Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/31/2007

10/31/1987:
The Indianapolis Colts pay a steep price to acquire superlative running back Eric Dickerson from the Los Angeles Rams. After sending unsigned linebacker Cornelius Bennett to Buffalo for two No. 1 draft choices, a No. 2 pick and running back Greg Bell, the Colts package three No. 1 picks, three No. 2 picks, Bell and running back Owen Gill to the Rams for the three-time NFL rushing champion. Dickerson set the all-time single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards in 1984 but has worn out his welcome in L.A., waging an endless cold war of monetary squabbles with Rams management after his considerable achievements rendered his long-term contract decidedly below market value.

Birthdays:
Phil Goyette b. 1933
Frank Shorter b. 1947
John Lucas b. 1953
Fred McGriff b. 1963
Steve Trachsel b. 1970


WEIRD SCIENCE

True crime junkies, take heed. The tale of Henry Cotton will make your skin crawl. Cotton was a psychiatrist in the 1920s who was obsessed by infections and had many people—including his own family members—dragged into operating theaters for invasive, ridiculous surgeries. (Can you imagine having your colon removed against your will and for no reason?) The story only gets worse when a whistleblower exposes him, only to have her research covered up to save Cotton’s reputation. Academic, yes, but very readable and truly gruesome.

MADHOUSE: A TRAGIC TALE OF MEGALOMANIA AND MODERN MEDICINE, by Andrew Scull (Yale University Press, 2005)

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Joss Whedon and the Vampire Detectives

http://www.greencine.com/central/josswhedon

Joss Whedon and the Vampire Detectives

Created 10/29/2007 - 2:26pm


By Sean Axmaker

Joss Whedon I miss Joss Whedon [0]. I guess I got spoiled by the long, rich runs of Buffy the Vampire Slayer [0] and Angel [0]. After the egregious mishandling of Firefly [0] (could a network sabotage a Joss Whedon show any more effectively than shuffling the order of his episodes and confusing the dramatic arc of his character journeys?), he's been MIA on TV, apart from a turn in front of the camera for a goofy cameo on Veronica Mars [0] and directing an episode of the American sitcom The Office [0]. And since Serenity [0], he's been even less visible on the big screen. His take on the Wonder Woman [1] movie was scotched by studio heads and, rumors aside, there is no Serenity sequel in works. At least not yet. "Right now, nobody has any plans to do any kind of sequel," he explained in a brief phone interview. "If they do, I hope they'll include me, because if I find out Brett Ratner [1] is directing it, I'm going to be so mad." The occasion for the interview was the DVD release of Angel: Complete Series, and that naturally led to my first question…

What is it about TV vampires [1] that they all want to become detectives?

You know, I think ultimately it's the dream of every young vampire to be a detective. I don't know. There was a time when vampires were all puffy shirts and poetry and that was glorious, when it was Frank Langella [1]. When we started Angel, people were like, "It's just Forever Knight [2]." And it's happening again, isn't it? [Moonlight [3] is a new TV series this season about a vampire detective.] But you take the vampire concept and ultimately it translates into sort of a modern noir and a lot noir stories were about detectives. The idea with Angel was to do a modern noir, was to do a little office with the blinds and the fast patter and the sort of nihilistic toughness and the dark world and the strange turns and all of the things that you find in the great 40s and 50s noirs. And I have feeling that's probably what everyone else is chasing, a little bit, too. It puts you in a world that's slightly heightened in the way that those were, so it kind of makes sense that they would be detectives.

Angel I love the series finale of Angel, leaving off in the middle of battle. Was is always your intention to end the show with that as the final word on the state of Angel's fate?

It was not always my intention. You come to every season praying for another one, but know that it might be your last. There was one season we did a cliffhanger because we knew we were coming back, the only year we've ever done that, and that was between Seasons Three and Four. We almost didn't come back for Season Five; that took a lot of negotiation, and I'm told that we didn't come back for Season Six. In Season Five, we knew we were under the Sword of Damocles. We had completely changed the paradigm by putting them in the middle of Wolfram and Hart, and I knew that I had one of two options. I had the idea of him going out in the middle of a battle, which was to me the ultimately perfect statement for Angel, that his fight will never be over. Because a) that's cool for a vampire, b) that's what redemption is all about.

The show was always about him trying to redeem himself and become a human, basically, after having done terrible, unconscionable things, and having made terrible decisions trying to regain something. That's what separated the show from Buffy, so for him to go out in the middle of a fight was perfect. If they had given us a last-minute reprieve, obviously, I was going to use that as the set-up for the next season. That's how I always played it with Buffy and Angel, because I was never sure I was coming back. Again, with that one exception, we always said, "If that's the last thing we get to do, it will feel like a final statement." In Angel's case, by the time we got to the episode, we knew for sure we weren't coming back and there was no talk of doing anything else, because it really felt like, this is the way we should go out. A lot of people were like, [in creaky, crank voice] "It's a cliffhanger!" And really, it was never meant to be one. It was meant to be a statement. But people like complete sentences. And you can't blame them.

I always loved the season arcs of Buffy, because each season felt like it was novel. You would wrap up the story, delivering the climax at the end of the season, and sometimes you ended with a coda after the climax, an episode where the characters wound down.

Actually, we only did that once, at the end of Season Four.

That was the dream episode, with the Cheese Man.

And a lot of people were very confused. They were like, "This is not a very exciting climax." Although it's one of my favorite episodes I've ever made. Generally speaking, we'd save all the big stuff for the very last one, and generally speaking, it would be a big, two-part extravaganza. We always knew, just in case, we're going to wrap everything up. The trouble with that was that it made the hardest episode of every season Episode One. When we finally did a cliffhanger on Angel in Season Three, we came back for Season Four, and I was like, "Oh my God, this is why people do cliffhangers! It's so easy to write, there's all this stuff to wrap up. I'm so happy!"

Was there ever pressure to deliver the cliffhanger ending that network's seem to thrive on?

These shows were not considered serialized shows. The mandate was to tell a story every week, and on Buffy we adhered to that religiously. There was no episode that was just a series of events leading to the next episode; it was always something we resolved. On Angel, we did get a little bit more into the serialized storytelling and by then they were okay with it. It was not the phenomenon that it is now, where everybody is doing it, but it was more or less okay until Season Five, where they said, "Okay, you gotta stop that."

They said a lot of things, including, "Use less money." But our production team was so goddam good that I swear to God it looks fancier than the rest of the show. And they said, "You need Spike," and we said, "That's okay, we want Spike." And they said, "You've got to tell stand-alone stories that begin and end," even though, obviously, we had an arc to the season. So we said, "Okay, we'll do that." And it was fun, because we'd come from Season Four which was one really sort of 24 [3]-ish giant episode and then we go into something that's slightly different. It keeps you fresh.

Firefly I'm sure you've heard this before, but I watched Firefly when it originally ran on network TV and the show didn't click. The show didn't have a flow or development. When I got the DVD and watched the show in the correct narrative order, everything clicked, the characters expanded through the show, and the narrative flowed and developed like a story and I loved it.

