Sunday, June 29, 2008

Sports Fact of the Day 6/27-6/29/2008

6/27/1953:
Carrying top weight of 135 pounds, four-year-old Tom Fool overcomes a slow start and surges to victory in record time in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct. Ridden by Ted Atkinson, Tom Fool covers the distance of seven furlongs in 1:22, equaling the time posted by Northern Star in the Carter just last year, but Northern Star was carrying only 115 pounds in that race. Tom Fool will win all 10 of his races this year, including the New York Handicap Triple Crown-the Metropolitan, the Suburban and the Brooklyn Handicap-and will be honored as Horse of the Year before being retired to stud.

Birthdays:
Willie Mosconi b. 1913
Gus Zernial b. 1923
Rico Petrocelli b. 1943
Jeff Conine b. 1966
Daryle Ward b. 1975

1988:
Mike Tyson remained the undisputed heavyweight champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks at 1:31 of the opening round-the fourth fastest knockout in heavyweight title history.

"Tyson offered a chilling vision of menace; he was sockless and naked of baubles and bangles borne by most modern boxers as they enter the ring. His actions were similarly stripped of artifice and pretense; he bored in ... until his opponent simply crumpled." -Richard Hoffer, February 19, 1990

Packers Fact:
Linebacker Nick Barnett, who wearns uniform number 56, owns the FiveSix restaurant and lounge in Green Bay.

6/28/1964:
Champagne Tony Lema converts a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole of sudden death to edge Arnold Palmer and win the Cleveland Open. Lema wins his third tournament in less than a month, using a putter that Palmer had given him only recently. After making five straight birdies earlier in his round, Lema missed a short putt at the 72nd hole to necessitate the playoff. Palmer had beaten Lema in a playoff at this same tournament last year. Continuing his fine play, Lema will go on to win the British Open at St. Andrews in Scotland next month.

Birthdays:
Don Baylor b. 1949
John Elway b. 1960
Mark Grace b. 1964
Corey Koskie b. 1973
Michael Vick b. 1980

1950:
In what many soccer experts call the biggest upset in the sport's history, the United States team stunned England, 1-0, at the World Cup.

"The enormousness, the incredibility, of that outcome cannot be truly appreciated today. Oddly, 1950 marked England's first appearance in the World Cup finals. This was because England had not even tried to qualify for earlier tournaments. It was a matter of arrogance. After all, as the birthplace of the sport, what did England have to prove?" -Clive Gammon, May 21, 1990

Packers Fact:
Cornerback Will Blackmon is nicknamed "Beamin" (after a character in the movie Any Given Sunday).

6/29/2004:
The Detroit Tigers win their third straight game on a walk-off homer when Dmitri Young connects in the 11th inning for a 9-7 victory over Cleveland at Comerica Park. In their previous two games, Detroit beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in similar fashion. Eric Munson hit a solo shot three nights ago for a 7-6 Tiger win, and the next day Carlos Pena belted a bottom-of-the-ninth grandn slam to produce a 9-5 victory.

Birthdays:
Harmon Killebrew b. 1936
Dan Dierdorf b. 1949
Rick Honeycutt b. 1952
Pepper Johnson b. 1956
Theo Fleury b. 1968

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Book Rec of the Day 6/27-6/29/2008

A DARK HISTORY

Readers and critics are raving about Johnson’s book, which brings to light a fascinating aspect of Joseph McCarthy’s special brand of fascism, paranoia, and intolerance. As Johnson explained in an interview, “The Lavender Scare helped fan the flames of the Red Scare. In popular discourse, communists and homosexuals were often conflated. Both groups were perceived as hidden subcultures with their own meeting places, literature, cultural codes, and bonds of loyalty. . . . And both groups were considered immoral and godless. Many people believed that the two groups were working together to undermine the government.”

THE LAVENDER SCARE: THE COLD WAR PERSECUTION OF GAYS AND LESBIANS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, by David K. Johnson (University of Chicago Press, 2006

LOVE STORY

“Ward’s smart, sharp second novel is a read-in-one-sitting treat, a delightfully satisfying blend of hip humor and poignant longing, and an unsentimental yet inspiring testimony to the power of hope over reason and love over loss.”—Carol Haggas, Booklist

Caroline and Madeline Winters lost their five-year-old sister, Ellie, 15 years earlier, on the day they were going to run away from their home. The parents were gone to drink and depression; the surviving daughters turned away from one another. Now Caroline, a cocktail waitress in New Orleans, comes upon a blurry photo from People magazine that she thinks might be Ellie and goes to Montana to search for her.

HOW TO BE LOST, by Amanda Eyre Ward (Ballantine Books, 2005)

SAIL AWAY

Tales of the sea: the hiss of the ropes and the snap of the sails, the wind and the rain, the danger and the extremity of life far away from civilization. Caswell, who has edited both Yachting and Sea magazines, here gathers 27 stories that will scratch the sailing itch, from terror to bliss, from humor to deathly struggle, and back again. Includes essays by James Thurber, William F. Buckley Jr., Ann Davison, Sterling Hayden, Ernest Shackleton, Tristan Jones, Samuel Eliot Morrison, Joshua Slocum, E. B. White, C. S. Forester, Cleveland Amory, Weston Martyr, Peter Goss, and David Kasanof.

THE GREATEST SAILING STORIES EVER TOLD: TWENTY-SEVEN UNFORGETTABLE STORIES, edited by Christopher Caswell (Lyons Press, 2004)

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Friday, June 27, 2008

My fangirl weekend - Can't Stop the Serenity '08

Just dropping in to give an update on my time at Can’t Stop the Serenity 08 in Minneapolis/St. Paul this past weekend.

Saturday afternoon we went to the “shindig” which consisted of a parasol painting party and catered lunch. Steph had a great time painting her parasol. Me, I’m artistically challenged so I had really 2 sets of swirls on mine instead of 1 set of long ones. They asked me if I wanted to do another one since they had way extra parasols, so I said sure. And I painted the panels on that one green & yellow *s* They played the first disc of Firefly during the luncheon (they had the disc there because it contained the episode with the scenes of Kaylee holding said Parasol) and we were serenaded with the soundtrack from Serenity during the 3 hours we were there. There were some very artistic people there. One guy painted Snoopy on his dog house on his parasol. It was cute (I’m a *huge* Snoopy fan). Another guy painted “symbols” on each panel – a leaf for Wash, the parasol spirals for Kaylee, the hat for Jayne, etc. It was very fun to see. Steph’s turned out very nice.

After the luncheon, Steph found a theater where Sex and the City was playing and we went to see that. Very glad I saw it, even if I had to shell out $17 for tickets between the two of us (I’m spoiled in Fargo, tix aren’t that expensive here). The theatre wasn’t too packed, and there were only 4 men in attendance. Other than the woman sitting behind us criticizing the entire movie, I enjoyed it. I was beginning to wonder why she was even there because clearly she wasn't a fan. Carrie's hat wasn't right, Big wasn't behaving right, an embarrassing scene involving Charlotte wasn't funny at all - on and on she went.

After Sex and the City we head over to Riverview Theatre where Serenity was being shown. The package for the amount I’d contributed included 2 T-shirts, 2 posters, 1 keychain, and raffle tickets. My name was also in the program as a companion *heh* If I’d been a business (or had a published book) I could have had an ad, too. We also got a little goodie bag for being one of the first 100 through the door. These bags included a pen, a EqualityNow wristband, a granola bar and a couple of stickers. We were greeted when walking in by one of the women from the shindig playing violin. She played pretty much the entire time up until the movie started at 11:30pm.

