Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 3/30/2011

3/30/1917:
Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers and Buck Herzog of the New York Giants come to blows during an exhibition game in Dallas. Cobb slides into second base and slashes Herzog with his spikes, and the two exchange punches before being separated. Later this evening, they fight again in Cobb's hotel room. Cobb refuses to play the remaining exhibition games against the Giants, scheduled through April 5. After the tour, the Giants send Cobb a telegram: IT'S SAFE TO REJOIN YOUR CLUB. WE'VE LEFT.

Birthdays:
Ripper Collins b. 1904
Willie Galimore b. 1935
Jerry Lucas b. 1940
Dave Ellett b. 1964
Toby Gowin b. 1975

Packers Fact:
Antonio Freeman was just the ninth wide receiver taken in the NFL draft in 1995m, but he had three 1,000-yard pass-catching seasons in a row beginning in 1997.

ON OKAY, SO WE’RE SORRY YOU’RE UPDATING

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We are updating the website.
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on the English-translated page of a French company’s website (thanks to Scott Eadie)

KEEP A STIFF
UPPER LIP.

—19th-century American proverb

HAPPY DAYS WILL BE HERE AGAIN

There have been a number of books on the subject of FDR’s first 100 days in office. In this one, the story is less about the president and more about the men around him who devised programs such as the Emergency Banking Act and the National Industrial Recovery Act. Adam Cohen makes the case that these were men who stepped up to extraordinarily difficult times and dealt with them, and in doing so changed the country for the better forever.

“A lucid, intelligent narrative as fast-paced as the hectic Hundred Days.”—Los Angeles Times

NOTHING TO FEAR: FDR’S INNER CIRCLE AND THE HUNDRED DAYS THAT CREATED MODERN AMERICA, by Adam Cohen (Penguin Press, 2009)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 3/19/2011

3/19/1981:
The Buffalo Sabres set an NHL record with nine goals in one period during a 14-4 rout of the maple Leafs in Buffalo. The Sabres lead 1-0 at the end of the first period before their nine-goal onslaught on Toronto goaltender Michel Laroque. Three of the nine goals are scored by Gil Perrault. The Maple Leafs score three times in the second period, contributing to another record of 12 goals by two teams.

Birthdays:
Jay Berwanger b. 1914
Guy Lewis b. 1922
Richie Ashburn b. 1927
Joe Kapp b. 1939
Scott May b. 1954

Packers Fact:
Aaron Rodgers had four 300-yard passing days in his first season as the Packers' starting quarterback in 2008, with a high of 328 yards in a victory against Detroit in Week 2.

ON WORDS, NEW

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Kimi Raikkonen, if not disgruntled, is certainly looking less than gruntled.

auto racing commentator James Allen

THE DARK
IS LIGHT
ENOUGH.

—CHRISTOPHER FRY, English playwright

A GREAT ESCAPE

There’s plenty of harmony in Judith Ryan Hendricks’s fourth novel—just remember that not all harmonies are “perfect,” and not all chords are “resolved.” When Sunny Cooper’s boyfriend dies and she becomes inundated with the shady details that are raked up in the aftermath, she tries to go back first to Harmonia, the hippie New Mexico commune where she grew up, and then to Harmony, on San Miguel Island, Washington. But the past has overtones that Sunny must listen to before she can find her true voice.

THE LAWS OF HARMONY, by Judith Ryan Hendricks (Harper Paperbacks, 2009)

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.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 8/10/2010

8/10/2003:
Bronson Arroyo of the Pawtucket Red Sox pitches only the fourth nine-inning perfect game in the 121-year history of the International League, blanking Buffalo, 7-0, at McCoy Stadium. Ironically, the most recent nine-inning perfecto in that league's annals was also crafted by a Pawtucket pitcher at McCoy Stadium when Tomo Ohka blanked Charlotte in 2000. Before that, only two hurlers had achieved the feat and both pitched for Buffalo: Chet Carmichael against Jersey City in 1910 and Dick Marlowe against Baltimore in 1952.

Birthdays:
Red Holzman b. 1920
Rocky Colavito b. 1933
John Starks b. 1965
Riddick Bowe b. 1967
Samari Rolle b. 1976

Packers Fact:
The Packers opened the 2008 season with all 11 starters back from the 2007 defensive unit that ranked no. 11 in the NFL (based on total yards).


http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore.html
Monthly Eyesore
It's social criticism masked as architectural criticism-every month writer James Howard Kunstler delivers his take on the degradation of the American landscape like the "pre-haunted," weed-covered McMansions blighting the suburbs, a Marriott hotel that he likens to a forensic pathology lab, a cemetery wedged between a big box store and a couple of fast food joints, the tattoo parlor's move from the back alley to Main Street, and his pet peeve-structures designed to minimize litigation-like a school playground that looks like a prison exercise yard after the lawyers got through with it.

