Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 3/29-31/2010

3/29/2008:
Don Newcombe, Duke Snider, Carl Erskine and Wally Moon are just a few of the former Dodger players who mingle with the fans at a special exhibition game held by the Dodgers to celebrate their 50th anniversary in Los Angeles. With the world champion Boston Red Sox providing the opposition and all proceeds earmarked for ThinkCure, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt's cancer research foundation, a turnout of 115,300-believed to be a world record-packed every inch of the Olympic Coliseum. The Red Sox win the festive encounter, 7-4.

Birthdays:
Walt Frazier b. 1945
Teofilo Stevenson b. 1952
Earl Campbell b. 1955
Brian Jordan b. 1967
Jennifer Capriati b. 1976

Packers Fact:
Before Greg Jennings in 2007, the last Packers' wide receiver to reach double digits in touchdown catches in a season was Javon Walker (2004). Jennings and Walker both had 12 scoring receptions.

Addressing distinct generational differences between the innings worked by relief pitchers 20-30 years ago and the modern persuasion of limiting "closers" to one inning of work per game, Hall of Famer Goose Gossage skoffed: "It was grueling, the way we were used. We were abused. Nobody worried about our arms falling off. I didn't. I don't agree with pitch counts. I never have. I don't need a pitch count to tell me if a guy is tired. They're babied too much nowadays and don't build up any endurance."

Birthdays:
Ripper Collins b. 1904
Willie Galimore b. 1935
Jerry Lucas b. 1940
Dave Ellett b. 1964
Toby Gowin b. 1975

Packers Fact:
Versatile halfback Paul Hornung (1957-1962, 1964-66) notn only was an effective runner, pass catcher, and kicker, but he could pass, too. Five of his 55 career pass attempts resulted in touchdowns.

3/31/1931:
Plunging America into mourning almost on a par with the death of a sitting president, peerless and beloved Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne is killed in a plane crash in Kansas. The cause is later ascribed to construction defects and metal fatigue at key junctures in the aircraft. A living legend at South Bend, Rockne compiled a record of 105-12-5 in 13 seasons with five unbeaten and untied teams, six national championships and a host of strategic innovations that helped put college football on the American sports radar screen. He was only 43 when he died, and his .881 winning percentage remains an all-time college football record.

Birthdays:
Gordie Howe b. 1928
Bob Pulford b. 1936
Ed Marinaro b. 1950
Tom Barrasso b. 1965
Pavel Bure b. 1971

Packers Fact:
The first Packers' player to rush for more than 100 yards in a postseason game was Jim Taylor. He gained 105 yards on the ground against Philadelphia in the 1960 NFL Championship Game.


http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/age/
Your Age on Other Worlds
Here's a site to combat the I'm-getting-older birthday blues. Put in your birth date and find out how old you'd be if you lived on Mars or Jupiter. Remember, you don't want to move any closer to the sun-not just because of wrinkles but because if you're only 50 on Earth, you're more than 200 on Mercury.

http://www.instant-origami.com/
Instant Origami
After years of watching those wizards create spectacular origami with a zillion folds and a scissor, it's refreshing to see this guy just give the paper a couple of good crumples to get his point across.

http://purpleslinky.com/offbeat/seven-of-the-deadliest-delicacies-come-dine-with-death/
Come Dine with Death
At this site featuring seven deadly delicacies, you can watch chefs preparing fugu (whose toxin is so deadly that a single drop can kill), watch a cooking demonstration for Ackee fruit (a pear-like West African delicacy that is fatal if eaten before it ripens), and see if "San Nak Ji" (live octopus) writhing on a plate whets your appetite or gives you the shivers.

YOU WILL LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMESWhat starts out as a book about the Powerball winners who got their numbers from fortune cookies turns into a reportorial tour de force as New York Times journalist Jennifer 8. Lee goes on to explore Chinese food, the immigrant experience, General Tso, the relationship between Jews and Chinese food, and a feast of other ideas, anecdotes, investigations, and reflections. Delectable dim sum for the mind.