While we didn’t win anything with the raffle (there were some pretty neat prizes, too, including a Spike puppet) we did win the auction for a MN Firefly CSTS T-shirt autographed by Adam Baldwin. Stephanie was kind of excited about that. They also had a Firefly DVD set autographed by Adam.

I’ve never seen Serenity in a theatre full of Joss fans before. Seeing it here in Fargo, I don’t think many of the audience knew it was anything but another sci-fi movie. So, some of the backstory went over their heads obviously. So, it was fun to laugh with an audience (and interesting to hear where there were a few laughs with no others or where you laughed and others didn’t). And it was fun to cry with an audience and know that even though we knew what was going to happen to Wash it was still shocking. There was a theatre full of gasps at the scene. As if we all expected that THIS time it wouldn’t happen. And the theatre was full. It was great to see that many people coming out.

There was a funny little introduction by Nathan, thanking us. There was a short movie with a browncoat dressed as Mal explaining just what Can't Stop the Serenity and Equality Now is about. And they showed Joss' speech from ’06 with an introduction by Meryl Streep. Kind of a punch in the gut to hear him being introduced as the guy who was going to be bringing us Wonder Woman. There were lots of groans from the audience at that.

We had a late breakfast with a college buddy of mine and his wife Sunday morning and then we were on our way back to Fargo. Overall, it was a great experience. The people I met and talked to were fun. It was fun, too, to see the different “types” of people that were there. Young and old, geeky and not so geeky *s*. It was fun.

Discovered at the shindig luncheon that there actually are people who like Firefly & Serenity who haven’t given Buffy and/or Angel a shot. One of the volunteers asked if anyone wanted to hear Once More With Feeling after the second play through of the Serenity soundtrack.

It was a relatively costly weekend, but well worth it. Equality Now is an organization I contribute to anyway, so I got to have some fun and get some goodies out of the deal while supporting it. Interestingly, according to 2007 number-crunching, Minneapolis contributed the most of all the cities listed.

Steph had a good time. When I told her what we were doing she just kind of rolled her eyes and didn’t seem too thrilled. Of course doing something geeky with her mother is beneath her at 17. But once we were there, she had a blast. Even Lee commented on how good her mood was last night when we got back.

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Sports Fact of the Day 6/19-6/26/08

June 19:
6/19/1977:
Powerful White Sox first baseman Lamar Johnson sings the national anthem before a Sunday doubleheader at Comiskey Park and then sparks the ChiSox to a sweep with two homers in the opening game as Chicago takes a pair from Oakland, 2-1 and 5-1, moving into first place in the AL West. Both homers come off Mike Norris of the A's, supporting Wilbur Wood's first win since May of 1976. The left-handed knuckleballer had a long layoff following knee surgery.

Birthdays:
Lou Gehrig b. 1903
Lee Nomellini b. 1924
Shirley Muldowney b. 1940
Doug Mientkiewicz b. 1974
Dirk Nowitzki b. 1978

2000:
Led by their two young superstars, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers won the first of their three straight NBA titles.

"They finally figured it out. It was there on both their faces, the jubilation and relief that came with knowing that they had cracked the safe and learned how championships are won. There were times in their careers when it must have seemed to Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant that the trophy that they wanted so badly was locked in a vault, and that no one would tell them the combination." -Phil Taylor, June 26, 2000

Packers Fact:
Donald Driver surpassed 2,500 career receiving yards at Lambeau Field in 2006. There are only two other NFL players to amass more yards catching passes at the Packers' home. They are Antonio Freeman (3,477) and James Lofton (3,330).

June 20:
6/20/1981:
Alexis Arguello wins the WBC lightweight title by dethroning Jim Watt of Scotland in a 15-round unanimous decision at Wembley Arena in London. Arguello has no trouble coping with Watt's southpaw style, using a considerable height and reach advantage to control the bout. Arguello scores one knockdown and wins the fight 147-143 on all three judges' scorecards. It's his third world title after holding the featherweight and junior lightweight belts earlier in his career.

Birthdays:
Doris Hart b. 1924
Len Dawson b. 1935
Dave Elmendorf b. 1949
MaliVai Washington b. 1969
LaVar Arrington b. 1978

1982:
Tom Watson chipped in from off the green on the 71st hole at Pebble Beach and beat Jack Nicklaus in a dramatic U.S. Open championship.

"Of the many dramatic and championship-twisting shots that were struck and misstruck all last week on the Monterey Peninsula, and in all of the 81 Opens that came before this one, Watson's chip-in at the 17th on Sunday will be remembered for as long as men sew leather patches on the elbows of their tweed jackets." -Dan Jenkins, June 28, 1982

Packers Fact:
Defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila's last name is pronounced "Bah-jah bee-ah-MILL-ah."

June 21:
6/21/2003:
Todd Pratt belts a pinch-hit, walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the 13th inning to give the Phillies a 6-5 victory over the Red Sox in an interleague classic at the Vet. Each club scored once in teh 12th inning, with Jim Thome's solo homer keeping the Phillies alive until Pratt's game-ending heroics. The Boston defeat spoils a six-for-six day by their shortstop. Nomar Garciaparra, and wastes two homers by his keystone partner, second baseman Todd Walker.

Birthdays:
Howie Morenz b. 1902
Eddie Lopat b. 1918
Rick Sutcliffe b. 1956
Tom Chambers b. 1959
Derrick Coleman b. 1967

1988:
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons, 108-105, to win the NBA championship in seven games. The victory made good on coach Pat Riley's promise to become the first team since 1969 to win back-to-back NBA titles.

"There was the champagne-soaked prognosticator himself, old Repeat Riley, laughing, hugging, shaking hands, kissing and being kissed and resting his case, all at the same time. The verdict is in, and you win, Pat. This Laker team belongs with the great ones." -Jack McCallum, July 4, 1988

Packers Fact:
In 2006, Brett Favre reached the 25,000-yard mark for career passing yards at Lambeau Field. The only other NFL quarterback to pass for more yards at a single stadium was John Elway, who passed for 27,889 yards at Denver's Mile High Stadium.

June 22:
6/22/1902:
Brakeman Jack Taylor outlasts Deacon Phillippe in a 19-inning marathon as the Cubs nip the Pirates, 3-2, at the West Side Grounds in Chicago. Catcher Johnny Kling singles in the 19th, steals second and scores the winning run on a single by Bobby Lowe. Not only does each starting pitcher go the full distance, but there are no substitutions of any kind by either team. this lengthy outing is just one of Taylor's extraordinary MLB record 187 consecutive complete games from 1902 to '07. despite this setback, Pittsburgh will go on to an outstanding 103-36 record, winning the National League pennant by a runaway 27-1/2 games.

Birthdays:
Carl Hubbell b. 1903
Davey O'Brien b. 1917
Pete Maravich b. 1947
Clyde Drexler b. 1962
Champ Bailey b. 1978

June 23:
6/23/1969:
Joe Frazier scores an eighth-round TKO over Irish Jerry Quarry at Madison Square Garden to retain his share of the heavyweight title-a murky situation created when Muhammad Ali was stripped of the crown in 1967 for refusing to be drafted into the military. He'll unify the title when he defeats Jimmy Ellis in his next bout and successfully defend it through another four contests (including a challenge by Ali) before losing to George Foreman in 1973.

Birthdays:
Walter Dukes b. 1930
Wilma Rudolph b. 1940
Filbert Bayi b. 1953
Felix Potvin b. 1971
LaDainian Tomlinson b. 1979

1992:
The Cincinnati Reds reliever Rob Dibble recorded his 500th career strikeout in fewer innings-368-than any other pitcher in modern baseball history.

