Which Big Damn Hero are you?

You scored as Mal Reynolds. You're Mal Reynolds. A Browncoat for life. You're the Captain and what you say goes, or else you get ornery... Serentiy 80% Mal Reynolds 80% Kaylee Frye 75% Hoban 'Wash' Washburne 65% Zoe Washburne 60% Inara Serra 45% Saffron 45% Jayne Cobb 45% Vera 40% Early 40% Simon Tam 40% The Operative 25% Book 20% River Tam 5% Which Big Damn Hero are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Which Serenity Character Are You?

http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=79387

You scored as Zoe Alleyne Washburne.

The Soldier. You are the second in command, and that is fine. You like a chain of command, but only when the one in charge has earnt your respect. Those who earn your love or loyalty will find no one better to guard their back.

Zoe Alleyne Washburne 81%
The Operative 75%
Capt. Mal Reynolds 75%
Kaylee (Kaywinnet Lee) Frye 63%
Inara Serra 63%
Simon Tam 63%
Hoban 'Wash' Washburne 56%
Shepherd Derrial Book 44%
River Tam 44%
Jayne Cobb 31%

I'm Superman! (Superhero Quiz)

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman 100% Wonder Woman 90% Spider-Man 85% Supergirl 75% Robin 65% Iron Man 65% Green Lantern 60% The Flash 60% Batman 50% Catwoman 40% Hulk 30%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

My Lustsign (another quiz thing)

Book Rec of the Day 1/31/2007

“I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster.”

Walls begins her memoir with a bang and doesn’t let up until the last page is turned. A gossip columnist, she worked for years keeping up appearances on Park Avenue, hoping her childhood wouldn’t catch up with her. Her memoir pulls back the curtain to reveal a bizarre life. Walls and her three siblings all managed to escape their bizarre West Virginia family and all moved to New York City, followed by their mother, who lives, by her own choice, as a squatter and sometime homeless person in the East Village.

THE GLASS CASTLE, by Jeannette Walls (Scribner, 2006)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/31/2007

1/31/1978:
Pistol Pete Maravich suffers a strained ligament in his right knee in the closing moments of the New Orleans' ninth straight victory, 114-95 over Buffalo. Trying to make one of his crowd-pleasing, court-length passes between his legs, Maravich slips on a wet spot on the floor and must be helped to the dressing room by his teammates. He'll need surgery to repair the damage and will play only two more seasons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Maravich
http://cache.nba.com/media/history/maravich_350.jpg

Birthdays:
Jackie Robinson b. 1919
Hank Aguirre b. 1931
Ernie Banks b. 1931
Camille "the Eel" Henry b. 1933
Nolan Ryan b. 1947

How's Your Vocabulary

Your Vocabulary Score: A+

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person.

How's Your Vocabulary?

Book Rec of the Day 1/30/2007

“Ambitious.”—The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

“Dazzling.”—Chicago Tribune

“...firmly in the tradition of...Bellow.”—Publishers Weekly

Not bad for a first novel about three kids growing up in Chicago. (The “California” of the title is California Avenue.) Langer depicts growing up Jewish in the 1970s and adolescence in general with a keen, witty eye. This one was a critic’s pet, and readers made it a national bestseller. Try it and see why.

CROSSING CALIFORNIA, by Adam Langer (Riverhead Trade, 2005)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/30/2007

1/30/2005:
Marat Safin spoils the party for tennis fans Down Under when he overpowers Lleyton Hewitt in the Australian Open and shuts the door on hopes for an Aussie to win their national title for the first time in three decades. It's the second Grand Slam title for the erratic and temperamental Russian star, who broke through by winning the U.S. Open in 2000 but then fell prey to injuries and inconsistency. Safin uses his big serve and 6'4" reach to maximum advantage against Hewitt, whose baseline retrieval strategy proves unavailing.

Birthdays:
Walt Dropo b. 1923
Davey Johnson b. 1943
Curtis Strange b. 1955
Payne Stewart b. 1957
Jalen Rose b. 1973

Book Rec of the Day 1/29/2007

Oxford scientist Dawkins combines top-notch scholarship with accessibility to end up with a dazzlingly readable, exciting book. He recounts the history of evolution, working backward from the present day to billions of years ago, when all life boiled down to a bit of bacteria. Along the way we meet the family, including porcupines, aphids, finches, and giant, prehistoric rodents.

THE ANCESTOR’S TALE: A PILGRIMAGE TO THE DAWN OF EVOLUTION, by Richard Dawkins (Mariner, 2005)

Dawkins has a Web site bursting with links on evolution and all manner of science. Visit him at www.world-of-dawkins.com.

Sports Fact of the Day 1/29/2007

1/29/1994:
Seemingly unbeatable super-lightweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez of Mexico is upset by 16-1 underdog Frankie Randall of Tennessee at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Helped by the only knockdown of the 12-round bout (in the 11th) and two points deducted from Chavez on all three judges' scorecards for repeated low blows, Randall ekes out a split decision to hand Chavez his first loss as a pro (89-1-1). One of the judges scores the fight 114-113 for Randall, meaning that hwithout the two-point reduction Chavez would have won that card, retained his title and remained unbeaten.

Birthdays:
Greg Louganis b. 1960
Steve Sax b. 1960
Andre Reed b. 1964
Dominik Hasek b. 1965
Sean Burke b. 1967

Book Rec of the Day 1/28/2007

Novice novelist Pickett hit the jackpot when director Alexander Payne whipped up a cult classic movie based on his first novel. It’s a road trip-buddy story: Two old friends—one a loser, the other a cad—drive around Santa Barbara wine country for a week before the cad gets married. A wonderful, memorable ride about searching for one thing (the perfect pinot) and finding another (yourself). A light-bodied read with more texture than you might expect. To life!

