Sports Fact of the Day 8/2/2010

A fine big-league outfielder from 1950 to '51 and later an outstanding college coach at Florida State and Michigan State, Danny Litwhiler remembers batting against Sal Maglie; "He scared you to death. He'd be scowling and gnashing his teeth, and if you dug in on him, there goes your Adam's apple."

Birthdays:
Leo Boivin b. 1932
Matt Hazeltine b. 1933
Billy Cannon b. 1937
Tim Wakefield b. 1966
Tony Amonte b. 1970

Packers Fact:
Before the Packers beat Denver in Week 8 of 2007, the last team they had beaten in a road game that went overtime was Tampa Bay (in 1983).



http://www.bspcn.com/2007/11/06/9-creative-staircases/
Watch Your Step
How about these for creative ways to get up and down-a staircase that doubles as a bureau, a musical staircase at the Sony Building in Tokyo, Japan, a fantastic spiral staircase carved out of a giant tree trunk, a staircase suspended over a gorge in Switzerland, and every child's dream-a spiral staircase with an attached slide for the downstairs trip.

REMEMBERING HISTORY

Author Clive James tells us in his introduction that it took him 40 years to write this book. And the effort pays off: This man has not been sitting around watching I Love Lucy reruns. The alphabetical listing of historical figures imposes a structure on his wide-ranging yet tightly interrelated inquiries into philosophy and culture. It’s like being in a college class with one’s favorite, eccentric, brilliant professor.

CULTURAL AMNESIA: NECESSARY MEMORIES FROM HISTORY AND THE ARTS, by Clive James (W. W. Norton, 2007)

COCOA PORTER

Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub, Idaho Springs, Colorado

This porter pours dark brown, with reddish tints and beige foam—a bit lighter than your average porter, but about on target for a brown ale. Lots of sweet cocoa and caramel malt hang around in the aroma. In the flavor, there’s no indication of alcohol content, but there isn’t a whole lot of that in this winter warmer, which might be classified as a brown porter. No harsh grain bitterness, either, and not much hop character at all; finish is long, but not too sweet, with lots of chocolate flavor. Though honey is featured, it’s indistinguishable from the overall chocolate-cakey, cocoa flavor. A nice dessert porter, very approachable and not too thick or overly sweet.