"It's a shame that Rob Dibble has so often been the center of controversy, because his troubles detract fro his achievements as a pitcher. ... Nolan Ryan, Bob Feller, Sandy Koufax and Lee Smith all needed more than 500 innings to strike out 500 batters." -Tim Kurkjian, July 6, 1992

Packers Fact:
Linebacker Abdul Hodge's youth football coaches gave him the nickname "Hitman" for his ability to deliver crunching blows, even against older kids.

June 24:
6/24/1997:
The Seattle Mariners' Randy Johnson sets an American League single-game record for strikeouts by a left-hander, 19, but loses to the Oakland A's, 4-1, at the Kingdome. Johnson surrenders 11 hits, including a double and home run by Mark McGwire, to undermine his overpowering performance. Oddly enough, the only other lefty to strike out 19 in one game, Steve Carlton of St. Louis in 1969, also lost when the Mets beat him, 4-2.

Birthdays:
Larry Foust b. 1928
Billy Casper b. 1931
Sam Jones b. 1933
Wayne Cashman b. 1945
Juli Inkster b. 1960

1960:
American high jumper John Thomas cleared the bar at 7-foot, 2-inches, and broke his own world record at the AAU championships in Bakersfield, Calif.

"He stared impassively at the bar, his arms dangling loosely, his long body relaxed. When he jumped, he was at least two inches over the bar. ... He bent to take off his jumping shoes, and as he knelt he laughed suddenly and joyously and shook his head at the wonder of it all." -Tex Maule, July 4, 1960

Packers Fact:
Brett Favre entered 2006 with a string of 223 consecutive games played. Next on the Packers' active list with 135 was long snapper Rob Davis.

June 25:
Shortstop Lenny Merullo, who played seven years for the Cubs and went on to a long scouting career, was realistic about one of baseball's age-old axioms: A big player has to prove he can't play; a little player has to prove that he can."

Birthdays:
Willie Reed b. 1942
Dell Curry b. 1964
Dikembe Mutombo b. 1966
Aaron Sele b. 1970
Carlos Delgado b. 1972

1969:
The 41-year-old tennis player Pancho Gonzales defeated Charles Pasarell at Wimbledon in the longest tennis match in history. The 112-game match took 5 hours and 12 minutes over two days to complete. Play had been called due to darkness the previous day.

"Gonzales is supposed to be in the twilight of his career, but somehow the sun never quite sets. Like a flame that burns brightest moments before it is extinguished. Gonzales put on an exhibition that rocked the foundations of Wimbledon to its hoary, tradition-bound core." -Kim Chapin, July 7, 1969

Packers Fact:
Linebacker Nick Barnett is nicknamed "Nike Beats" for his ability as a music mixer and DJ.

June 26:
6/26/2002:
The New York Knicks acquire All-Star forward Antonio McDyess from the Denver Nuggets for Marcus Camby, Mark Jackson and Nene Hilario. Despite some impressive stats posted by McDyess in seven NBA seasons (188 ppg and 9 rpg), the deal is a gamble for New York because McDyess played only 10 games last season following surgery on both knees. Those concerns will be realized in a preseason game this fall when McDyess lands awkwardly while grabbing a rebound and seriously reinjures his left knee. He'll never contribute significantly to New York before being traded to Phoenix in 2004.

Birthdays:
Greg LeMond b. 1961
Jerome Kersey b. 1962
Shannon Sharpe b. 1968
Derek Jeter b. 1974
Jason Kendall b. 1974

1972:
Roberto Duran captured his first championship belt with a bloody knockout of former titleholder Ken Buchanan.

"Duran used all but his teeth to rip the lightweight title from the champion. He left Buchanan at the end bent [like] a broken bird wasted by a violent storm. ... War is too remote a word to describe this night, too imprecise for what Duran did to Buchanan. Call it pure assault with intent to maim and disfigure." -Mark Kram, July 10, 1972

Packers Fact:
Donald Driver entered 2006 with a string of 64 consecutive games with at least 1 catch. That was among the top 10 active NFL players that season, but a long way from number one. Indianapolis' Marvin Harrison was at the top with 154 games.

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Book Rec of the Day 6/19-6/26/08

“Disorienting and reorienting the reader to devastating effect. . . . As suspenseful and harrowing as anything in Conan Doyle.”—Jay McInerney, The New York Times Book Review

Fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone is an autistic math genius who greatly admires Sherlock Holmes. When his neighbor’s poodle is found skewered on a pitchfork and Christopher is accused of causing the dog’s death, he decides to use Holmesian deductive logic to solve the crime. Haddon’s depiction of the boy’s mind and the stratagems he uses to survive in what to him is a truly strange world make this first novel a truly clever and compelling read.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, by Mark Haddon (Vintage, 2004)

SHEER INSANITY

Caveat: If you can’t stand the misogynistic heat, stay out of this book. Webmaster and self-made pirate “Maddox” has been ranting and raving for about five years on his website, thebestpageintheuniverse.com. A favorite among teenage boys, Maddox is like a thinking man’s Howard Stern. His stance is to hate almost everything, but special targets include vegetarians, anything with Mel Gibson in it, Idaho, artwork by children, and on and on and on. Most readers, though, will eventually find themselves helplessly giggling at something or other; it’s partly the writing style, which pins you under an avalanche of vituperative, vindictive, venomous verbiage.

THE ALPHABET OF MANLINESS, by “Maddox” (Citadel, 2006)

SPLENDID BUILDING

After first tearing down 1,000-year-old St. Peter’s Basilica, built to house the sacred remains of the apostle himself, Pope Julius II laid the first stone of Donato Bramante’s audacious architectural vision in 1506. Several popes, architects (including Raphael, Michelangelo, and Giacomo della Porta), and architectural styles were to pass before the cupola went up on the splendid dome 100 years later. Imagine the civic and church politics, the artistic clashes, the greed and pique and graft that attended this project. Scotti brings it all to life again.

BASILICA, THE SPLENDOR AND THE SCANDAL: BUILDING ST. PETER’S, by R. A. Scotti (Viking, 2006)

“Rarely has a novel so deeply probed the thoughts and actions of physicians and scientists as they strive to succeed.”—Slate

This excellent novel is set in the Boston-Cambridge area, where a prominent cancer laboratory is the petri dish for the ambitions, betrayals, ideals, and passions of scientific researchers Cliff and Robin (who are ex-lovers) and administrators Sandy and Marion. This is what happens when powerful, dissonant personalities are forced to coexist in a crisis of their own making.

INTUITION, by Allegra Goodman (The Dial Press, 2006)

SAY IT WITH STYLE

One might have thought that this classic was in no need of improvement, and the idea of illustrating it might seem almost blasphemous, but in fact The Elements of Style changed much over the years. First published in 1935, it was revised in 1957 and went through two more editions, selling more than 10 million copies. In 1999, after White’s death, a new edition came out under the auspices of White’s stepson, Roger Angell, a longtime New Yorker writer, with an afterword by Charles Osgood and a new glossary and index. This new edition is based on 1999’s and, given Kalman’s contribution, may turn out to be a classic in its own right.

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE, ILLUSTRATED, by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White; illustrated by Maira Kalman (1935; Penguin, 2005)

CLASSIC

Le Père Goriot is one of the best known and best crafted of the Parisian novels in Balzac’s La Comédie Humaine (The Human Comedy), and the one that many readers find the easiest to identify with. Rastignac is the starving writer who claws his way out of his roach-infested garret (where Goriot is his landlord and confidant) on the backs of women and at the expense of everyone around him, especially Goriot—but in that regard Goriot’s own adulterous, gold-digger daughters precede and outdo Rastignac. Gambling, sex, journalism, high finance, bad manners, and influence peddling—like Dallas but a million times better, and more haunting.