Yes. Yes. Not airing the pilot. Let's talk about that. You got 40 minutes?

For a show that isn't serialized, you created a tremendous amount of character development and movement and it unfolds over the course of episodes to where it becomes a character journey.

The thing is, I've never been able to make reset TV. I've never understood it and I've never liked it. I cannot just have people get kidnapped and then next week be all chipper so they can have their next adventure. I find that offensive and bizarre and as a kid it would frighten me, it would confuse me. "But he was engaged in the last episode, why isn't he talking about his dead girlfriend?" It's just not the way I operate. That doesn't mean I need to tell some serpentine tale, it just means that if something happens to somebody, they're going to be a different person. That's just how it is. People evolve, and that's the only kind of storytelling that interests me. By the time we got to Firefly, I was still telling a story a week. It was in fact, at that point, the network's mandate was that you have to add an overarching story. It can't just be these people trying to get by every week. You have to have a giant, big plot thing surrounding them. And that's why the blue-handed fellows showed up in the first episode after the pilot, because that was one of their mandates. "Now the stuff we used to not want, we want."

Could you make a TV show that didn't have that kind of development?

No, I couldn't. I'm in the office of The Office right now and it is absolutely just a breezy, slice-of-life comedy that is not in any way pretentious or in any way trying to string you along, but it is absolutely about the characters' development. Every week that whatever they go through, it resonates. They always call back to it, it makes them change, and the show's gone through an enormous amount in its two-and-a-half seasons. And that's part of what I like about the show, the reality of it. I could never make simple, straight-up reset TV. I just don't have it in me. That's not about people to me and people are pretty much the only thing I'm interested in writing about.

Are you shooting an episode of The Office right now?

I am, yes. I'm happy to be back.

So what are you doing now, after you direct this episode of The Office?

After The Office, well, I'm still trying to get Goners [4] off the ground and I've got some other stuff, like Ripper [5], which I'm going to try and see if I can't do it as a 90-minute BBC film. I'm finishing a polish on this movie, The Cabin in the Woods [6], something that Drew Goddard [7] and I wrote this summer, and then I'm opening a bunch of doors and seeing which ones don't have brick walls pilled up behind them. I should know which ones soon, but I can't really say because I'm not sure.

The Cabin in the Woods isn't even listed on your IMDb page yet.

I announced it at Comic-Con. We haven't even gone out on the market with it. I told the fans about it because I thought it would be nice to let them know that I was still working and we had something exciting in store for them, for them to be the very first people to hear about it, and for me to get to hear them all go nuts when I said the name "Drew Goddard."

I apologize for forgetting to go all nuts when you said "Drew Goddard."

No, I think you did, but in a way I couldn't hear.

I was cheering on the inside.

Exactly.


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apckrfan's NFL picks: Week 8: Results

I was 11-2 this week.

Sunday, October 28:
Indianapolis @ Carolina - IND - 31-7 IND
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati - PIT - 24-13 PIT
Oakland @ Tennessee - TEN - 9-13 TEN
New York Giants @ Miami - NYG - 13-10 NYG
Cleveland @ St. Louis - CLE - 27-20 CLE
Detroit @ Chicago - CHI - 16-7 DET
Philadelphia @ Minnesota - PHI - 23-16 PHI
Houston @ San Diego - SD - 10-35 SD
Buffalo @ New York Jets - BUF - 13-3 BUF
Jacksonville @ Tampa Bay - TB - 24-23 JAC
Washington @ New England - NE - 7-52 NE
New Orleans @ San Francisco - NO - 31-10 NO

Monday, October 29:
Green Bay @ Denver - GB - 19-13 GB

Bye weeks: Baltimore, Kansas City, Arizona, Atlanta, Carolina, Dallas

Weekly McNabb/Favre comparison:
McNabb: 23/36, 63.9%, 333 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, W
Favre: 21/27, 77.8%, 331 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, W

Totals thus far through 7 games each QB:
McNabb: 145/241, 60.17%, 1,780 yards, 8 TD, 2 INT, 3 W, 4L
Favre: 181/274, 66.06%, 2,046, 11 TD, 6 INT, 5 W, 1L

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/30/2007

10/30/1963:
Toronto beats Montreal, 6-3, at Maple Leaf Gardens in a game with as much action off the ice as on it. A second-period scrap between Terry Harper of Montreal and Bob Pulford of the Leafs continues in the penalty box area, which is actually just one enclosure shared by both teams. Realizing the incendiary prospects of such an arrangement, Toronto owner Conn Smythe immediately commissions the installation of a second penalty box to prevent any more fistic unpleasantries.

Birthdays:
Bill Terry b. 1896
Joe Adcock b. 1927
Dick Vermeil b. 1936
Jim Ray Hart b. 1941
Diego Maradona b. 1960

INVESTIGATIVE NONFICTION

Hoving, the flamboyant former director of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, unveils the world of art forgeries. Gossipy and outrageous, yet always authoritative, the book will surprise innocent museumgoers. Hoving exposes what it takes to be a forger, how the business works, and what it takes to be a “fakebuster.” He culminates by outing several fakes from major collections. It’s Hoving at his dishy, loose-lipped best.

FALSE IMPRESSIONS, by Thomas Hoving (Touchstone, 1997)

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Monday, October 29, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/29/2007

10/29/1949:
Connie Mack didn't make many mistakes while managing the Philadelphia Athletics for half a century, but he makes a lulu when he trades second baseman Nellie Fox to the White Sox for catcher Joe Tipton. Satisfied with Pete Suder at second base and intrigued by Tipton's minor-league hitting stats, Mack parts with a future Hall of Famer who will lead the American League in hits 4 times, singles 8 times, defensive chances 8 times and putouts 10 times, and becomes one of the toughest batters to strike out in baseball history.

Birthdays:
Frank Sedgman b. 1927
Pete Richert b. 1939
Denis Potvin b. 1953
Jesse Barfield b. 1959
Mike Gartner b. 1959


“Intense, memorable...magnificent.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Extraordinary...a vast, ambitious, spiritually lusty, all-guzzling, all-encompassing novel.”—The New York Times Book Review

Alessandro Giuliani is a Roman citizen, soldier of World War I, mountain climber, prisoner of war, aesthete, lover. His life story, as he recounts it to a young man on a journey to a distant village, is glorious and triumphant. A dazzling, memorable, deeply satisfying novel.

A SOLDIER OF THE GREAT WAR, by Mark Helprin (Harvest Books, 2005)

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Sunday, October 28, 2007

Favre's streak impressive

http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/oct/28/favres-streak-impressive/

Favre's streak impressive

Packers QB will play 244th straight game when he faces Broncos

ENGLEWOOD — Not many cherished numbers exist in pro football. Barry Bonds' chase of Hank Aaron's home-run record could be summed up with "756," but not many know how many rushing yards Emmitt Smith had or career touchdowns Jerry Rice finished with.

