Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/28-29/2010

4/28/1953:
Living up to his nickname, "Scrap Iron," St. Louis catcher Clint Courtney is the cynosure of a 10th-inning brawl at Sportsman's Park as the Yankees edge the Browns, 7-6. The Yanks score the winning run in the top of the 10th when Gil McDougald crashes into Courtney and dislodges the ball from his grasp. Seeking payback in the home 10th, Courtney barrels into Phil Rizzuto at second base as he tries to stretch a single into a double. His ploy doesn't work-the Scooter holds the ball but gets badly spiked for his trouble. Both benches quickly empty, Courtney is tackled by combative infielder Billy Martin and several other skirmishes ensure. The fans start tossing pop bottles, and a forfeit is very nearly declared by the umpires before tempers subside long enough to finish the game.

Birthdays:
Tom Browning b. 1960
Mark Bavaro b. 1963
Barry Larkin b. 1964
John Daly b. 1966
Nicklas Lidstrom b. 1970

Packers Fact:
Billy Howton is the only Packers' player to post a 1,000-yard receiving season as a rookie (1,231 yards in 1952).

4/291/955:
Bernard "the Executioner" Hopkins claims the vacant IBF middleweight title with a seventh-round TKO over Segundo Mercado of Ecuador at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Hopkins' punching power, especially with his lethal right-hand leads, stops Segundo tonight and sends his career into freefall-he'll lose 8 of his last 10 bouts, all by knockout, before retiring. He and Hopkins had battled to a draw last December in Quito, Ecuador, but many attributed the American's lackluster effort there to his failure to train for the high altitude-9,350 feet above sea level.

Birthdays:
George Allen b. 1922
Luis Aparicio b. 1934
Jim Ryun b. 1947
Dale Earnhardt Sr. b. 1952
Andre Agassi b. 1970

Packers Fact:
For the first time since 1986, the Packers did not make a pick in the first round of the draft in 2008. They sent the choice (No. 30 overall) to the Jets in exchange for picks in the second and fourth rounds.


http://www.spaceagepop.com/
Suave Sounds
You've bought the modern furniture and the leopard skin rug. Now all your bachelor pad needs is the right music to set the mood. This site will introduce you to the musicians and classics of space-age poop, cocktail music, and exotica, such as tiki music that flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. With a selection of hard-to-find pop hits by Dick Hyman, Sammy Kaye, and others.

http://www.tomgiesler.com/myanatomy.html
His Anatomy
Tom Giesler is not the first contemporary pop artist to paint pictures of humans or animals with their inner anatomy showing. But he might be the first to create a whimsical human anatomy atlas portraying himself doing ordinary stuff while peeling back his own skin for educational display.


MASTER OF THE MASTERSIt’s that time of year again, and to commemorate it, let us bring to your attention Ron Green Sr., who has been writing about the Masters tournament for more than 50 years. His popular Shouting at Amen Corner: Dispatches from the World’s Greatest Golf Tournament is a collection of his pieces on the subject going back to 1955. In The Masters he gives us a picturesque overview with lots of heart and detail, from the peach cobbler they serve in the clubhouse to some of golf’s greatest moments that played out on Augusta National’s course.

THE MASTERS: 101 REASONS TO LOVE GOLF’S GREATEST TOURNAMENT, by Ron Green Sr. (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008)

NOBEL WINNERS

What do J. M. Coetzee, José Saramago, Imre Kertész, and Orhan Pamuk (all reviewed in this calendar) have in common? They’re winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature. These essays from the last 20 years of the prize make for some pretty heady reading, and they cover a wide range of subjects and points of view, some controversial, all beautifully written and crystallized. The lectures in physics make a wonderful companion volume.

NOBEL LECTURES: FROM THE LITERATURE LAUREATES, 1986 TO 2006, (New Press, 2007)

NOBEL LECTURES: PHYSICS, 2001 TO 2005; edited by Gosta Ekspong (World Scientific, 2008)

CLOVIS

Brasserie Dubuisson Frères, Pipaix, Belgium

Made by Dubuisson, makers of Scaldis, Clovis is the name for this American export. In Belgium, it is called “Bush 7%,” which presumably might be confused with “Busch.” But seriously, one whiff, and you’d never make that mistake! It has a rather sweet aroma, slightly fruity, mainly of apples. The palate is light and refreshingly crisp. There’s some very subtle coriander hiding behind malt fruitiness, with a slight “round” alcohol character in the finish and a lingering sweetness. Doesn’t have the chewy, cereal flavor, aromatic spiciness or finishing tartness of a witbier, but that’s the style it comes closest to.

RED HORSE ALE

Sacramento Brewing Co., Sacramento, California

This Bronze medal–winning red (2008 World Beer Cup, American-style Amber/Red Ale) is a deep copper-brown, with a dense and attractive head of foam. A malty aroma is followed by a medium to full-bodied, malt-accented flavor with an initially shy hop personality. As enjoyment continues, hop characters become more clearly stated—and celebrated. A slight acidic tang from darker-roast malted grains contributes complexity, leaving behind a very smooth aftertaste with a wee bit of a hop bite.

BREWING TIP:

Wheat malt or wheat malt extract can add haze to a beer, but when used sparingly, it can add body as well as foam retention.

Sports Fact of the Day 4/18-4/27/2010

4/18/1969:
Cuban refugee Jose "Mantequilla" Napolee knocks out Curtis Cokes to win the world welterweight championship at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Cheered on by a predominantly Latino crowd, Napoles (53-4) had Cokes (58-10) backing up the entire fight as he fended off waves of punches. There are no knockdowns, but Cokes cannot answer the bell in the 14th round; his eyes are swollen shut and the bout is rightfully stopped.

Birthdays:
Don Ohi b. 1936
Pete Gogolak b. 1942
Wilber Marshall b. 1962
Rico Brogan b. 1970
Haile Gabrselassie b. 1973

4/19/1972:
Just one night after colliding with Willie McCovey at first base and suffering bruised ribs (McCovey received a broken arm), San Diego Padres center fielder John Jeter is back in the lineup and cracks a two-run, game-winning homer off Juan Marichal to lead the Padres to a 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants. The loss sends Marichal into a terrible tailspin: he'll lose eight straight decisions and will finish the year 6-16, by far the worst season of his career.

Birthdays:
Jack Pardee b. 1936
Alexis Arguello b. 1952
Frank Viola b. 1960
Joe Mauer b. 1983
Maria Sharapova b. 1987

Packers Fact:
Safety Eugene Robinson helped spark a 23-10 victory over the 49ers in the 1997 NFC title game with an interception and 58-yard return in the first half.

4/20/1966:
Inexorably moving toward Babe Ruth's lifetime record of 714 home runs, Atlanta Braves slugger Hank Aaron hits his 400th homer at Connien Mack Stadium in an 8-1 rout of the Phillies. Aaron hits two homers in the contest: #399 off Ray Culp in the first inning and his milestone clout, a shot over the roof in left field in the ninth off Bo Belinsky. Aaron will lead the National League in homers (44) and RBIs (127) this season and will go on to lead the league in those two categories four times each during his career before retiring in 1976 as baseball's all-time home run leader (755).

Birthdays:
Ernie Stautner b. 1925
Harry Agganis b. 1930
Steve Spurrier b. 1945
Don Mattingly b. 1961
Tai Streets b. 1977

Packers Fact:
With 119 yards in Week 10 of 2007, the Packers' Ryan Grant was the only player to rush for more than 100 yards against the Vikings' top-ranked run defense that season.

4/21/1951:
Staving off a resilient New York Knocks team that had erased a 3-0 deficit to force a seventh game in the NBA finals, the Rochester Royals win the title, 79-75, at the Edgerton Park Sports Arena in upstate New York. Bob Davies' two free throws in the final minute prove decisive after the Knicks overcame a 14-point Royals lead to briefly go ahead. Arnie Risen has 24 points to lead Rochester to its first and only NBA title; the franchise will move to Cincinnati after the 1957-58 season.

