Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/26-2/28/2009

2/26/1991:
Garrulous impresario Bill Veeck and slugging second baseman Tony "Poosh 'Em Up" Lazzeri are voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown by the Veterans Committee. Veeck was arguably the foremost promoter and innovator in the history of professional sports, ruffling a few feathers along the way. But having fun at the ballpark was his credo, and he did everything he could (often on a limited budget) to entertain the fans. Lazzeri, long overshadowed by the Ruth-Gehrig dominance of the Murderers Row Yankees, played 14 years in the majors, drove in over 100 runs in a season seven times and set an American League record in 1936 with 11 RBIs in one game.

Birthdays:
Preacher Roe b. 1915
Bobby "Bingo" Smith b. 1946
Rolando Blackman b. 1959
Marshall Faulk b. 1973
Jenny Thompson b. 1973

Packers Fact:
Punter Jon Ryan played college football at Regina University in Canada.

2/27/1982:
Freshman forward Adrian Branch nails a 15-foot jump shot at the buzzer in overtime to give Maryland a 47-46 victory over top-ranked Virginia at Cole Fieldhouse in College Park. Branch, who started for DC-area powerhouse DeMatha High School, finishes with a career-high 29 points and sets a new season scoring record for freshmen, breaking a mark set by Albert King. Coached by Lefty Driesell in an era before the shot clock. The Terps set a deliberate pace against the favored Cavaliers. All-American Virginia center Ralph Sampson is held to only eight points and five rebounds by unsung Maryland bruiser Mark Fothergill, enabling the Terrapins to hang close and spring the upset.

Birthdays:
Raymond Berry b. 1933
John Davidson b. 1953
James Worthy b. 1961
Kent Desormeaux b. 1970
Duce Staley b. 1975

Packers Fact:
Mason Crosby's 53-yard field goal against the Eagles in 2007 was the longest by a Packers' player on Kickoff Weekend since Chris Jacke also kicked a 53-yarder against the Rams to open the 1990 season.

2/28/1992:
Jackie Joyner-Kersee, 1988 Olympic heptathlon gold medalist, wins the 60-meter hurdles and the long jump to headline a star-studded complement of track-and-field stars at the USA/Mobil Indoor Championships at Madison Square Garden. Carl Lewis wins the long jump, extending his 11-year winning streak in the event. Noureddine Morceli of Algeria is the winner of the mile run, and Doug Padilla captures the 3000 meters. Joyner-Kersee will win her second gold medal in the heptathlon this summer at Barcelona.

Birthdays:
Frank Malzone b. 1930
Mario Andretti b. 1940
Bubba Smith b. 1945
Ickey Woods b. 1966
Noureddine Morceli b. 1970

Packers Fact:
Before cornerback Charles Woodson joined the Packers in 2006, the last former Heisman Trophy winner to play for the club was quarterback Danny Wuerffel (in 2000).

LOVE YOU TO DEATH

Christopher Moore brings Jody and Tommy back from his widely acclaimed 1995 Bloodsucking Fiends to prove that there is love (and lots of good sex) after death. It’s not all fun and games being a vampire, though: A gang of vampire busters known as the Animals is after them, and then, too, it’s sometimes very difficult to get good blood. Hip, smart, and side-splitting. Tommy’s goth girl sidekick Abby Normal steals the already excellent show with her diary excerpts. Publishers Weekly starred review.

YOU SUCK: A LOVE STORY, by Christopher Moore (William Morrow, 2007)

WHO’S LAUGHING NOW?

The year is 2022, and Jimi Hendrix would be 80. Guy Fontaine and his fellow seniors, who have been consigned to the Mission Pescadero nursing home, refuse to let the realities of aging, dementia, a bitchy director, difficult children, and patronizing doctors get in the way of their staging a full-blown boomer backlash, complete with all the drugs, sex, and rock ’n’ roll (their band is called Acid Reflux) they can still muster. Hilarious and humane at the same time, this novel about aging will delight readers of many ages and stages.

JIMI HENDRIX TURNS EIGHTY, by Tim Sandlin (Riverhead, 2007)

WHAT THE ATHEIST SAID

“We believe with certainty that an ethical life can be lived without religion. And we know for a fact that the corollary holds true—that religion has caused innumerable people not just to conduct themselves no better than others, but to award themselves permission to behave in ways that would make a brothel-keeper or an ethnic cleanser raise an eyebrow.” So Christopher Hitchens writes in his trenchant indictment of religion. Even those on the other side of the debate may want to read this to have a full and clear idea of the points they need to rebut. A sharply and entertainingly written polemic.

GOD IS NOT GREAT: HOW RELIGION POISONS EVERYTHING, by Christopher Hitchens (Twelve, 2007)

On Insights, Olympian:

The difference between the long program and the short program is time.

Olympics commentator, covering the pairs figure skating final at the 2006 Olympics (thanks to Stacie Jacobson)

On Literalism, Excessive:

Host of Family Fortunes (UK):

We surveyed a hundred people and asked them to name a way of toasting someone. Michelle?

Contestant: Over a fire.

On We'll Try...

BE AWARE OF

INVISIBILITY

sign on road to the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania (thanks to Richard Oberholzer)

UNCLE JOHN’S STALL OF FAME

Honoree: A pet dog living in the village of Mundhaghar, India
Notable Achievement: Surviving a night locked in a bathroom with a leopard . . . without suffering a scratch
Background: One morning in 2005 a family heard a leopard growling in their bathroom. Somehow it had gotten in during the night. They called the police, who opened the door and were stunned to see the family’s dog in there, too. “By some miracle, the leopard hadn’t harmed the dog, even as they spent the night together in the small room,” a police inspector told reporters. The leopard now lives in a zoo; at last report the dog was healthy but “still terrified.”

ONE OF EVERY THREE INSECTS IN THE WORLD IS A BEETLE.

THE SCALES OF JUSTICE

Plaintiff: Marina Bai, a Russian astrologer
Defendant: NASA
Lawsuit: In 2005 NASA sent a car-size probe on a successful collision course with Tempel 1, a comet. Scientists were hoping to determine the makeup of the ancient comet and possibly learn the makeup of the solar system billions of years ago. Bai sued the American space agency for $300 million, claiming that the collision had changed her horoscope. “It is obvious,” Bai told Russia’s Izvestia newspaper, “that elements of the comet’s orbit will change after the explosion, which interferes with my astrology work and distorts my horoscope.”

Guess the verdict.

MOSQUITOES CAN GET ATHLETE’S FOOT.

AN ABSORBING QUESTION

WHY DO PEOPLE SOMETIMES STICK OUT THEIR TONGUES WHEN THEY’RE CONCENTRATING ON A HARD JOB?

Experts say: When concentrating on something, like a math problem, you’re using the part of the brain that’s also used for motor skills. Biting your lip or sticking out your tongue is an indicator that you’re suspending motor activity and limiting interference, i.e., concentrating.

MUSSOLINI INVENTED THE FASCIST “RAISED HAND” SALUTE BECAUSE HE HAD A HANDSHAKING PHOBIA.