But longevity and toughness are easy for football coaches, players and observers to relate to. Many feel the most impressive individual record in NFL history is Green Bay Packers Brett Favre's consecutive games streak for a quarterback, although the actual number is rarely cited (it will be 244 when Green Bay plays the Denver Broncos on Monday night). Favre smashed the old consecutive games record of 116, set by former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski.

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"For him to start as many games as he has without missing a game, that has to be one of the tops in all sports, not just football," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "I just can't imagine a guy ever breaking that record. It's just hard to imagine, especially at quarterback."

What were you doing in September 1992? That's when Favre made his first start, replacing Don Majkowski. He has started every Green Bay game since. Heading into this season, 202 quarterbacks started a game for the other 31 teams since Favre's first start. The Broncos have started 13 of their own, including Jarious Jackson, Hugh Millen and Danny Kanell. Favre has had 17 backup quarterbacks.

The Packers list 15 serious injuries Favre has sustained during the streak, including a separated shoulder, right elbow tendonitis, a sprained ligament in his knee and a broken right thumb. He has played through them all, which earns instant respect from his peers.

"That blows my mind," said Broncos safety John Lynch, who voted for Favre's streak as the most impressive record. "It's not like he doesn't play physical, especially when he was younger. He'd run around and try to run you over."

Paul Zimmerman of Sports Illustrated, who has covered the NFL since the 1960s, prefers two records. He mentioned Favre's streak, but seemed to put more weight in another feat: Former Browns running back Jim Brown never missed a game in his nine-year career.

"Jim Brown was hit a lot more than Brett Favre," Zimmerman said.

When asked why he would choose two durability records over a performance-based record, Zimmerman said staying healthy for so long in a violent game impressed him more.

"There's a lot of people that can run for a lot of yards, but those records are unique," Zimmerman said. "There are some people that almost will themselves not to get hurt."

Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley was part of a big record, when Colts quarterback Peyton Manning broke Dan Marino's record for touchdowns passes in a season. Stokley caught 10 of Manning's 49 touchdowns in 2004.

"It was great - doesn't look like it's going to last very long though," said Stokley, referring to the fact that New England quarterback Tom Brady is on pace to break it this year. "It was an awesome season. It was special."

But despite being part of that record and being close with Manning, Stokley chose Favre's durability record.

"I'd think Favre's consecutive games starting, that's pretty impressive," Stokley said. "That shows durability and accountability to your team."

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/28/2007

10/28/1989:
Overcoming a huge 31-0 deficit on the road, Ohio State rallies for a 41-37 victory over Minnesota at the Metrodome, the Buckeyes' 20th win in their last 21 meetings with the Gophers. Quarterback Greg Frey runs for one touchdown and passes for three others, including a 15-yard strike to Jeff Graham with less than a minute left. Tailback Carlos Snow scores three TDs for OSU, one on a first-half run and two on pass completions during the second-half comeback.

Birthdays:
Jim Beatty b. 1934
Lenny Wilkens b. 1937
Jude Drouin b. 1948
Bruce Jenner b. 1949
Terrell Davis b. 1972

A thriller about math? Improbable indeed. But first-time novelist Fawer delivers in this story of a brilliant statistician who takes an experimental new drug that enables him to see the future. Naturally, his new gifts place him much in demand with several competing dangerous factions. “A gritty, expert plot, with serious ideas...a skillful, fascinating debut,” says writer Caleb Carr (The Alienist).

IMPROBABLE: A NOVEL, by Adam Fawer (Morrow, 2005)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/27/2007

10/27/1986:
After staging one of baseball's most miraculous rallies to survive imminent defeat in Game 6 of the World Series, the New York Mets beat the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 to capture their first world championship since the "miracle" of 1969. Series MVP Ray Knight cracks a leadoff homer in the seventh inning to spark an 8-5 victory for the Mets at Shea Stadium.

Birthdays:
Ralph Kiner b. 1922
Patty Sheehan b. 1956
John Kasey b. 1969
Brad Radke b. 1972
Peerless Price b. 1976

QUIRKY HISTORIES

America prides itself on being a class-free society, but don’t kid yourself. Snobbery is as rampant here as it is anywhere else and may just be part of the human condition. College professor and acclaimed essayist Joseph Epstein is fascinated by the subject, and you will be too when you look at it through his eyes. His writing is crisp and straightforward, and his observations witty and true. A sparkling social history.

SNOBBERY: THE AMERICAN VERSION, by Joseph Epstein (Mariner Books, 2003)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/26/2007

10/26/1996:
Unbeaten West Virginia is upended in the final 30 seconds when Tremaine Mack of Miami blocks a punt and Nathaniel Brooks runs it back 20 yards for the winning touchdown as the Hurricanes get out of Mountaineer Field in Morgantown with a 10-7 victory. It's a crushing defeat for West Virginia, whose fans also fail to comport themselves with distinction. They toss a stream of debris at the 'Canes as they leave the field, injuring an assistant coach, and dangerously jostle an ambulance as it leaves the grounds without a police escort.

Birthdays:
Primo Carnera b. 1906
Sid Gillman b. 1911
Jumpin' Joe Fulks b. 1921
Mike Hargrove b. 1949
Jessie Armstead b. 1970

“Remarkable.”—The Washington Post

“Brilliant.”—The Boston Globe

“Extraordinary.”—Newsweek

Critics raved about this utterly original novel, and readers made it an international bestseller. It’s the story of a teenage girl, Sophie, who enters into an unusual correspondence with a philosophy teacher. Sophie soon becomes involved in solving a mystery, and her philosophy lessons may hold the key to the solution. Edifying and entertaining.

SOPHIE’S WORLD: A NOVEL ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY, by Jostein Gaarder (Berkley Publishing Group, 1996)

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Thursday, October 25, 2007

apckrfan's NFL picks: Week 8

Sunday, October 28:
Indianapolis @ Carolina - IND
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati - PIT
Oakland @ Tennessee - TEN
New York Giants @ Miami - NYG
Cleveland @ St. Louis - CLE
Detroit @ Chicago - CHI
Philadelphia @ Minnesota - PHI
Houston @ San Diego - SD
Buffalo @ New York Jets - BUF
Jacksonville @ Tampa Bay - TB
Washington @ New England - NE
New Orleans @ San Francisco - NO

Monday, October 29:
Green Bay @ Denver - GB

Bye weeks: Baltimore, Kansas City, Arizona, Atlanta, Carolina, Dallas

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apckrfan's NFL picks: Week 7: Results

I was 10-4 this week.

