Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/30-5/7/2010

4/30/1985:
Lafayette "Fat" Lever posts an impressive playoff triple-double to lead Denver past Utah, 130-113, in an NBA Western Conference semifinal game. Lever scores 19 points, dishes off 18 assists and adds 16 rebounds from the backcourt to lead the Nuggets. Alex English scores 31 points, Dan Issel has 24 and Calvin Natt chips in with 21 as Denver rolls to a 73-point first half, helped by a distinct edge off the boards against the Jazz front line.

Birthdays:
Jon Arnett b. 1935
Phil Garner b. 1949
Isiah Thomas b. 1961
Al Toon b. 1963
Dave Meggett b. 1966

Packers Fact:
Wide receiver Jordy Nelson was who the Packers selected with their top pick in the 2008 draft. He was a second-round choice (36th overall pick).
5/1/1979:
After the Astros grab a 6-3 lead in the top of the 11th inning, Roger Freed of the Cardinals comes through with an "ultimate grand slam" to win the game, 7-6. In the minor leagues, Freed won three home run titles, three RBI crowns and two MVP awards, but this bright promise never translated to the big leagues, where he bounced around between five organizations as a reserve outfielder. It's Freed's second (and last) lifetime grand slam and only the 14th "ultimate slam" (down three runs/walk-off slam) in major league history.

Birthdays:
Cliff Battles b. 1910
Chuck Beduarik b. 1925
Ollie Matson b. 1930
Steve Cauthen b. 1960
Curtis Martin b. 1973

Packers Fact:
The Packers have drafted more tackles (11, entering 2009) in the first round than players at any other position.

5/2/1988:
Ron Robinson loses his bid for a perfect game against the Montreal Expos at Riverfront Stadium with two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning when pinch hitter Wallace Johnson gets a clean single to left field. The next batter, Tim Raines, homers and Robinson is removed from the game, having failed to close out his perfecto. Reliever John Franco will get the last out and the Reds win, 3-2. On September 16 in this same ballpark, Robinson's teammate Tom Browning will pitch a perfect game, handcuffing the Dodgers, 1-0.

Birthdays:
Eddie Bressoud b. 1932
Gates Brown b. 1939
Clay Carrell b. 1941
Gerald Ironsn b. 1947
Jamaal Wilkes b. 1953

One of major league baseball's most talkative players, Mickey Rivers was never shy about dispensing helpful advice to young players: "The first thing you do when you get out to center field is put up your finger and check the wind-chill factor."

Birthdays:
Sugar Ray Robinson b. 1920
Garfield Heard b. 1948
Rod Langway b. 1953
Jeff Hornacek b. 1963
Ron Hextall b. 1964

Packers Fact:
James Lofton was the first Packers' player to amass more than 1,000 receiving yards three years in a row (1983-85).

5/4/2002:
War Emblem leads wire-to-wire and capture the 128th running of the Kentucky Derby. In a race with no clear favorite, War Emblem beats Proud Citizen by four lengths and Perfect Drift by nearly five. Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Victor Espinoza, he breaks right to the lead from the starting gate and is never seriously challenged. He'll go on to win the Preakness in two weeks, but his Triple Crown dream comes undone at the Belmont Stakes when he stumbled out of the gate and winds up eighth behind 70-to-1 shot Sarava.

Birthdays:
Elmer Layden b. 1903
Betsy Rawls b. 1928
Rene Lachemann b. 1945
Butch Beard b. 1947
Dawn Staley b. 1970

Packers Fact:
In just his second season as an NFL head man, Mike McCarthy earned league Coach of the Year honors for 2007.

5/5/2006:
David Wright's 14th-inning double gives the New York Mets an 8-7 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium. The Mets will go on to win the National League Eastern Division title, dethroning the Braves after they had won a professional sports record 14 consecutive NL East crowns. Wright will play a big role in the Mets' success. He'll hit .325 with 30 homers and 107 RBIs and be selected to start at third base for the NL All-Star team.

Birthdays:
Tony Canadeo b. 1919
Bob Cerv b. 1926
Ion Tiriac b. 1939
Herm Gilliam b. 1946
Larry Hisle b. 1947

Packers Fact:
Wide receiver Jordy Nelson earned Consensus All-America honors as a senior in 2007 at Bit 12 Kansas State.

5/6/1988:
Sid Bream smashes a three-run walk-off homer in the last of the 12th inning to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 4-1 victory over the San Diego Padres at Three Rivers Stadium. The dramatic ball game climaxes an emotional day in the Steel City after Mayor Richard Caliguiri, 56, died in his sleep overnight from heart failure related to an incurable illness akin to Lou Gehrig's disease. Caliguiri had been tireless in his efforts to revitalize Pittsburgh after the downturn of the steel industry and was instrumental in keeping the financially challenged Pirates franchise from moving to another city.