RAINBOWS OF FISH AND CORAL

The Great Barrier Reef off Australia is home to brilliantly colored hard and soft coral and 1,500 varieties of fish—a Technicolor paradise for divers. It’s the world’s biggest, but coral wonderlands beckon reef divers in these spots, too:

• Beqa Lagoon, Beqa Island, Fiji
• Palau, Micronesia
• Bonaire, Lesser Antilles (Netherlands Antilles)
• Barrier Reef, Belize
• Saba, Lesser Antilles (Netherlands Antilles)

VÉZELAY

BURGUNDY, FRANCE

Built in the 11th century, the Basilica of Ste. Madeleine in Vézelay was a pilgrimage site until its relics of St. Mary Magdalene were declared false. Now painstakingly restored, it shines once again as a showcase of Romanesque architecture, a masterpiece of light and space.

GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE

See the answer tomorrow.

Q: True or False? Santiago Calatrava introduced distinguished modern architecture to the Milwaukee Art Museum in Wisconsin when his glass-walled reception hall was added in 2001.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/25/2009

ASH WEDNESDAY
2/25/1979:
New York Islanders defenseman Denis Potvin lays a crunching body check on New York Rangers center iceman and leading scorer Ulf Nilsson during a game at Madison Square Garden. The jarring collision results in a broken right ankle for Nilsson, who gets his skate caught in the ice. Although no penalty is called on the play by referee Bruce Hood and the Rangers go on to win the game, 3-2, this incident remains indelibly etched in the framework of the Rangers-Islanders metropolitan area rivalry. From this day on, at every home game, Rangers fans begin whistling and then, on cue, serenade Potvin with a derisive chant, a unique tradition in professional sports.

Birthdays:
Monte Irvin b. 1919
Tony Lema b. 1934
Ron Santo b. 1940
Anders Hedberg b. 1951
Paul O'Neill b. 1963

Packers Fact:
Special teams accounted for all of the Packers' points in a 16-13 victory over the Eagles to start the 2007 season by scoring on 3 field goals and a fumble recovery in the end zone on punt coverage.

THE END OF THE WORLD AS THEY KNEW IT

The work of Hungarian writer Sándor Márai (born in 1900) earned the disapproval of both Nazis and Communists, and in 1948 he went into exile. He continued writing in Hungarian, was almost forgotten altogether, and finally committed suicide in 1989. In the ’90s, however, Márai was rediscovered in Hungary, and his readership has been growing ever since. Of his more than 60 works, The Rebels is the third to be translated into English. It’s the story of four adolescents in 1918 about to be shipped off to war as the Austro-Hungarian Empire declines and falls around them. Márai’s clear, evocative prose leaves the reader with much to ponder.

THE REBELS, by Sándor Márai; translated by George Szirtes (Knopf, 2007)

On Ehh? Whaddy Say, Jesus?

Thought for the Day: Luke 18:14: Jesus said, "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who mumbles himself will be exalted."

from the East Anglian (England) Daily Times

THE MEDICINE CABINET

AN ODD MEDICAL CONDITION

Since the late 1990s, more and more worker’s compensation claims have been filed for epicondylitis: painful inflammation of the muscles around the bone projections on either side of the elbow. How do people get it? According to doctors, from overuse of their cell phones. Cells allow people to be on the phone almost anywhere—in cars, restaurants, stadiums, basements, and even outdoors—and overuse has become common. As many people have now experienced, holding a phone to your ear for a prolonged period of time gives you “cell phone elbow.”

JAPAN PRODUCES MORE SOLAR POWER THAN ANY COUNTRY ON EARTH.

SULTAN QABOOS GRAND MOSQUE, MUSCAT CITY, OMAN

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.”—SAMUEL JOHNSON

Review: A BONE TO PICK by Charlaine Harris

Title: A BONE TO PICK (#19)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Date Published: November 1992
Series: Aurora Teagarden #2
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Rating: C
ISBN: 978-0-425-21979-9

Back of Book:
In New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris's Aurora Teagraden series, a small-town librarian feels like life is passing her by, while, at the same time, death comes calling…

Going to two weddings-one of a former lover-and a funeral for a member of her disbanded crime discussion group keeps Aurora "Roe" Teagarden quite busy for a few months. Unfortunately, her personal life seems to be at a standstill-until her fortunes unexpectedly change.

After the funeral Roe learns that Jane Engle, the deceased, has named her as heir to a rather substantial estate, which includes money, jewelry, and a house complete with a skull hidden in a window seat. Knowing Jane, Roe concludes that the elderly woman has purposely left her a murder to solve. So she must identify the victim and figure out which one of Jane's ordinary-seeming neighbors is a murderer-without putting herself in deadly danger.

This series has really yet to grab me, but I much preferred the first book (REAL MURDERS) to this second installment in the Aurora Teagarden series.

There wasn't much mystery-solving going on. The question of the skull pretty much solved itself rather than requiring any investigative work on Aurora's part.

The secondary storyline of Aurora's ex from book 1 was all right, and it was nice to see that there was a cause and effect from the goings-on in REAL MURDERS (her father and step-mother have moved across the country, taking her half-brother with them to get as far away from what happened as they could).

Perhaps this book is a stepping-stone to something, but I just found the book rather dull. It certainly wasn't bad and there were entertaining qualities to it. I just felt the mystery was lacking and it's supposed to be a mystery! A first for me when reading anything by Charlaine Harris.

Name that node SERENITY!

Name that node SERENITY!

Message sent to you follows:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NASA is letting the general public name the next node of the International Space Station.

One of the options is "SERENITY"

Let's get our girl into atmo for real.

Go to: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/name_ISS/index.html to vote.

You can vote once a day until March 20th!

Help put SERENITY back in flight because they can't take the sky from us!

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/21-2/24/09

2/21/2000:
In the final seconds of a 5-2 Canucks victory, NHL goon Marty McSorley of the Boston Bruins goes way past the bounds of propriety with a stick-swinging attack from behind on fellow enforcer Donald Brashear of the Vancouver Canucks, sending him to the hospital with lacerations and a concussion. McSorley, a thug on skates for many years in the league but usually with his fists, face to face, is universally condemned in the hockey community. He'll draw a one-year suspension from the league office, receive no offers to resume his career when his period of banishment expires and never play in the NHL again.

Birthdays:
Tom Yawkey b. 1903
Jack Ramsay b. 1925
Alan Trammell b. 1958
Brian Rolston b. 1973
Steve Francis b. 1978

2/22/1971:
Julius Erving celebrates his 21st birthday in style, scoring 36 points, grabbing 32 rebounds and leading the UMass Minutemen to an 86-71 rout of Syracuse at the Curry Hicks Cage in Amherst. Before leaving for the pros next season after his sophomore year, Erving will enter the exclusive 20-20 club, averaging 26.3 ppg and 20.2 rpg in his two seasons at UMass. He'll join Walter Dukes, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, Paul Silas and Artis Gilmore in that select group.

Birthdays:
Julius Erving b. 1950
Amy Alcott b. 1956
Vijay Singh b. 1963
Pat LaFontaine b. 1965
Michael Chang b. 1972

Packers Fact:
The Rams originally drafted defensive tackle Ryan Pickett in the first round in 2001. After five years in St. Louis, Pickett signed with the Packers as a free agent in 2006.

2/23:
Hall of Fame goaltender Lorne "Gump" Worlsey, who excelled at his craft but didn't exactly look forward to going between the pipes each night, once admitted: "The only job worse than mine is a javelin catcher at a track-and-field meet."