Sunday, October 21
Atlanta @ New Orleans - NO - New Orleans 16-22
Tampa Bay @ Detroit - DET - Detroit 16-23
Minnesota @ Dallas - DAL - Dallas 14-24
Tennessee @ Houston - HOU - Tennessee 38-36
Arizona @ Washington - WAS - Washington 19-21
New England @ Miami - NE (though, Miami does seem to get up for the games to defeat undefeateds) - New England 49-28
San Francisco @ New York Giants - NYG - New York Giants 15-38
Baltimore @ Buffalo - BUF - Buffalo 14-19
New York Jets @ Cincinnati - NYJ - Cincinnati 31-38
Kansas City @ Oakland - KC - Kansas City 12-10
Chicago @ Philadelphia - PHI - Philadelphia 19-16
St. Louis @ Seattle - SEA - Seattle 6-33
Pittsburgh @ Denver - PIT - Denver 28-31

Monday, October 22
Indianapolis @ Jacksonville - IND - Indianapolis 29-7

BYE weeks: Cleveland, San Diego, Carolina, Green Bay

McNabb's week:
21/34, 62.86%, 226 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, Loss

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/25/2007

10/25/1999:
Only weeks after leading the United States to victory at the Ryder Cup, two-time and current U.S. Open champion Payne Stewart dies at age 42 in a bizarre plane crash. After taking off from Orlando on the way to a tournament in Texas, Stewart's plane lost cabin pressure, and the resultant lack of oxygen incapacitated the pilot and everyone on board. The plane flew aimlessly for four hours before finally running out of fuel and crashing in a vacant field in South Dakota. Always colorfully attired in his old-style knickers and Tam o' Shanter cap, Stewart was one of golf's most engaging personalities, and his tragic death casts a noticeable pall over the sports world.

Birthdays:
Bobby Thomson b. 1923
Zelmo Beaty b. 1939
Bobby Knight b. 1940
Dave Cowens b. 1948
Dan Issel b. 1948

FOR ARGUMENT’S SAKE

You know the title, but do you know the book? Have you actually read it? Dale Carnegie’s masterpiece of self-help has been in print since 1936, and seventy years after its publication, it still crops up on bestseller lists. Why? Because Carnegie’s smart observations on human nature and success are evergreen. Written in a lively style and extremely useful, How to Win Friends & Influence People is a gem.

HOW TO WIN FRIENDS & INFLUENCE PEOPLE, by Dale Carnegie (1936; Pocket Books, 1990)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/24/2007

Capturing the sheer magic of Kirk Gibson's pinch-hit, walkoff homer to win Game 1 of the 1988 World Series for the Dodgers, peerless broadcaster Vin Scully was equal to the moment: In a season that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened."

Birthdays:
Y.A. Tittle b. 1926
Jim Brosnan b. 1929
Ron Gardenhire b. 1957
Arthur Rhodes b. 1969
Corey Dillon b. 1974

Martinis at lunch, cigarettes at the desk, affairs with colleagues. Oh, to be young and working in an office in the 1950s! Rona Jaffe’s story of hopeful girls set in the world of publishing became a bestseller when it was published in 1958. A new interest in it has swelled, and the book is back in print, where it belongs. If you like the book, don’t miss the campy movie based on it, which stars Joan Crawford as Hope Lange’s mean boss.

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING, by Rona Jaffe (1958; Penguin, 2005)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/23/2007

10/23/2000:
Trailing 30-7 amidst catcalls from an angry Monday night crowd at the Meadowlands, the New York Jets rally for a 40-37 victory in overtime over the Miami Dolphins. Vinny Testaverde throws five touchdown passes in all, including a game-tying three-yarder with 42 seconds left in regulation. Well after 1:00 A.M., John Hall's 40-yard field goal wins it for Gang Green, completing the greatest comeback in franchise history.

Birthdays:
Bruiser Kinard b. 1914
Chi Chi Rodriguez b. 1935
Pele b. 1940
Doug Flutie b. 1962
Keith Van Horn b. 1975

CROWD CONTROL

The upside and the downside of being one of many. Cheaper by the Dozen is the classic delightful memoir of a big family being raised by two efficiency experts. It’s sweet and funny—a great read for children and parents alike. Fourteen offers an alternative view of big families. Zanichkowsky was the eighth of fourteen, and he grew up feeling lost in the crowd. A dark, yet riveting story.

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey (1948; HarperPerennial, 2002)

FOURTEEN: GROWING UP ALONE IN A CROWD, by Stephen Zanichkowsky (Basic Books, 2003)

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Monday, October 22, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/22/2007

10/22/1955:
The eighth race at Agua Caliente near Tijuana, Mexico, ends in a rare triple dead heat after Stormsorno, Beaufair and Chance Speed gallop the last furlong almost as a single entity. The lucky backers of all three horses cash winning pari-mutuel tickets following the first triple dead heat in the track's 26-year history.

Birthdays:
Jimmie Foxx b. 1907
Pete Pihos b. 1923
Slater Martin b. 1925
Butch Goringn b. 1949
Ichiro b. 1973

CHICK LIT

If the Sweet Potato Queens are your cup of lemonade, then run, don’t walk, to the nearest bookstore to buy this sweet, tart, refreshing novel. Jill Conner Browne herself promises, “You will laugh yourself sick and love every minute of it.” It features feisty southern belles, unlikely romances, and whip-smart dialogue. Best of all, it’s become a series, so when you’re done with Bet Your Bottom Dollar, you’ll have A Dollar Short to look forward to.

BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR: A BOTTOM DOLLAR GIRLS NOVEL, by Karin Gillespie (Simon & Schuster, 2005)

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Sunday, October 21, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/21/2007

10/21/1995:
Phil Dawson nails a 50-yard field goal into a stiff wind at the final gun, giving the Texas Longhorns a 17-16 victory over Virginia at Memorial Stadium in Austin. Texas drives 47 yards in 14 plays with three minutes left to set up the game-winning placement, twice converting fourth-down plays to stay alive. Rafael Garcia's third field goal of the game, a 56-yarder with 3:12 remaining, had given Virginia a 16-14 lead. It's the second nightmarish loss of the year for the Cavaliers (6-3). They were beaten on a circus catch by Michigan on the final play of the game in their season opener at Ann Arbor.

Birthdays:
Red Klotz b. 1921
Whitey Ford b. 1928
Vern Mikkelsen b. 1928
Ted Uhlaender b. 1940
Joey Harrington b. 1978

COUCH TRIP

Rubin’s stories of her years as a psychotherapist are like the best eavesdropping you’ve ever done. She reveals to us, through real (though disguised) patients of hers, not only the details of several fascinating cases, but also how therapy works and breakthroughs are made. What Oliver Sacks is to the body, Rubin is to the mind.

THE MAN WITH THE BEAUTIFUL VOICE: AND MORE STORIES FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUCH, by Lillian B. Rubin (Beacon Press, 2004)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/20/2007

10/20/2002:
After three defeats in the Major League Soccer Cup final (1996, '99 and last year), the Los Angeles Galaxy outlast the New England Revolution, 1-0, in double overtime at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Carlos Ruiz, the MVP of the regular season and the playoffs, scores the game winner in the 113th minute of play before more than 61,000 fans, an MLS championship game record.