THE FORTUNE COOKIE CHRONICLES: ADVENTURES IN THE WORLD OF CHINESE FOOD, by Jennifer 8. Lee (Twelve, 2008)

THE NAKED MAJA AND THE SLEEP OF REASON

March 30 is Francisco Goya’s birthday, and to mark the day we recommend Robert Hughes’s deeply personal, in some ways even autobiographical, yet scholarly biography of the Spanish genius whose career began with the charm and beauty of majas and musicians, included incredibly perceptive portraits of Spanish royalty, and ended with devastatingly dark paintings of war as he witnessed it. Hughes seems to understand the artist down to his bones.

GOYA, by Robert Hughes (Knopf, 2006)

“WHY ARE YOU SO POOR?”

Whether in nonfiction (Rising Up and Rising Down, 2003) or fiction (Europe Central, 2005 National Book Award), William T. Vollmann is a voice of passion and compassion for the underdog and the downtrodden. On every continent and across several generations, he asked “Why are you so poor?” and collected the stories of people to whom he is uniquely attuned to listen. And he allowed them to speak for themselves, something they are unaccustomed to doing. Vollmann also gives us the benefit of his analysis and conclusions, and they are well worth considering.

POOR PEOPLE, by William T. Vollmann (Harper Perennial, 2008)

AMBRE DES FLANDRES

Brewery Jeanne d’Arc, Ronchin, France

This bière de garde might put you in mind of a bygone favorite, Septante Cinq. It really is almost as good, lacking only in malt intensity. There’s a distinctive cellar character, that musty, corky quality that seems to almost define the style, but not much hop. The finish is somewhat sweet, with less alcohol warmth than you might expect, though at only 6.4%/vol., it’s understandable.

PIG’S EYE PILSNER

Pig’s Eye Brewing Co., St. Paul, Minnesota

This crisp, refreshing, and abundantly carbonated American-style lager almost begs for a hot dog and a football game. Clear, golden, and headstrong with thick yet fleeting pilsener-style foam. A spicy, floral, and alluringly subtle hop aroma has just a hint of sweetness. Flavor is stimulating and slightly tart, hop-free.

BEER FACT

Barley, the grain most often used in beer, comes in two types: two-row and six-row, depending on the number of columns of grain on the head of the barley stalk. The kernels on a two-row stalk are fatter, with a lower protein and enzyme content than the smaller six-row kernels—and thus are preferable for homebrewing. Large breweries tend toward the six-row malt; the higher enzyme content helps in converting starch to sugar, a boon when you’re brewing cereal lagers with good amounts of corn and rice.

YOUNGER’S SPECIAL BITTER

Rogue Ales, Newport, Oregon

HOP TANTRUM EXTRA SPECIAL BITTER RECIPE FOR 5 GALLONS

7 lb. light malt extract syrup
8 oz. 120L crystal malt
8 oz. turbinado sugar
½ oz. Horizon hops, 60 minutes from end of boil
½ oz. Goldings hops, 30 minutes from end of boil
½ oz. Goldings hops, 20 minutes from end of boil
1 oz. Goldings hops, 10 minutes from end of boil
2 oz. Goldings hops, dry-hopped English ale yeast
¾ cup corn sugar for priming

Crack or crush crystal malt. Bring 3 gallons water to 160°F. Place grains in mesh bag and steep in hot water for 30 minutes. Remove grains, add malt extract and sugar, and bring to a boil. Boil 60 minutes, adding hops as directed. Remove from heat and cool. Siphon into primary fermenter with enough cold, preboiled water to make 5 gallons. Add yeast when beer reaches 70–75°F. Ferment for three to six days at 65–68°F. Transfer to secondary fermenter and condition one to two weeks. When finished, dissolve ¾ cup corn sugar into beer, bottle, and age at room temperature for two weeks.