Birthdays:
Dante Lavelli b. 1923
Fred Biletnikoff b. 1943
Ed "Too Tall" Jones b. 1951
Flip Saunders b. 1955
Bobby Bonilla b. 1963

Packers Fact:
Before Korey Hall in 2007, no Packers' rookie had started at fullback on Kickoff Weekend since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

2/24/2002:
The Canadian Olympic men's hockey team wins a gold medal for the first time in 50 years (1952 at Oslo, Norway) with a 5-2 victory over Team USA in Salt Lake City, Utah. Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla each score twice for the Canadian squad, and Martin Brodeur turns aside 31 of 33 shots the Americans fire his way. Team Canada's win in the men's competition duplicates the gold medal won earlier this week by the Canadian women's team in just the second Winter Olympics to present women's hockey as a medal sport.

Birthdays:
Honus Wagner b. 1874
Alain Prost b. 1955
Eddie Murray b. 1956
Simeon Rice b. 1974
Lleyton Hewitt b. 1981

Packers Fact:
Cornerback Al Harris entered the 2007 season with a string of 144 consecutive games played. The streak began while he was with Philadelphia in 1998.




A haunted house, family secrets, feral twins, a famous author who rewrites her biography every time she’s interviewed, an abandoned baby, and a bookseller’s daughter caught up in the middle of it all. Diane Setterfield, whom reviewers have compared to the Brontës, has written a gothic beauty of a novel that, besides being a good, twisty yarn, is imbued with her own love of reading. Just the kind of mystery for a book lover to curl up with.

THE THIRTEENTH TALE, by Diane Setterfield (Atria, 2006)

RADIO DAYS AND NIGHTS

When television first came along, the “experts” immediately started predicting the demise of radio. Some experts. Some demise. Before they could say “frequency modulation,” radio had reinvented itself into a juggernaut for American pop music, and the medium continues to this day to adapt to whatever technology and culture throw at it. Marc Fisher has been listening since the days when he slept with a little transistor radio under his pillow and the glories of the Top 40 as lullabies. A totally absorbing read.

SOMETHING IN THE AIR: RADIO, ROCK, AND THE REVOLUTION THAT SHAPED A GENERATION, by Marc Fisher (Random House, 2007)

FULL-COURT PRESS

Though the focal point of this fascinating history is the 1779 murder of the mistress of the Earl of Sandwich, the fine points are in the examination of how the press treated the case. They speculated wildly and made things up as they went along, and the inevitable parallels to modern media circuses provide valuable insight into the coverage of today’s scandals.

A SENTIMENTAL MURDER: LOVE AND MADNESS IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY, by John Brewer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005)

REVOLUTION

A novel written by a poet, Doctor Zhivago is lyrical, dense, and beautiful. Yury, Lara, and Strelnikov are extraordinary characters, caught in the path of the train wreck that is Russia’s history—as, indeed, was Pasternak himself. You say you’ve seen the movie at least 12 times? It doesn’t matter. The book is a different experience altogether.

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, by Boris Pasternak (1958; Pantheon, 1997)

On Rhyming Song, Lyrics, Lyrical:

I don't like cities but I like New York

Other places make me feel like a dork

from Madonna's "I Love New York" (thanks to Lisa Barry)

On Top 5 Lists, Too Long:

And now here's number 6 on the Top 5 at t.

radio dj, KICX, Ontario (thanks to Dan Cousineau)

On Resume Accomplishments, Not Too Accomplished:

* Accomplishments: The Marines is and probably will be the biggest accomplishment I've ever had, even though I wasn't able to join.

* Accomplishments: None.

items on actual resumes

On the Department of Redundancy Department:

This is all about historical events in the past.

British prime minister Tony Blair

WHEN NATURE CALLS

OFF-FENCE-IVE MANEUVER

“A Shinnston, West Virginia, woman called for help on her cell phone Wednesday after a camel sat on top of her while she was painting a fence. Firefighters and the camel’s owner helped move the animal off the woman, who was having trouble breathing, according to ambulance driver Brent Hicks. ‘There is no protocol on something like this,’ he said. The names of the woman and the camel’s owner were not released.”

—Houston Chronicle

IN POKER, A CARD COMBINATION OF A 9 AND A 5 IS CALLED A “DOLLY PARTON.”

TWO DUMB CROOKS

• A woman in Memphis, Tennessee, saw what she thought was a large bag of cocaine in her neighbors’ refrigerator . . . and decided to steal it. First, she hired a hit man to kill the four men who lived there. Except it wasn’t a hit man—it was an undercover cop. And it wasn’t even cocaine—it was queso fresco, a type of Mexican cheese.

• In 2006 a man in Wisconsin was arrested for burglary after a woman found her house in disarray—and her computer on. Apparently the thief had checked his e-mail while robbing the place and had forgotten to log out of his account.

FLOCCINAUCINIHILIPILIFICATION IS THE ACTION OF ESTIMATING SOMETHING AS WORTHLESS.

POT-POURRI

TWO RANDOM LISTS

5 Foreign Names for Colonel Mustard (from Clue)
• Oberst Von Gatow (Germany)
• Si. Mustardas (Greece)
• Colonel Moutarde (France)
• Oberst Gulin (Norway)
• Madame Curry (Switzerland)
7 Most Shoplifted Items
• Pain relievers
• Pregnancy tests
• Disposable razors
• Film
• Baby formula
• Preparation H
• Decongestant

IT IS UNUSUAL: TOM JONES WAS ON CHARLES MANSON’S HIT LIST.

TODAY IS MARDI GRAS

. . . BUT IT’S ALSO KNOWN AS “PANCAKE DAY.”

Many families in Catholic areas traditionally make large batches of pancakes on this day, both to gorge before the fasting of Lent and to use up lots of eggs, milk, and flour (that might spoil during the 40 days of Lent). Mardi Gras is from the French for “Fat Tuesday.”

AMERICAN CHILDREN SPEND 6.3 BILLION HOURS COLORING WITH CRAYONS ANNUALLY.

GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE

See the answer tomorrow.

Q: True or False? Great white egrets share their habitat in Florida’s Everglades National Park with hundreds of other species of birds and animals, including alligators, manatees, panthers, and pythons.

Answer: True. Alligators, manatees, and panthers are native, but Burmese pythons, bought as pets and released by their owners, are now established in the Everglades.

HUAHINE

SOCIETY ISLANDS, FRENCH POLYNESIA

With splendid beaches, ceremonial temples, and tiny, charming villages, Huahine is one of the few Polynesian islands Captain James Cook might recognize if he were to return today.

OTAVALO

ECUADOR

High in the Andes, the oldest, best known, and most important Indian market in South America takes place every Saturday in Otavalo. Buyers and sellers converge from far away, and the wares include livestock and produce, hemp and saddles, textiles, and carved wooden animals.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/20/2009

2/20/1960:
The Auburn Tigers defeat the Kentucky Wildcats for the first time ever at home inside their cozy bandbox gymnasium, the Sports Arena. With four seconds left, Jimmy Fibbe of Auburn (oddly enough, a native of Lexington, Kentucky) steps to the line for two free throws with Auburn down one. He nails both foul shots and John Helmlinger blocks Kentucky's last-gasp shot at the buzzer, ensuring a landmark 61-60 Auburn victory. Auburn's undersized lineup, nicknamed "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," leads the nation in field goal percentage (52.1) and free throw percentage (77.2), wins its first SEC championship and finishes 19-3.