Birthdays:
Mickey Mantle b. 1931
Juan Marichal b. 1937
Keith Hernandez b. 1953
Lee Roy Selmon b. 1954
Aaron Pryor b. 1955

WEIRD SCIENCE

“A remarkable collection of scientific sleuthings.”—Entertainment Weekly

“...Brilliant blending of chemistry and culture...a delight to read.”—Oliver Sacks

All praise the mighty molecule! These wondrous particles have spurred global exploration, built cities, and saved lives. Professors Le Couteur and Burreson reveal the intimate histories of 17 of the most important and interesting molecules. A microscopic reimagining of the march to modernity.

NAPOLEON’S BUTTONS: 17 MOLECULES THAT CHANGED HISTORY, by Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson (Tarcher, 2004)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/19/2007

10/19/1985:
Brigham Young quarterback Robbie Bosco sets a new Western Athletic conference record with 585 yards passing, leading the Cougars to a 45-23 rout of the New Mexico Lobos. Bosco goes 42-for-61 with four touchdown passes to break former BYU quarterback Marc Wilson's record of 571 yards passing set in 1977 against Utah. After being the NCAA leader in total offense during BYU's unbeaten national championship season a year ago and placing third in the Heisman Trophy balloting, Bosco will finish third in the Heisman vote again this year.

Birthdays:
Lionel Hollins b. 1953
Tim Belcher b. 1961
Evander Holyfield b. 1962
Brad Daugherty b. 1965
Keith Foulke b. 1972



YOU’VE NEVER READ TONY HILLERMAN?

Tony Hillerman is one of the great mystery writers of all time. Hillerman sets his work in the American Southwest, and many of his best novels feature Joe Leaphorn, a Navajo Tribal Police detective. The Blessing Way, the first Leaphorn novel, concerns a murder victim whose assailant may have been a spirit. If you start on Hillerman and love him—few don’t—you will have years of reading pleasure awaiting you.

THE BLESSING WAY, by Tony Hillerman (1970; HarperTorch, 1990)

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Thursday, October 18, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/18/2007

Curt Schilling relished the prospect of facing the Yankees during the 2004 playoffs: "The awesome thing about being a starting pitcher is you have the opportunity to make 55,000 people shut up when you're on the road. I'm not sure I can think of any scenario more enjoyable than making 55,000 people from New York shut up."

Birthdays:
Forrest Gregg b. 1933
Mike Ditka b. 1939
Mel Counts b. 1941
Martina Navratilova b. 1956
Thomas Hearns b. 1958

MEMOIRS

Educational writer Ansary sent an e-mail on September 12, 2001, on the subject of the terrorist attacks of the day before that was forwarded around the world. His memorable missive is included here, but foremost the book is a memoir of growing up Afghan American, part in the United States and part in Kabul. It’s wise, insightful, and eloquent.

WEST OF KABUL, EAST OF NEW YORK, by Tamim Ansary (Picador, 2003)

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apckrfan's NFL picks: Week 7

Sunday, October 21
Atlanta @ New Orleans - NO
Tampa Bay @ Detroit - DET
Minnesota @ Dallas - DAL
Tennessee @ Houston - HOU
Arizona @ Washington - WAS
New England @ Miami - NE (though, Miami does seem to get up for the games to defeat undefeateds)
San Francisco @ New York Giants - NYG
Baltimore @ Buffalo - BUF
New York Jets @ Cincinnati - NYJ
Kansas City @ Oakland - KC
Chicago @ Philadelphia - PHI
St. Louis @ Seattle - SEA
Pittsburgh @ Denver - PIT

Monday, October 22
Indianapolis @ Jacksonville - IND

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apckrfan's NFL picks: Week 6-Results

Sunday, October 14:
STL @ BAL - BAL - Baltimore 3-22
WAS @ GB - GB - Green Bay 14-17
CIN @ KC - CIN - Kansas City 20-27
PHI @ NYJ - PHI - Philadelphia 16-9
TEN @ TB - TEN - Tampa Ba 10-13
MIA @ CLE - CLE - Cleveland 31-41
HOU @ JAC - HOU - Jacksonville 17-37
MIN @ CHI - CHI - Minnesota 34-31
CAR @ ARI - ARI - Carolina 25-10
NE @ DAL - NE - New England 48-27
OAK @ SD - SD - San Diego 14-28
NO @ SEA - SEA - Seattle 28-17

Monday, October 15:
NYG @ ATL - NYG - New York Giants 31-10

BYE:
BUF, DEN, IND, PIT, DET, SF

Continuing my McNabb/Favre comparison:
McNabb: 22/35, 62.88%, 278 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT - Win
Favre: 19/37, 51.37%, 188 yards, - TD, 2 INT - Win

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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/17/2007

10/17/1958:
After barnstorming through Europe over the summer, Wilt Chamberlain makes his American professional debut with the Harlem Globetrotters as they rout the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association at a sold-out Chicago Stadium. Because h e left Kansas after his junior year and the rules of the day prohibit any player from joining the NBA until his college class has had four full years in school, Chamberlain will play out the season with the Trotters and join the Philadelphia Warriors next year.

Birthdays:
Jim Gilliam b. 1928
Evel Knievel b. 1938
Bob Seagren b. 1946
Ernie Els b. 1969
John Rocker b. 1974

HISTORICAL FICTION

Sweeping historical fiction at its best. A Catch of Consequence opens in Colonial Boston where a young woman and staunch Patriot saves the life of an Englishman. The simple act of bravery and kindness turns her life on end and forces her to flee to England, the last place she wants to be, with the stranger, the last man she should be with. Great period details, a clever twist on a familiar plot, and winning characters make A Catch of Consequence a catch.

A CATCH OF CONSEQUENCE, by Diana Norman (Berkley Trade, 2003)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/16/2007

10/16/1960:
Californian Billy Casper wins his third straight golf tournament on a profitable West Coast swing, capturing the Orange County Open by one stroke over Charlie Sifford. In his last two outings he won at Portland, Oregon, and Hesperia in his home state. Casper's trifecta duplicates Arnold Palmer's three straight wins in the South at San Antonio, Baton Rouge and Pensacola earlier this spring.

Birthdays:
Dave DeBusschere b. 1940
Tim McCarver b. 1941
Juan Gonzalez b. 1969
Kordell Stewart b. 1972
Paul Kariya b. 1974

The events leading up to World War I are explained with breathtaking clarity, elegance, drama, and authority in Tuchman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning history. Read it to learn about WWI or to understand what makes a book on history truly great.

THE GUNS OF AUGUST, by Barbara W. Tuchman (1962; Ballantine Books, 1994)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/15/2007

10/15/1997:
Veteran Cleveland infielder Tony Fernandez hits his first home run in 133 postseason at bats to give the Indians a 1-0 victory over Baltimore in 11 innings, clinching their ALCS in six games at Camden Yards. It's the second game-winning homer given up by Armando Benitez in the series. Ironically, Fernandez is in the lineup only because his line drive in batting practice injured Bip Roberts, Cleveland's regular starting second baseman.

