Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 1/25-26/2010

1/25/2003:
Bolting to a 10-0 start in the second half after falling behind by 20 points, top-ranked Arizona shuts down sixth-ranked Kansas and closes the game on a 67-30 run to shock the Jayhawks, 91-74. Salim Stoudamire leads the Wiildcats with 32 points, including 6-of-9 from three-point range. These two clubs will meet again in March in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, and Kansas will exact a measure of revenge with a 78-75 victory to advance to the Final Four.

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

Packers Fact:
The Packers played the San Francisco 49ers four consecutive years beginning in 1995. Green Bay won three of those meetings.

1/26/1992:
American Jim Courier wins the Australian Open tennis championship with a convincing four-set victory over world No. 1 Stefan Edberg of Sweden at Flinders Park in Melbourne. The win avenges a straight-set romp by Edberg over Courier at last year's U.S. Open. Courier's punishing ground strokes set a relentless tempo and Edberg can't reverse the tide with his serve-and-volley net-rushing tactics. When Edberg throws in back-to-back double faults to lose the third set, the match's outcome is no longer in doubt.

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

Packers Fact:
On January 26, 1997: The Packers ended a 29-year championship drought by beating the New England Patriots 35-21 in Super Bowl XXXI at the Superdome in New Orleans.


http://mustachesofthenineteenthcentury.blogspot.com/

Olde Handlebars
You will agree with the webmaster that the 19th century was a "hotbed of facial hair experimentation" after visiting this site, where you can admire the fine mustachios of famous men like Mark Twain, General George Armstrong Custer, Edgar Allan Poe, and President Chester A. Arthur, explore whether having a mustache increased the odds of marital happiness and fertility, and analyze the most foolish kind of facial hair - the mustache-less beard. With an amusing glossary of mustache terminology.

http://biltongbell.blogspot.com/

Computer Cooker
Have that primal urge to roast raw red meat, but it's too cold outside to barbecue? No problem. Turn one of your old computer monitors into a South African-inspired, energy-efficient Biltong cooker! It will cook up delicious dried beef using only a 60-watt lightbulb. There are step-by-step instructions and recipes to guarantee your success.

ABSOLUTELY NEW YORK’S FINEST

“The day I nearly got my head blown off started like any other.” That’s how Kathy Burke grabs you by the collar at the very beginning to tell a story that includes drugs, corruption, and a tragic shooting. Burke became a cop back when only 1 percent of the NYPD were women. For 23 years she worked the most dangerous streets of New York and eventually became a detective, first grade, the highest rank. Burke and veteran journalist Neal Hirschfeld have crafted an honest and compelling story about the experiences of a truly courageous woman.

DETECTIVE: THE INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF THE TRAILBLAZING WOMAN COP WHO WOULDN’T QUIT, by Kathy Burke and Neal Hirschfeld (Scribner, 2008)

WEIRD AND WONDERFUL

The stories in this volume include many of Murakami’s earliest, as well as five very recent ones. The world of love, loss, and longing is familiar, but they may be emotions felt at the disappearance of an elephant or because a fly from a willow tree has snuggled into a sleeping woman’s ear. Many involve animals; some are out-and-out sci-fi; all are delicate and beautiful. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman is a good introduction or a nice way to revisit.

BLIND WILLOW, SLEEPING WOMAN, by Haruki Murakami, translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel and Jay Rubin (Knopf, 2006)

OLD STOCK ALE, 2007

North Coast Brewing Co., Fort Bragg, California

These brewers have something to “bragg” about. Old ales and stock ales are English traditions of the finest caliber. But you don’t have to know the history to appreciate this strong and smooth aged ale. With an ever-so-slight nod to American craft brewing, the delicious, celebratory libation starts and finishes with luscious malt. Medium caramel flavors vie for balance with a mellow alcohol warmth. A background of fruity English-style hops completes the essential, English Old Ale profile. No historical “stale” tartness or Brett character, and that’s not a bad thing. Try it in a snifter—it’s deserving of such treatment. And heads-up to wine drinkers: quintessential beer palate, better buzz, same alcohol level (11.7%). What are you waiting for?

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE HARVEST ALE

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, California

If you can get hold of this brew, don’t hesitate. Tasteful and engaging, it makes for a thrilling discovery. Fresh picked New Zealand hops (Hallertau, Southern Cross, and Motueka) lend unzipped bursts of fruitiness and herbal earthiness. Worth seeking, but available on a very limited basis in selected markets. Look for it in May and June, right after New Zealand’s hop harvest.

BEER FACT

About 25,000 pounds of certified organic hops were exported from New Zealand in 2007, representing about 2% of the country’s total hop exports. The Nelson region’s benign climate is ideal, insulating hop vines from the insects and diseases common to North American and Europe.