Birthdays:
Gary Peters b. 1937
Al Bumbry b. 1947
Jesse Orosco b. 1957
Vincent Lecavalier b. 1963
Ed Belfour b. 1965

Packers Fact:
Donald Driver entered the 2008 season with at least 1 catch in 95 consecutive games. Sterling Sharpe held the club mark at 103 games. He built his streak from 1988 to 1994.

4/22/1967:
After an upset loss last week in the Gotham Stakes, Damascus bounces back to win the Wood Memorial by six lengths at Aqueduct. It's the final tune-up for Damascus before the Triple Crown races, in which he'll run third in the Kentucky Derby but go on to win the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes (a special moment for jockey Bill Shoemaker, who had also ridden Damascus' sire, Sword Dancer, to victory in the Belmont in 1959). He'll finish in the money in all 16 of his starts as a three-year-old, lead the money earnings list and earn recognition as Horse of the Year.

Birthdays:
Spencer Haywood b. 1949
Terry Francona b. 1959
Freeman McNeil b. 1959
Jeff Hostetler b. 1961
Jimmy Key b. 1961

Packers Fact:
The Packers selected quarterback Bart Starr in the 17th round of the 1956 NFL draft. The future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee was the 200th overall pick that year.

4/23/1949:
This week's cover of The Saturday Evening Post features Norman Rockwell's The Three Umpires, depicting National League arbiters Larry Goetz, Beans Reardon and Lou Jordan in conference over whether a ball game at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn should continue under rainy conditions. The now-classic artwork had its basis in actual baseball history: a 1941 incident when the weather was so bad that Pirates manager Frankie Frisch came out to protest with an umbrella. Not only was the Fordham Flash ejected for his sarcastic remarks that day, but play continued and Pittsburgh got swept in a doubleheader.

Birthdays:
Jim Bottomley b. 1900
Warren Spahn b. 1921
Tony Esposito b. 1943
Gail Goodrich b. 1943
Andruw Jones b. 1977

Packers Fact:
Lynn Dickey passed for four touchdowns in the Packers' 41-16 rout of the Cardinals in the opening round of the 1992 Super Bowl tournament. John Jefferson was on the receiving end of 2 of those tosses.

4/24/2002:
Shawn Bates scores on a penalty shot with only 2-1/2 minutes left to give the New York Islanders a 4-3 victory over Toronto and a 2-2 deadlock in their first-round Stanley Cup series. Unfortunately for the Isles and their long-suffering fans, feisty center Michael Peca will be sidelined by a Darcy Tucker hip check in the next game and the Maple Leafs eventually win the series in seven games.

Birthdays:
Vince Ferragamo b. 1954
Omar Vizuel b. 1967
Chipper Jones b. 1972
Eric Snow b. 1973
Carlos Beltran b. 1977

Packers Fact:
The Packers' 53-man, kickoff weekend roster for 2008 featured 41 players who had been with the club in '07.

4/25/1992:
Four world-class sprinters racing for the Santa Monica Track Club (SMTC) combine to set a new world record in the 800-meter relay at the Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Mike Marsh, Leroy Burrell, Floyd Heard and Carl Lewis fly through the two laps around the track in 1:19.11, bettering the 1:19.38 time posted by Burrell. Heard, Lewis and Danny Everett (first leg), running for the SMTC in 1989. Just over an hour earlier, the same four runners also won the 400-meter relay in a meet record time of 38.79 seconds.

Birthdays:
Meadowlark Lemon b. 1932
Vladislav Trotlak b. 1952
Darren Woodson b. 1969
Jacque Jones b. 1975
Tim Duncan b. 1976

Heroically living up to the hype of his considerable self-promotion by performing prodigious deeds on the ballfield, Reggie Jackson once reflected: "Sometimes I underestimate the magnitude of me."

Birthdays:
Harry Gallatin b. 1927
Nino Benvenuti b. 1938
Donna deVarona b. 1947
Mike Scott b. 1955
Natrone Means b. 1972

Packers Fact:
Safety Atari Bigby intercepted a pass in the final minute to seal the Packers' 24-19 victory over Minnesota on a Monday night on kickoff weekend in 2008.

4/27/1975:
Rookie right wing Danny Gare scores at 4:42 of the first overtime at the Aud to give Buffalo a 6-5 victory over Montreal in the first game of their Stanley Cup semifinal series. After scoring 31 goals during his rookie campaign, Gare beats Canadiens goalie Ken Dryden with a wrist shot after the Sabres' great team speed sets up a three-on-two break out of their own zone. In only their fifth season as an expansion franchise, the Sabres will defeat Montreal in six games and advance to the Cup finals, where they'll bow to the Philadelphia Flyers, also in six games.

Birthdays:
Enos Slaughter b. 1916
Lee Roy Jordan b. 1941
Keith Magnuson b. 1947
George Gervin b. 1952
Herman Edwards b. 1954

Packers Fact:
The University of Minnesota has produced the most first-round draft picks (7, entering 2009) in Packers' franchise history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEK-31eSUOU
A Night to Remember
For sheer uniqueness, Tom Lynskey's all-Lego animated version of the Titanic disaster sinks the competition.

http://www.defectiveyeti.com/crp/
Cliche Exchange
Silence is golden, but if you're not as happy as a clam with the cliches you hear every day, you can jump on the bandwagon at this site and suggest a new one of your own. Don't be afraid to think outside the box. With a link to more cliches than you can shake a stick at if you can't think of one off the top of your head. That's it in a nutshell.

http://ifoundyourcamera.blogspot.com/
Be Careful What You Shoot
The webmaster at this site found your camera, developed your pictures, and posted them on the Internet in the hope of reuniting you with your lost treasures. With success stories of orphan pictures found.

http://www.artgarfunkel.com/
The Art of Reading
Singer Art Garfunkel has inspired millions with his music. And if you're casting about for a good read, he can help there as well. At this site you can peruse a chronological list of every book Art's read for the past forty years, along with a list of his special favorites.

http://rippin-kitten.blogspot.com/2007/02/washing-cat.html
Klean Kitties
Think those rabbits we sent you to last month looked mad? They're angels compared to the wet cats at this site. Also included are instructions for washing a cat that must have been written by a dog.

http://www.feedthehead.net/
Feed the Head
You never know what's going to happen when you click on the head. Knock on the forehead and a projector plays a film that yields balls. Feed the balls to the head and watch wings or arms sprout on the scalp. And keep pulling off the nose for all sorts of surprises.

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/08/some-of-worlds-strangest-fences.html
Border Art
We already know that good fences make good neighbors. After a visit to this site you'll also realize that strange fences make interesting art.

http://www.peepresearch.org/smoking.html
Marshmallow Indulgences
Although combining its vices reduced this purple peep to a "ball of charred goo," it looked like it was having a good time indulging in the pleasures of alcohol and smokes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brittnybadger/sets/72157606728017373/
Hidden Parts
If you've ever wondered what the guts of your blender or can opener looked like, wonder no more. The photographer at this site disassembled a dozen household appliances and arranged all the pieces into modern compositions that you can purchase and display.

Book Rec of the Day 4/18-4/27/2010

WISEGUYS, STOOGES, AND DAMESOtto Penzler, proprietor of NYC’s Mysterious Bookshop, may well be the greatest crime fiction fan in the world. In this very big collection (more than 1,000 pages), he brings together works by the great (Cain, Chandler, Hammett, Gardner) and the not so great who had their great days nonetheless. The offerings include a previously unpublished story by Hammett and a novel by the man who invented the hard-boiled detective Carroll John Daly. A book to keep you in guilty pleasures for some time.

THE BLACK LIZARD BIG BOOK OF PULPS: THE BEST CRIME STORIES FROM THE PULPS DURING THEIR GOLDEN AGE—THE ’20S, ’30S, AND ’40S; edited by Otto Penzler (Vintage, 2007)

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHE

Peter Carey (Oscar and Lucinda; Bliss; My Life as a Fake) trains his tragicomic eye on a group of radical hippies in the 1970s. A woman named Dial appears in New York, where seven-year-old Che Selkirk lives with his grandmother, and takes him to his mother in a hippie commune in Australia. The naïve young boy emerges stronger and tougher in the Outback so lovingly rendered by Carey.

