at his chalet and fractured his wrist. Despite the pain, the Pope celebrated Mass and had breakfast before going to the hospital on Friday morning.

The incident occurred on Thursday night when the Pope fell and slightly fractured his right wrist.

On Friday morning, Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said that the Holy Father “celebrated Mass and had breakfast early.” He was then taken 12 miles to the town of Aosta, arriving at the local hospital at 9:45 a.m.

When the Pope arrived, other patients were waiting for X-rays and he insisted on waiting his turn, ANSA reports.

Later the Pope underwent a 20-minute operation under local anesthetic to realign the fractured fragments and reduce the fracture. Benedict was then fitted with a cast which he will have to wear for about a month.

“The Holy Father's general condition is good" added the Pope's doctor Patrizio Polisca, saying that "the Pope will return shortly to his residence."

Benedict XVI began a 16-day vacation at the Les Combes chalet on July 13 and is scheduled to only make two public appearances two pray the Angelus prayer with locals.

‘Expect fireworks’ as 15th stage of Tour running

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/31992563/ns/sports-tour_de_france/

PONTARLIER, France - Seven-time champion Lance Armstrong is facing a tough test as the first Alpine stage of the Tour de France has gotten under way between Pontarlier and the Swiss ski resort of Verbier.
Fourth-place Armstrong was 8 seconds behind overall leader Rinaldo Nocentini as riders set out Sunday on the 128.9-mile 15th stage.
Armstrong’s rivalry with Astana teammate Alberto Contador of Spain is likely to re-ignite after a week without any major shake-ups in the overall standings.
“Expect fireworks. Lots of them,” Armstrong wrote on his Twitter feed ahead of the stage.
Contador is third overall, 6 seconds behind Nocentini.
Belgian star Tom Boonen did not start the stage after having a high fever and vomiting overnight.