Birthdays:
Roger Penske b. 1937
Phil Esposito b. 1942
Charles Barkley b. 1963
Livan Hernandez b. 1975
Stephon Murbury b. 1977

Packers Fact:
Cornerback Jarrett Bush got the 2007 season off to a good start for the Packers when he caused a fumble that teammate Tracy White recovered in the end zone for a touchdown during a 16-13 victory over the Eagles on Kickoff Weekend in 2007. Bush's big hit came on a punt return just 1:50 into the game.

PEPSI AND CIVIL RIGHTS

In 1946, Pepsi, in its never-ending competition with Coke, hired 12 African Americans to sell their cola to the “Negro market.” What seemed a simple business decision turned out to be a complete change in the way American corporations viewed African Americans. They were given respect as consumers, as a niche market, and as businessmen. The men of Pepsi’s black business team became role models, opening the way for black businessmen and -women who would follow. It may not have the dramatic dazzle of Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier in baseball, but it’s a story worth telling and well worth reading.

THE REAL PEPSI CHALLENGE: THE INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF BREAKING THE COLOR BARRIER IN AMERICAN BUSINESS, by Stephanie Capparell (Free Press, 2007)

On Maybe the Consul Should Have Just Said No:

CHINA POLICE ENTERED CONSUL "WITH CONSENT"

headline in the Japan Times

JUST PLANE WEIRD

Shortly after a Mongolian Airlines passenger flight landed in Ulan Bator in 2006, four men jumped out of their seats and loudly announced that the plane was being hijacked. “These hooligans went up to the pilots’ cabin and tied up the pilots and threatened four passengers and kept them in the plane,” a passenger later recounted. “They even hit one woman and knocked her down.” The standoff lasted about an hour, until all of the passengers and crew were freed. Only later did airline officials find out that the “hijacking” was actually a secret training exercise conducted by the Mongolian central intelligence agency. The agency argued that announcing it in advance would have ruined the test.

KISSING CAN CAUSE WRINKLES.

LOS PUEBLOS BLANCOS

ANDALUSIA, SPAIN

Arrayed along a popular scenic drive, Los Pueblos Blancos (the White Villages) are arrayed in a countryside of olive groves and steep hills. The Moors built castles high on the cliffs, and the towns grew up around them.

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.

Answers:
1. Generation.
2. When written out, the words form anagrams of each other.
ELEVEN PLUS TWO
TWELVE PLUS ONE

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/16-2/17/2009

2/16/1987:
Indiana (21-2) barely survives the old-style cauldron of the Wisconsin Fieldhouse, getting a follow shot by Dean Garrett with four seconds left in triple overtime to defeat the Badgers, 86-85, at Madison. Garrett leads IU with 21 points, and Steve Alford adds 13 to become the all-time leading scorer in Indiana history (2,205 points). Next month in New Orleans, Keith Smart will hit a baseline jumper for Indiana, also with four seconds left, against Syracuse to clinch the third national title for the Bobby Knight-coached Hoosiers in 12 seasons.

Birthdays:
Bernie Geoffrion b. 1931
John McEnroe b. 1959
Kelly Tripucka b. 1959
Mark Price b. 1964
Jerome Bettis b. 1972

Packers Fact:
While at Colorado from 2003 to 2006, kicker Mason Crosby set 31 school records, including most career field goals (66) and most career points scored (307).

2/17/1994:
David Robinson, "the Admiral," became the fourth NBA player to record a quadruple-double, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 115-96 rout of the Detroit Pistons. The former All-American at the Naval Academy has 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 blocked shots as the Spurs win their franchise record 11th straight game. He joins Nate Thurmond, Hakeem Olajuwon and former Spurs guard Alvin Robertson in the exclusive enrollment of the quadruple-double club.

Birthdays:
Red Barber b. 1908
Jim Brown b. 1936
Rick Majerus b. 1948
Michael Jordon b. 1963
Luc Robitaille b. 1966

Packers Fact:
Linebacker A.J. Hawk was the Packers' leadingn tackler in 2006. He was credited with 155 stops.

AT GETTYSBURG AND BEYOND

During Abraham Lincoln’s lifetime, what became known as the “Gettysburg Address” was little noted and soon forgotten. Gabor Boritt analyzes the political and historical context of the speech and shows how Lincoln’s poetic dedication became the ultimate word on the subject of sacrifice and redemption in America. The book comes with exhaustive appendices of various facts and controversies surrounding the address, providing just about everything Civil War buffs and Lincoln admirers could want to know about one of the sacred texts of American history.

THE GETTYSBURG GOSPEL: THE LINCOLN SPEECH THAT NOBODY KNOWS, by Gabor Boritt (Simon & Schuster, 2006)

BOOK LOVER’S PICK
Hats off to Taschen for reproducing, in very high quality and for a surprisingly affordable price, the breathtaking illustrations commissioned by Albertus Seba, an 18th-century Dutch apothecary who amassed an enormous collection of strange, beautiful flora and fauna and then financed the publication of their pictures. These gorgeous, hallucinatory images rival anything that computer enhancement could produce.

ALBERTUS SEBA’S CABINET OF NATURAL CURIOSITIES: THE COMPLETE PLATES IN COLOUR, 1734-1765, by Irmgard Müsch, Rainer Willmann, and Jes Rust (Taschen, 2005)

UNCLE JOHN’S ALMANAC

PRESIDENTIAL TRIVIA

Who originated the tradition of playing “Hail to the Chief” when a U.S. president enters a room on a formal occasion? Sarah Polk. Her husband, James K. Polk (president from 1845 through 1849), was so “physically undistinguished” that visitors to the White House often didn’t notice when he’d entered a room. So Mrs. Polk arranged for the Marine band to play this old Scottish anthem whenever he walked through the door. It was soon adopted as a tradition, and all presidents have honored it since.

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, WAS ORIGINALLY CALLED PIG’S EYE.

On Yes, You Did ... Unfortunately:

I think-tide turning-see, as I remember-I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of-it's easy to see a tide turn-did I say those words?

President George W. Bush

On Cities, Real Big:

And the Bulls will be taking on the Boston Celtics from the city of Maryland.

Chicago Bulls sportscaster Johnny "red" Kerr (thanks to Ben Ortiz)

THE DARJEELING TOY TRAIN, WEST BENGAL, INDIA

“There isn’t a train I wouldn’t take, no matter where it’s going.”—EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY

SIWA OASIS

SIWA, WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT

Despite the recent arrival of television and a steady trickle of adventure tourism, this lush oasis remains an intriguing desert outpost, where the unique Siwan culture and customs continue much as they did when Alexander the Great passed through in 331 B.C.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/14-15/2009

2/14/1977:
Buffalo right winger Rene Robert scores a hat trick for the second night in a row at the Aud, leading the Sabres to a 7-2 rout of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Robert also had three goals in last night's 6-2 victory over the Minnesota North Stars. Part of Buffalo's revered French Connection line with left wing Rick Martin and center Gilbert Perreault, he'll score well over 200 goals in his seven years with the club.