HIS ILLEGAL SELF, by Peter Carey (Knopf, 2008)

WHAT THE RESTORATION RESTORED

The irresistible title of this historical romance pretty much captures its bodice-ripping essence. A great beauty, Barbara Villiers, wife of Robert Palmer, gets herself noticed by one of history’s most notorious royal rakes, Charles II. She enjoys a lustful affair with him and gains influence and wealth, as well as a number of powerful and envious enemies.

ROYAL HARLOT: A NOVEL OF THE COUNTESS CASTLEMAINE AND KING CHARLES II, by Susan Holloway Scott (New American Library, 2007)

THE PROSPECT BEFORE US

Happy Earth Day! Not too happy, though. It’s time to get serious, actually. The temperature is rising. Degree by degree, Mark Lynas shows us what we will have to contend with as the climate undergoes its CO₂-induced upheavals. Melting glaciers, desertification, rising seas—it’s all laid out in uncomfortable detail in this well-researched wake-up call.

SIX DEGREES: OUR FUTURE ON A HOTTER PLANET, by Mark Lynas (National Geographic, 2008)

O BRAVE NEW WORLD

This year, in honor of the Bard’s birthday, we would like to suggest that instead of rereading Hamlet, you have a look at Nigel Cliff’s captivating study The Shakespeare Riots. Hundreds of years after Hamlet first pondered the futility of existence, Americans started a riot—a serious one that resulted in 20 deaths—over two actors’ different interpretations of Denmark’s morbid prince. And Cliff ranges further than that bit of extreme bardolatry—from London’s Covent Garden to New York gangsters to appreciation of the master on the American frontier. An informative and entertaining read.

THE SHAKESPEARE RIOTS: REVENGE, DRAMA, AND DEATH IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY AMERICA, by Nigel Cliff (Random House, 2007)

NOT SO LUSH LIFE

In this first-person narrative, the nameless down-and-out protagonist must find $12,000 and pull his life back together in four days. He’s a black man with a white Boston Brahman wife. He has struggled through a lifetime of alcoholism, racism, pain, and despair. He’s also a natural-born writer, and his wife and children love him, but will that be enough to save him? The New York Times named Man Gone Down one of the year’s ten best books.

MAN GONE DOWN, by Michael Thomas (Black Cat, 2006)

THE VIENNA STRANGLER

In this chilling, true-life crime story, a dapper, charming Jack Unterweger kills a woman in Vienna and is sent to prison. While there he becomes a novelist who gains the favor of Vienna’s literati, who agitate for his early release. After he is set free, he strangles 11 more women, all the while reporting on the efforts of the police to track down the murderer. John Leake has exhaustively researched his subject and tells his utterly compelling story with fine, dispassionate detail.

ENTERING HADES: THE DOUBLE LIFE OF A SERIAL KILLER, by John Leake (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007)

I LIKE MY WAR COLD

Alcoholic British diplomat Charlie Van der Linden has been assigned to Washington. It’s 1960; the cold war is going full tilt, Nixon and Kennedy are debating each other, and Eisenhower is improving his golf game. Enter New York journalist Frank Renzo. Charlie’s wife, Mary, falls for him, and it gets complicated. Sebastian Faulks renders the era with absorbing and convincing detail and his characters with a moving, sympathetic humanity.

ON GREEN DOLPHIN STREET, by Sebastian Faulks (Vintage, 2003)

OERBIER

De Dolle Brouwers, Esen, Belgium

Oerbier is sweet in taste, all the way to the finish, with lots of fruity esters in the aroma. Pleasant and sophisticated, though you may have trouble downing more than one or two—like the other Dolle Brouwers beers, it’s on the heavy side, weighing in at 7.5%/vol. And if you find yourself in Esen, Belgium, this is a personable little family brewery to tour, with a charming pub for sampling.

DUCHESSE DE BOURGOGNE

Brouwerij Verhaeghe Vichte, Flanders, Belgium

Smooth caramel-malt sweetness vies with a supple sourness and some hints of vanilla oak. A mellow sugar/acid complexity makes a whispered comparison to a good Modena balsamic—indeed, this wood-aged beer has much in common with that venerable vinegar. This is one of the best examples of the Oud Bruin or Flanders red ale being made today. If you find a bottle, it won’t be cheap, but get it anyway. Not terribly strong at 6.2%/vol., but so interesting and complex, you may be tempted to put down a few.

BEER FACT

Duchesse is named in honor Mary of Burgundy, the sole daughter of Charles the Bold. Born in Brussels in 1457, she died tragically young in a horse-riding accident.

SAMUEL SMITH’S OLD BREWERY PALE ALE

Samuel Smith Old Brewery, Tadcaster, England

Unlike Sam Smith’s Nut Brown, this is not a buttery beer. Diacetyl is here, as a result of both yeast and brewing process, but it isn’t the focus. As tradition dictates, hops and malt play the lead roles. The ale’s deep amber hue may make you wonder at the name—but pale ale was initially dubbed in contrast to porter, the most common working man’s beer, so pale was a relative term. Complexly malty up front in flavor, with flowery English hops, and a terse, hoppy finish, this particular pale ale from the northern reaches of York has survived among countless challengers in a country of beer drinkers and won favor the world over. And when you taste it, you’ll realize why.

PULQUE LA LUCHA

Distribuidora International de Pulque, Pachuca, Mexico

This looks like a bottle of beer. But it isn’t. Pulque (pronounced “PULL-kay”) is the fermented juice of the maguey, or agave plant, best known as an intermediate product in the making of tequila. But it’s a much older drink than tequila and it’s far more nutritious! The resulting buzz is as unique as the flavor, which is why it was a mainstay in the religious ceremonies of the indigenous peoples of Mexico. When you pull the cold bottle out of the fridge, shake it well. (Don’t worry, it’s not carbonated.) When most of the sediment kicks up to turn it a milky white color, it’s ready to drink. The aroma is musty, yeasty, tart, and a bit fruity. The taste has a fresh fruitiness and a mouthwatering tartness. Finishes with a tangy, slightly chalky bite. Definitely not beer, but about as refreshing a beverage as you’ll find: raw, earthy, and spritzy.

O’HARA’S IRISH STOUT

Carlow Brewing Co., Carlow, Ireland

Hmm, what name is synonymous with Irish stout? O’hara’s, you say? Well, okay, that may not be the name that leaps immediately to mind, but this little brewery has an admirable determination to quality and tradition. At a meager 4.3%/vol., O’hara’s spot-on version of Irish dry stout boasts gobs of flavor with little alcohol. Unlike some of the bigger players in the Irish stout market, however, the drinker is actually confronted with hop aroma as well as a firm bitterness. Floral UK hops mingle with roast barley and molasses aromas before roast grain and chocolate flavors attack. A dry, enticingly bitter finish follows. A session stout, but one with huge complexity and a startling freshness.

LAND SHARK LAGER

Anheuser-Busch (InBev), St. Louis, Missouri

This premium-style lager may seem familiar on many levels: its clear glass longneck bottle, its pallor, its tropical-themed label. Foam is unsurprisingly white, with a whipped egg-white consistency, but it lingers. No sign of any skunky, light-damaged character, and for a beer stored in a clear bottle, that’s something. Light grainy flavor, but clean—all to say that this beer falls squarely into the “ice-cold thirst-quenching beer for hot fishing trips and lounging in the sand” category. Marketed by Margaritaville Brewing Co., Jacksonville, Florida.

MAREDSOUS 8 BIERE D’ABBAYE

Duvel Moortgat, Puurs, Antwerpen, Belgium

This brown abbey beer is on the heavy side at 8%/vol., and rather sweet, with a clean, simple brown-sugar aroma that carries through in flavor and finish. The higher alcohol content makes for a dry, balanced finish. Strong, yet humble by comparison to other Belgian abbey beers.