PÈRE GORIOT, by Honoré de Balzac; translated by A. J. Krailsheimer (1835; Oxford University Press, 1999)


SAD BUT TRUE

“In this quirky, fascinating, strangely hypnotic book, Hunt explores the intersection of geography and psychology. Part travelogue, part memoir, part meditation, Cliffs of Despair is an original and provocative addition to the vast literature of suicide.”—George Howe Colt, author of The Enigma of Suicide and The Big House

Hunt, whose brother committed suicide, investigates suicide from as many angles as his sensitive, probing, brave, and poetic mind will take him, and we go with him, painful though the subject may be.

CLIFFS OF DESPAIR: A JOURNEY TO THE EDGE, by Tom Hunt (Random House, 2006)

JANE AUSTEN LIVES

In a sequel to Mr. Darcy’s Daughters and The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy, Elizabeth Aston delivers an irresistible new novel set in the world of Jane Austen. Mr. Darcy’s artistic and willful eldest cousin, Cassandra, has been disowned and is trying to make a living by painting. But it’s so hard for a girl to do the right thing sometimes! Horatio Darcy, a twig from yet another branch of the Darcy tree, is sent in to save Cassandra from a mess of compromising letters and extortion that she’s unwittingly stumbled into, and Cassandra’s charm and pretty face take care of the rest. A delicious period piece in a sparkling voice.

THE TRUE DARCY SPIRIT: A NOVEL, by Elizabeth Aston (Touchstone, 2006)

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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 06/18/2008

6/18/1984:
Fuzzy Zoeller rolls in a 68-foot birdie putt on the second hole, and it's a cakewalk from there as he defeats Greg Norman 67 to 75 in an 18-hole playoff for the U.S. Open championship at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, New York. It's Zoeller's second major title after winning the 1979 Masters, also in a playoff. The eight-stroke margin is the largest ever posted in 23 previous U.S. Open playoffs over the years. Zoeller's 67 today falls just shy of his second-round 66, the lowest score ever posted at Winged Foot in four tournaments of U.S. Open competition (1929, '59, '74 and this year).

Birthdays:
George Mikan b. 1924
Lou Brock b. 1939
Andres Galarraga b. 1961
Sandy Alomar Jr. b. 1966
Luke Jensen b. 1966

1941:
With World War II raging in Europe, Joe Louis retained his heavyweight boxing title with a knockout of Billy Conn at New York's Polo Grounds. Louis, making his 18th defense of the title he had won in 1937, was on the verge of losing his belt to the former light heavyweight champion when he caught Conn with a series of devastating blows in the 13th round.

"There had been 220 years of prizefighting, and there would yet be Marciano and the two Sugar Rays and Ali, but this was it. This was the best it had ever been and ever would be, the 12th and 13th rounds of Louis and Conn...just before the world went to hell." -Frank Deford, June 17, 1985

Packers Fact:
Defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins blocked 3 kicks in 2005 (2 extra points and 1 field goal). That was the most in the NFL that season.


TO A “T”

Megan Nicolay shows how to take the quintessential American garb and turn it into a trendy piece of haute T-couture . . . as well as a halter, tank top, peasant blouse, hat, purse, leg warmers, and scads more, including a “teeny-weeny bikini.” A breezy history and background of the T-shirt is included. Generation T is a great inspiration for that restless, creative do-it-yourselfer in you.

GENERATION T: 108 WAYS TO TRANSFORM A T-SHIRT, by Megan Nicolay (Workman Publishing, 2006)

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Sports Fact of the Day 6/12-6/17/2008

June 12:
6/12/2002:
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Jersey Nets, 113-107, at the Meadowlands, completing a four-game sweep and becoming the fifth team in NBA history to win three straight championships. Shaquille O'Neal also claims a three-peat, earning his third consecutive NBA finals MVP award. His 34 points tonight help him amass a four-game series record of 145 points. The Lakers become the seventh team to win the finals in a sweep, and Phil Jackson wins his ninth championship as a coach (six with the Chicago Bulls) to tie Red Auerbach's all-time record.

Birthdays:
Gwen Torrence b. 1965
Ryan Klesko b. 1971
Kerry Kittles b. 1974
Hideki Matsui b. 1974
Antawn Jamison b. 1976

1991:
Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to their first NBA Championship by knocking off Magic Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

"Make no mistake about it-the victory belonged most of all to Michael Jordan, who, for now at least, sits top the basketball world, higher even than Magic. And for those who felt that Jordan was already the king, consider the 1991 Finals his coronation." -Jack McCallum, June 24, 1991

Packers Fact:
When Brett Favre began his record string of consecutive starts at quarterback in 1992, rookie coaches Mike Holmgren (Green Bay) and Bill Cowher (Pittsburgh) squared off for the first time. The Packers won, 17-3.

June 13:
Trying to tiptoe through the minefield of the Yankees' power-laden lineup, young Twins catcher Joe Mauer got a little confused: "I kept waiting for their ninth hitter to come up, but I couldn't figure out who it was."

Birthdays:
Paavo Nurmi b. 1897
Red Grange b. 1903
Don Budge b. 1915
Mel Parnell b. 1922
Valeri Bure b. 1974

1989:
The Detroit Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 105-97, to win the NBA championship in a four-game sweep. The triumph was the first pro basketball title for the Detroit franchise.

"The Lakers were repeatedly caught flat-footed as Detroit's guards went rocketing past them. ... Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars spent so much time motoring up the middle of the Lakers' defense that they looked like commuters headed home from the Ford plant near the Soutfhfield Freeway." -Bruce Newman, June 19, 1989

Packers Fact:
In his fifth NFL season in 2005, tight end David Martin established career bests for catches (27), receiving yards (224) and touchdowns (3) while starting eight games in place of injured Bubba Franks.

June 14:
6/14/2005:
Asafa Powell of Kingston, Jamaica, sets a new world record of 9.77 seconds for the 100-meter dash at a track meet in Athens, Greece. Powell shaves 1/100th of a second off the previous mark of 9.78 set by American Tim Montgomery in Paris in 2002. His record performance comes on the very same track where he ran a disappointing fifth in the 100 meters in last year's Olympic Games.

Birthdays:
Don Newcombe b. 1926
Pat Head Summitt b. 1952
Eric Heiden b. 1958
Sam Perkins b. 1961
Steffi Graf b. 1969

1991:
Clocked in a time of 9.90 seconds, Leroy Burrell sprinted to a world record in the 100-meter dash at the Mobil national track and field championships at Randall's Island, N.Y. The previous record-holder, Carl Lewis, finished in second place.

"Burrell seemed to explode with the gun. "I accelerated like I've never accelerated before," he said. By 40 meters he led the field and had a full stride on Lewis. ... "The race happened so fast," said Burrell. "I came to consciousness at about 80 meters. It was almost like somebody had pushed fast forward." -Merrell Noden, June 24, 1991

Packers Fact:
From September 1992 through 2005, Brett Favre was the only man to start at quarterback for the Packers. The Chicago Bears employed 20 different starting quarterbacks in that same time frame.