Birthdays:
Woody Hayes b. 1913
Mickey Wright b. 1935
Jim Kelly b. 1960
Drew Bledsoe b. 1972
Steve McNair b. 1973

2/15/1936:
The unchallenged queen of women's figure skating for the past 10 years, Sonja Henie of Norway captures her third straight all-around Olympic championship at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Though pressed by Cecilia Colledge of Great Britain, Henie responds with a flawless free-skating repertoire featuring a breathtaking double axel to win the gold medal, equaling the three straight golds won by male figure skater Gillis Grofstrom of Sweden (1920, '24, '28). Miss Henie will soon turn pro, move to the United States, stage skating exhibitions and appear in several Hollywood motion pictures.

Birthdays:
Earl "Red" Blaik b. 1897
John Hadl b. 1940
Darrell Green b. 1960
Jaromir Jagr b. 1972
Amy Van Dyken b. 1973

Packers Fact:
Linebacker Tracy White was the Packers' top tackler on kick coverage in 2006. He had 17 special-teams stops.

BROKEN HEARTS AND THEN SOME

Has any couple ever fallen as deeply, unreservedly, and tragically in love as Abelard and Heloise? He was her tutor and she was only 18 when they met. Their love survived his castration and banishment and much, much more. It is one of the great love stories of all time, and, unlike Romeo and Juliet’s, it is entirely true. To top it off, James Burge has found additional material and has retold and analyzed the 12th-century love story in this excellent biography.

	HELOISE & ABELARD: A NEW BIOGRAPHY, by James Burge (HarperSanFrancisco, 2006)
	THE LETTERS OF ABELARD AND HELOISE, translated from the Latin by Betty Radice, revised by M. T. Clanchy (1943; Penguin Classics, 2004)

FATHER LOVE

Adam Gopnik has beguiled readers of The New Yorker for years with reports from Paris and now, with two children in tow, in New York. His willingness to enter, metaphorically and literally, the Children’s Gate (a section of Central Park) make him an ideal observer as he turns his curious, gentle, and meticulous eye to parenting, city-dwelling, writing, and the mysterious persona of Charles Ravioli, his daughter’s imaginary playmate, who finds it impossible to fit her into his busy schedule.

THROUGH THE CHILDREN’S GATE: A HOME IN NEW YORK, by Adam Gopnik (Knopf, 2006)

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

THE ORIGIN OF VALENTINE’S DAY

Every February in ancient Rome, teenage boys and girls gathered in the name of Lupercus, god of shepherds, to celebrate fertility and choose a “mate” for the year. They were allowed to do anything they liked together. When Christians gained power in the Roman Empire, they cleaned up the holiday. Lupercus was “replaced” by St. Valentine, a bishop who had been executed in A.D. 270 by Emperor Claudius II for performing marriages. This symbol of “wholesome” love was reluctantly accepted by the Romans. Eventually, St. Valentine’s Day was celebrated throughout western Europe.

NO BABIES HAVE EVER BEEN BORN WITHIN VATICAN CITY LIMITS.

WORDPLAY

STRANGE (BUT REAL) SIGNS

In a dry cleaner: “We do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand.”

At a convention: “For anyone who has children and doesn’t know it, there is a day care center on the first floor.”

At a camera store: “One Hour Photos Ready in 20 Minutes”

At a clothing store: “Men’s wool suits—$10. They won’t last an hour.”

At a health clinic: “We Unblock Your Constipation with Our Fingers”

PRINCESS DIANA’S FAVORITE BAND WAS DURAN DURAN.

GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE

See the answer tomorrow.

Q: The tango, enduringly popular as the sensuous and intricate dance of love, is the signature dance of which country?

a) Argentina
b) Brazil
c) Chile
d) Peru

Answer: A, Argentina. To dance with your love in the capital of the tango, go to Buenos Aires.

On Valentine's Day Wishes, Somehow Inappropriate:

From: Oregon Knife Shop

Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2007, 10:25 AM

To:

Subject: Say I love you with a knife ... and free shipping.

Valentines Day Knife Sale.

actual sales e-mail (thanks to Erica Derout)

On Close, but No Cigar:

Weakest Link host Anne Robinson: What name is given to the field of medicine that concerns the health of women?

Contestant: Womenology.

Dollhouse premieres tonighit on FOX 9pm ET

Any Joss Whedon fans out there, or sci-fi fans in general, Dollhouse premieres on FOX tonight (2/13) 9pm PT after Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and before Sci-Fi channel's Battlestar Galactica.

I'm very excited to have Joss back in my living room each week, while Veronica Mars was a great show and Fringe is proving decent, nothing compares to Joss.

Let's hope that FOX learned their lesson after Firefly as far as Joss productions go...

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/12-2/13/2009

2/12/1989:
Over 44,000 fans at the Houston Astrodome watch the West run out to an 87-59 halftime lead and coast to a 143-134 victory over the East in the NBA All-Star Game. It's the Karl Malone and John Stockton show for the West as the Mailmam scores 28 points to earn MVP honors and his Utah guard-line teammate has 17 assists. Malone and Dale Ellis of the SuperSonics (27 points) combine to convert 24 of 33 field goal attempts, helping the West shoot 54% for the game.

Birthdays:
Chick Hafey b. 1903
Dom DiMaggio b. 1917
Joe Garagiola b. 1926
Don Stanhouse b. 1951
Chet Lemon b. 1955

Packers Fact:
Tackle Mark Tauscher was the only Packers Kickoff Weekend starter in 2007 who played college football in the state of Wisconson. He played at Wisconsin.

2/13/1999:
Oscar De La Hoya (30-0) barely retains his WBC welterweight title with a 12-round split decision over previously unbeaten (34-1-1) Ike Quartey at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Quartey, formerly the WBA world welterweight champion, presents De La Hoya with a serious test for nine rounds and is leading or tied on all three judges' scorecards at that point. From then on, De La Hoya gains control of the fight and scores a knockdown in the final round to sway the decision in his favor.

Birthdays:
Patty Berg b. 1918
Eddie Robinson b. 1919
Mike Krzyzewski b. 1947
Mats Sundin b. 1971
Randy Moss b. 1977

Packers Fact:
While a junior at Colorado in 2005, Mason Crosby once kicked a 58-yard field goal in a game against Miami.

NATURAL SELECTION AT WORK

You might commemorate today, Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday, by breezing through The Origin of Species. In case you’re in the mood for lighter fare, though, may we recommend this latest in the ever-inspiring series the Darwin Awards, which honors “those who improve our gene pool by inadvertently removing themselves from it.” To give you an idea of what awaits you: The farmer who protected himself from bees by tying a plastic bag over his head; the man who tried to weld a hand grenade to a chain; the homeowner who solved his termite problem by filling his house with natural gas. Endlessly entertaining.

THE DARWIN AWARDS 4: INTELLIGENT DESIGN, by Wendy Northcutt and Christopher M. Kelly (Dutton, 2006)

MYSTERIOUS DOINGS
In this sequel to the excellent Sacred Cut (2005), detectives Nic Costa and Gianni Peroni have been reassigned to Venice after incurring the displeasure of the powers that be in Rome. They will be allowed to return only when they have done the paperwork on the murder of a woman by her glassmaker husband. Once they and their boss, Leo Falcone, are drawn into the labyrinthine lure of Venice and Murano, however, the investigation turns very, very interesting. Rich character studies and beautiful writing are hallmarks of this wonderful crime series. Publishers Weekly starred review.

THE LIZARD’S BITE, by David Hewson (Dell, 2007)

On Duh!