CUVEE DE L’ERMITAGE

Brouwerijen Alken-Maes, Waarloos, Belgium

An amber ale with a wonderfully rich malt aroma, this cuvée is not unlike classic Scotch ale—with a good helping of Belgian ester complexity. The malts are very well-balanced with the bitterness of the alcohol. The more you drink it, the more it warms. One of the better Belgian strong ales, and that’s saying quite a lot. An updated label now includes the Grimbergen crest.

STAROBRNO CZECH LAGER

Starobrno Brewery, Brno, Czech Republic

Like the Germans and Austrians, the Czechs have a deep-rooted love for lager, and they craft some of the finest examples in the world. Bohemian Pils is one of the most essential of beer styles, and fortunately it’s still made by several traditional breweries, Starobrno being one of them. Unlike Pilsner Urquell, Starobrno leans more toward malt than hops. A deep gold color, its carbonation is as soft as the water used to brew it. Malt flavors are full, delicate and sophisticated, with floral noble hops contributing. The finish is clean and lingering. A stellar example not just of Czech beer, but of beer in general.

BEER QUOTE

“Put it back in the horse!”
—H. ALLEN SMITH, UPON TASTING HIS FIRST AMERICAN BEER

WEYERBACHER DOUBLE SIMCOE IPA

Weyerbacher Brewing Co., Easton, Pennsylvania

Amber hop–infused and hazy, this double IPA is topped by an extraordinarily lush head of lingering foam. A gentle grassy, grainy aroma emerges. What next? Full hop bitterness, assertive up front and in the aftermath. This beer is chewy and full-bodied, but lacking in malt-accented balance. A full-fat (cheesy, creamy, fried) dining experience would counter the assertive hop bite. Hungry?

BEER FACT

Beer haze can have many causes, but some of the most common are proteins, hop compounds, and yeast. Boiling the beer for a long time and chilling it quickly can help clarity, as can aging it in a cold place for several weeks before bottling. There are also clarification aids called “finings” that you can add during the boil (carrageenan or Irish moss), or after the beer is fermented (unflavored gelatin or a preparation of sturgeon swim bladder called isinglass).

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/11-4/17/2010

4/11/1971:
After the Mets receive 12 walks in 10 innings and leave 13 men on base in a scoreless tie, catcher Jerry Grote says "enough of this." Leading off the last of the 11th inning, he homers off Wayne Granger to give New York a 1-0 victory over Cincinnati. Tom Seaver goes the first nine innings for the Mets, allowing only three hits and fanning 10, and closer Tug McGraw gets the win. Granger, the 1969 and '70 National League Fireman of the Year, loses his third game of the young season as defending NL champion Cincinnati drops to 0-4.

Birthdays:
Jake Gaither b. 1903
Bret Saberhagen b. 1964
Jason Varitek b. 1972
Trot Nixon b. 1974
Kelvim Escobar b. 1976

4/12/1942:
Detroit Red Wings head coach Jack Adams erupts like a volcano after his club fails to close out the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup finals. Leading the series 3-0 and the fourth game 2-0 on home ice at the Olympia, the Red Wings not only fritter away this game, 4-3, but are also whistled for several penalties in the closing moments by referee Mel Harwood. Infuriated, Adams charges across the ice at game's end and takes several swings at Harwood. After that scuffle is broken up, he breaks into the officials' locker room to continue his harangue. He'll be suspended for the balance of this series by NHL president Frank Calder, and the Red Wings will completely fall apart. They'll lose the series, four games to three, becoming the first pro team in any sport to squander a 3-0 series advantage.

Birthdays:
Joe Lapchick b. 1900
Johnny Antonelli b. 1930
Mike Garrett b. 1944
Mike Macfarlane b. 1964
Adam Graves b. 1968

Packers Fact:
Before Mason Crosby did it in 2007, kicker Chester Marcol was the last Packers' player to lead the NFL in scoring He had a league-best 94 points in 1974.

4/13/1954:
After missing two seasons for military service, Willie Mays returns to the major leagues and delights an Opening Day crowd at the Polo Grounds with a solo home run that leads the Giants to a 4-3 victory over Brooklyn. It's only a taste of what's in store at Coogan's Bluff this summer. Mays will win the National League batting title (.345) while hitting 41 homers and amassing 110 RBIs. He'll win the MVP award and lead the Giants to the World Series title in a four-game sweep over Cleveland.

Birthdays:
Flash Hollett b. 1912
Bob Devaney b. 1915
Davis Love III b. 1964
Bo Outlaw b. 1971
Baron Davis b. 1979

Packers Fact:
Paul HOrnung was a Pro Football Hall of Fame halfback, but the versatile star ran for more than 100 yards in a game only three times in 104 career regular-season games in the Packers' balanced attack.

4/14/1989:
Yankee manager Dallas Green leaves young left-hander Al Leiter in for 162 pitches (9 walks and 10 strikeouts) on a damp and dreary night at Yankee Stadium as a "learning experience" and very likely sabotages his career. Leiter gets the victory, 8-5 over Minnesota, but two weeks later he'll be dealt to Toronto for outfielder Jesse Barfield. Shortly thereafter, Leiter will be forced to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder and will appear in only nine games for the Blue Jays over the next four years. He finally gets his health together by the 1993 season, pitches a no-hitter for Florida in 1996 and eventually wins 162 games in his career (including 10 or more victories for 10 straight years). In retrospect, however, his potential was compromised on that rainy night in the Bronx, an episode that still resonates as a "poster child" for strict adherence to regulating pitch counts in modern-day baseball.

Birthdays:
Pete Rose b. 1941
Cynthia Cooper b. 1963
David Justice b. 1966
Greg Maddux b. 1966
Steve Chiasson b. 1967

Packers Fact:
Packers retired uniform No. 14 in honor of end Don Hutson.

As a tennis prodigy, Rafael Nadal of Spain repeatedly received this advice from his uncle and coach, Tony Nadal: "Stay hungry, stay humble."

Birthdays:
Evelyn Ashford b. 1957
Kevin Stevens b. 1965
Jeremy Burnitz b. 1969
Phillippi Sparks b. 1969
Jason Sehorn b. 1971

Packers Fact:
The Packers won seven consecutive road games during the 2006-07 seasons, marking the first time in 40 years that they forged such a streak away from home.

4/16/1988:
Dale Hunter scores the series-winning goal at 5:57 of sudden-death overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers to clinch their Patrick Division semifinal-round Stanley Cup playoff series in seven games. With the win, the Caps complete two astonishing comebacks-from a 3-1 disadvantage in this series and a 3-0 deficit in this game. Hunter, acquired from the Quebec Nordiques last summer to instill some toughness in the often languid Caps, takes a pass from Larry Murphy, splits the Flyers defense and beats goalie Ron Hextall to send the Capital Centre crowd into delirium.

Birthdays:
Dick "Night Train" Lane b. 1928
Rich Rollins b. 1938
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar b. 1947
Bill Belichick b. 1952
Luol Deng b. 1985

Packers Fact:
Wide receiver Donald Driver was the longest-tenured player on the Packers' kickoff weekend roster in 2008. He originally joined the club as a seventh-round draft pick in 1999.

4/17/2000:
Kenya's Elijah Lagat sprints to the tape and just nips Gezahenge Abera of Ethiopia in the closest finish ever in the 104th running of the Boston Marathon. Two-time winner Moses Tanui of Kenya started his finishing kick a bit too soon and has to settle for third place. In the women's division, Catherine Ndereba of Kenya emerges as the winner, stopping Fatuma Roba's bid to win this event for a fourth straight year.

Birthdays:
Geoff Petrie b. 1948
Borje Salming b. 1951
Boomer Esiason b. 1961
Ken Daneyko b. 1964
Theo Ratliff b. 1973

Birthdays:
The NFL instituted overtime to settle regular-season ties beginning with the 1974 season, but three of the first five times the Packers went an extra session, overtime failed to produce a winner.

http://www.dieselairhorns.com/sounds.html
Track Sounds
Forget your cares for a minute or two at this site, where you can sit back, closer your eyes, and pretend you're a hobo riding the rails, as you hear the sound of freedom captured in the horns of dozens of locomotives moving down the tracks.