FAR FROM HOME

The Emigrants is a singularly original and compelling novel. It challenges the very nature of fiction in the way it uses the actual to enhance the narrative, especially in its use of photographs. The lives of four exiles, a retired surgeon, a schoolteacher, an artist, and a valet, are recounted. All are Jews haunted by the Holocaust they escaped. Their memories are a way to meditate on a century of upheaval and tragedy. Susan Sontag says, “Bewitching in its subtlety, sublime in its directness and in the grandeur of its subject. The Emigrants is an irresistible book.”

THE EMIGRANTS, by W. G. Sebald, translated from the German by Michael Hulse (New Directions, 1997)

SLEIGHOR DOUBLE IPA

ReaperAle Brewing Co., Vista, California

Golden amber with a foamy cover, Sleighor’s Double IPA boasts an elegant aroma of hops and malt, with a memorable equilibrium. This beer is fortified with complex and well-integrated alcohol content, and hops abound. Bitterness makes a statement as malt and hop flavors prance about the palate. Slieghor ages well under cool circumstances, give or take a year. A beer for contemplative evenings or long sessions of storytelling. After the first 8 ounces, it’s clear: You have found a new friend.

BEER FACT

This Imperial or double IPA has an alcohol content of 9.1%/vol. It uses Columbus hops in the boil, Centennial hops in the finish, and is dry-hopped with a combination of Columbus, Centennial, and Chinook hops.

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.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/31-8/1/2010

7/31/1935:
American League pitchers Wes Ferrell of Boston and Mel Harder of Cleveland each hit two homers in separate games. Ferrell, arguably the best-hitting pitcher in baseball history, homer twice and drives in four runs to lead the Red Sox over Washington, 6-4. Ferrell's 32 RBIs this season will set a record for pitchers and his 38 HRs lifetime stands alone in MLB annals. Harder's two homers come in a losing cause to the White Sox, 6-4, Harder will hit only four homers lifetime.

Birthdays:
Curt Gowdy b. 1919
Hank Bauer b. 1922
Vic Davalillo b. 1936
Leon "Bull" Durham b. 1957
Kevin Greene b. 1962

Packers Fact:
Defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila's nickname is "KGB".

8/1/1973:
The New York Nets obtain Julius Erving from the cash-poor Virginia Squires for $750,000 and sign him to an eight-year contract for $350,000 per season. After the electrifying "Dr. J" leads the Nets to two ABA titles in three years, the cash-poor Nets will be forced to deal him to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Birthdays:
Harold Connolly b. 1931
Cliff Breach b. 1948
Kiki Vandeweghe b. 1958
Gregg Jefferies b. 1967
Stacey Angmon b. 1968

http://containment.greententacles.com/
Convention Finder
It's the ultimate geek's website. Put any zip code in the U.S.A. into the search box and find out where the nearest science fiction or comic book convention is happening at that moment.

http://www.chickensuits.com/Chicken-Costumes-and-Suits-Home.html
Chicken Suits
There are a zillion places on the Web to purchase the latest fashions for your dog or cat. Why should chickens go without?

A BOOK LOVER’S MYSTERY

The book in question is a medieval illuminated codex known as The Sarajevo Haggadah. Rescued from destruction during the Bosnian war of the 1990s, it is given over to rare book conservator Hanna Heath, who tries to unearth its history and mysteries: its origins in 1480 Seville, its survival of the Spanish Inquisition and several wars as well. Hanna also has more immediate concerns, such as her relationship with her mother and her love affair with the Muslim librarian who saved the book. Geraldine Brooks has written a page-turner that is both intriguing and thoughtful.

PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, by Geraldine Brooks (Penguin, 2008)

SAMUEL ADAMS BROWN ALE

Boston Beer Co., Boston, Massachusetts

Attractively clear, with a deep amber-brown color and an inviting, tan-tinged head of foam, Samuel Adams Brown Ale invites the commercial market to try a classic yet under-recognized style. Mild malty aroma and wonderfully accomplished hop flavor and balance result in a highly drinkable brown ale. Clean, crisp, and refreshing, countered with a welcome, chewy aftertaste.

BIERE DU CORSAIRE

Brouwerij Huyghe, Melle, Belgium

Perfumy, fruity alcohol with some spicy notes and some heady, volatile fumes. Lots of chunky sediment floating around in the glass. At 9.4%/vol., Bière Du Corsaire is a beer to be reckoned with. The flavor is complex—spicy and dry—but alcoholic heat really takes over in the end.