Birthdays:
John L. Sullivan b. 1858
Mel Harder b. 1909
Bobby Morrow b. 1935
Jim Palmer b. 1945
Joe Klecko b. 1953

THRILLERS

Military thrillers don’t come much better than those of W.E.B. Griffin. His latest will delight fans of flying. It concerns a Boeing 727 that is hijacked in Angola. Every government agency is jostling to lead the investigation, but the president of the United States chooses Charlie Castillo, special assistant to the secretary of Homeland Security. Castillo’s thorough investigation sheds light on government procedure and aircraft maneuvering while delivering top-notch suspense. Publishers Weekly calls Griffin “the dean of American war adventure.”
BY ORDER OF THE PRESIDENT, by W.E.B. Griffin (Jove, 2005)

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Sunday, October 14, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/14/2007

10/14/2001:
Continuing his remarkable emergence as the starting quarterback for New England after an injury to Drew Bledsoe three weeks ago, Tom Brady rallies the Patriots from 10 points behind with four minutes left to tie the Chargers and an Adam Vinatieri field goal wins it in overtime, 29-26. Brady goes 33-55-0 for 364 yards and two TDs, including a pass to Jermaine Wiggins to get the Pats even with less than a minute left in regulation. Brady's Cinderella season will carry all the way to the Super Bowl, when he'll earn MVP honors by leading New England to the world title, 20-17 over St. Louis. Bledsoe never will get his job back.

Birthdays:
John Wooden b. 1910
Charlie Joyner b. 1947
Beth Daniel b. 1956
Midre Cummings b. 1971
Frank Wycheck b. 1971

The best travel book of the 20th century, according to genre luminary Bruce Chatwin, and one of the most charming travel books ever written, per the Atlantic Monthly. This memoir of her 1952 trip around Mexico—her first book—made Bedford’s career. She went on to write novels, a biography of her friend and mentor Aldous Huxley, and other memoirs, but A Visit to Don Otavio remains the best. You don’t have to care a whit about Mexico to appreciate this sublime book.

A VISIT TO DON OTAVIO: A TRAVELLER’S TALE FROM MEXICO, by Sybille Bedford (1953; Counterpoint Press, 2003)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/13/2007

10/13/1964:
Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser captures her third straight Olympic gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle at the National Gymnasium Pool in Tokyo. After winning at Melbourne in 1956 in 1:02 and at Rome in 1960 in 1:01.2, Miss Fraser sets a new Olympic record of 59.5 seconds. The resilient Aussie also holds the world mark in the event, 58.9 seconds, set in Sydney earlier this year. She'll close out her Olympic career at these Games, finishing with a total of eight medals: four gold and four silver, counting relay races.

Birthdays:
Eddie Mathews b. 1931
Doc Rivers b. 1961
Jerry Rice b. 1962
Paul Pierce b. 1977
Jermaine O'Neal b. 1978

The late Irish novelist Flann O’Brien had been nearly forgotten until the TV show Lost announced that The Third Policeman would appear in an episode of the series. Fans of the show went wild ordering copies, and in a matter of weeks, the book became the bestselling title in small press Dalkey Archive history. The surreal, comic novel is about an Irish murderer and the consequences of his crime. O’Brien wrote several novels, but The Third Policeman is his last and, by most accounts, best.

THE THIRD POLICEMAN, by Flann O’Brien (1967; Dalkey Archive Press, 1999)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/12/2007

10/12/1920:
The great Man o' War finishes his career with a seven-length victory over 1919 Triple Crown winner Sir Barton in a match race at the Kenilworth Racetrack in Windsor, Ontario. Leading all the way, Big Red is never really tested over the mile-and-a-quarter distance on turf as he sets a new course record of 2:03 flat. He'll retire with 20 wins and one loss.

Birthdays:
Joe Cronin b. 1906
Jaroslav Drobny b. 1921
Tony Kubek b. 1936
Jack Marin b. 1944
Charlie Ward b. 1971

“The best memoir of its kind since Mary Karr wrote The Liar’s Club.—The New York Times

“Moehringer lovingly and affectingly toasts a boyhood spent on a bar stool.”—Vanity Fair

“The Tender Bar will make you thirsty for that life—its camaraderie, its hilarity, its seductive, dangerous wisdom.”—Richard Russo

A memoir of the highest quality by a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Moehringer explains his life and his boyhood through the lens of a pint glass from his local watering hole. Brilliant and inspired.

THE TENDER BAR, by J. R. Moehringer (Hyperion, 2005)

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Thursday, October 11, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/11/2007

10/11/1963:
John Roderick scores two touchdowns and Bill Gannon goes in from two yards out with two minutes left to lead SMU to a stirring 32-28 upset of unbeaten Navy, led by Roger Staubach, at the Cotton Bowl. The Midshipmen lead 25-13 late in the third quarter, but SMU benefits from a key interception by Dave Corder to change the flow of the game. Staubach, destined to win the Heisman Trophy this season, has two chances to pull it out from the eight-yard line in the final seconds, but both of his passes are broken up in the end zone by the Mustang secondary.

Birthdays:
Maria Bueno b. 1939
Steve Young b. 1961
Dmitri Young b. 1973
Jason Arnett b. 1974
Michelle Wie b. 1989


Jonathan Hemlock has an unusual way of supporting his art habit: assassination. The Eiger Sanction takes him to the Swiss Alps on a dangerous mission filled with deceit and intrigue. Trevanian was at the top of his game in the 1970s, and his books are being rediscovered for their excellent thrills and wit. “Trevanian can write hoops around Ian Fleming,” promises The Boston Globe.

THE EIGER SANCTION, by Trevanian (1972; Three Rivers Press, 2005)
Clint Eastwood stars in the movie version of The Eiger Sanction.

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/10/2007

10/10/1961:
In Cincinnati, the first-ever National League expansion teams, the New York Mets and the Houston Colt .45s, stock their rosters with veterans in a special dispersal draft from the original eight NL franchises. The Mets' selections include Hobie Landrith, Gus Bell, Gil Hodges, Don Zimmer, and Elio Chacon. Houston takes Eddie Bressoud, Bob Aspromonte, Ken Johnson, Turk Farrell and Bobby Shantz. The clubs obtain 22 players each but will not enjoy any success until they start building their teams from within, using young prospects and a productive farm system.

Birthdays:
Bruce Devlin b. 1937
Gus Williams b. 1953
Norm Nixon b. 1955
Brett Favre b. 1969
Pat Burrell b. 1976


“I lost my job in January....I’ve been raised to believe that losing your job is a bad thing, but I am more relieved than disappointed. I’ve been working seventy hours a week for the better part of a decade....”

Rodney Rothman was burned out at 28 years old. Comedy writing for shows like Letterman had taken a toll, and he needed a break—a long one. Where do people go when they need long breaks after working? To retirement communities in Boca, of course. Rothman’s account of his time living in a retirement community is a charming, silly, funny, and sometimes even insightful look at the American way of old age.