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/02/crazy-weird-asian-pizza-crusts-japanese-korean-hong-kong.html
Eastern Pizza
Pizza in the Far East is a far cry from pies at your local place. At this site you can whet your appetite for Pizza Hut's Whole Shrimp Cheese Bite, with a ring of shrimp sitting atop a layer of cheese-stuffed dough; Mr. Pizza's Shrimp Nude, which replaces the crust with a moat full of cream cheese mousse; the healthful Mizza Rice Crust pizza, whose entire crust is replaced by a layer of flavored rice; and the heart attack-inducing German King, whose crust envelops a cholesterol-rich trio of sausage, bacon, and cheese.

http://wheelof.com/lunch/
Wheel of Lunch
Stomach's starting to grumble and you can't figure out where to go for lunch? Put your zip code in the box and let the wheel decide.

http://www.fridgewatcher.com/
Fridgewatcher
If we are what we eat, what does our refrigerator say about us? That we're neat? Messy? Or so crammed with stuff that we're ready to explode? This site shines, a light on the inside of fridges from around the world, with comments by the owners and fridge talk from visitors to the site.

http://www.tax.org/Museum/default.htm
Deep in the Heart of Taxes
You know you have no choice but to cough up the dough today. Even our commander in chief has to pay up, as you can see at this site.

http://www.stardoll.com/en/dolls-games/
Rising Garb
Wow-a paper doll that's actually hotter than Angelina Jolie!

http://www.brokenself.com/
Shattering Site
It looks like nothing's going on until you click your mouse-then watch out! Good if you're in the mood for some harmless destruction.

VIVA ROMA

Unlike diet food, books that are “good for you” can be just as delicious as fluff. It’s astounding how much of an influence the Latin language and, by extension, Roman ideas and ideals continue to exert on us. Whether you want a nostalgic visit to your more innocent (and better-read) days or an eye-opening intro to the beauties of an ancient culture that underlies your own, you’ll find lots of fun goodies in this volume.

CARPE DIEM: PUT A LITTLE LATIN IN YOUR LIFE, by Harry Mount (Hyperion, 2007)

ART IS HELL

Whereas Penelope wove and unraveled her tapestry and hoped for the return of her husband, Odysseus, war photographer Andres Faulques is home from bloody battles and bereft of his lover. Locking himself away in a stone tower, he works on an ambitious mural, sinking his gruesome memories and anguished dreams into the painting. He’s also being stalked by an enemy from his past. A stylish thriller from Spanish novelist Arturo Pérez-Reverte (The Club Dumas; The Queen of the South; and the Captain Alatriste series).

THE PAINTER OF BATTLES, by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, translated from the Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden (Random House, 2008)

A HOME RUN

Bill Littlefield is known to many as a sports commentator who has hosted WBUR-Boston’s and National Public Radio’s weekly Only a Game for 15 years. Both the stories and the storytelling are top-notch in this collection of essays covering specific sports figures, issues that affect sports, and Littlefield’s unique, humorous, sharp perspectives.

ONLY A GAME, by Bill Littlefield (Bison Books, 2007)

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

Want to know what was in the army’s file on Jimi Hendrix? (He thought about his guitar too much, for one thing.) Or about Lou Costello’s porn collection? Nick Redfern, using the Freedom of Information Act, has gone through a slew of government files and pulled out the best celebrity dirt for our voyeuristic delectation. The spied upon range from George Burns to Princess Diana. Some of it titillates, some of it is absurd, but in the end, more is revealed about the FBI and its sister agencies than is revealed about their subjects.

CELEBRITY SECRETS: OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT FILES ON THE RICH AND FAMOUS, by Nick Redfern (Paraview Pocket Books, 2007)

GOOD TIMES, BAD TIMES

Many book critics acclaim Richard Price as the master of dialogue, but he is the master of a lot more than that. This novel about murder on the once impoverished and now trendy and gentrifying Lower East Side of New York reveals the underside of city life with a depth of knowledge and insight that most other crime writers, or writers, period, can only envy.

LUSH LIFE, by Richard Price (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008)

OUR BODIES, OURSELVES

To quote Picasso, “One starts to get young at the age of sixty, and then it’s too late.” David Shields (Body Politic: The Great American Sports Machine) gives us wise snippets from Lauren Bacall, Cicero, and Woody Allen, among many others. He also supplies tons of statistics and facts about aging and the ages of man and explores the relationship between parent and child—in particular, himself, his son, and his father, who was 90 at the time of publication—in this quirky, moving “autobiography” of the body.

THE THING ABOUT LIFE IS THAT ONE DAY YOU’LL BE DEAD, by David Shields (Knopf, 2008)

BLUE MOON PALE MOON

MillerCoors Brewing Co., Golden, Colorado

Crystal-clear shiny copper translucence. A wispy head that stands the test of time. A sweet, gentle aroma with notes of indiscernible spice gives way to a chewy body and mouthfeel with immediate sour impact and a lingering impression. Sourness is vaguely fruity, but what fruit? Bitterness is also in there—unassociated with any hop flavor—along with a slightly acidic aftertaste. This is smooth drinkability for those seeking minimal hop impact. Brewed by MillerCoors as Blue Moon Brewing Co.

ORVAL

Brasserie d’Orval, Villers d’Orval, Belgium

A true Trappist beer will inspire a heavenly rapture in any beer lover, but Orval is something special even in that rare company. Its distinctive bowling-pin bottle, a hefty little vessel that’s as original as its contents, features a modest diamond-shaped label with a fish and a gold ring. The unusual aroma is a cascade of Brettanomyces pungency, malt, and a touch of flowery hops. You may detect a slight tartness—don’t be scared, it’s all part of the program. Here comes a gentle hop flavor, a musty, malt cellar character, and a finish of bold hop dryness. This is a unique, masterful drink, refreshing and unforgettable; it redefines your impression of how beer should taste, and that’s a beautiful thing. As it ages, the yeast character intensifies, then diminishes after ten years.

HOP BACK AMBER ALE

Tröegs Brewing Co., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Here’s an American-style amber with a deep, reddish-orange color and brilliant clarity. The foam in this modestly carbonated drink is off-white, with light coverage. The use of hopback hopping produces a nice, rich hop aroma with a piney freshness, but there’s also plenty of caramel malt. The fresh hops carry through to the flavor, though they taper off somewhat, as does the caramel. But the two still retain a good balance, resulting in a surprisingly light, refreshing palate, with just a touch of hop bitterness in the finish. At 6%/vol., this beer is easy to knock back, even with all its hop bravado. Hop Back has the freshness of a harvest ale, but it still drinks like an amber. Impressive.

BELGIAN WHITE

Long Trail Brewing Co., Bridgewater Corners, Vermont

Wheat-hazed, with a remarkably attractive head, this brew gives off an assertive and exciting aroma of coriander and lemongrass. Wow. Follow that up with the taste of lemony fruitiness with minimal acidity and a subtle and balanced hop bite to enhance the quench factor. Flavor mirrors aroma, quite memorably so. Nicely balanced and worthy of “classic” designation, this beer would go wonderfully with spicy and aromatic Asian curries. Love the coriander.

SUDS SOURCE

The Longtrail Brewing Company’s spacious Riverside Visitor Center was inspired by the Hofbräu House in Munich, Germany. The pub menu offers soups and starters, as well as burgers, brats, and sandwiches. The Visitor Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with pub fare served from 11 to 5.

FULL SAIL LIMITED EDITION LAGER

Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, Oregon

Reviewers love those “seasonal,” “special” and “limited edition” beers. They lie off the beaten path, where brewers are allowed to deviate from their everyday lineup and let their imaginations run roughshod. This Full Sail brewing experiment is a reddish-amber lager that, by accident or design, closely resembles a classic but now hard-to-find style: the famous Graf Vienna, which today is most widely available from a few Mexican breweries. Full, round malt, delicate traces of noble hops . . . It’s smooth as glass thanks to refined lager cultures and extensive cold conditioning, with a lightness of body that makes you look forward to the next glass. Premium lager pales in comparison. Grab this “LTD Series” amber lager while you still can—it’s a rare and precious gift.