Birthdays:
Weeb Ewbank b. 1907
John Vaught b. 1908
Willie Mays b. 1931
Martin Brodeur b. 1972
Chris Paul b. 1985

Packers Fact:
The Packers haven't had the top overall choice in the draft (entering 2009) since 1959. They chose Iowa quarterback Randy Duncan at No. 1 that year, but he opted to play in Canada instead.

5/7/2005:
In a lightweight unification bout at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Diego Corrales (40-2) climbs off the canvas after two 10th-round knockdowns and moments later scores a TKO over Jose Luis Castillo (52-7-1) in a bout heralded by boxing cognoscenti as an all-time classic. Corrales cagily buys time after both knockdowns by spitting out his mouthpiece, necessitating a delay so his manager, Joe Goossen, could put it back in his mouth. These brief interludes in the action enable Corrales to gather his senses and turn the tables on Castillo with a flurry of punches to win the fight.

Birthdays:
Johnny Unitas b. 1933
Bob Weiss b. 1942
Louis Orr b. 1958
Brad Isbister b. 1977
Shawn Marion b. 1978

Packers Fact:
The last time that the Packers selected as high as No. 2 in the draft (entering 2009) was in 1989. They chose tackle Tony Mandarich that year. He played three seasons in Green Bay.


http://www.digyourowngrave.com/mmeoww-plague-of-kittens-game/
Splat Cat
Lots of fun if you're a dog! Use the kitten catcher to lower the cats to safety. If you miss, they land in a bloody, messy pile.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joefxd/sets/72157604423778692/with/2377555197/
Dollar Doodles
Although it's technically illegal to deface money, it isn't illegal to go to this site and enjoy Joe D's "enhancements" to the fives, tens, and twenties he finds in his wallet.

http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/fractalcookies
Cookie Repeats
Every math lesson should be this tasty! Learn how fractals are constructed by rolling out and combining the dough to make fractal cookies, based on the pattern known as the Sierpinski carpet.

http://www.20q.net/
Twenty Questions
Select your language and your topic-movies, sports, the Old Testament, Harry Potter, Star Trek, and more-and see if you can stump the computer in the classic game of twenty questions. If you win, you get the added bonus of seeing the logic behind the computer's choices.

http://www.numbrosia.com/
Numbrosia
Turn all the numbers in the grid into zeros using as few moves as you can. If you solve this one, you'll get harder puzzles to test your skills.

http://www.artbysteph.com/portfoliocurrent.html
Fuzzy Skulls
In this combination of the macabre and the cuddly, artist Stephanie Metz used felted wool, in which the fibers are compressed into a solid mass, to create a whole gallery of teddy bear skulls and other bizarre animals.

http://www.freeworldgroup.com/games8/gameindex/rollercoasterrush.htm
Roller Coaster Rush
Try to go as fast as you can without flying off the track. It will get you excited for the real thing this summer.

TODAY IS ARBOR DAY

Today is the day we joyfully celebrate the mighty glory of trees in all their verdant goodness: how they bring us oxygen and oranges; how they shade us and feed us. You will find all that and much more in Colin Tudge’s book. He shows us the smallest to the tallest trees and explains how they develop, interact, and adapt to their environment and how they “talk” to one another. He even tells us all about their sex lives. Everything you ever wanted to know about trees is here, expressed with infectious enthusiasm. A book for tree huggers and lumberjacks both.

THE TREE: A NATURAL HISTORY OF WHAT TREES ARE, HOW THEY LIVE, AND WHY THEY MATTER, by Colin Tudge (Crown, 2007)

MIND-BOGGLING

Backed by the work of 25 eminent oceanographers, The Deep is much more than a book of “Wow!” pictures, though it contains more than 200 photographs. It also serves as a cabinet of curiosities, a testament to the awesome power of new ocean-investigating technologies, and an acknowledgment of the often unheralded work of divers and researchers. Some of the creatures revealed here have never been named; all of them are fabulously exotic. Writing in The Boston Globe, Anthony Doerr calls the book “a vision of the deep as a vast, balletic swarm of nature’s inventiveness.”