Lawyer: Did you give your ticket to someone?

Witness: Yes.

Lawyer: And do you remember who that person was?

Witness: As I recall, it might have been somebody with a beard.

Lawyer: Do you remember if it was a man or a woman?

actual courtroom testimony

On orgies we'd rather skip:

Bodywatch, a new series, begins with a special at 9 tonight on Channel 2. Tonight's program focuses on stress, exercise, nutrition, and sex with Celtic forward Scott Wedman, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and Dick Cavett.

from a television listing

A 21-FLUSH SALUTE . . .

TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1809

Lincoln is one of America’s most beloved historical figures, but that doesn’t mean he had an easy time finding success.

• 1832: He was demoted from captain to private in the militia.
• 1832: He lost his first election to the Illinois legislature.
• 1835: He went bankrupt.
• 1838: He lost a bid for speaker of the Illinois state legislature.
• 1856: He was rejected for nomination as U.S. vice president.
• 1858: He lost a race for the U.S. Senate.
• 1860: He was elected President of the United States.

AMERICANS BURN ABOUT 200 BILLION GALLONS OF FUEL IN THEIR VEHICLES EVERY YEAR.

REEL LIFE

DISCOVERED!

In 1945 photographer David Conover went to the factory of military supplier Radioplane in Van Nuys, California, to take pictures of women involved in the war effort. He was immediately drawn to a blue-eyed 19-year-old named Norma Jean Dougherty, who was making $20 a week spraying glue on aircraft fabric. Dougherty agreed to pose for more pictures, which soon led to professional modeling work. In 1946 she signed a movie contract with Twentieth Century Fox and changed her name to . . . Marilyn Monroe.

IN 1999 RESIDENTS OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, ERECTED A 40-FOOT STATUE OF BARBIE.

TRAVELER IN THE KNOW

To see wildlife at its richest, head to Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica—National Geographic called this spot “the most biologically intense place on earth.” Within its broad range of habitats live more than 140 species of mammals from tapirs to ocelots and cougars, 375 species of birds, and 850 kinds of trees.

KRAK DES CHEVALIERS

SYRIA

Sitting alone like a huge battleship on an impenetrable spur above a vast plain, Krak des Chevaliers remains one of the grandest and best-preserved medieval castles in the world. Much of it was built and expanded by the Knights of St. John from 1144 onward.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/10-2/11/2009

2/10/1933:
Primo Carnera knocks out Ernie Schaaf in the 13th round at Madison Square Garden. Taken to the Polyclinic Hospital across the street with a brain hemorrhage, Schaaf undergoes cranial surgery but dies four days later. It's likely that he should never have been licensed for this fight after being knocked senseless by Max Baer last August. New York governor Herbert Lehman calls for an investigation into the tragic ring death and floats the idea of abolishing prizefights. In the end, however, there is too much money to be made in the sport. Schaaf is forgotten and Carnera ends up as heavyweight champion.

Birthdays:
Bill Tilden b. 1893
Mark Spitz b. 1950
Greg Norman b. 1955
Lenny Dykstra b. 1963
Lance Berkman b. 1976

Packers Fact:
Center Scott Wells was on the field for the Packers' offense for more plays than anyone else in 2006. He missed only two snaps all season when he lost a shoe.

2/11/1995:
Last year's Horse of the Year, Holy Bull, is pulled up during the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida, and Cigar wins the race by five and a half lengths. Winner of the 1994 Metropolitan Handicap, Travers and Woodward, Holy Bull seemed to be steadily getting better and expectations were high for his four-year-old campaign. Alas, after only 16 lifetime starts (and 13 wins), the stylish gray colt will be retired in order to allow proper healing of a strained tendon in his left front leg.

Birthdays:
Eddie Shack b. 1937
Sammy Ellis b. 1941
Ben Oglivie b. 1943
James Silas b. 1949
Brian Daubach b. 1972

Packers Fact:
Before Mason Crosby's winning three-pointer against the Eagles in 2007, no rookie had won a game on Kickoff Weekend with a field goal since Pittsburgh's Matt Bahr in 1979.

EPIC BATTLES

In the third of the Saxon Chronicles series, set in A.D. 878, the Saxons, Christians, and Scots are in the thick of the battle for what will become Great Britain. You will cheer for the young Saxon warrior Uhtred, as valiant in love and war as anyone could wish and imbued with complexities of doubt and mercy by master storyteller Bernard Cornwell.

LORDS OF THE NORTH, by Bernard Cornwell (HarperCollins, 2007)

WINDOWS ON THE WORLD

Alain de Botton, (How Proust Can Change Your Life) believes that “buildings speak. . . . They speak of democracy or aristocracy, openness or arrogance, welcome or threat, a sympathy for the future or a hankering for the past.” He has been listening to what buildings say, and the result is a passionate, learned, yet very personal conversation about how architecture, both private and public, interacts with people, cities, and societies. The widely traveled and erudite author is the perfect companion for this unusual and eye-opening tour.

THE ARCHITECTURE OF HAPPINESS, by Alain de Botton (Pantheon, 2006)

On You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do:

"I'm really antifur and my daughter is as well. But leather - I'm rock. I have to do leather."
rocker Courtney Love

On Well, We're Sure Not Going to To Trespass:

KEEP OUT:
TRESPASSERS WILL BE VIOLATED

sign by a gas station in Warrenville, Illinois (thanks t Terry Cassidy)

Claptrap

Meaning: Nonsense
Origin: In the world of 18th-century theater, a claptrap was any bit of humor, acting, or stage business designed to “trap claps,” or invoke applause. A comic actor had dozens of these at his disposal, from slurping his coffee to taking a pratfall, that never failed in getting audience reaction. In the hands of master comedians, such trickery can be high art; in lesser hands it’s simply a nonsensical diversion or . . . claptrap.

EX-LAX WAS ORIGINALLY CALLED BO-BO’S.

THE BARE FACTS

Police at Los Angeles International Airport arrested Neil Melly, 31, of Canada, after he stripped naked, scaled the airport fence, ran across the airfield, and climbed into the wheel well of an airplane as it was backing away from the departure gate. Reportedly, Melly was mad at Qantas Airlines because it refused to sell him a ticket when he tried to pay for it with a credit card receipt instead of his actual credit card. Airport officials say they “will look into improving the fence.”

AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF AN NBA BASKETBALL: 10,000 BOUNCES.

MOTHER EARTH

HARBOUR ISLAND, ELEUTHERA ISLAND GROUP, BAHAMAS

Shallow seas and deeper trenches alternate in the area of the Great Bahama Bank, a limestone formation that serves as the platform for Eleuthera Island. Harbour Island, an offshore cay of Eleuthera Island, is known for its pink sand, colored by fragments of red coral.

CHUUK LAGOON

CHUUK, MICRONESIA

The ghost ship Shinkoku Maru lies in Chuuk (aka Truk) Lagoon, part of a fleet sunk by American bombers in 1944. For the divers who explore shipwrecks, this concentration of sunken ships, the largest in the world, is the standard by which all other dives are measured.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/9/2009

2/9/2002:
Notre Dame defeats Georgetown, 116-111, in quadruple overtime at the MCI Center in the longest and highest-scoring game in Big East Conference history. By the fourth OT, four Georgetown starters have fouled out and the Irish use that edge plus a 64-54 advantage off the boards to finally prevail. Matt Carroll leads Notre Dame with 30 points, while freshman guard Chris Thomas adds 22 points and 12 assists. Excelling in defeat for the Hoyas, Mike Sweetney scores 35 points, grabs 20 rebounds, blocks 6 shots and records 6 assists before fouling out with two minutes left in the fourth OT.