June 15:
6/15/1957:
The Milwaukee Braves greatly enhance their chances to win the National League pennant when they acquire second baseman Red Schoendienst from the New York Giants for Danny O'Connell, Ray Crone and Bobby Thomson. Schoendienst will hit .310 in 93 games with the Braves and lead the NL in base hits with 200. He'll become only the third player to get 200 hits while playing for more than one team in a season. Isiah Meusel (1921 Phillies and Giants) and Moose Solters (1935 Red Sox and Browns) also achieved this feat. The Bravees will proceed to thrill Wisconsin and all of the Upper Midwest by winning the World Series in only their fifth season in Milwaukee.

Birthdays:
Billy Williams b. 1938
Mike Holmgren b. 1948
Wade Boggs b. 1958
Ramiro Mendoza b. 1972
Andy Pettitte b. 1972

June 16:
6/16/1934:
Glenn Cunningham of Kansas sets a new world record for the mile run, 4:06.7, at an invitational track meet at Palmer Stadium in Princeton, New Jersey. Bill Bonthron of Princeton is a distant second and Gene Venzke of Penn places third. After suffering badly burned legs in a freak childhood accident that claimed his brother's life, Cunningham became a world-class middle-distance runner and an inspiration to millions of fans. Known as "the Kansas Ironman," he'll go on to set a new world record in the 800 meters in 1936, lower the mile record to 4:04.4 in 1938 and win the prestigious Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in New York six times.

Birthdays:
Roberto Duran b. 1951
Wayne "Tree" Rollins b. 1955
Wally Joyner b. 1962
Phil Mickelson b. 1970
Kerry Wood b. 1977

1968:
The fast-talking golfer Lee Trevino shot a final-round 69 and earned his first PGA Tour victory with a four-stroke triumph in the U.S. Open at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. Trevino became the first golfer ever to shoot four straight rounds under par in an Open.

"Trevino will not only go out and fight a course for you in the most colorful of ways, he'll say most anything to most anybody. He'll hot dog it. He'll gagline it. And he'll respond." -Dan Jenkins, June 24, 1968

Packers Fact:
Linebacker Tracy White, who signed with the Packers as a free agent in 2006, is Howard University's all-time leading tackler.

June 17:
6/17/1972:
In the richest match race in history, $250,000 to the winner, four-year-old filly Convenience beats 6-year-old mare Typecast by a head at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California. The showdown was created when computer impresario Fletcher Jones, owner of Typecast, boldly challenged cosmetics magnate Leonard Lavin, owner of Convenience, to the man-a-mano duel at equal weight of 120 pounds. Ridden by Jerry Lambert, Convenience breaks to the early lead and holds off Typecast, Bill Shoemaker up, in a photo finish.

Birthdays:
Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch b. 1923
Maurice Stokes b. 1933
Bobby Bell b. 1940
Dan Jansen b. 1965
Venus Williams b. 1980

1986:
The Boston Celtics selected University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias in the first round of the National Basketball Association college draft.

"About 40 hours later, Bias was dead. ... The heart of the man had failed him. So had Bias's good judgment, for he had been known as someone who avoided drugs. How to explain the unspeakable irony of a young man dying with his greatest dreams freshly tucked away in his pocket?" -Jack McCallum, June 30, 1986

Packers Fact:
Donald Driver moved into sixth place on the Packers' career receiving list during their 31-24 victory over Detroit in week 3 of 2006. He surpassed Max McGee (1954, 1957-1967).

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Book Rec of the Day 6/12-6/17/2008

POET’S BIO

“Fueled by an infectious enthusiasm for the poems . . . [Feinstein’s] book turns Neruda’s life into an opera—a blend of aria and recitative.”—The Guardian

Gabriel García Márquez calls Neruda “the greatest poet of the twentieth century—in any language.” Neruda was also one of the world’s greatest lovers of women and a passionate political warrior. Esteemed journalist and translator Adam Feinstein has given us not only the first English-language biography of this important figure but likely the definitive one for some time to come.

PABLO NERUDA: A PASSION FOR LIFE, by Adam Feinstein (Bloomsbury USA, 2005)

FAMILY TROUBLES

Picoult is known for using her fiction to take on difficult subjects (euthanasia and teen suicide, for instance). My Sister’s Keeper is no exception. The story centers on Kate, who has leukemia and requires quantities of donor-matching bone marrow and now a kidney that only Anna, her younger sister, can provide. It turns out that her parents conceived Anna for that very reason, and, at age 13, she sues them for control of her own body. Picoult has taken a mind-shaking premise and has crafted an enthralling page-turner that keeps the reader’s rapt attention to the very surprising end.

MY SISTER’S KEEPER, by Jodi Picoult (Washington Square Press, 2005)

WALKING AFGHANISTAN

“If, finally, you’re determined to do something as recklessly stupid as walk across a war zone, your surest bet to quash all the inevitable criticism is to write a flat-out masterpiece. Stewart did. Stewart has.”—Tim Bissell, The New York Times Book Review

In 2002, just weeks after the Taliban’s fall, Rory Stewart undertook to walk east to west across Afghanistan. “You will die, I can guarantee,” an Afghanistan Security Service officer told him before he began. Stewart was undeterred, and the resulting story is one of the absolutely best works of travel writing to come our way in years.

THE PLACES IN BETWEEN, by Rory Stewart (Harvest, 2006)

“Only a handful of twentieth-century writers, such as Kafka and Proust, have as important, as authoritative, as irrevocable a voice and style.”—Susan Sontag

One of the great rule-breaking and disturbing novels of the 20th century, Our Lady of the Flowers is a kind of mythic re-creation of Genet’s Parisian life. The story of male prostitute Divine, who lives an underground life among thieves, murderers, pimps, and transvestites, stands conventional morality on its head. Daunting and titillating both.

OUR LADY OF THE FLOWERS, by Jean Genet (1943; Grove Press, 1988)

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT, ALFIE?

Neil Strauss, with his big nose, glasses, and balding pate, assessed himself as an AFC (Average Frustrated Chump). Then, at the suggestion of his editor, he began investigating a community of pickup artists, and in no time he morphed into a first-class PUA (Pick-Up Artist). Strauss studied the secrets of seduction at the feet of a Toronto magician, known as “Mystery.” Under his new nom d’amour, “Style,” Strauss spent the next two years bedding legions of women. Ultimately, he discovered he was a one-woman guy after all. Well stocked with tips and tricks,The Game is a truly insightful look into the world of men who live to pick up women.

THE GAME: PENETRATING THE SECRET SOCIETY OF PICKUP ARTISTS, by Neil Strauss (ReganBooks, 2005)

SHE WROTE MYSTERIES

Elizabeth George, beloved for her Inspector Lynley series, has collected and provided a wonderful introduction to 26 top-notch crime stories by women, starting with Susan Glaspell from 1917 and ending with a story from 2001 by Minette Walters. In between, Joyce Carol Oates, Nancy Pickard, Dorothy Sayers, and many other masterful mistresses of the genre take star turns shocking us, scaring us, and giving us the creeps.

A MOMENT ON THE EDGE: 100 YEARS OF CRIME STORIES BY WOMEN, edited by Elizabeth George (HarperPaperbacks, 2005)

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Taking the little one out and about & some updates

On Monday, I took my youngest daughter, 4, to see her first movie: Kung Fu Panda. Her reaction upon entering the theater was priceless. "Wow, that's a big TV." Being that she's not in daycare, sitting still for 90 minutes is not something that's ever really been required of her, so I wasn't sure how she'd do at the movies. So, we took in the earliest showing of the day, assuming it wouldn't be overly crowded and the audience would be families. I was right.

She did great, though. She moved over to my lap once or twice and got a little wiggly, but she remained quiet and seemed to enjoy the movie. She didn't say much about it afterward, but we have the McDonald's Happy Meal Po toy and she came home afterward and was playing with it rather enthusiastically. Where before seeing the movie she could take or leave it.

