Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 8/16-8/17/2010

8/16/1961:
Yankee slugger Roger Maris hits a pair of two-run homers off White Sox left-hander Billy Pierce into the upper deck at Yankee Stadium, leading New York to a 5-4 victory over Chicago. En route to a record-breaking single-season total of 61 home runs. Maris picks on his favorite patsies, the White Sox, against whom he'll have 13 round trippers during the year. It's one of seven two-homer games by Maris but the only one he'll enjoy off a lefty; in fact, he'll hit only 12 of his 61 home runs against southpaws.

Birthdays:
Frank Gifford b. 1930
Tony Trabert b. 1930
Ron Yary b. 1946
Christian Okoye b. 1961
Ben Coates b. 1969

Packers Fact:
IN 2007, Donald Driver became the seventh Packers' player to reach 6,000 receiving yards for his career. The all-time record holder at 9,656 yards is James Lofton (1978-1986).

Sitting in the bullpen and watching his team fall behind by 14 runs in the first inning, Houston Astros relief pitcher Dave Smith realized: "The last time I saw anything like this, I was playing for Tastee Freeze in the Little League."

Birthdays:
Boog Powell b. 1941
Guillermo Vilas b. 1952
Christian Laettner b. 1969
Jim Courier b. 1970
Jorge Posada b. 1971

Packers Fact:
The Rams had the league's top-scoring offense during a dominating 11-1-2 regular season in 1967, but the 9-4-1 Packers won a Western Conference playoff game 28-7 by limiting Los Angeles to only 217 total yards.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottjohnson/sets/72157601200807582
56 Geeks
The project itself is definitely geeky but it also gives you the opportunity to thoroughly acquaint yourself with the fundamental geek types-the history geek, the collectable geek, the papercraft geek, the Apple geek, the Larper geek, and, of course, the Trek geek-all suitably garbed and carrying attributes like iPods, phasers, or little plastic men.

http://on-my-desk.blogspot.com/
Shared Desks
Whether you're a neat freak whose every pencil has a place or a slob whose desk is so messy you can't find this morning's memo, you'll still enjoy a peek into someone else's work life at this site, where artists, designers, and other creative people share pictures of their desks, tools, studios, and the mascots that inspire them.

A TROPICAL DREAM

This book follows the adventures, dreams, lusts, and twilight years of Félix Ventura, as told by his faithful companion—who just happens to be a gecko. Mysteries of identity and ruminations on the meaning of life attend Félix’s strange calling: He provides fake background stories for wannabe bigwigs in the former Portuguese colony of Angola, where the past is being effaced little by little every day.

THE BOOK OF CHAMELEONS, by José Eduardo Agualusa, translated from the Portuguese by Daniel Hahn (Simon & Schuster, 2008)

BABE! YOU LOOK WONDERFUL!

This is a how-to book like no other. Learn how to identify whether you’re a middle-aged babe; track your progress along the devastating “Miss-Ma’am Transit.” From the stunning line of menopausal jewelry (dazzling cabochon emeralds that conceal tiny fans) to a fold-out instructional poster and accompanying wallet-size card describing basic techniques of seduction that even the most babealicious may occasionally forget, plus exercise, DIY plastic surgery, and much, much more—prepare to be dumbfounded by the audacious silliness of sex goddess–pundit Marilyn Suzanne Miller.

HOW TO BE A MIDDLE-AGED BABE, by Marilyn Suzanne Miller (Scribner, 2007)

HOUGAERDSE DAS

Hoegaarden Brewery, Hoegaarden, Belgium

Perfumy, spicy beer from a brewery best known for its spiced white ale, Hougaerdse Das appears to be an all-barley beer but pours cloudy, probably due to the yeast kicked up when you open the bottle. As a result, the finish comes across as somewhat chalky, but is otherwise pleasantly balanced. Mild hop flavor and just a bit of bitterness take the lead. Quite different from the brewery’s more widely known brands, but that’s a good thing.

BEER FACT

Studies have shown that substances found in beer, namely polyphenols from barley, help to boost antioxidant activity in the blood and protect the body from disease. On the flip side, overindulgence may have the opposite effect, making the body “pro-oxidant” and more susceptible to damage from diseases associated with aging.

DEAN’S BEANS COFFEEHOUSE PORTER

Berkshire Brewing Co., Deerfield, Massachusetts

Say good morning to the explosive aroma of steamy coffee grounds and roast malt. Milk and sugar, anyone? This dark-brown porter’s creamy texture complements its slight overall sweetness. Hop character is absent, and the aftertaste skews to coffee and roasted bitterness. Best served between 50 and 60 degrees F.

BEER FACT

Berkshire Brewing Company’s Coffeehouse Porter combines the brewery’s popular Drayman’s Porter with real organic coffee extract made exclusively for the brewery by Dean’s Beans in New Salem, Massachusetts.