SIDEWAYS, by Rex Pickett (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2004)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/28/2007

1/28/1973:
In a noteworthy event of the Atlanta Flames' first season in the NHL, Keith McCreary and Rey Comeau record the first hat tricks in franchise history to provide enough firepower for an 8-5 win over Buffalo at the Aud. It's not a great night in net for Sabre goalie Roger Crozier, who allows 8 goals on only 26 shots to the visiting expansion team. The win brings the Flames to a 21-22-9 record, far superior to their 1972-73 expansion brethren, the New York Islanders, who are currently adrift with a miserable 6-40-4 seasonal log.

Birthdays:
Pete Runnels b. 1928
Colin Campbell b. 1953
Tony Delk b. 1974
Jermaine Dye b. 1974
Daunte Culpepper b. 1977

Book Rec of the Day 1/27/2007

“Dazzling.”—USA Today

“A writer of uncommon elegance and poise...”—The New York Times

It is rare for short stories to be so compelling that you feel you have to read them all at once, but Lahiri’s are that good. Her characters are ordinary, but her writing about them is extraordinary. She is so eloquent and so insightful that as soon as you finish these tales about Indian Americans, you’ll be glad to know that her bestselling novel, The Namesake (Mariner Books, 2004), awaits you.

INTERPRETER OF MALADIES, by Jhumpa Lahiri (Mariner Books, 1999)

Interpreter of Maladies won the Pulitzer Prize.

Sports Fact of the Day 1/27/2007

1/27/1978:
Franklin Jacobs sets a world indoor record for the high jump with a leap of 7'7-1/4" at the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden. A sophomore at nearby Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, Jacobs stands only 5'8" tall but is a marvel of compressed energy as he clears the record height on his final attempt. His effort falls only 1/2" shy of the world mark of 7'7-3/4", set outdoors by Vladimir Taschenko of the Soviet Union last year.

Birthdays:
Frankie Albert b. 1920
John Lowenstein b. 1947
Billy "White Shoes" Johnson b. 1952
Cris Collinsworth b. 1959
Marat Safin b. 1980

Book Rec of the Day 1/26/2007

WEIRD SCIENCE

Few women have contributed to advances in astronomy, and Henrietta Leavitt was one of them. Her discovery—that the size of the universe can be measured by calculating the luminosity of stars—is of towering importance, and yet she herself has been almost forgotten. Ace science reporter Johnson tells the brief, colorful tale of how Miss Leavitt, a human “computer” at Harvard University, made her wondrous mark on the universe.

MISS LEAVITT’S STARS: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WOMAN WHO DISCOVERED HOW TO MEASURE THE UNIVERSE, by George Johnson (W.W. Norton & Company, 2005)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/26/2007

1/26/2003:
Just one season removed from coaching the Oakland Raiders, Jon Gruden leads his new team, the Tampa Bay buccaneers, to a 48-21 rout of the Silver and Black in Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego. A smothering Buccaneer defense led by free safety Dexter Johnson records five sacks and intercepts five passes, returning three of them for touchdowns. Johnson becomes the third defensive back in Super Bowl history to earn MVP honors.

Birthdays:
Bob Uecker b. 1935
Jack Youngblood b. 1950
Brian Doyle b. 1955
Wayne Gretzky b. 1961
Vince Carter b. 1977

Book Rec of the Day 1/25/2007

IF YOU LIKE GARRISON KEILLOR,
YOU’LL LOVE...

You might expect the lake in the title of this first novel to be Wobegone. That’s how smart, witty, and deeply Midwestern Amick’s book is. In fact, it’s Lake Michigan, and the book takes place during the summer in the fictional resort town of Weneshkeen, where all manner of mischief happens. Each chapter concerns another character in linked narratives that propel the story along. “Very moving and very funny,” in the estimation of The Washington Post.

THE LAKE, THE RIVER & THE OTHER LAKE, by Steve Amick (Pantheon, 2005)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/25/2007

1/25/1972:
In a clash of Big Ten unbeatens, Ohio State defeats Minnesota, 50-44, at Williams Arena in Minneapolis after a wild brawl halts the contest with 36 seconds left. Seven-foot Buckeye center Luke Witte is roughed up by the Gophers, especially Ron Behagen and Corky Taylor, who are later suspended for the balance of the season. Several courtside fans also get involved, and police are needed to quell the nasty row. Minnesota athletic director Paul Giel discontinues the game.

Birthdays:
Lou Groza b. 1924
Don Maynard b. 1937
Steve Prefontaine b. 1951
Mark Duper b. 1959
Chris Chelios b. 1962

Book Rec of the Day 1/24/2007

You know the drill by now: burnt-out American/Brit goes to France/Italy/Spain, buys dilapidated villa/cottage, and discovers paradise. But God is in the details. And the details of Hollywood honcho Doran’s adventures in Tuscany are truly hilarious. Doran’s eye for detail, along with his type A personality, so at odds with the Italian far niente mentality, keep the pages turning briskly toward an inevitable happy ending. If you need a winter’s dose of la dolce vita, you can’t go wrong here.

THE RELUCTANT TUSCAN, by Phil Doran (Gotham, 2006)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/24/2007

1/24/1976:
George Foreman knocks out Ron Lyle in a furious heavyweight slugfest at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Foreman survives two knockdowns in the fourth round to finally stop the onrushing Lyle at 2:28 of the fifth. It's his first fight since losing the heavyweight title to Muhammad Ali 15 months ago in Kinshasa, Zaire, and it takes him a few rounds to find the range for his formidable punching power. Finally, late in the fifth round, Lyle is distracted by an ill-fitting mouthpiece, tries to cover up and is overwhelmed by Foreman's telling blows.