Birthdays:
Dit Clapper b. 1907
Phil Ford b. 1956
Mookie Wilson b. 1956
Vladimir Guerrero b. 1976
Jameer Nelson b. 1982

Packers Fact:
When Green Bay beat Philadelphia 16-13 on Kickoff Weekend in 2007, it marked the 37th time in Brett Favre's career that he had led the Packers to victory after his team was tied or trailing in the fourth quarter.

THE NOSE KNOWS

Chandler Burr, perfume critic for The New York Times, takes as his subject Luca Turin, a maverick biophysicist and lover of scents who develops a theory of smell, a mystery that has spawned a $20-billion-a-year industry and more than a few romances and obsessions over the centuries. Turin was rebuffed, dismissed, even ridiculed at every turn by perfumers and by the scientific community. Burr’s sparkling reporting and Turin’s intriguing personality make wonderful reading. (For more, see Turin’s own book, The Secret of Scent: Adventures in Perfume and the Science of Smell, Ecco, 2006.)

THE EMPEROR OF SCENT: A TRUE STORY OF PERFUME AND OBSESSION, by Chandler Burr (Arrow Books, 2004)

TOILET TECH

Product: Indipod
How it works: First there were car phones, then car DVD players. Now there’s a car toilet. Indipod is a small chemical toilet within an inflatable opaque “bubble,” designed to work inside most SUVs. A fan, powered by the car’s cigarette lighter, inflates the tentlike bubble, creating a private bathroom in the back of the car. Chemicals in the toilet break down waste into a “sweet-smelling” liquid housed in a detachable, disposable container. Bonus: The fan noise masks any . . . um . . . sounds made inside the bubble. The company’s motto: “Freedom to go wherever you want to go.”

A NEWBORN BABY’S HEART HAS THE SAME NUMBER OF CELLS AS AN ADULT’S.

On what about the other 234,693,990?

SEVEN INDONESIANS DO NOT HAVE BIRD FLU

headline in Medical News Today

TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK

CHILE

One of nature’s last virtually untrammeled wildernesses, Torres del Paine’s 600,000 acres hold deep lakes, rushing rivers, glaciers, mountains, pampas, and fjords. More than 100 species of native birds are at home there, including the ostrich-like rhea and the fabled Andean condor, with its 12-foot wingspan.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/7-2/8/09

2/7/2000:
Trailing by seven shots with seven holes to play, Tiger Woods catches fire to post a final-round 64 (a tourney record) and capture the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am by two strokes over Vijay Singh and Matt Gogel, earning his sixth straight victory on the PGA Tour. The pivotal hole of the final round is the 15th, where Woods holes out a sand wedge from 100 yards for an eagle and Gogel cards a bogey. Woods finishes in birdie-par-birdie fashion to complete his remarkable comeback and equal Ben HOgan's feat of six straight tourney wins in 1948. Byron Nelson won 11 straight events in 1945.

Birthdays:
Dan Quisenberry b. 1953
Rolf Benirschke b. 1955
Carney Lansford b. 1957
Juwan Howard b. 1973
Steve Nash b. 1974

Feb. 8:
Acknowledging hish own mortality after dunking the ball became something more than an effortless lark, basketball superstar Connie Hawkins conceded: "They'll either have to lower the basket or raise the floor, because the Hawk can't soar anymore."

Birthdays:
Joe Black b. 1924
Clete Boyer b. 1937
Marques Johnson b. 1956
Dino Ciccarelli b. 1960
Alonzo Mourning b. 1970

Packers Fact:
Daryn Colledge (a second-round pick) and Jason Spitz (a third-rounder) were the two rookies who became the Packers' primary starting guards in 2006.

A MAJOR TALENT

The author of the two acclaimed graphic novels, Persepolis and Persepolis 2, turns here to the story of her uncle, a well-known musician, who dies of grief eight days after his wife breaks his prized tar (a lutelike instrument) over her knee during an argument. His life, loves, career, and sadness are treated as a free-flowing hallucination by Marjane Satrapi with her signature humor and cultural tidbits, all told with powerful black-and-white illustrations.

CHICKEN WITH PLUMS, by Marjane Satrapi (Pantheon, 2006)

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

The setting is Boston in 1963, when the Strangler held the city in fear. But the real focus is on the family of a slain cop: his three complex, troubled sons and his widow, who is being courted by his former partner. The themes of love, loyalty, honesty, and revenge build movingly and powerfully toward a steamroller finish.

THE STRANGLER, by William Landay (Delacorte Press, 2007)

On thanks for the perspective:

Reporter: Where does the President stand on that?

Secretary of State Colin Powell: It's not where some people say where the President is, or people who are not even in the government who claim to know where the President is. The President hasn't decided yet where he is. So I think we've been able to put it into perspective.

On thanks for that insight!

You've got to put square pegs in square holes-not the other way around.

soccer player Steve Claridge

A RANDOM ORIGIN

WALLPAPER

It wasn’t long after the Chinese invented paper more than 2,000 years ago that they began gluing pieces of it to the walls of their homes. Wallpaper was also popular in medieval Europe, where it was a cheap alternative to tapestries and murals. But these early examples were only imitations of the items they replaced, depicting scenes similar to those woven into tapestries and painted in murals. It wasn’t until about 1688 that wallpaper as we know it came into being. Jean Papillon, a French engraver, invented the first paper with repeating patterns that matched along the edges when the sheets were pasted next to each other.

ALL CLAMS ARE HERMAPHRODITES.

PUNDAY FUNNIES

“Putting your hands in the earth is very grounding.”

—John Glover

“An art thief is a man who takes pictures.”

—George Carlin

“The antiques my wife buys at auctions are keeping me baroque.”

—Peter De Vries

BIG PICTURE: THE FIRST VCR, MADE IN 1956, WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PIANO.

GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE

Q: When winter freezes set in, the people of Ottawa, Canada, put on skates and glide on this scenic linear rink. What is their ribbon of ice called?

a) The Hull Channel b) The Ottawa River c) The Rideau Canal d) The Winterlude

Answer: C, the Rideau Canal. In February, about 650,000 visitors show up for the Winterlude festival centered on the canal.

Review: Behind the Mask by Joanna Wayne

Title: Behind the Mask
Author: Joanna Wayne
Date Published: September 1995
Series: N/A, Harlequin Intrigue #339
Genre: Romance - Contemporary
Rating: C
ISBN: 0-373-22339-0

From back of cover:
All she could see were his eyes…

Though Graham Dufour's ebony eyese lit up her dreams for the past ten years, Lindsey Lathan hoped she could come back to New Orleans without seeing the man who'd once stolen her heart. A lot had changed between them-but one touch from the bad-boy-made-good could still ignite her desire.

Then she rode in a Mardi Gras parade and saw someone else's eyes behind a mask. Those of a faceless killer who'd used the masquerade to hide his crime. And he'd seen Lindsey.