THE DEEP: THE EXTRAORDINARY CREATURES OF THE ABYSS, by Claire Nouvian (University of Chicago Press, 2007)

MIND-BOGGLING

Backed by the work of 25 eminent oceanographers, The Deep is much more than a book of “Wow!” pictures, though it contains more than 200 photographs. It also serves as a cabinet of curiosities, a testament to the awesome power of new ocean-investigating technologies, and an acknowledgment of the often unheralded work of divers and researchers. Some of the creatures revealed here have never been named; all of them are fabulously exotic. Writing in The Boston Globe, Anthony Doerr calls the book “a vision of the deep as a vast, balletic swarm of nature’s inventiveness.”

THE DEEP: THE EXTRAORDINARY CREATURES OF THE ABYSS, by Claire Nouvian (University of Chicago Press, 2007)

POWER IN POSITIVE THINKING

How do we explain the rare, but real, spontaneous remission of cancer tumors? How effective are Eastern therapies such as acupuncture and what is the science behind them? What role do emotions play in illness? Why is there so much dissatisfaction with standard Western medicine in America, a country where alternative medicine is a nearly $40-billion-a-year business? Anne Harrington, chairman of the history of science department at Harvard, cogently and clearly addresses these questions and more. The New York Times calls The Cure Within “a book that desperately needed to be written.”

THE CURE WITHIN: A HISTORY OF MIND-BODY MEDICINE, by Anne Harrington (W. W. Norton, 2008)

GOING CONDO

You know you’ve got an authentic New York novel when the object of contention is an apartment. In Ellington Boulevard, Ike Morphy and his dog, Herbie Mann, are being forced out of theirs. The ensuing struggle involves a womanizing landlord, an actor–real estate broker, a failing culture magazine editor, a halfhearted Columbia grad student, and a cast of millions living in the naked city. Library Journal says, “Langer nails his characters [and] their stories are compelling and colorful.”

ELLINGTON BOULEVARD: A NOVEL IN A-FLAT, by Adam Langer (Spiegel & Grau, 2008)

AND THE BLACK DEATH, TOO

Bestselling novelist Ken Follett is known for thrillers such as The Key to Rebecca, but in 1989 he published a medieval epic about building a cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth. In World Without End he returns to the same territory in the 14th century to follow the high aspirations and lowly skulduggery of four characters through a 30-year epic. The historical research and details are rock solid, and the plotting and characterizations are as gripping as any you might want to keep you reading past your bedtime.

WORLD WITHOUT END, by Ken Follett (Dutton, 2007)

ALASKAN LATKES, ANYONE?

In the world according to Michael Chabon, the end of World War II did not bring Jews to Israel, but rather to Alaska, where they set up a homeland in the Sitka District. After 60 years, the district is scheduled to revert back to Alaskan control. In the meantime detective Meyer Landsman has the murder of a drug-addicted chess master on his hands—not to mention his own bad marriage and foundering career. The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay has written a brilliantly imaginative, engrossing homage to pulp crime fiction.

THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN’S UNION, by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins, 2007)

PEEL ME A LOQUAT

Adam Gollner leads us on a dizzying, zigzagging, perfumed, name-dropping, globe-trotting tour through the world of fruit. He looks young from his jacket photo, and he reads young, too—excited about his subject, still learning, pleased at his good luck in finding such a great assignment. But his writing is disciplined, not giddy, and unlike some of the “monomania” books, this one never gets bogged down.

THE FRUIT HUNTERS: A STORY OF ADVENTURE, NATURE, COMMERCE, AND OBSESSION, by Adam Leith Gollner (Scribner, 2008)

PADDY’S IRISH STYLE RED ALE

Moylan’s Brewery & Restaurant, Novato, California

MOTHER BLESSING IRISH RED RECIPE FOR 5 GALLONS

6 lb. light malt extract syrup
1 lb. Munich malt
8 oz. caramel red malt
8 oz. melanoidin malt
2 oz. roast barley
1¼ oz. Hallertau hops, 60 minutes from end of boil
Irish ale yeast
¾ cup corn sugar for priming
Mill malted grains carefully—this is a minimash recipe, meaning that grain starch should convert during the steep. Bring 3 gallons water to 155°F. Place grains in a mesh bag and steep in hot water for 60 minutes. Remove grains, add malt extract and hops and bring to a boil. Boil 60 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Siphon into primary fermenter with enough cold, pre-boiled water to make 5 gallons. Add yeast when beer reaches 65–70°F. Ferment for three to six days at 60–65°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.

POINT HORIZON WHEAT

Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, Wisconsin

This hazy ale boasts a substantial and sustainable head of foam and a tangy, yeasty aroma. The first taste impression is refreshing, mildly acidic; next comes some malty beer character. A mildly and skillfully hopped American-style wheat beer, it makes for a great summertime treat and champagne substitute anytime of the year. Quality brewed, clean and crisp.