Birthdays:
Giorgio Chinaglia b. 1947
Mary Lou Retton b. 1968
Tshimanga Biakabutuka b. 1974

Bonus Book Rec for 1/23/2007

Music Enthusiasts: Stop Everything and Buy this Book

The first interactive guide to classical music, The NPR Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music is packed with 1,500 entries and over 1,000 recommended recordings. But the best part? A password gives readers access to a Naxos-powered Web site with 600 samples of works, techniques, and performers discussed in the book.

Book Rec of the Day 1/23/2007

YOU’VE NEVER READ ANNE TYLER?

Tyler is the Vermeer of contemporary fiction, painting scenes of domestic life with loving detail and stunning clarity. She has peers (Sue Miller leaps to mind), but she has no equal. This may be the best novel of her career. Pauline and Michael’s marriage is utterly ordinary—the three children, the suburban life, the everyday squabbles—but Tyler’s brilliant writing makes it extraordinary. If you haven’t read Tyler before, start here. If you are a fan but haven’t read The Amateur Marriage yet, you are in for a treat.

THE AMATEUR MARRIAGE, by Anne Tyler (Ballantine, 2004)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/23/2007

1/23/1977:
Tom Watson edges Tony Jacklin by one stroke to win the Bing Crosby Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. Unseasonably mild temperatures for the popular "Crosby Clambake" help Watson set a tournament record of 14 under par, beating Billy Casper's old mark by four strokes. He'll become the leading money winner on the Tour and win Player of the Year honors the next four years in a row.

Birthdays:
Jerry Kramer: b. 1936
Petr Korda b. 1968
Eric Metcalf b. 1968
Alan Embree b. 1970
Erubiel Durazo b. 1974

Book Rec of the Day 1/22/2007

MEMOIRS

A wonderful introduction to Côte d’Ivoire, to Africa, to the human heart,” says Julia Alvarez of Sarah Erdman’s memoir of her two years as a Peace Corps volunteer. Her village in West Africa was on the cusp of two worlds—the ancient one of tradition and sorcery and the modern one of electricity and AIDS prevention. “It’s rare to pick up a book and be so completely transported to another land, another culture,” says Abraham Verghese of Erdman’s rich and moving story.

NINE HILLS TO NAMBONKAHA: TWO YEARS IN THE HEART OF AN AFRICAN VILLAGE, by Sarah Erdman (Picador, 2004)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/22/2007

1/22/1927:
En route from Waco to Austin in rainy weather, 10 members of the Baylor basketball team traveling party, including seven players, are killed when their bus is struck by a Great Northern locomotive at a railroad crossing in Round Rock, Texas. There were no such things as flashing red lights or movable gates to warn the driver (who survived), and the downhill slope to the tracks made stopping short impossible. The victims of this tragedy have been largely overlooked by sports historians, but in Waco, on the campus of Baylor University, they will forever be known as the Immortal Ten.

Birthdays:
Elmer Lach b. 1918
J.C. Tremblay b. 1939
Serge Savard b. 1946
George Foreman b. 1948
Mike Bossy b. 1957

Book Rec of the Day 1/21/2007

FUNNY AND QUIRKY FICTION

A breezy comic novel that offers hope to even the most hopeless of us. Plato G. Fussell is a neurotic hypochondriac obsessed with completing his 10-volume history of President Fillmore. The only thing that could get in his way is love. And the only thing worse than falling in love is falling in love with your shrink’s wife. “Deliciously goofy,” promises Carl Reiner.

MILLARD FILLMORE, MON AMOUR, by John Blumenthal (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2004)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/21/2007

1/21/1980:
With the score tied at 77-77 and only seconds remaining, Les Henson of Virginia Tech rebounds a missed shot by Florida State and heaves the ball the length of the court-89'3"-as time expires. His desperation fling goes straight through the hoop for the longest field goal in college basketball history and gives the Hokies a 79-77 win over the stunned Seminoles on their home floor in Tallahassee. Making this feat even more amazing, Henson is a left-handed player and he threw the ball right-handed!

Birthdays:
Jack Niclaus b. 1940
Johnny Oates b. 1946
Hakeem Olajuwon b. 1963
Detlef Schrempf b. 1963
Rusty Greer b. 1969

Book Rec of the Day 1/20/2007

THE LITERARY LIFE

The house at 7 Middagh Street, Brooklyn, was for one brief, shining moment, a literary Camelot. A group of creative geniuses produced some of their best work in the house. McCullers wrote The Member of the Wedding and Ballad of the Sad Café. Gypsy Rose Lee wrote The G-String Murders. Britten and Auden collaborated on the opera Paul Bunyan. A hotbed of talent simmered on the eve of World War II, when the world was about to change. Tippins’s book is a quirky, ingenious look at one of the strangest communes ever.

FEBRUARY HOUSE: THE STORY OF W. H. AUDEN, CARSON MCCULLERS, JANE AND PAUL BOWLES, BENJAMIN BRITTEN, AND GYPSY ROSE LEE, UNDER ONE ROOF IN WARTIME AMERICA, by Sherill Tippins (Houghton Mifflin, 2005)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/20/2007

1/20/1952:
George Mikan, pro basketball's first great big man and marquee star, scores 61 points to lead the Minneapolis Lakers to a 91-81 victory in double overtime against the Rochester Royals. The towering center is unstoppable once he receives the ball in the low post, laying in shots with either hand at close range while delighting a large Sunday crowd at the Minneapolis Auditorium. His outburst falls just two points short of Jumpin' Joe Fulks' NBA record of 63, set in 1947.