EISENBAHN SOUTH AMERICAN PALE ALE

Cerevejaria Sudbrack Ltda, Blumenau, Brazil

An all-malt pale ale from Brazil? Proof again that the craft brewery movement is alive and well across the globe. This full-flavored ale puts less emphasis on hops than its North American brethren, but the huge malt character offers all the complexity you could ask for. A slight whiff of diacetyl suggests butter or butterscotch. Sturdy but still refreshing, and the amber bronze color tips you off from the beginning: This is no watered-down cereal beer. Only gently carbonated, with rich foam painting a lasting filigree down the glass. Only slightly balanced toward malt, the finish is long, with a touch of butterscotch.

BEER QUOTE

“Drinking beer doesn’t make you fat, it makes you lean . . . against bars, tables, chairs, and poles.”
—ANONYMOUS

SIX RIVERS IPA

Six Rivers Brewery, McKinleyville, California

Six Rivers chooses a more traditional path over the current hopped-up trend in IPAs. An almost chestnut amber, this one is hazy, with a bit of bottom-dwelling sediment, a slight carbonation, and a drifty bit of light foam. Hops and some distant caramel make up the aromatics. The malt grows earthy to the flavor; a salty quality to the brewing water seasons things and draws out some hop bite. The finish delivers an abrupt bitterness but isn’t terribly astringent. Intriguing and original.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/10/2010

4/10/1999:
Steve Pate fires a 7-under-par 65, including a record seven straight birdies, during the third round of the Masters at Augusta, Georgia. Pate's streak encompasses the 7th through 13th holes and includes putts of 50 feet on the 10th and 20 feet on the 11th. He'll falter a bit tomorrow with a 73 and end up tied for fourth behind leader Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain. His seven consecutive birdies surpass the previous Masters record of six, shared by Johnny Miller (1975), Mark Calcavecchia (1992) and David Toms (1998).

Birthdays:
John Madden b. 1936
Don Meredith b. 1938
Bob Watson b. 1946
Mel Blount b. 1948
Neil Smith b. 1966

Packers Fact:
Wide receiver Ruvell Martin caught 16 passes in his second NFL season in 2007; 15 of them resulted in first downs or touchdowns.

http://www.martiandesign.com/
Chew Toy
The subject of these haunting photographs started life as a cat's toy-chewed, abused, and eventually tossed into a corner-where the webmaster, upon seeing it in a different light, made it his muse and inspiration.

REDISCOVERED CLASSIC

This fresh new translation makes the boom of sea battles, the sting of swordplay, the soft skin of beautiful Creole women, and the orchid-scented island breezes of Haiti leap off the page. This is the only novel in which Dumas père dealt with the subject of race—an issue that he knew personally. With a foreword by Jamaica Kincaid revealing that this little-known novel by Dumas played an important role in her reading history.

GEORGES, by Alexandre Dumas, translated from the French by Tina A. Kover (1843; Modern Library, 2008)

SAMUEL SMITH’S ORGANIC CIDER

Samuel Smith Old Brewery, Tadcaster, England

Another cider! Yes, cider is coming back in a big way, and with all the movement toward clean food, it’s no surprise organic beverages are gaining in popularity. This particular English offering is from the northern reaches of York. A full gold color, with freshly picked cider apples bursting from the glass, thanks to abundant carbonation. The floral apple flavor is sweet, with a touch of balancing astringency; then a mouthwatering tartness closes in.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/6-4/9/2010

4/6/2000:
The three greatest golfers of their generation are paired together for the first time at the Masters: Jack Nicklaus, 60; Arnold Palmer, 70; and Gary Player, 64. It's not only a spectator's delight but also a rare treat for the three great champions who walk the fairways of the Augusta National Golf Club basking in a continuous serenade of reverential applause. For the record, Nicklaus, winner of six Green Jackets, shoots a 74, Palmer, winner of four Masters titles, shoots a 78, and Player, who won here three times, cards a 76. Interviewed at the end of the round, Player eloquently contrasts the wealth of good memories to the comfort of soft pillows, while being noticeably moved by the gallery's adoring reception.

Birthdays:
Ernie Lombardi b. 1908
Spider Lockhart b. 1943
Bert Blyleven b. 1957
Sterling Sharpe b. 1965
Bret Boone b. 1969

Packers Fact:
Including road games, the Packers played in front of more fans in 2007 (1,120,775) than in any other season in their history.

4/7/1975:
The Cincinnati Reds outlast the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-1, in 14 innings before over 52,000 fans on Opening Day at Riverfront Stadium. George Foster's infield single drives home Cesar Geronimo with the game's deciding marker. It's the fifth time in National League history that an Opening Day game lasts 14 innings. Joe Morgan has two hits and two stolen bases for Cincinnati, presaging two back-to-back MVP awards in his immediate future (175 and '76), leading to two world championships for the Big Red Machine.

Birthdays:
Bobby Doerr b. 1918
Gail Cogdill b. 1937
Tony Dorsett b. 1954
Ricky Watters b. 1969
Ronde and Tiki Barber b. 1975

Packers Fact:
Brett Goode made his NFL debut as the Packers' long snapper on kickoff weekend in 2008.

4/8/1984:
Coming off a 20-homer, 34-steals season in 1983, Houston Astros shortstop Dickie Thon is hit in the fact by a Mike Torrez fastball in a game against the New York Mets at the Astrodome and suffers a broken bone around his left eye. He'll miss the balance of the year and will be hampered by depth perception problems the rest of his career. A .274 hitter before the beaning, he's only .256 afterwards, bouncing from club to club after leaving the Astros at the end of the 1987 season and finally retiring in 1993.

Birthdays:
Turk Farrell b. 1934
John Havlicek b. 1940
Jim "Catfish" Hunter b. 1946
Gary Carter b. 1954
Ricky Bell b. 1955

Packers Fact:
On April 9, 1898: Packers' founder and longtime head coach Curly Lambeau was born in Green Bay (Lambeau died in 1964 at the age of 67.)

4/9/2005:
The University of Denver Pioneers win their second consecutive (and seventh all-time) NCAA hockey championship with a 4-1 victory over the North Dakota Fighting Sioux at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. Freshman Paul Stastny (#11), son of Hall of Famer Peter Stastny, nets two power-play goals for the winners. Jeff Drummond and Gabe Gauthier also score for the Pioneers (39-9-2) while goalie Peter Mannino stops 44 shots and earns tournament MVP honors.

Birthdays:
Ebbie Goodfellow b. 1907
Paul Arizin b. 1928
Nate Colbert b. 1946
Seve Ballesteros b. 1957
Olaf Kolzig b. 1970

Packers Fact:
Packers' linebacker Dave Robinson blocked a short field-goal attempt to turn the tide in Green Bay's favor in a 28-7 victory over the Rams in a 1967 Western Conference playoff game.


http://www.pojman.com/PP/PP.html
Museum of Pocket Protectors
The purpose of a pocket protector is threefold-to protect your shirt from ink and graphite, keep the pocket in shape, and prevent pen clips from marring and wearing away shirt pockets. With over seven hundred different examples, including a CBS/Fox promotional protector for the Revenge of the Nerds movie, it's the ultimate nerd's website.

http://awesome.good.is/features/011/Wanderlust/index.html
Wanderlust Mapped
How about this for armchair traveling-select a trip from a list of two dozen real and fictional journeys and then see it plotted on the map along with detailed annotations of important stops along the way. Includes such historical tours as Columbus's 1492 ocean voyage, the Lewis and Clark expedition, Charles Lindbergh's solo airplane flight, and literary journeys like Phineas Fogg's trip around the world in eighty days and Jack Kerouac's route in On the Road.

http://www.cluegames.com/
Lost in a Forest
After awhile, it feels like the real thing. But remember, this is supposed to be a time-waster.