Now that I know she'll sit through a movie I'll be more apt to take her to them, because I enjoy getting out of the house once in a while just as much as she does.

She's been asking me all morning to go the park. Unfortunately, we're rain-infested here today so no trips to the park are in order I don't think.


On the update front:

Hubby finally found a new job a couple of weeks ago. I was so relieved for him, though I'm sure mine was nowhere near what he was feeling. Part of the problem he was encountering in his job search was employers were requiring a Class A tractor-trailer license even if the job itself wasn't tractor-trailer driving. Because so many Class A drivers want to stick close to home, employers can do this. The place that hubby got hired is a seasonal job, thru the end of construction season, but they're getting him his Class A. So, hopefully when the job is finished he won't encounter the same problem with finding another job.

Oldest daughter finished her junior year. She's taking 2 summer school courses this year, of her own choosing. She's busy with work and doing what all 17 year olds are good at.

She & Hubby have been having a good dose of friction lately, the past year at least. It was something I couldn't intervene in as much as I wanted to. They needed to resolve it on their own, because the issues were between them and needed to be talked through. Something neither of them was willing to do. Evidently, this past weekend they've finally managed to do that and I'm hoping things will be better now. They were pretty stressful for a while and I think contributed to some of the issues oldest was having with schoolwork and moodiness.

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 06/11/2008

6/11/1952:
For the second time in his career (also 8/28/50), Hank Sauer hits three home runs off Phillies left-hander Curt Simmons at Wrigley Field, the first time in history the same major league batter hit three dingers in one game off the same pitcher twice. Today's homers are all leadoff solo shots and account for all the scoring as the Cubs edge the Phils, 3-2. Sauer, known as "the Mayor of Wrigley Field," is enjoying his finest season. He'll tie Ralph Kiner for the National League leadership in homers with 37, lead the league with 121 RBIs and win the Most Valuable Player award.

Birthdays:
Ernie Nevers b. 1902
Vince Lombardi b. 1913
Jackie Stewart b. 1939
Joe Montana b. 1956
Scott Mellanby b. 1966

1978:
Rookie golfer Nancy Lopez won the LPGA Championship with a 13-under-par 275, six shots better than her closest competitor. She burst onto the golf scene this year and won nine tournaments, including a record five in a row.

"Lopez drives the ball high, far and straight; carves her iron shots with the decisive sound a butcher makes on his chopping block; and has a delicate touch on the greens, as if all her putts are rolling on velvet." -Barry McDermott, June 19, 1978

Packers Fact:
Marquard Manuel started at safety for Seattle in Super Bowl XL in the 2005 season. He signed with the Packers as a free agent in 2006.


“The Watchmaker” is a serial killer who always leaves a ticking clock behind with his victims. Lincoln Rhyme is the quadriplegic forensic detective who must uncover and foil the murderer’s ingenious plots. Unfortunately, his best on-the-scene investigator is wrapped up in her own police corruption case. Deaver’s seventh Rhyme novel may be his most suspenseful and cleverest yet.

COLD MOON: A LINCOLN RHYME NOVEL, by Jeffery Deaver (Simon & Schuster, 2006)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 06/10/2008

6/10/1977:
Al Geiberger sets a new record for American professional golf by shooting a 13-under-par 59 in the second round of the Danny Thomas-Memphis Classic. Several players had shot 60 on less demanding layouts than the 7,200-yard Colonial Country Club in Memphis and Gary Player once shot a 59 on a short course in Brazil, but no one had ever shot a 59 in the United States before Geiberger pieced together 11 birdies, an eagle and no bogeys for his record round. He'll go on to win this tournament on Sunday and pocket the $40,000 first-prize check.

Birthdays:
Jon McGlocklin b. 1943
Ken Singleton b. 1947
Dan Fouts b. 1951
Brent Sutter b. 1962
Pokey Reese b. 1973

1977:
While Martin Luther King's assassin grabbed the headlines, golfer Al Geiberger shot an incredible 59 during the second round of the Memphis Golf Classic, the first-sub-60 round ever in a PGA Tour event.

"Surely even the most jaded and weary of the world's watchers would have found something extraordinary last Friday in Tennessee, with James Earl Ray suddenly on the lam in the east and Al Geiberger on a more civilized rampage in the west. The authorities will be a long time in totaling up Ray's score, but the other was there for all to see." -Charles Gillespie, June 20, 1977

Packers Fact:
Brett Favre entered 2006 with the longest active NFL streaks for games play (223) and games started (221). Kansas City guard Will Shields with 208 games played and 207 games started was second.

HOT DOGGEREL

The Nation’s “deadline poet” has done a heckuva job with his acid-dipped pen and rhyming dictionary in these two books of political verse, skewering not only the Decider himself, but nanny Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, and just about any Bush leaguer who’s made a headline in the last few years. Not recommended for fans of Rush Limbaugh.

A HECKUVA JOB: MORE OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IN RHYME with OBLIVIOUSLY ON HE SAILS: THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IN RHYME, by Calvin Trillin (Random House, 2006)

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 06/09/2008

6/9/1984:
Swale, son of Seattle Slew, sweeps to a four-length victory in the Belmont Stakes over Pine Circle. It's the third straight Belmong victory for Swale's trainer, Woody Stephens, and jockey Laffit Pincay Jr., who had teamed up to win with Conquistador Cielo in 1982 and Caveat last year. Swale's time of 2:27-1/5 for the mile-and-a-half test is the fourth fastest in Belmont history. Tragically, only a week from now, he'll collapse after a morning workout and cannot be saved; his death is attributed to an irregular heartbeat.

Birthdays:
Bill Virdon b. 1931
Dick Vitale b. 1939
Dave Parker b. 1951
Wayman Tisdale b. 1964
Tody Bruschi b. 1973

1991:
The London Monarchs blanked the Barcelona Dragons, 21-0, in the first World League of American Football championship game.

"There was something wonderfully honest, low-rent and delicious about World Bow I. ... The game was dreadful and terrific at the same time. You didn't know whether it was the beginning or, who knew, the end of something." -Rick Reilly, June 16, 1991

Packers Fact:
Safety Marquand Manuel is the ninth of 18 children in his family. The age span is 25 years from odest to youngest.


WALT WHITMAN, MUSE

Walt Whitman presides over these three interrelated novellas. Unlike Virginia Woolf in Cunningham’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Hours, however, Whitman is not a major character. Rather, his spirit, ardent and sprawling, permeates the book: “It avails not, neither time or place. . . .” Whitman wrote. “I am with you, and know how it is.” Three characters, an older man, a young woman, and a boy—appear in all three novellas, seemingly reincarnated in the separate stories’ different time periods. It is a daring experiment that has won over many readers.

SPECIMEN DAYS, by Michael Cunningham (Picador USA, 2006)

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Sunday, June 08, 2008

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 05/08/2008

6/8/1950:
The Boston Red Sox annihilate the St. Louis Browns, 29-4, at Fenway Park, setting numerous team and individual batting marks. Boston right fielder Al Zarilla has a five-hit game, including a record-tying four doubles. He becomes the first man ever to have four doubles in one game and two triples in one inning, a feat he accomplished while playing for the Browns in 1946.