Birthdays:
Carol Heiss b. 1940
John Naber b. 1956
Ozzie Guillen b. 1964
Ron Harper b. 1964
Brian Giles b. 1971

Book Rec of the Day 1/19/2007

What is it about Sherlock Holmes? A century after his demise he continues to delight readers. Now two masters of fiction take on the master detective. Military historian Carr (The Alienist; Bantam, 1995) and Pulitzer Prize-winner Chabon (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay; Picador, 2001), bestsellers both, offer lively reimaginings of Holmes at work. Carr’s has a whiff of the supernatural; Chabon pulls Holmes out of retirement to locate a lost parrot.

	THE ITALIAN SECRETARY: A FURTHER ADVENTURE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, by Caleb Carr (Carroll & Graf, 2005)
	THE FINAL SOLUTION: A STORY OF DETECTION, by Michael Chabon (Fourth Estate, 2004)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/19/2007

1/19/1955:
Journeyman Ralph "Tiger" Jones seizes the opportunity of his career and handily defeats Sugar Ray Robinson in a unanimous 10-round decision at Chicago Stadium. For Robinson, the former welter- and middleweight champion, returning to the ring after an ill-advised "retirement," it's only the fourth loss in 143 pro fights. It's a nice win for Jones but surely a product of Robinson's inactivity and ring rust. It doesn't take Sugar Ray long to get back in top-top condition, and before the year is out he'll regain the middleweight crown from Bobo Olson.

Birthdays:
Bill Mikvy b. 1931
O.J. Anderson b. 1957
Stefan Edberg b. 1966
Junior Seau b. 1969
Tyrone Wheatley b. 1972

Two days above zero!

Two consecutive days of above zero weather here in lovely Fargo. I feel like breaking out into a rendition of Heatwave, but I'll refrain for the time being. Current temp at 6:35am is 22! Woot! I'll take that. It's been pretty darned brutal out the last week or so. Our cat sure is thrilled and has been pestering to go out much more frequently!

I somehow managed to get spyware/malware on my PC Monday, so I was battling that most of the week. I had a program that would find the problem, but no matter how many times I cleaned it it was still there. Finally, yesterday morning, I found a program that worked! I'm clean! Woot! It's so frustrating. And I think anyone who creates that stuff should be drawn & quartered. It's just dumb!

Lee got 9 stitches in his head last Thursday, they were taken out Tuesday. He was struck in the head by a piece of lumber with nails in it at work. I looked this morning and don't see much of a scar, so whoever did the stitches must have done a good job.

Steph's doing well. She had finals last week, followed by a four-day weekend for Martin Luther King Day and teacher workshop day. She got a part in her high school's play, Macbeth, which she's excited about. And she's still working, six months now she's been there. I'm proud of her.

Claire's doing great. She's 2-1/2 now, and as usual for that age, into everything! She's a lot of fun, though. And talking so much. She's like a sponge, soaking it all up and spewing it back out.

That's about it here.

Book Rec of the Day 1/18/2007

Rushin is fascinated by how far people will push themselves in competitions and the wacky things they will do in the name of leisure. His book is a collection of his celebrated Sports Illustrated pieces that have recounted him playing golf in the Arctic, exploring the world of competitive eating, and tailgating with a man who does it for a living. Eloquent ruminations on the things he loves about sports mingle with the absurd and colorful quirky pursuits he has covered for the magazine. It all makes for an ebullient celebration of the burning American desire to win.

THE CADDIE WAS A REINDEER, by Steve Rushin (Grove Press, 2005)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/18/2007

1/18/2005:
Five-foot-five Earl Boykins, the littlest man in the NBA, sets an all-time league record with 15 points in one overtime period as the Denver Nuggets beat the Seattle SuperSonics, 116-110, at KeyArena. Playing without Kenyon Martin (strep throat) and Nenê (suspension) and losing Carmelo Anthony to a sprained ankle in the second half, the Nuggets take hold when Boykins steps into the breach along with center Marcus Camby, who scores 25 points of his own.

Birthdays:
Syl Apps b. 1915
Curt Flood b. 1938
Mark Messier b. 1961
Brady Anderson b. 1964
Mike Lieberthal b. 1972

Book Rec of the Day 1/17/2007

P. J. Tracy’s mysteries offer a little something for everyone, which may explain why everyone seems to love them. Expect a quick pace, snappy dialogue, endearing characters, romance, suspense, and blood and guts. In Live Bait, Twin Cities detectives Leo and Gino worry that business is slow, until a series of murders promises to keep them plenty busy.

LIVE BAIT, by P. J. Tracy (Signet, 2005)

P. J. Tracy is a pseudonym for the mother-daughter writing team of Patricia and Traci Lambrecht.

Sports Fact of the Day 1/17/2007

1/17/1999:
Electrifying ngoal scorer Pavel Bure is traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Florida Panthers in a mid-season blockbuster deal. Known as "the Russian Rocket," Bure refused to report to Vancouver this season after his hcontract (in its final year at $8M per season) was not sweetened and extended after he scored 51 goals and 90 points last season. The talented right-winger was also not on the best of terms with the Canucks' perfectionist head coach, Mike Keenan. Bure's absence has left Vancouver in tatters, and they've stumbled to a 14-23-5 record without him.

Birthdays:
Jacques Plante b. 1929
Kip Keino b. 1940
Muhammad Ali b. 1942
Chili Davis b. 1960
Jeremy Roenick b. 1970

Book Rec of the Day 1/16/2007

MEMOIRS

“Dizzying, elemental, a poem turned into a sword.”—The New York Times

Before there was Amy Tan, there was Maxine Hong Kingston. Her masterpiece is a memoir of growing up Chinese American in California. Kingston relates the raw and unsparing stories her mother recounted throughout her girlhood and fills in the missing pieces with imaginings of her own. The Woman Warrior won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction and remains as resonant today as it did when first published.