OTHER WORLDS

Like Scheherazade weaving the tapestry of tales in A Thousand and One Nights, Yunes of Gate of the Sun uses storytelling, memory, and the unfolding insight that grows from these acts to save a life—not his own but that of his friend Dr. Khalil, who lies in a coma in a Palestinian refugee camp. The strong bond between friends forms the gravitational force in this beautiful novel.

GATE OF THE SUN, by Elias Khoury, translated from the Arabic by Humphrey Davies (Picador, 2007)

ACROSS ASIA

At the age of 63, Colin Thubron began his 7,000-mile trek from Xi’an, China, to Antioch, Turkey, along the trade routes known as the Silk Road. He had traveled these parts before, and this book is rich with his memories and his knowledge of the road’s ancient history, which he uses to frame his sharp observations of its teeming, changing present. The writing is sometimes comic, sometimes poetic, always stimulating. “An exhausting journey and a marvelous book,” says Harper’s Magazine.

SHADOW OF THE SILK ROAD, by Colin Thubron (Harper Perennial, 2008)

HISTORY COMES ALIVE

Diane Ackerman (An Alchemy of the Mind; A Natural History of the Senses) goes in a new direction with this true story of a Warsaw couple who sheltered upwards of 300 Jewish and Polish souls in their home and in the Warsaw Zoo, where the husband was director. A crackling good story to begin with, it’s brought to life by Ackerman’s evocative images and unforgettable characterizations.

THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE: A WAR STORY, by Diane Ackerman (W. W. Norton, 2008)

BRUGSE STRAFFE HENDRIK

BVBA Straffe Hendrik, Brugge, Belgium

If you visit the majestic Belgian city of Brugge, it’s well worth taking a tour of the Straffe Hendrik Brewery, if only to check out the classy old Steinnecker brewing system. The brewing panel has mechanical levers instead of circuitry! As for the beer, it is light, quite effervescent, with a balanced malt character. Bottled versions seem prone to a tinny, metallic edge, so find it on tap if you can—you’ll also get a more pronounced hop character and freshness, which definitely helps the balance of this otherwise tame blonde.

STYLE TIP

Porter was brewed in the American colonies, and was a favorite style of George Washington’s. Although nearly forgotten by the end of the last century, it was fortunately revived during the craft brewing revolution of the 1970s.

ALLAGASH DUBBEL RESERVE, BATCH #70

Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, Maine

Sweet, clovey dried fruit and nuts abound in the aroma of this deep chocolate-brown beer. Good topography to the thick layer of foam on top, and enough carbonation to blow the cork a pretty good distance off the 750ml bottle. Let it warm up a bit and you’ll get a whiff of mellow brown sugar and a slight, musty woodiness—all the makings of brilliance before you’ve even taken a sip. Then, in the flavor, a full caramel malt, some pipe tobacco sweetness, that Belgian fruit-nut-toffee complexity, and just a hint of sugary alcohol. You’ve gotta love what these craft brewers can do with the form—and Allagash is one of maybe ten North American breweries that really can beat the Belgians at their own game. This one has the Gold medal to prove it (World Beer Cup, Belgian-style Dubbel). The finish is long and smooth, with malt and alcohol dryness.

CANTILLON GUEUZE

Brasserie Cantillon Brouwerij, Brussels, Belgium

The quintessential gueuze. Sharp, yet with a wonderfully complex fruitiness and oakiness in the bouquet, and tangy—you really can smell the tartness before it hits the tongue. The finish is long, with lingering acidic dry notes. The prolonged salivary spasm of an entire 750mL bottle of the stuff might actually induce fatigue; one can almost see the wisdom of tempering such intensity with a sugar cube, heretical as that sounds. But you’ve got to take authenticity into account. This is history. This is what’s in those clay pitchers in Breugel’s wedding scene, and the folks drinking it certainly weren’t complaining or adding sugar!

BEER FACT

Gueuze is traditionally made with spontaneous fermentation, in a small area south of Brussels.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/1-4/6/2010

4/1/2002:
The Maryland Terrapins capture their first NCAA men's basketball championship, 64-52, over Indiana at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Tournament MVP Juan Dixon leads all scorers with 18 points, while Lonny Baxter adds 15 points and 14 rebounds to lead Coach Gary Williams' senior-laden squad to the title. It's the first loss in six NCAA final-round appearances by Indiana. Second-year Coach Mike Davis nearly leads the Hoosiers to the title despite being second-guessed to the hilt all season long by strident supporters of recently deposed head coach Bobby Knight.

Birthdays:
Bo Schembechler b. 1929
Ron Perranoski b. 1936
Rusty Staub b. 1944
Norm Van Lier b. 1947
Scott Stevens b. 1964

Packers Fact:
Aaron Rodgers compiled a passer rating of 103.6 in the 2008 preseason while preparing for his first kickoff weekend as the Packers' starting quarterback.

4/2/2006:
For the first time in his career, the world's No. 1 tennis player, Roger Federer of Switzerland, needs three tiebreaker sets to win a match, defeating Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia in the finals of the Nasdaq-100 Open in Key Biscayne, Florida. Despite trailing at some point in all three breakers, Federer defends his title in this event by scores of 7-6, 7-6, 7-6. The hard-fought affair is Federer's 48th consecutive match victory in the United States, including prominent back-to-back hardcourt tournament wins at the U.S. Open, Indian Wells in Palm Springs, California, and here.

Birthdays:
Luke Appling b. 1907
Carmen Basilio b. 1927
Dick Radatz b. 1937
Don Sutton b. 1945
Linford Christie b. 1960

Packers Fact:
The Packers played on Monday Night Football for the 16th consecutive season in 2008. The only NFL team with a longer streak was the Denver Broncos, which had a Monday-night game for the 17th year in a row that season.

4/3/1965:
Lakers forward Elgin Baylor, one of the NBA's 50 greatest players, suffers torn ligaments and a shattered left kneecap in a collision with Baltimore Bullets guard Don Ohl in the opening minutes of a Western Division playoff game at the L.A. Sports Arena. Baylor will miss the balance of the postseason and, despite posting four subsequent seasons of 24.0 ppg or better, will never fully regain his extraordinary leaping ability or quick first step.

Birthdays:
Bernie Parent b. 1945
Pervis Ellison b. 1967
Rodney Hampton b. 1969
Picabo Street b. 1971
Michael Olowokandt b. 1975

Packers Fact:
Quarterback Arnie Herber was born on April 2, 1910. (He died in 1969 at age 59.) Herber, who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was the NFL's first great long passer.

4/4/1937:
Byron Nelson overcomes a four-shot deficit in the final round of the Masters with a birdie-eagle on the 12th and 13th holes, while third-round leader Ralph Guldahl stumbles to a double bogey-bogey on the same holes, gift-wrapping the championship for Nelson, the genial Texan from Fort Worth. Guldahl puts his drive on 12 and his approach on 13 into Rae's Creek, sealing his fate. Nelson drains a 25-foot birdie putt on 12 and chips in for an eagle-3 at the 13th, playing the two holes in five shots while Guldahl requires 11.

Birthdays:
Tris Speaker b. 1888
JoAnne Carner b. 1939
Dale Hawerchuk b. 1963
Scott Rolen b. 1975
Ben Gordon b. 1983

4/5/2005:
The Baylor Bears women's basketball team wins the national championship with an 84-62 rout of Michigan State in the NCAA title game at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Led by 26 points from Sophia Young, the eighth-seeded Lady Bears complete their unexpected march through the tournament draw in which they knocked off three No. 1 seeds: North Carolina, LSU and finally Michigan State. Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson was the starting point guard for the 1982 Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters, who won the title the first year the NCAA conducted a women's tourney.

Birthdays:
Doggie Julian b. 1901
Doug Favell b. 1945
Bonnie Stennett b. 1951
Brad Van Pelt b. 1951
Ike Hilliard b. 1976

Packers Fact:
The Packers drafted wide receiver Boyd Dowler in the third round in 1959 from Colorado.