Birthdays:
Byron "Whizzer" White b. 1917
Del Ennis b. 1925
Herb Adderley b. 1939
Willie Davenport b. 1943
Lindsay Davenport b. 1976


DUBYA’S LIFE

George has cobbled together this must-read and long-awaited autobiography with the help of his good buddies Scott Dikkers, editor-in-chief of The Onion, and public radio producer Peter Hilleren. The soon-to-be former president thought it was time for “a little bit of common-sense biographizing” to counteract the sometimes mean-spirited press he receives. It takes a great man to air his own dirty laundry. Read about his hardscrabble beginnings as a wealthy oil scion; see his altered report cards and Dad’s note to the Yale admissions office; get the inside scoop on “The Clown-Faced Zombie I Call My Wife.”

DESTINED FOR DESTINY: THE UNAUTHORIZED AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE W. BUSH, by Scott Dikkers and Peter Hilleren (Scribner, 2006)

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Saturday, June 07, 2008

Sports Fact of the Day 5/31-6/7/08

May 31:
Hall of Fame Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda was never shy about inserting bright young prospects into the lineup right away. Answering a reporter's question with one of his own, the popular skipper commented: "Don't look at the birth certificate. Can the guy play?"

Birthdays:

Happy Hairston b. 1942
Joe Namath b. 1943
Tippy Martinez b. 1950
Jim Craig b. 1957
Kenny Lofton b. 1967

1994:
The Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks, 93-86, in Game 5 of their NBA playoff series. Indiana's Reggie Miller scored 25 of his game-high 39 points in the fourth quarter.

"He made jumpers from both sides of the court, off the dribble and from behind screens, in heavy congestion and far from the maddening crowd. One of his three-pointers was a what-the-hell heave from about 27 feet, but it was still a classic Miller jumper." -Jack McCallum, November 7, 1994

Packers Fact:
Rookie Greg Jennings was on the receiving end of Brett Favre's 400th career touchdown pass in 2006. It was a 75-yard pass in the first quarter against Detroit in week 3.

June 1:
6/1/2006:
Cat Osterman, national college softball Player of the Year, sets a new women's World Series record of 18 strikeouts for a seven-inning game to lead the Texas Longhorns to a 2-0 victory over Arizona State at Oklahoma City. The nearly unhittable left-hander just misses a perfect game, allowing only a harmless single in the second inning. She becomes only the second pitcher in NCAA history to amass over 600 strikeouts in one season, joining record-holder Courtney Blades of Southern Mississippi (663 in 2000).

Birthdays:
Alan Ameche b. 1933
Dean Chance b. 1941
Randy Hundley b. 1942
Paul Coffey b. 1961
Santana Moss b. 1979

June 2:
6/2/1954:
In a bizarre game at Yankee Stadium, New York knocks Cleveland starter Early Wynn out of the box and takes a 7-0 lead after one inning, only to be held hitless the rest of the way and watch the Indians rally for an 8-7 victory in 10 innings. Larry Doby's three-run homer in the third inning helps the Tribe claw their way back. With the Yankees leading 7-6 in the ninth, Bobby Avila homers to tie the score, and one inning later Al Smith homers homers to win it. It's a clear indication that Cleveland is a stern challenger to the five-time defending world champion Yankees' reign and at season's end, Cleveland will dethrone the Bombers with an AL record 111 victories (since broken).

Birthdays:
Tex Schramm b. 1920
Charlie Sifford b. 1922
Larry Robinson b. 1951
Gary Bettman b. 1952
Craig Stadler b. 1953

1990:
At the NCAA Track & Field championship, Wisconsin's Suzy Favor won the 1,500 meters for a fourth straight year.

"Favor, whose 5-foot, 3-inch, 105-pound build and prancing running style belie her strength, is accustomed to collecting titles. ... Those who know her say Favor's success is due to more than just talent. Her attributes include focus, determination and mental toughness." -Richard O'Brien, June 11, 1990

Packers Fact:
Linebacker Nick Barnett set a Packers' record when he was credited with 194 tackles in the 2005 season.

June 3:
6/3/1995:
Louisiana teenager Chanda Rubin, trailing in the deciding set 5-0, 40-0, [I'm sure this is a misprint, but it's what it says] triple match point against Jana Novotna, incredibly saves nine match points and goes on to win, 7-6, 4-6, 8-6, in the third round at the French Open in Paris. It's the latest collapse in a continuing progression for Novotna, who has squandered several big leads in big matches during her career, most notably at Wimbledon in 1993. Battling leg cramps in today's fiasco, she commits 59 unforced errors, enabling Rubin to avert near-certain defeat and hang around long enough to close out her unlikely triumph in just under three hours on the clay at Roland Garros.

Birthdays:
Jim Gentile b. 1934
Billy Cunningham b. 1943
Barry Beck b. 1957
Carl Everett b. 1971
Rafael Nadal b. 1986

1932:
The New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig became the first player in modern baseball history to club four home runs in a game as he led the Yanks to a 20-13 victory over the Athletics at Philadelphia's Shibe Park.

"What Gehrig's numbers finally define is an overwhelming offensive force, a masterful presence in the batter's box, a slugger who consistently generated action on the field. When he swung his bat, he blew the elegant geometry of the game to pieces." -David Noonan, April 4, 1988

Packers Fact:
Before Brett Favre reached 400 touchdown in 2006, only Dan Marino had done so before him.

June 4:
6/4/1963:
The New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens complete a blckbuster trade, exchanging future Hall of Fame goaltenders as the principals in a seven-player deal. The Rangers send netminder Gump Worsley, winger Dave Balon and two prospects to Montreal for six-time Vezina Trophy winner Jacques Plante, center Phil Goyette and winger Donnie Marshall. Although Plante will last only two seasons in New York, Goyette and Marshall will contribute mightily to stabilize the offtimes struggling Rangers. The big winner in the deal is Worsley, who not only escapes the nightly shooting gallery he faced in the Rangers' net, but gets to return to his hometown and help the Canadiens win four Stanley Cups in the next six years.

Birthdays:
Bobby Wanzer b. 1921
Pat Studstill b. 1938
Sandra Haynie b. 1943
Xavier McDanield b. 1963
Darin Erstad b. 1974

1980:
The 52-year-old hockey legend Gordie Howe retired, bringing the curtain down on a career that lasted 32 seasons and over five decades.

"Howe lacks the striking looks and flair of Maurice Richard and Bobby Hull. Even at the height of his career, he never had the sudden dazzling speed or sensational shots of the two flashier goal scorers. Gordie seldom excites casual fans with his moves or his goals; yet hockey people are unanimous in their opinion that Howe is the best all-around player ever." -Pete Axthelm, February 12, 1968

Packers Fact:
With 194 tackles in 2005, linebacker Nick Barnett led the Packers for the third consecutive season. He is the only player to top the club three straight years since Green Bay coaches first began tracking the statistic in 1975.

June 5:
6/5/1999:
With the Knicks trailing the Pacers by three points and only seconds remaining, Larry Johnson h its a desperation three-point shot to tie the score and also get fouled on the play by Antonio Davis. LJ converts the free throw and the Knicks hold on for a 92-91 victory over Indiana and a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference final-round series before a delirious crowd at Madison Square Garden. Johnson leads the Knicks with 26 points and Marcus Camby adds 21 as New York is forced to play without the injured Patrick Ewing (torn Achilles tendon). The Knicks will knock off the Pacers in this series but bow to San Antonio in the NBA finals of this strike-truncated campaign.

Birthdays:
Marion Motley b. 1920
Tommie Smith b. 1944
John Carlos b. 1945
Bob Probert b. 1965
Torry Holt b. 1976

1994:
LPGA golfer Beth Daniel shot a record-tying 20-under-par total score of 268 and won the Oldsmobile Classic with a dominating performance.