Once, she'd been forced to run from Graham; now she had no choice but to run straight into his arms. For passion and for protection…


Not much to say on this one. The intrigue was well done. There were a few logical suspects to be the murderer so the identity wasn't blatantly obvious. The setting of New Orleans and Mardi Gras was fun. Neither character really moved me, but they weren't unlikeable or anything. Just a nice quick read, a break from the mysteries and horror I've been reading in abundance lately.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/4-2/6/2009

2/4/1961:

The seeds of the modern-day intense basketball rivalry between Duke and North Carolina are sown during tonight's game at Cameron Indoor Stadium when Larry Brown of North Carolina (yes, that Larry Brown!) drives the lane in the closing seconds and becomes entangled with Duke All-American Art Heyman. Brown and Heyman (both from Long Island's South Shore) go at it, other players join in, the scuffle along the baseline spills into the spectators and the police must act quickly to defuse a potential powder keg in the sweltering gym. Duke wins the game, 81-77, led by 36 points from Heyman, but the festering enmity between the neighboring universities becomes part-and-arcel of their competition.

Birthdays:

Bennie Oosterbaan b. 1906

Byron Nelson b. 1912

Lawrence Taylor b. 1959

Denis Savard b. 1961

Oscar De LaHoya b. 1973

Packers Fact:

DeShawn Wynn led Florida's national champions by rushing for 699 yards as a senior in 2006.


2/5/2974:
Maurice Lucas hits a 20-foot jump shot at the buzzer to give sixth-ranked Marquette a 59-58 victory over arch rival Wisconsin at the Milwaukee Arena. Marquette trailed by nine points with six and a half minutes remaining before rallying for the win. Notoriously poor foul shooter Kim Hughes misses two free throws in the final minute for Wisconsin, enabling Marquette to set up for the clutch goal by Lucas at the finish. Marquette will reach the NCAA tournament final this year before bowing to N.C. State.

Birthdays:
Hank Aaron b. 1934
Roger Staubach b. 1942
Crai Morton b. 1943
Darrell Waltrip b. 1949
Roberto Alomar b. 1968


Packers Fact:
Wide receiver Donald Driver played college football at Alcorn State, a Southerwestern Athletic Conference school.

2/6/1972:
Redoubtable 43-year-old Pancho Gonzalez rallies from two sets down to defeat Frenchman Georges Goven for a five-set victory in a pro tennis tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. Gonzalez becomes the oldest player to win a tournament in the Open era. The ageless warrior missed out on a chance to win countless Grand Slam titles during the 1950s and '60s because those events barred professionals from competing until 1968.

Birthdays:
Babe Ruth b. 1895
Smoky Burgess b. 1927
Don Cockroft b. 1945
Richie Zisk b. 1949
Kim Zmeskal b. 1976

Packers Fact:
Allen Barbre is an offensive lineman, but he is fast enough that while at Missouri Southern State in 2006, he was the "gunner" (the outside cover man) in punt coverage.

HAVE SOME DESERT

Gemma Bastian goes to Egypt, near Nag Hammadi, to investigate the mysterious death of her archaeologist father, and becomes entangled in his studies: the role of women in early Christianity and translations of apocryphal gospels of Philip, Thomas, and Mary Magdalen. A cast of interesting characters who deal in antiquities and these provocative texts, as well as two brothers who become romantically involved with her, and great period details make this a fun addition to the ever-growing Da Vinci Code knockoffs.

RESURRECTION, by Tucker Malarkey (Riverhead, 2006)

WHAT A READ

Between the time John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln on April 14, 1865, escaping Ford’s Theater on a waiting horse, and April 26, when he was smoked out of a barn in Virginia and shot, were 12 days of unrelenting tension, outrage, ingenuity on the part of both pursuers and pursued, and finally a cathartic conclusion that leap off the pages of this book in living, fire-breathing history. Publishers Weekly starred review.

MANHUNT: THE 12-DAY CHASE FOR LINCOLN’S KILLER, by James L. Swanson (Harper Perennial, 2007)

MYSTERIOUS DOINGS
When journalist Ridley Jones discovers that her “late uncle” Max Smiley is not only alive but also her real father—and a criminal—she starts digging in, and then keeps on digging. Though what she finds seems to be never-ending, unsavory, hard to believe, and difficult to digest, you’ll want to stay with her all the way. Following the success of Beautiful Lies, Lisa Unger delivers a thriller that has inspired comparisons to masters such as Peter Straub. Publishers Weekly starred review.

SLIVER OF TRUTH, by Lisa Unger (Shaye Areheart, 2007)

On descriptions, a little too apt

He is in hospital suffering from a nervous breakdown, but no doubt he will soon be better and running around like a maniac.

radio host Simon Bates

On warnings, absolutely essential:

DO NOT PUT ANY PERSON IN THIS WASHER.

warning label on a washing machine, and grand prize winner of the 2006 Wacky Warning Label Contest conducted by Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch

On but, man, does she have great breasts!

Sexually Inexperienced Chicken

menu item, China

CRÈME DE LA CRUD

A TOY FLOP

With the advent of the miniskirt in the late 1960s, showing a lot of leg suddenly became a fashion trend. That was the idea behind Hasbro’s aptly named Leggy in 1971. The doll was ten inches tall—and seven of the ten inches were Leggy’s legs. Result: huge legs, a tiny torso, and a mutant-looking doll that quickly bombed.

LARGEST ART MUSEUM: THE HERMITAGE, IN RUSSIA (322 GALLERIES; NEARLY 3 MILLION WORKS OF ART).

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

THANKS, ANONYMOUS!

In 2005 the Yale School of Music in New Haven, Connecticut, received a donation from an undisclosed donor. The amount of the gift: a whopping $100 million. Thanks to the donation, the school, one of the most exclusive music colleges in the country, is now the least expensive. Until the money runs out, students no longer have to pay the annual $25,000 tuition.

BOB HOPE WAS JAILED IN HIS YOUTH FOR STEALING TENNIS BALLS.

GOVERNMENT WASTE

In 2006 Kenyan Youth Affairs minister Muhammad Kuti proposed changing the legal definition of the word “youth” to include people aged 31 to 50. Reason: He wanted to give more people access to a $14 million “youth fund.” The proposal failed. If the plan had gone through, 50-year-old Kenyan “youths” would have had only five years until the legal retirement age, which is 55.

80% OF MILLIONAIRES DRIVE SECONDHAND CARS.

NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

NAPLES, ITALY

One of the richest treasure troves of Greco-Roman antiquities in the world—including precious sculpture and artifacts excavated from nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum—this remarkable museum, housed in a large 16th-century cavalry barracks, fascinates visitors.

ICEBREAKER CRUISE

KEMI, LAPLAND, FINLAND

The Sampo, one of the world’s few tourist icebreakers, offers exhilarating midwinter experiences and views of the northern lights on the frozen Gulf of Bothnia, the northernmost tip of the Baltic Sea. Passengers alight onto the rock-hard sea for snowmobiling or fishing and can don orange waterproof suits to float amid the newly broken ice.

PYRAMIDS OF THE AMERICAS

This complex at Teotihuacán, outside Mexico City, is one of the best excavated and most visited of the cities and temples built by the Maya and other early cultures of Mexico and Central America. To see others, visit:

• Palenque, in Chiapas, Mexico
• Chichén Itzá, in the Yucatán, Mexico
• Tulum, in the Yucatán, Mexico
• Tikal, at Tikal National Park, Guatemala