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/04/top-office-pranks-and-april-fools-day.html
Office Pranks
Wrap someone's work space with aluminum, fill an entire cubicle with packing peanuts, replace all the office equipment with cardboard fixtures, and plant a garden in a computer keyboard-these are just a few of the many pranks you can pull this April Fool's Day to lighten up the atmosphere at work.

http://www.bewarethecheese.com/chocobunny.htm
Chocolate Bunny Test
Get deep insight without all the calories-find out what the location of your first bite into a chocolate bunny says about your personality.

http://www.omnomnomnom.com/
Omnomnomnom
Unlike you and the chocolate rabbit, the voracious mouths on this site couldn't care less about where they're biting first.

http://asteroid.divnull.com/2006/04/easter-turducken/
Turducken, Dessert-style
Stuff a Cadbury creme egg into a marshmallow Peeps, then cram the whole caloric mess into a hollow chocolate bunny and voila! You have an Easter turducken. Nutritional facts included.

http://www.taggalaxy.de/
Space-y Search
Start your picture search by entering one tag name, which will become the sun in the center of the "tag galaxy." Click on other tags to add them to the center and when you're ready, click on the sun to see all pertinent photos arranged on a globe, which you can rotate and click on to view the pictures.

http://www.dinosaurgardens.com/archives/600
Blast Insurance
Ad agencies have been using fear tactics to sell their products sine their inception, but these guys take the cake. At this site you can listen to radio ads from the nuclear-paranoid 1950s urging you to purchase do-it-yourself fallout shelter kits, complete with first-aid and survival supplies.

LET ME OUT!

“After thirteen months in Biosphere 2, we were starving, suffocating and going quite mad.” From its conception by a group called the Institute of Ecotechnics, to the building of and hype surrounding Biosphere 2 in the Arizona desert, through the slightly over two years that the author and seven fellow “biospherians” spent in it, this anthropological experiment has wide-reaching ramifications for modern civilization. Harrowing and unforgettable.

THE HUMAN EXPERIMENT: TWO YEARS AND TWENTY MINUTES INSIDE BIOSPHERE 2, by Jane Poynter (Thunder’s Mouth, 2006)

AMERICAN SHUTTERBUGS

This splendid volume presents more than 600 images courtesy of the monumental photography collection at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, which Keith Davis curates. Davis chronicles the complete history of the medium and its uses in America, and with it the growth of the country, from photographs’ beginnings as portraiture through their role as a marketable commodity.

THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHY: FROM DAGUERREOTYPE TO DRY-PLATE, 1839–1885, by Keith F. Davis (Yale University Press/Nelson-Atkins, 2007)

THE SUMO WRESTLER AND THE NOH MASK MAKER

This saga of two brothers begins when they are orphaned boys living with their grandparents before the beginning of World War II and follows them through the turmoil of the war and into the years that follow. It is an intricately plotted novel told with feeling and understanding. Gail Tsukiyama has a superb talent for finding just the right sensual details to make her world spring to life.

THE STREET OF A THOUSAND BLOSSOMS, by Gail Tsukiyama (St. Martin’s Press, 2007)

“MY MOTHER IS A FISH.”

So says Vardaman Bundren in William Faulkner’s self-proclaimed tour de force. As I Lay Dying is the story of the nine-day journey of the Bundren family as they try to get the corpse of their mother, Addie, to the place where she wanted to be buried in Jefferson, Mississippi. They travel through flood and fire, their mock-epic odyssey told in parts by all the people involved, including Addie herself. At times you want to cry for the unrelenting hardness of their lives, and at other times you want to laugh at their utter lack of common sense. It’s one of Faulkner’s greatest and a work of American genius.

AS I LAY DYING, by William Faulkner (1930; Modern Library, 2000)

25 YEARS OF WORK

Gary Radke has brought us a sumptuously produced volume on one of the pinnacles of Renaissance art, Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise, ten gilded bronze panels crafted (over more than 25 years) for the Florence Baptistery and having exquisite reliefs on both the inner and outer sides. The tempestuous history of Ghiberti’s commission, studies for the panels, and recent restoration efforts, as well as discussions of techniques used in creating the massive masterpieces, round out this beautiful study.

THE GATES OF PARADISE: LORENZO GHIBERTI’S RENAISSANCE MASTERPIECE; edited by Gary M. Radke (Yale University Press, 2007)

BARNEY FLATS OATMEAL STOUT

Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Boonville, California

This oatmeal stout has won several awards, and for good reason, as it’s a classic example of the style. Buckwheat, barley, coffee, oats, maple syrup—a complete, nutritious breakfast in one convenient bottle! The oats add a very subtle grain aroma that’s a bit oily, almost like coconut, and it grows more noticeable in the mouthfeel, where there’s lots of smooth, silky viscosity, finally culminating in a long, bittersweet-chocolate finish with just a hint of alcohol warmth. The odd thing about Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout is that for all its malt sweetness, rich flavor, and ruminative finish, it’s not a heavy beer. Hops play a minimal but important role, and absent is the grain bitterness or harshness normally associated with robust porter or dry stout. A dessert beer that’s black as night, but light enough to snack on. Impressive.

SHARK ATTACK DOUBLE RED ALE

Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, California

Yes, it’s another double beer, this time one of those ubiquitous red ales—generally just American ambers made with red-colored malts. Crystal malts at around 80 degrees Lovibond will cast that reddish hue, and there are even “caramel red” malts out there, kilned specifically for that hue. Sure enough, this beer pours a blood red—a bit unsettling, considering its name. It even has a bloodlike opacity; bottle-conditioning and hop-haze, no doubt. On top, a nice thick beige foam. Inside, huge, chewy Pacific hops (Cascade and Centennial) and equally chewy caramel aromatics. Caramel sweetness begins the attack, followed by a bit of alcohol bite, with the hops muscling in to dry up all that sweetness and leave you with an astringent pucker. Extreme beer fans won’t want to miss this one.

YETI IMPERIAL STOUT

Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver, Colorado

There are two versions of this Imperial Stout, one with oak aging, and a plain version—this is the latter, but it is anything but plain. Bitter chocolate, alcohol and espresso notes assault the senses as this tar-black monster is poured. The alcohol, at 9.5%, makes its presence known even before the first sip. A heavy beige band of foam lends a thick curtain of lace. Aggressive in both flavor and finish, this beer has teeth, but its big, roasty, bitter edges will smooth out over time.

ZATEC LAGER

Zatecky Pivovar Brewery, Zatec, Czech Republic

While most Czech pilseners boast a certain refinement, the depth of Zatec’s malt flavors place it among the finest of Bohemian lagers. It pours a brilliant bronze, with many layers of fine malt and just a touch of floral hops in the aroma. Malt continues to take the fore, with a huge, mouth-filling flavor of quality barley and a touch of citrus blossom. Hops faintly shore up malt sweetness and leave a trace of dryness, but the finish is long on malt. Not a beer for frat parties—this is the apex of the brewer’s art, a jewel among lagers.

VONDEL

Brouwerij Riva, Flanders, Belgium

A slightly solventy nose, but pleasantly so, like the alcoholic aromatics of over-ripe apricots. Some raisin and prune character, too. Just slightly metallic in the flavor, but the finish is caramel sweet—the resiny alcohol just barely makes it through to the end. Almost like a highly carbonated malt liquor, but with some pleasant dried fruit nuances.

BEER QUOTE

“The government will fall that raises the price of beer.”
—CZECH SAYING

GLACIAL PALE ALE

Ghost River Brewing Co., Memphis, Tennessee

Glacial Pale Ale is a full, orangey-amber color, pouring with a slight haze even if you don’t choose to pour the yeast dregs into your glass. Named for a relatively new American ale hop, “Glacier,” this beer has a pleasant bouquet of caramel malt and a rather subtle, herbal hop complexity. The hops barely continue to the flavor, allowing malt to stand as the main player. A biscuity finish with a trace of clean hop bitterness makes this a boldly flavored but pleasantly smooth beer.

BEER FACT

This brewery’s water source, the Memphis Sands Aquifer, is supplied by the wetlands of the Ghost River.