Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/19-20/2010

7/19/1997:
Surpassing the record of 8:01.08 held by Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, Kenya's Daniel Komen cracks the eight-minute barrier for the two-mile run with a new world record of 7:58.61 at Hechtel, Belgium. Seven months from now in Sydney, Australia, Komen will run another sub-eight-minute two-mile run, just a tad slower than his record-setting time. More than a decade later, these back-to-back, sub-eight-minute two-mile times will remain unsurpassed.

Birthdays:
Alex Hannum b. 1923
Ilie Nastase b. 1946
Billy Olson b. 1958
Teresa Edwards b. 1964
David Segui b. 1966

Packers Fact:
In 2007, Packers fullback John Kuhn and long snapper Rob Davis were the only two NFL players from their college, Shippensburg (PA) University.

7/20/1986:
Australian golfer Greg Norman shoots a 1-under-par 69 in the final round of the British Open to win his first major championship after several near misses. The Great White Shark cards an even-par 280 over the links course in Turnberry, Scotland. Gordon Brand is second, five strokes behind while Ian Woosnam and Bernhard Langer tie for third. Norman will win the British Open again in 1993, but he'll experience more than his share of heartbreak in Grand Slam events, finishing as the runner-up eight other times in major championships.

Birthdays:
Ted Schroeder b. 1921
Chuck Daly b. 1930
Tony Oliva b. 1940
Mel Daniels b. 1944
Ray Allen b. 1975

Packers Fact:
Among qualifiers, Bart Starr is the only Packers' quarterback to post a passer rating of more than 100. He had a mark of 105.0 in 1966, when he passed for 2,257 yards and 14 touchdowns, with only 3 interceptions.

http://mistupid.com/food/butcher.htm
Chop Quiz
Here's something educations that might stimulate your appetite for beef tonight. Drag the cuts of meat to the part of the cow you think they come from. If you're stumped, the site will reassemble them for you and tell you exactly what comes from where, so you'll be an expert the next time you go to the butcher's shop.

http://www.thefeejeemermaid.com/index.htm
Sailor's Nightmare
Inspired by the famous FeeJee Mermaid hoax, artist Juan Cabana constructs mermaids and other fanciful aquatic beings that look like zombies of the sea. Using real fish fins, skin, and teeth, his creatures are combinations of skeletons, birds, monkeys, dragons, bats, and fish, many with lifelike human faces that make them all the more grotesque, all of which might make you think twice before setting foot in the ocean.

THIRD IN THE THRILLOGY

Silva completes his trilogy (The English Assassin; The Confessor) with Gabriel Allon, art restorer and Mossad agent, leaving the side of a beautiful Bellini altarpiece to take care of unfinished business in Vienna. The assignment not only involves the death of an old friend, it calls up difficult memories of the episode there that claimed the lives of his wife and child. Furthermore, when Allon stumbles on a cover-up of a political candidate’s family’s Nazi past, old vendettas and unsettled scores surround him. A satisfying climax to an impressive series.

A DEATH IN VIENNA, by Daniel Silva (Putnam, 2004)

A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME

House Thinking is not just another home decorating book. Winifred Gallagher is a cultural critic who has conferred with architects, designers, psychologists, and sociologists to find out what constitutes a successful home. She shows us examples from prominent places—the entryway of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, the bedroom of Hugh Hefner—as well as changes she has made to her own home. Gallagher believes that it isn’t only how a place looks that matters, it’s also how it feels and whether it supports us in our daily lives.

HOUSE THINKING: A ROOM-BY-ROOM LOOK AT HOW WE LIVE, by Winifred Gallagher (HarperCollins, 2006)

CHARLES QUINT

Brewery Haacht S.A., Haacht, Belgium

A very sweet brown ale with a pleasant caramel fragrance and aftertaste, Charles Quint is heavily laden with layer upon layer of malt sweetness and a full mouthfeel, with no hint of hops. Though it’s a strong one at 7%/vol., the finish is still almost cloyingly sweet. This beer could use a bit more hops . . .

BEER FACT

This ale is one of many named for Charles Quint, Holy Roman Emperor. According to legend, the beer-loving, wine-averse Charles enjoyed an ale in the village of Olen.

MOEDER OVERSTE

Brasserie Lefebvre, Quenast, Belgium

This pleasant but challenging tripel has an aroma that’s phenolic and musty, bordering on medicinal. Heady with alcohol, the nose gives way to a strong, sweet flavor with some definite yeast character. There are honey undertones here, quite a bit of alcohol warmth, and a medium bitterness, some of which might be yeast-borne. The brew is hazy yellow in color, with ample carbonation; finish is yeasty and chalky.

BEER FACT

Abbey beers are brewed by commercial brewers who license their name from abbeys. Those abbeys may be authentic and thriving, they may be defunct, or they may even be fictitious. Their brewers seek to follow in the footsteps of Trappist ales, hugely popular since World War II; like Trappist ales, abbey beers are usually strong, made in the dubbel or tripel style.