EARLY BIRD: A MEMOIR OF PREMATURE RETIREMENT, by Rodney Rothman (Simon & Schuster, 2006)

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Tuesday, October 09, 2007

apckrfan's NFL picks: Week 6

Sunday, October 14:
STL @ BAL - BAL
WAS @ GB - GB
CIN @ KC - CIN
PHI @ NYJ - PHI
TEN @ TB - TEN
MIA @ CLE - CLE
HOU @ JAC - HOU
MIN @ CHI - CHI
CAR @ ARI - ARI
NE @ DAL - NE
OAK @ SD - SD
NO @ SEA - SEA

Monday, October 15:
NYG @ ATL - NYG

BYE:
BUF, DEN, IND, PIT, DET, SF

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apckrfan's NFL picks: Week 5 - Results

I was 9-5 this week:

Sunday, October 07:
Detroit @ Washington – WAS – WAS 3-34
Cleveland @ New England – NE – NE 17-34
Seattle @ Pittsburgh – PIT - PIT 0-21
Arizona @ St. Louis – ARI – ARI 34-31
Jacksonville @ Kansas City – KC – JAX 17-7
Carolina @ New Orleans – NO – CAR 16-13
New York Jets @ New York Giants – NYG – NYG 24-35
Miami @ Houston – HOU – HOU 19-22
Atlanta @ Tennessee – TEN – TEN 13-20
Tampa Bay @ Indianapolis – INDIND 14-33
Baltimore @ San Francisco – SF – BAL 9-7
San Diego @ Denver – DEN – SD 41-3
Chicago @ Green Bay – GB – CHI 27-20

Monday: October 8
Dallas @ Buffalo – DAL – DAL 25-24

BYE: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Minnesota and Philadelphia

I can’t do my McNabb/Favre comparison since McNabb had a bye, but here’s Favre’s week:`
29/40 (72.5%), 322 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, Loss

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Sports Facts of the Day 10/3 - 10/9/2007

10/3/1984:

In what proves to be the last Soccer Bowl staged by the soon-to-disband North American Soccer League, the Chicago Sting defeat the Toronto Blizzard, 3-2, at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, sweeping their final-round series two games to none. Pato Margetic scores his second goal of the game with eight minutes remaining to clinch Chicago's second NASL title in four years. Beset by financial difficulties born of insufficient league-wide fan support, the 17-year-old circuit will soon go out of business.

Birthdays:
Marques Haynes b. 1926
Jean Ratelle b. 1940
Dave Winfield b. 1951
Dennis Eckersley b. 1954
Fred Couples b. 1959

10/4/2003:
Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez scores the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and blocks home plate in the ninth when J.T. Snow tries to score the tying run, leading the Florida Marlins to a 7-6 victory over the San Francisco Giants to clinch their NLDS. Rodriguez, who signed a one-year contract with the Marlins as a free agent after not receiving any other viable offers, proves to be invaluable in their unforeseen charge to the pennant and victory over the Yankees in the World Series. Amazingly, he'll be lowballed again on the free agent market, even by the Marlins, before finally signing with Detroit.

Birthdays:
Rip Repulski b. 1927
Sam Huff b. 1934
Vic Hadfield b. 1940
Tony La Russa b. 1944
A.C. Green b. 1963

10/5/1996:
Three-year-old Skip Away narrowly defeats six-year-old Cigar by a head in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. Skip Away stays just a little bit ahead of Cigar the entire race and has enough energy in reserve to hold off a late charge by his celebrated rival. The great Cigar, winner of a record-tying 16 straight races before finally losing this summer at Del Mar in California, will end his career this fall with just under $10 million in lifetime earnings.

Birthdays:
Barry Switzer b. 1937
Laura Davies b. 1963
Mario Lemieux b. 1965
Patrick Roy b. 1965
Grant Hill b. 1972

10/6/1962:
A 4-1 victory by the Toronto Maple Leafs over the NHL All-Stars is overshadowed by news of the Chicago Blackhawks' million-dollar offer to purchase star left-winger Frank Mahovlich so they can pair him with high-scoring Bobby Hull. The Maple Leafs fear a fan backlash if they take the money, so they'll decline the offer and "the Big M" will sign a new four-year contract with a substantial raise in salary.

Birthdays:
Tony Dungy b. 1955
Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd b. 1959
Ruben Sierra b. 1965
J.J. Stokes b. 1972
Rebecca Lobo b. 1973

10/7/1987:
Gary Gaetti becomes the first player ever to hit home runs in his first two postseason at bats, sparking the prohibitive underdog Minnesota Rwins to an 8-5 victory over Detroit in Game 1 of the ALCS before a deafening crowd at the Metrodome. Gaetti's two dingers both come off Doyle Alexander, who had gone 9-0 for the Tigers after being obtained from the Braves in August. Seizing the moment, the unheralded Twins-56-25 at home but a woeful 29-52 on the road during the regular season-will upset Detroit in five games and go on to win the World Series as well, beating the Cardinals in seven games.

Birthdays:
Willie Naulls b. 1934
Dick Jauron b. 1950
Johnnie Morton b. 1971
Priest Holmes b. 1973
Charles Woodson b. 1976

10/8:
Formerly a Steelers running back and now an NFL commentator, Merril Hoge relishes the football intensity that bristles throughout the Pittsburgh community: "Drive into the city on a Monday and you can feel a win or a loss. I used to think it was that way everywhere, but it's not."

Birthdays:
Billy Conn b. 1917
Fred Stolle b. 1938
Paul Splittorff b. 1946
Rashaan Salaam b. 1974
Amos Zereoue b. 1976

10/9/1928:
Babe Ruth hits three home runs in one World Series game for the second time in three years, leading the Yankees to a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals and a four-game sweep of the Fall Classic. It's the second consecutive sweep for Murderers' Row-they blitzed Pittsburgh last season in similar fashion. Amazingly, they'll win only one more pennany and world title (1932) in Ruth's six remaining years with the club.

Birthdays:
Mike Hershberger b. 1939
Joe Pepitone b. 1940
Mike Singletary b. 1958
Kenny Anderson b. 1970
Annika Sorenstam b. 1970

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Book Recs 10/3 - 10/9/2007

“A spectacular first novel.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A tour de force.”—The Boston Globe

The story of five generations of the Santerre family is moving and unforgettable. Each chapter is narrated by a different family member during a different era, to reveal this deeply Catholic family’s various heartbreaks, loves, losses, triumphs, and regrets. By the end of the novel, you’ll “not just care about the Santerres but also...feel like one of them,” says the San Francisco Chronicle.

LIARS AND SAINTS, by Maile Meloy (Scribner, 2004)

BIOGRAPHIES

Rubi, a jet-setting dandy from the Dominican Republic, lived large and went out with a bang. Rubi ran with entertainers, heiresses, and royalty in glittering locations from Hollywood to Rio. A supposed diplomat, he was more interested in racing cars and bedding women than in working. (Though seducing women was more lucrative than most work: The divorce settlement of his 53-day marriage to Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton earned him millions.) Levy’s book is a fine, breezy tribute to a character who broke the mold.