BRUGSE STRAFFE HENDRIK BRUIN

BVBA Straffe Hendrik, Brugge, Belgium

Back in the day, this small Bruges brewer made only one product, a well-executed blonde ale. The bruin is even more interesting: clean, pleasantly smooth, with sweetish dark malts and a hint of chocolate. The chocolate stays with you in the finish, joined by the 8.5% alcohol’s warming dryness. A contender among the Belgian strong brown ales, this one is definitely worth seeking out.

DOGFISH HEAD FESTINA PECHE

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Delaware

A good Berliner Weisse is such a treat. Unorthodox methods (encouraging bacteria in order to up the lactic acid) result in a beer that is unarguably refreshing. It’s also perfectly suited to sweet fruit flavors, which help to cut down the acid a bit. In fact, Berliner Weisses are often served with sweet fruit syrups in their native city; so an American version, pre-dosed with peach puree, isn’t too far of a stretch. Light, cloudy and straw-yellow in appearance, with almost no head retention, it certainly looks like a classic Berliner. The peach is subtle in both the aroma and the flavor, but the big sourness isn’t. And that’s exactly how it should be. A lovely effort at a most unusual old-world style, with a perfectly natural complement of New World fruit. Lovers of Berliner Weisse will go bananas over this beer.

OLD EXPENSIVE ALE

Burton Bridge Brewery, Burton Upon Trent, England

Burton Upon Trent is one of the UK’s beer meccas, and the original home of the Bass and Marston’s breweries. But if you go, don’t forget to drop by Burton Bridge. Though it’s tiny in comparison, its beers are no less worthy of attention. Old Expensive, their most popular strong ale, is one we’re lucky to find on our shores. Pouring a deep reddish-amber, with a lofty, clotted-cream topping of off-white foam, the ale is slightly cloudy, with a good dose of yeast on the bottom from bottle-conditioning. The malt aromas are dense and complex, with dried and ripe fruit, baked pastry dough, brown sugar and caramel, and a hint of mellow, fragrant hops. Hugely sophisticated for its 6.5%/vol., the flavor is surprisingly light and dry, with a pleasantly integrated tartness and just a slight hop dryness.

LAZY MAGNOLIA SOUTHERN PECAN

Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co., Kiln, Mississippi

Shiny copper brilliance, with a wispy light layer of foam . . . Earthy, nutty and grassy aromas dominate, then sweet malty flavor emerges, leaving behind a slightly acidic (though still sweet) aftertaste. Very mild hop flavors—you might have to concentrate to find them. The winner of a Bronze medal at the 2006 World Beer Cup in the Specialty Beer category, Lazy Magnolia is a nice, quiet brew with good drinkability, no one character assaulting the senses. Sharp and salty cheeses would be a natural fit.

FROM THE BREWERY:

“Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale is the first beer in the world, to our knowledge, made with whole roasted pecans. Used just like grain, the pecans provide a nutty characteristic and a delightful depth to the flavor profile; the beer is very lightly hopped to allow the malty, caramel, and nutty flavors shine through.”

WESTVLETEREN ABT 12

Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus, Westvleteren, Belgium

It wasn’t too long ago that the beer in this plain brown bottle was distinguished only by its cap: until recently, the abbey did not label what is quite possibly the finest beer in the world. (It certainly appears on quite a few Top Five lists.) The rich, velvety brew is blessed with an imposing strength and character. Its sugary date and fruit flavors are balanced by a high alcohol content. Excellent with cheese, especially a neutral, semisoft Tête de Moine. Finishes with a bit of a sting, if it’s a young bottle; many aficionados lay it down for 10 years or more, letting it mellow and grow even more complex. A ten-year-old bottle will have a much gentler finish, with toffee, caramel, butter, dates, cashews, burgundy, and a host of other complexities—fabulous.

MIKE’S HARD LEMONADE

Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co., Seattle, Washington

Lemonade? In a beer calendar? Well, this lemonade is a malt beverage, so it’s actually closer to beer than you’d think. In truth, beyond malt sweetness, the two don’t really have much in common. Mike’s is a cloudy white, with seltzer-water–like carbonation. As expected, big lemon aromas abound. It’s refreshing in the way a lemon soda would be. Beer lovers may find the sweetness an assault, but a good tartness does come to the rescue. At 5%/vol., there really isn’t much in the way of alcohol dryness, but that’s not the idea. This is a plastic bottled, slightly alcoholic, serve ice-cold lemon soda, sweetened with malt, and it’s designed to quench the thirst. In that, it succeeds.