apckrfan: Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/18-2/19/2009

2/18/1979:

Richard Petty wins the Daytona 500 after co-leaders Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison crash each other out of the race on the last lap. Attempting to pass on the inside, Yarborough is bumped twice by Donnie Allison at 190 mph, causing both cards to careen into a wall and then down into the infield. Yarborough comes to blows with Allison's brother Bobby in the aftermath of the collision, and the commotion steals the thunder from Petty, who wins his record sixth Daytona on its 20th anniversary.

Birthdays:

George Gipp b. 1895

Dick Duff b. 1936

Manny Mota b. 1938

Judy Rankin b. 1945

Andy Moog b. 1960

Packers Fact:

When Mike McCarthy was named the Packers' coach in 2006, he earned his first head-coaching job after 13 years as an NFL assistant.

2/19/1966:

All-American Dave Schellhase of Purdue sets a new Big Ten single-game scoring record of 57 points, but Michigan sets a new Big Ten team-scoring mark for one game to run away from the Boilermakers, 128-94, at the Yost Fieldhouse in Ann Arbor. Four Michigan starters score more than 20 points apiece, led by All-American Cazzie Russell with 28. Schellhase doesn't make many friends by staying in the game to run up his stats in a blowout, but it does help him win the NCAA Scoring championship over Dave Wagnon of Idaho State, 32.54 to 32.50, the closest margin in history.

Birthdays:

Eddie Arcaro b. 1916

Forest Evashevski b. 1918

Paul Krause b. 1942

Dave Stewart b. 1957

Hana Mandlikova b. 1962

Packers Fact:

Linebacker A.J. Hawk's 155 tackles in 2006 were the most by a Packers' rookie in 27 years. First-year player linebacker Rich Wingo had 166 stops in 1979.

THE QUICK AND THE GOOD

Donna Hay’s premise is that you can have simple, uncomplicated recipes and eat elegant, delicious meals, too. And she proves it with these easy and tasty dishes. Toothsome examples include Tomato and Eggplant Tarts, Baked Risotto with Bacon and Peas, Hay’s Green Olive Baked Chicken, and Chocolate French Toast. Complete with lots of lavish photos to set your mouth watering immediately.

THE INSTANT COOK, by Donna Hay (Fourth Estate, 2005)

A KIND OF FREEDOM

“They were the children of once-upon-a-time slaves, born into a kind of freedom, but they had traveled down through the wombs with what all their kind had been born with—the knowledge that God had promised next week to everyone but themselves.” That’s the poignant description of a young couple that has moved from rural Virginia to Washington, D.C., in the first story of this collection, “In the Blink of God’s Eye.” These characters are not canned stereotypes. Even the “bad” ones have souls rich with possibility. A writer of rare gifts, Edward P. Jones has won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

ALL AUNT HAGAR’S CHILDREN: STORIES, by Edward P. Jones (Amistad, 2006)

BATHROOM BRAINTEASERS

1. In the following, answer each word clue. Each letter of that answer will correspond to a numeric digit. After you’ve compiled all five words, combine the digits to form a common word.

1234: carries heredity
456: is a period of time
567: “I smell a _ _ _.”
890: a charged particle
1234567890 = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. Both 11+2 and 12+1 equal 13, but they have something else in common. What? (Hint: think in terms of words, not numbers.)

NATIONAL FLOWER OF THE UNITED STATES: THE ROSE, ADOPTED IN 1986.

COSMIC QUESTIONS

WHY ASK WHY?

• How do you know when it’s time to tune your bagpipes?

• Why do we put our suits in a garment bag and our garments in a suitcase?

• When two airplanes almost collide, why is it a “near miss”?

• Shouldn’t it be a “near hit”?

• Why do we shut up, but quiet down?

• How did the “Keep Off the Grass” sign get there in the first place?

MINNESOTA HAS 201 MUD LAKES, 154 LONG LAKES, AND 123 RICE LAKES.

On Yeah, Go Figure:

I could turn on just about any television channel in Europe and see full nudity. And their crime rate is a lot lower than ours. Go figure.

rapper Nelly

On Signs, Self-Defeating:

EXPERIENCE WAITRESS REQUIERED ENGLISH ESSENTUAL

sign in restaurant window, London

TOWER BRIDGE

LONDON, ENGLAND

One of the symbols of London and of England itself, the Tower Bridge has spanned the Thames since 1894. Visitors can go inside to view exhibits about its past or cross the river on foot in its high-level walkway.

ON THIS DAY

SALVADOR DE BAHIA, BRAZIL

Brazilians celebrate Carnaval in earnest today, as the party moves toward its climax next Tuesday. Rio de Janeiro hosts the world-famous extravaganza, but many revelers choose Salvador de Bahia instead for a more authentic, participatory Carnaval that is no less euphoric.