THE WOMAN WARRIOR, by Maxine Hong Kingston (1976; Vintage, 1989)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/16/2007

1/16/1988:
Beginning to make inroads at the top of the Big East under second-year head coach Jim Calhoun, the Connecticut Huskies upset last year's NCAA tournament finalists Syracuse, 51-50, at the Carrier Dome. Led by center Cliff Robinson and guard Phil Gamble, UConn takes the high-scoring Orangemen (94 ppg.) completely out of their fast-break rhythm, holding them to their lowest point total in eight years. After building a solid program in 13 years at Northeastern, Calhoun quickly transforms Connecticut from an ordinary team to a top-10 national power. The Huskies will go on to a 20-14 record and win the NIT this March.

Birthdays:
Dizzy Dean b. 1911
A.J. Foyt b. 1935
Jack McDowell b. 1966
Roy Jones Jr. b. 1969
Albert Pujols b. 1980

Book Rec of the Day 1/15/2007

All aboard! Widow Tessie and daughter, Dinah, need to jumpstart their lives, so they board the Orange Blossom Special, a train bound for Gainesville, Florida. Carter chronicles their lives across the decades, from the 1950s to the 1980s, in a first novel that critics found “warm [and] wise” (Elle), “insightful and compassionate” (Harper’s Bazaar), and “high-energy” (O, The Oprah Magazine). If you’re in the market for a feel-good read, you’ve found it.

THE ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL, by Betsy Carter (Algonquin, 2005)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/15/2007

1/15/1990:
Martin Luth King Jr.'s Birthday / Martin Luther King Day

With only one-tenth of a second showing on the scoreboard clock, Trent Tucker takes the in-bounds pass, turns, shoots and hits a three-point basket to give the Knicks a 109-106 victory over the Bulls at Madison Square Garden. Despite the improbability of performing the sequence in that time frame, the officials refuse to wave it off. It's the first year the NBA is using the "international clock," breaking down the last minute of each quarter by tenths of a second, and Tucker's trey precipitates a rule change. Next season, at least three-tenths of a second must be showing on the clock for any such catch-and-shoot play to be ruled good.

Birthdays:
Bobby Grich b. 1949
Ernie DiGregorio b. 1951
Delino DeShields b. 1969
Mary Pierce b. 1975
Drew Brees b. 1979

Book Rec of the Day 1/14/2007

MEMOIRS

Lindsay Moran was a few years out of Harvard and had just finished a Fulbright grant in Bulgaria. She wondered what to do next. Why not become a spy? She had always been fascinated by the idea, so she accepted a job at the CIA. The details of the job are fascinating, especially the in-depth training on crashing cars and surviving a kidnapping. But Moran’s story is about more than just the CIA, it’s a search to figure out where she belongs in the world and what to do with her life. It’s Bridget Jones meets Alias.

BLOWING MY COVER: MY LIFE AS A CIA SPY, by Lindsay Moran (Berkley Trade, 2005)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/14/2007

1/14/1922:
Brothers Sprague and Odie Cleghorn become the first teammates in the 20th century to score four goals apiece in an NHL game, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a 10-6 rout of the Hamilton Tigers at Mount Royal Arena. (John Madden and Randy McKay will equal this feat in 2000 for the New Jersey Devils.) The Cleghorn brothers will remain inseparable to the end. In 1956, Sprague will be severely injured in an auto accident and die on July 11. On the day of Sprague's funeral, July 13, Odie will suffer a fatal heart attack.

Birthdays:
Smead Jolley b. 1902
Sonny Siebert b. 1937
Fred Arbanas b. 1939
Gene Washington b. 1947
Terry Forster b. 1952

Book Rec of the Day 1/13/2007

FANTASY

It’s rare that an author’s first fantasy novel becomes an instant classic, but Gardens of the Moon is no ordinary book. The first of The Malazan Book of the Fallen series, Gardens of the Moon is an epic military novel whose depth and complexity can only be experienced, not explained. Fantasy luminaries rave about it. Stephen R. Donaldson calls Erikson “an extraordinary writer.” And David Drake says, “A brilliant book! Exciting, inventive, intelligent—frequently funny.”

GARDENS OF THE MOON, by Steven Erikson (Tor Fantasy, 2005)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/13/2007

1/13/1982:
Frank Robinson and Hank Aaron are named to the Baseball Hall of Fame. A winner of MVP awards in both leagues, Robinson enjoyed a Triple Crown season in 1966 (.316, 49, 122) while leading Baltimore to its first world championship. Aaron surpassed Babe Ruth's home run record of 714 in 1974 and finished his career with 755. Both players debuted in the mid-1950s and helped form a vanguard of African Americans that gave the National League a clear dominance over the American League for a full generation.

Birthdays:
Tom Gola b. 1933
Bob Baffert b. 1953
Mark O'Meara b. 1957
Kelly Hrudey b. 1961
Kevin Mitchell b. 1962

Divisional Playoffs Picks

Saturday’s games:
Indianapolis @ Baltimore – Baltimore
Philadelphia @ New Orleans – Philadelphia (I’m really digging the way Garcia’s been playing!)

Sunday’s games:
Seattle @ Chicago – Chicago
New England @ San Diego – San Diego

Book Rec of the Day 1/12/2007

Andrea Barrett is one of the very best short story writers alive. And her style is utterly distinctive—her stories are usually historical, and all are set in the world of science. Ship Fever won the National Book Award and was lavished with praise like “quietly dazzling” (The New York Times Book Review). Read it and when you have finished do not despair: turn to Servants of the Map (W.W. Norton & Company, 2003), her follow-up collection.