"Daniel didn't just charge through the field, she obliterated it. And with a scorching 63 on Friday-10 birdies and only 22 putts-she didn't just humble the 6,166-yard course at Walnut Hills Country Club, either. she humiliated it." -Amy Nutt, June 13, 1994

Packers Fact:
Dan Marino, the only other NFL quarterback to pass for more than 400 touchdowns, reached that figure in his 227th NFL outing. It took Brett Favre 228 games to reach that mark.

June 6:
6/6/1998:
The profusion of offense in college baseball, thanks in part ot the use of aluminum bats, is readily, displayed to a national TV audience as USC wins its NCAA-leading 12th national title, 21-14, over Arizona State in Omaha. Wes Rachels leads the Trojans, going five for seven with a championship game record seven RBIs. The teams combine for 39 hits and 35 runs while setting or tying 37 College World Series records. After jumping out to an 8-0 lead, USC sees it quickly evaporate, and not until they post a five-run ninth inning, capped by Jason Lane's grand slam, can they relax with their first CWS crown since the Rod Dedeaux era in 1978.

Birthdays:
Les Binkley b. 1934
Bobby Mitchell b. 1935
Ed Giacomin b. 1939
Bjorn Borg b. 1956
Cam Neely b. 1965

1999:
Venus and Serena Williams won the French Open women's doubles final and became the first team of sisters in over 100 years to win a Grand Slam doubles title.

"Long before they became the beaded divas of tennis, Venus and Serena Williams made a prediction to anyone willing to listen: Someday they would alter the sport's complexion, dominate the field, and run neck and neck as the two best players in the world. For years, even after it was clear that the Williamses were endowed with ungodly talent, their soothsaying was dismissed as the ranting of callow, hyperconfident teenagers." -L. Jon Wertheim, April 5, 1999

Packers Fact:
Defensive tackle Colin Cole recorded his first 2 career sacks in 2005. Both came against Minnesota, but off different quarterbacks: Daunte Culpepper and Brad Johnson.

June 7:
After watching his ball club stumble through another mistake-laden game, one of baseball's malaprop masters, Phillies manager Danny Ozark observed: My team played like they were in a transom."

Birthdays:
Cazzie Russell b. 1944
Thurman Munson b. 1947
Napoleon Kaufman b. 1973
Allen Iverson b. 1975
Anna Kournikova b. 1981

1980:
Bjorn Borg whipped Vitas Gerulaitis, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2, and became the first tennis player to win the French Open championship five times.

"Gerulaitis touched him for seven games on those occasions when he could find the ball after Borg had dug enormous craters in the dust with his thundering topspin. It seemed like just another practice exhibition in the stadium in which Borg has lost only once since 1976." -Curry Kirkpatrick, June 16, 1980

Packers Fact:

Brett Favre has thrown more touchdown passes to Antonio Freeman (57) than to any other pass catcher in his career. Second on the list with 41 scoring receptions is Sterling Sharpe.

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Book Rec of the Day 5/31-6/7/2008

Montville . . . can boast of having published the best Ruth biography to date. . . . [A]n engaging, entertaining, and eminently readable biography.”—Library Journal

Using newly discovered material, Montville is able to fill out our appreciation of one of America’s greatest sports legends, Babe Ruth. From the poverty-stricken early days in Baltimore up through his amazing record-breaking career in New York, and including stories of the fast life he was leading when he wasn’t playing ball, Montville covers it all with energy and enthusiasm worthy of his high-powered subject.

THE BIG BAM: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BABE RUTH, by Leigh Montville (Doubleday, 2006)

The Kitchen Sisters have a great thing going: a unifying—and universal—theme (food), wonderful radio personalities, and a talent for getting people to talk. Their stories end up being not so much about food as about how people bring food to the table: how this most elemental aspect of our survival and social life takes place among cab drivers, political refugees, hoboes—real people, not celebrity chefs. Three CDs accompany this lively text and capture the music and ambient sound that is an integral part of the Kitchen Sisters.

HIDDEN KITCHENS: STORIES, RECIPES, AND MORE FROM NPR’S THE KITCHEN SISTERS, by Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson (Rodale Press and Audio Renaissance, 2005)

“My lady, Fiammetta Bianchini, was plucking her eyebrows and biting color into her lips when the unthinkable happened and the Holy Roman emperor’s army blew a hole in the wall of God’s eternal city, letting in a flood of half-starved, half-crazed troops bent on pillage and punishment.” So begin the adventures of the courtesan Fiammetta and her servant, friend, and pimp, Bucino Teodoldo, a dwarf with a gift for narrative. Escaping Rome, the two refugees arrive in the opulent renaissance city-state of Venice with only the clothes on their backs and some swallowed jewels. The story wends its way through La Serenissima’s political, religious, and, of course, sexual labyrinths.

IN THE COMPANY OF THE COURTESAN, by Sarah Dunant (Random House, 2006)

IN A NUTSHELL


In 1935, a Viennese publisher asked Ernst Gombrich, who had just received his doctorate in art and would later become a renowned art historian, to write a history of the world for young readers. Gombrich penned his Little History of the World in six weeks. It was a great success and was eventually translated into 17 languages. Finally, we have an English version with revisions and a new chapter added by Gombrich at the end of his life. This beautifully produced Yale edition includes 41 delightful woodcuts and nine maps.

A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, by E. H. Gombrich (1936; Yale University Press, 2005)

NOT ABOUT FARMERS


“A well-crafted and funny tale of two generations and two cultures colliding. Ms. Lewycka knows how a family works and she knows how a tractor works, which puts her in a different league entirely.”—Gary Shteyngart, author of The Russian Debutante’s Handbook

Two Ukrainian sisters and their tractor-loving father live in England. Vera, a capitalist, and Nadezhda, a socialist, are estranged, but they are forced to set aside their differences to save their father from a big-breasted, blonde gold-digger from the old country. The intrigues unfold in comic splendor in this delightful first novel that is not without some tragic moments as well.

A SHORT HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN UKRAINIAN, by Marina Lewycka (Penguin, 2006)

ENERGY CRISIS


Jeff Goodell traveled from West Virginia to China and places in between to document the one energy alternative that always seems to be there—coal, a fossil fuel that contributes greatly to global warming, pollutes our air, and is a threat to our health. With all the problems it causes, coal is not the cheap source of energy many corporate CEOs and politicians would have you believe.

BIG COAL: THE DIRTY SECRET BEHIND AMERICA’S ENERGY FUTURE, by Jeff Goodell (Houghton Mifflin, 2006)

“Oh, my pounding heart, the jackets, it made my scrotum tingle just to touch them,” the homicide detective turned antiquarian bookdealer declares of some early Winnie the Pooh editions in this, the fifth of John Dunning’s Cliff Janeway novels. For book lovers this is irresistible detective fiction. Besides rare editions in a juvenile-literature collection, there are bodies galore, cunning plot twists, and a side trip to the horse races with the kind of particulars that would gain the approval of the most meticulous Dick Francis fan.

THE BOOKWOMAN’S LAST FLING: A CLIFF JANEWAY NOVEL, by John Dunning (Scribner, 2006)

HOW DID WE GET HERE?


Having set the world straight on the subjects of geology, oranges, the Swiss army, and several other subjects, McPhee here turns his attention to the movement of freight from one place to another. McPhee travels all over the map as he investigates 18-wheelers, Illinois River barges, a mile-long coal train, and numerous other means of transport and places like UPS sorting facilities. Throughout, McPhee’s clear and engaging prose carries one along as surely and reliably as the ships, trucks, and trains he rode to research this book.

UNCOMMON CARRIERS, by John McPhee (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006)

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