THE LAST PLAYBOY: THE HIGH LIFE OF PORFIRIO RUBIROSA, by Shawn Levy (Fourth Estate, 2005)

“The real epic of our age.”—Victor Hugo

“Scott was a born storyteller.”—Henry James

“Scott’s characters, like Shakespeare’s and Jane Austen’s, have the seed of life in them.”—Virginia Woolf


Ivanhoe returns from the Third Crusade to woo his lady, Rowena, and team up with Robin Hood. Scott’s heroic tale of chivalry remains a thrill to read.

IVANHOE, by Sir Walter Scott (1819; Modern Library, 2001)

MEMOIRS

“If Dave Barry were to renovate a house, the resulting story might be something like Gutted.”—Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Takes you to places the gang on This Old House wouldn’t go at gunpoint.”—Hartford Courant

Lawrence LaRose renovated his life as he renovated his home. The result: a stunning cape in Long Island’s Sag Harbor, a stronger marriage, a new career, and a hilarious and moving memoir.

GUTTED: DOWN TO THE STUDS IN MY HOUSE, MY MARRIAGE, MY ENTIRE LIFE, by Lawrence LaRose (Bloomsbury, 2005)

Bezmozgis’s debut collection of linked stories about a Russian-Jewish family in Toronto earned him comparisons to Philip Roth and Saul Bellow. The brilliant title story alone—about a young man’s sexual awakening—might have been enough to do it. “Scary good,” says Esquire. “Dazzling,” raves People.

NATASHA: AND OTHER STORIES, by David Bezmozgis (Picador, 2005)

HISTORIES

The crusades are mentioned often in the press these days, but who really knows much about them? Christopher Tyerman does, and thanks to his book, you can too. Tyerman, a medieval scholar, introduces five hundred years of incredibly complex history in an appealing, highly readable, and accessible (only 250 pages here) book. He goes a step further too, explaining how current events are shaped by the foundations laid by the famous holy wars.

FIGHTING FOR CHRISTENDOM: HOLY WAR AND THE CRUSADES, by Christopher Tyerman (Oxford University Press, 2004)

Carl Hiaasen goes to Edinburgh. That’s what you might think when you read Brookmyre’s madcap crime novel, a winner of the First Blood Award in the U.K. for best first crime novel. Journalist Jack Parlabane gets tangled in an investigation of a tony citizen as he tries to avoid entanglements with the victim’s widow. Razor-sharp writing with enough swearing to make Brookmyre’s countryman Irvine Welsh proud.

QUITE UGLY ONE MORNING, by Christopher Brookmyre (Grove Press, 2002)

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Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/2/2007

10/2/1955:
Les Richter boots a 33-yard field goal as time expires to give the Los Angeles Rams a 27-26 victory over the Steelers at the Coliseum. Pittsburgh head coach Walt Kiesling is incensed and must be restrained from rushing the officials. With time winding down and the Rams out of timeouts, a specious penalty was called against the Steelers by a West Coast-based officiating crew, stopping the clock long enough so that Richter could set up for his game-winning placement. After Pittsburgh's heated protest to the league office, beginning next year officiating crews will be more equitably distributed, not all drawn from the same city or region where a particular game is played.

Birthdays:
Maury Wills b. 1932
Dick Barnett b. 1936
Mark Rypien b. 1962
Thomas Muster b. 1967
Eddie Guardado b. 1970

FOR ARGUMENT’S SAKE

A New Republic senior editor, Foer uses his favorite game to understand world politics. The results are surprising, thought provoking, and entertaining. In Iran soccer advanced the cause of women’s rights. In Serbia soccer and war overlapped with deadly consequences. In Barcelona soccer supports high culture. Armchair travel, character study, and political essay all in one, How Soccer Explains the World is one of those brilliant, unique books that might just change your view of the world.

HOW SOCCER EXPLAINS THE WORLD, by Franklin Foer (HarperPerennial, 2005)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/1/2007

10/1/1975:
In the third and last bout of their remarkable trilogy, Muhammad Ali holds off relentless Joe Frazier to retain the heavyweight title in the heat of the Philippines. Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, refuses to let his fighter continue after 14 brutal rounds. Ali finishes ahead on all three judges' scorecards, but the sheer physical punishment suffered by both fighters is such that neither man will ever again rise to the superlative level of this historical confrontation.

Birthdays:
Rod Carew b. 1945
Grete Waitz b. 1953
Jeff Reardon b. 1955
Mark McGwire b. 1963
Cliff Ronning b. 1965


A gorgeous literary novel set in the English colony of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Our hero, Sam Obeysekere, a local prosecutor, seeks the truth about the murder of an English tea grower as well as about his own family. Lovely, straightforward writing, an exotic setting, and a plot that reveals controversial consequences make The Hamilton Case transporting and memorable.

THE HAMILTON CASE: A NOVEL, by Michelle de Kretser (Back Bay Books, 2005)

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apckrfan's NFL picks: Week 5

Sunday, October 07:
Detroit @ Washington - WAS
Cleveland @ New England - NE
Seattle @ Pittsburgh - PIT
Arizona @ St. Louis - ARI
Jacksonville @ Kansas City - KC
Carolina @ New Orleans - NO
New York Jets @ New York Giants - NYG
Miami @ Houston - HOU
Atlanta @ Tennessee - TEN
Tampa Bay @ Indianapolis - IND
Baltimore @ San Francisco - SF
San Diego @ Denver - DEN
Chicago @ Green Bay - GB

Monday: October 8
Dallas @ Buffalo - DAL

BYE: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Minnesota and Philadelphia

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apckrfan's NFL picks: Week 4 - Results

Eek, not a good week for apckrfan (well, that’s all a matter of perspective. Of course, the Packers WON, so that’s a good week, but for my picks – not so much). I was 6-8. At the bottom is my continuation of the McNabb/Favre comparison (*heh* I don’t hold a grudge or anything):


Sunday, September 30
STL @ DAL – DallasDallas 7-35
HOU @ ATL – Houston – Atlanta 16-26
BAL @ CLE – Baltimore – Cleveland 13-27
OAK @ MIA – MiamiOakland 35-17
CHI @ DET – Chicago – Detroit 27-37
NYJ @ BUF – Buffalo – Buffalo 14-17
GB @ MIN - Green BayGreen Bay 23-16
PIT @ ARI – PittsburghArizona 14-21
SEA @ SF – Seattle – Seattle 23-3
TB @ CAR – CarolinaTampa Bay 20-7
DEN @ IND – IndianapolisIndianapolis 20-38
KC @ SD - San DiegoKansas City 30-16
PHI @ NYG – Philadelphia – NY Giants 3-16

Monday, October 1:
NE @ CIN - New England – New England 34-13

BYE: Jacksonville, Tennessee, Washington, New Orleans

McNabb: 15/31, 48.4%, 138 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT – L
Favre: 32/45, 71/13%, 344 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT – W (passing leader of the week – *PLUS*, you know, career TD passes & career attempts records)

Totals for them both through four games:
McNabb, 4 games, 79/136, 58.09%, 805 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT, 1 W, 3 L
Favre, 4 games, 112/170, 65.88%, 861 yards, 8 TD, 2 INT, 4 W, 0 L


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