SHIP FEVER, by Andrea Barrett (W.W. Norton & Company, 1996)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/12/2007

1/12/2003:
Lanky, long-driving South African golfer Ernie Els runs roughshod over thefield at the Mercedes Championships at Kapalua, Hawaii, winning by eight strokes and setting a new PGA Tour record for 72 holes of 31 under par. He tops the 28-under-par mark shared by John Huston at the 1988 Hawaiian Open and Mark Calcavecchia at Phoenix in 2001.

Birthdays:
Mac Speedie b. 1920
Joe Frazier b. 1944
Tom Dempsey b. 1947
Dominique Wilkins b. 1960
Jocelyn Thibault b. 1975

Book Rec of the Day 1/11/2007

HISTORICAL FICTION

Historical novels don’t get much better than those composed by Margaret George. Acclaimed for having taken on the British royal family in Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles (St. Martin’s Griffin, 1997) and The Autobiography of Henry VIII (St. Martin’s Griffin, 1998), George turns her fertile imagination to the Nile Delta. Her story of Cleopatra’s rise and demise is sensuous and epic. Barbara Taylor Bradford calls the book “spellbinding,” and The Washington Post says “vivid and enthralling.”

THE MEMOIRS OF CLEOPATRA: A NOVEL, by Margaret George (St. Martin’s Griffin, 1998)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/11/2007

(sorry John!)
1/11/2004:

For the third time in less than 10 years, a 13-3 regular season goes down the drain for the Kansas City Chief as their suspect defense is shredded by Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, 38-31. Manning (22-30, 304 yards with 3 TD passes and no INTs) dominates the offensive shootout that sees both clubs combine for over 800 yards total offense. Fifteen different players grab at least one pass reception, and there isn't a punt by either team all day - an NFL playoff record.

Birthdays:

Schoolboy Rowe b. 1910
Ben Crenshaw b. 1952
Freddie Solomon b. 1953
Darryl Dawkins b. 1957
Tracy Caulkins b. 1963

Book Rec of the Day 1/10/07

QUIRKY HISTORIES

True crime doesn’t get more salacious—or more medieval—than this. In 1386 in France, a knight returned home from battle to find that his wife had been raped and impregnated—or so she said—by his neighbor and friend. The neighbor denied it. The king ordered the dispute to be settled on the battlefield so that God could determine innocence or guilt. Would the knight avenge his bride? Were the neighbor’s claims of innocence true? And if the knight lost, would his bride be killed, according to the law? History, true crime, and thriller combine in a ripping good read.

THE LAST DUEL, by Eric Jager (Broadway, 2005)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/10/07

Must have been a slow fact day if this is the best they could come up with:

In his never-ending quest to generate box-office allure for his stable of prizefighters, promoter Don King maintains: "Yesterday's nobodies are tomorrow's somebodies."

Birthdays:

Frank Mahovlich b. 1938
Willie McCovey b. 1938
Bill Toomey b. 1939
Glenn Robinson b. 1973
Felix Trinidad b. 1973

Updates to Fan Fiction!

If you read my fan fiction and haven't stopped by for a while, I've added tons of fan fiction links, both to the general links and the by fandom links.

And, I've also dipped my toes into a couple of new fandoms. I now cover:
Anita Blake, Bones, Breakfast Club, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Days of Our Lives, Firefly, Gilmore Girls, Gone With the Wind, Heroes, Joan of Arcadia, Lost, Phantom of the Opera, Sex and the City, Silence of the Lambs, Smallville, Stephanie Plum, Veronica Mars, Witchblade, and X-Files. You can find them all at: www.phantomroses.com/apckrfan/fanfic

I don't normally use this blog to post updates for fan fiction, but just wanted to post about the updates I've made.

I've been busy trying to make my site more consistent, too, so all of the pages are navigatable the same way. It's a chore, I never think about how many pages and things I have on my site until I do updates like this!

Susan

Book Rec of the Day 1/9/2007

A coming-of-age story for girls that charmed critics and readers’ groups. Evelyn is a high schooler who lives with her mother in rural Kansas, struggling to survive in poverty and realizing that her brains may be her ticket out. The book is a tender portrait of mother and daughter that Anna Quindlen called “authentic and intelligent” and that reminded USA Today of To Kill a Mockingbird.

THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING, by Laura Moriarty (Hyperion, 2004)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/9/2007

1/9/1971:
Maryland upsets South Carolina, 31-30, in overtime at Cole Field House in College Park, scoring six points in the last 14 seconds to steal the game. In the much-anticipated rematch between the two bitter rivals after their December meeting was halted with four minutes left following a wild player brawl, Terps head coach Lefty Driesell employs stalling tactics throughout to throttle the favored Gamecocks. Maryland's Jim O'Brien scores a basket to tie the game at the end of regulation and another in the closing second of OT to win it.

Birthdays
Bart Starr b. 1934
Robert Newhouse b. 1950
M.L. Carr b. 1951
Muggsy Bogues b. 1965
Sergio Garcia b. 1980

Book Rec of the Day 1/8/2007

HISTORIES

You surmised that the digging of the Erie Canal must have been an impressive engineering feat. After all, the canal is 363 miles long, crosses mountains, and the unearthing happened in the early-1800s with relatively primitive tools and by relatively inexperienced workers. What you may not have realized, and what Bernstein makes clear, is that the Erie Canal was the lifeline of a young America, connecting East to West, enabling trade, expansion, and immigration. A fascinating look at an often overlooked American wonder.

WEDDING OF THE WATERS: THE ERIE CANAL AND THE MAKING OF A GREAT NATION, by Peter L. Bernstein (W.W. Norton & Company, 2006)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/8/2007

1/8/2004:

Florida rookie Nathan Horton, 18, becomes the youngest player ever to score on a penalty shot in the National Hockey League, helping the Panthers edge the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-3, at the Wachovia Center. Horton’s second goal of the game comes on the rare mano-a-mano test against Flyers goalie Jeff Hackett to tie the score at 2-2 in the second period, and the Panthers go on to win in overtime.

Birthdays:

Walker Cooper b. 1915

Bruce Sutter b. 1953

Dwight Clark b. 1957

Jason Giambi b. 1971

Mike Cameron b. 1973

Book Rec of the Day 1/7/07

LITERARY FICTION

Think of Rameau’s Niece as the younger sister of Possession. Both are about academic women who encounter old books that make them rethink their notions of love. But while Possession is the sophisticated older sister, Rameau’s Niece is the sparkly, funny youngster. All of Schine’s novels are lively romps, and Rameau’s Niece may be her very best.

RAMEAU’S NIECE, by Cathleen Schine (Plume, 1994)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/7/07

1/7/1971:

Speedster Bobby Tolan of the Cincinnati Reds suffers a torn Achilles tendon while playing a charity basketball game with a group of his teammates in Frankfort, Kentucky. He’ll miss the entire 1971 season but rebound next year with a .283 batting average and 42 steals to earn the Comeback Player of the Year award. Sadly, with the advent of huge salaries and contract bans on risky physical activities, charity appearances will become rareties on the sports landscape.

Birthdays:

Alvin Dark b. 1922

Eddie LeBaron b. 1930

Tony Conigliaro b. 1945

Eric Gagne b. 1976

Alfonso Soriano b. 1976

Book Rec of the day 1/6/07

Nick Twisp is a confused, horny 14-year-old, and Youth in Revolt is his diary. Youth in Revolt never hit bestseller lists, but it’s been a beloved word-of-mouth classic for 14 years. “An unstintingly hilarious black comedy,” says The Los Angeles Times. “One of those rare works of incredible comic precision, like A Confederacy of Dunces,” raves the Berkeley Express. Read this book and you’ll be part of a small but extremely loyal band.

YOUTH IN REVOLT, by C. D. Payne (1993; Main Street, 1996)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/6/07

1/6/1981:

Renowned for his goal-scoring prowess (an NHL record nine straight years of 50 or more goals), New York Islander right wing Mike Bossy adopts the playmaker's role tonight at the Nassau Coliseum. Bossy assists on all six Islander goals, five of them by hardworking teammate John Tonelli, as New York beats Toronto, 6-3. Tonelli's five goals ties Bryan Trottier's single-game club record, while Bossy's six assists sets a new mark, topping Denis Potvin's total of five achieved just last November.

Birthdays:
Early Wynn b. 1920
Lou Holtz b. 1937
Nancy Lopez b. 1957
Koonan McCardell b. 1970
Gilbert Arena b. 1982

Buffy Season 8 comic cover pic

http://www.darkhorse.com/profile/preview.php?theid=14-111

I'm so stoked, I can't wait! More Buffy, and Joss gets to tell the story his way! Yeehaw! And that pic looks mighty shiny if I don't say so myself.

Also, check out Joss' interview with TV Guide.

Picks for Wild Card Weekend 1/6-1/7

Saturday’s games:

Kansas City @ Indianapolis – Indianapolis

Dallas @ Seattle – Seattle (neither have impressed me, so homefield advantage wins)

Sunday’s games:

NY Jets @ New England – New England

NY Giants @ Philadelphia - Philadelphia

Some interesting book finds

In 2004, the food world was rapt. Julie Powell, a secretary from Queens, was cooking her way through every recipe in Julia Child’s 1961 landmark cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Powell was documenting her progress—struggles and triumphs—on a blog known as the Julie/Julia Project, and readers were on the edges of their chairs, rooting for her. Would the aspic set? Would she cook all 524 recipes within the year? Would her marriage survive this insane challenge she set for herself? If you are a foodie or if you just appreciate a quirky mind, you must read this fascinating, one-of-a-kind memoir.

JULIE & JULIA, by Julie Powell (Little, Brown, 2005)

A Victorian novel with a decidedly un-Victorian bent. Faber’s novel is in many ways like a lost work of Dickens’s: The sights and sounds of London are vivid, gritty, and intricately detailed. The cast of characters is as motley, the plot as gripping, and the length as impressive (it’s 900-plus pages long). The subject, however—a prostitute’s rise from squalor to security—gives it a contemporary bent. The result is “an old-fashioned page turner” (The Washington Post Book World) that transports the reader to another time and place. No wonder it was named a best book of the year by People, Entertainment Weekly, and the Chicago Tribune.

THE CRIMSON PETAL AND THE WHITE, by Michel Faber (Harvest Books, 2003)

“...An inspiring meditation on the enduring nature of love...”—Us Weekly

The heart, brain, and funny bone are all connected in this memoir of a woman whose husband sustains a serious brain injury. A book on brain injury? You must be joking. No joke. It’s wonderful—warm and wise and often very funny. Anyone who has experienced a family crisis of any kind—especially a serious accident—will find much to admire in Crimmins’s ability to pick up the pieces and reconfigure her life.

WHERE IS THE MANGO PRINCESS?: A JOURNEY BACK FROM BRAIN INJURY, by Cathy Crimmins (Vintage, 2001)

The American Society of Journalists and Authors gave Where Is the Mango Princess? its Outstanding Book Award.

ON MAUGHAM

“The modern writer who has influenced me the most.”—George Orwell

“One of my favorite writers.”—Gabriel Garcia Marquez

“A writer of great dedication.”—Graham Greene

Maugham’s novel follows the obsessions of an English banker who runs off to Tahiti to live as an artist, leaving the lives of those closest to him in ruins. Based on the biography of painter Paul Gauguin, The Moon and Sixpence is a master’s rumination on the destructive nature of genius. If you’ve never read Maugham, now’s the time.

THE MOON AND SIXPENCE, by W. Somerset Maugham (1919; Penguin, 1993)

Big Brother is watching. Did you know that rental car companies can monitor your driving in real time? Did you know that companies and the government can track almost anything about you from what Web sites you visit to what kind of coffee you buy? Washington Post reporter O’Harrow’s thorough investigation of the information trade in the post-9/11 years is eye-popping. Find out who knows what about whom and how in this shocking, enlightening book that reads more like a thriller than an exposé.

NO PLACE TO HIDE, by Robert O’Harrow Jr. (Free Press, 2005)

Sports Fact of the Day 1/5/07

1/5/1959:

Ken Venturi erases an eight-stroke deficit in the final round of the Los Angeles Open with a blistering 63, overtaking Art Wall Jr. to win the season's first tournament by two strokes. Venturi goes out in 30, setting a new course record for nine holes at the Rancho Golf Club, and his 63 ties Tommy Bolt's mark set here in 1956. Despite hitting a spectator with his drive at the 12th hole, he closes out his bravura performance with a 12-foot birdie putt at the final hole.

Birthdays:
Lou Carnesecca b. 1925
Chuck Noll b. 1932
Chuck McKinley b. 1941
Alex English b. 1954
Warrich Dunn b. 1975

King takes literary guilty pleasure crown (article)

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/17495.html

King takes literary guilty pleasure crown

Posted on : Wed, 03 Jan 2007 22:27:59 GMT | Author : Entertainment News Editor News Category : Entertainment

New ( News Alerts by Email click here )

LONDON, Jan. 3 A survey commissioned by this year's Costa Book Awards found that horror author Stephen King is the top guilty pleasure writer for British literature fans. The Guardian reported that with 85 percent of those surveyed admitting that they have a favorite guilty pleasure author, King narrowly beat Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling for the top spot on the literary list. The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown and legal drama writer John Grisham tied for third on the list, while author Catherine Cookson and romance novelist Danielle Steele tied for fifth. Taking up the list's sixth spot was fantasy author Terry Pratchett, whose Discworld series helped confirm his position on the guilty pleasure list. It is commonly acknowledged that many of us want to be seen to be reading a book in public that makes us look good, Simon Trewin, co-author of The Encyclopedia of Guilty Pleasures -- 1001 Things You Hate to Love, told the paper, but as this survey demonstrates, most of us have an author we regularly turn to for an easy and enjoyable read. Copyright 2007 by UPI

Sports Fact of the Day 1/1/07-1/4/07

I've been lax in posting to this for a while. Sorry. Real life sort of got in the way. I'm going to be better about it as part of the New Year. So, to kick off the New Year, here are my sports facts of the day from Jan. 1 through Jan. 4 (let's see if I remember to post one every day!)

1/1/79:
Charles White's "phantom touchdown" proves to be the difference as USC Beats Michigan, 17-10in the Rose Bowl. Long before the days of instant replay to review calls, White gets credit for a three-yard TD run despite an obvious fumble well short of the goal line. The highly controversial victory helps USC (12-1) earn a share of the national championship with Alabama (11-1).

Birthdays:
Hank Greenberg b. 1911
Rocky Graziano b. 1922
Doak Walker b. 1927
Marlin McKeever b. 1940
Derrick Thomas b. 1967

1/2/97:
Florida scores 28 unanswered points in the second half to overwhelm top-ranked and unbeaten cross-state rival Florida State, 52-20, winning the Sugar Bowl and earning its first-ever national championship. Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel (18-34, 306) hits Ike Hilliard for three TD passes and halfback Terry Jackson (12 carries for 118 yards) rushes for two more as Steve Spurrier's Gators win going away.

Birthdays:
Gino Marchetti b. 1927
Robbie Ftorek b. 1952
David Cone b. 1963
Edgar Martinez b. 1963
Pernell Whitaker b. 1964

1/3/87:
Trailing 20-10 with just over four minutes remaining in their AFC divisional playoff game, the Cleveland Browns benefit from a roughing-the-passer penalty called against Mark Gastineau of the New York Jets. Quarterback Bernie Kosar drives the Browns for a TD at the two-minute warning, and Mark Moseley's 22-yard field goal in the closing seconds sends the game into overtime; in the second OT, Moseley connects again to give Cleveland a 23-20 victory. Gastineau's lack of restraint undoes an exceptional Jets defense that had already intercepted Kosar twice in the fourth quarter and stood poised to claim a much-deserved road victory.

Birthdays:
Hank Stram b. 1924
Bobby Hull b. 1939
Darren Daulton b. 1962
Jim Everett b. 1962
Cheryl Miller b. 1964

1/4/2003:
In the feature game of a trio of televised m atchups between top women's college basketball teams, All-American Diana Taurasi leads the Lady Huskies to victory over Tennessee, 63-62, in overtime. Her 25 points include a half-court shot just before intermission, another long trey to tie the score at the end of regulation and the bucket that clinches the game for UConn.

Birthdays:
Johnny Lujack b. 1925
Don Shula b. 1930
Floyd Patterson b. 1935
Kermit Alexander b. 1941
Garrison Hearst b. 1971