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

7/30/1962:
Bringing to an end the brief (four-year) experiment of playing two All-Star Games each year, the American League easily beats the National League, 9-4, at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Leon Wagner and Pete Runnels homer for the AL, and Rocky Colavito's three-run homer in the seventh inning proves to be the game's decisive moment. Baseball fans never really warmed up to the idea of a second ASG, and interrupting the regular season twice played havoc with scheduling, so the pension-revenue-producing ploy will be shelved permanently.

Birthdays:
Jim Mandich b. 1948
Billy Pauliz b. 1948
Bill Cartwright b. 1957
Chris Mullin b. 1963
Kate Starbird b. 1975

Packers Fact:
Packers' receiving star Antonio Freeman posted three consecutive 1,000-yard pass-catching seasons in the late 1990s (1997-99).

http://www.rain.org/~philfear/download-a-dinosaur.html
Paper Dinosaurs
Wasting time doesn't always have to mean killing virtual villains in cyberspace. It can also happen in real space, at your desk, with the help of scissors and Scotch tape.

FLIES DIED LIKE PEOPLEAn 84-year-old Russian hero of the war and survivor of Stalin’s Gulag tells the story of himself; his half-brother, Lev; and Zoya, the beautiful Russian Jewish woman they both loved. The brothers end up in a Siberian labor camp, and the depiction of the inhuman depravity of the Soviet Gulag becomes the compelling center of the novel. Martin Amis’s talent for the keen and concise turn of phrase is always delectable: “In the Gulag, it was not the case that people died like flies. Rather, flies died like people.” The Times (London) calls House of Meetings “Amis’s best novel since London Fields.”

HOUSE OF MEETINGS, by Martin Amis (Knopf, 2007)

TRIPEL KARMELIET

Brewery Bosteels, Buggenhout, Belgium

This tripel’s bouquet is full of orange blossom and honey, with a hint of light malt. The palate is light and sweet, in keeping with the style’s best, fiinishing dry at 8%. (That alcohol is actually subtler than you’d think.) Brewed with wheat, oats, and barley, and bottle-fermented in the third pass, this is a wonderful tripel, balanced, fruity and warming. Nutrition for the soul.

FROM THE BREWERY:

“Brewed after the Carmelite (Carmelite Monks) tradition dating back as far as 1679, this Belgian Abbey Style Triple ale has a robust smooth, fruity, three-grain (oats, barley, and wheat) character.”

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/28-29/2010

7/28/1945:
Four-year-old Stymie charges from behind to win the Butler Handicap at Jamaica Racetrack in Queens, New York. It's Stymie's second stakes victory this month after his win at the Brooklyn Handicap. A late bloomer, he didn't win any stakes races until this year but will eventually capture 25 stakes events in 131 starts, ending his career as the richest racehorse in America.

Birthdays:
Barry Ashbee b. 1939
Bill Bradley b. 1943
Vida Blue b. 1949
Doug Collins b. 1951
Manu Ginobili b. 1977

Packers Fact:
Greg Jennings had a string of five consecutive games with a touchdown catch during the 2007 season (weeks 11 through 15).

7/29/2000:
San Francisco 49er immortals Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott headline a list of five inductees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Both Montana, who earned renown for his cool demeanor under pressure and an endless succession of late-game heroics, and 10-time All-Pro defensive back Lott were m embers of four Super Bowl championship teams. Also honored are Oakland defensive end Howie Long, 49ers linebacker Dave Wilcox and Steelers owner Dan Rooney.

Birthdays:
Arnie Ferrin b. 1925
Ted Lindsay b. 1925
Don Carier b. 1926
Flo Hyman b. 1954
Dirk Graham b. 1959

Packers Fact:
The Pro Football Hall of Fame's charter class of 17 enshrinees in 1963 included four Packers: founder and coach Curly Lambeau, Tackle Cal Hubbard, end Don Hutson, and halfback Johnny (Blood) McNally.

http://marbleofdoom.com/
Marble of Doom
If you're a Mac user you dread the marble of doom, that colored spinning wheel that tells you that your life is now on hold for however long it takes your application to load. Now you can share your frustration by adding the minutes to this "doom clock," which represents the time robbed from Mac users that could have been better spent surfing the Web for pictures of kittens or much, much worse.

http://800notes.com/Default.aspx
800's Revealed
Are you bugged by phone solicitors or people who block their identity but refuse to leave a message? Go to this site, type in the number, and find out who those pests are. Then read what experiences others have had with their annoying phone calls and leave your own impressions to help others with their search.

SWEET MYSTERY OF LIFE

Here are 48 Stephen Jay Gould essays, from well-known classics to articles and speeches that have not appeared in print before. Gould’s exuberance, encyclopedic knowledge, clear writing, and infectious sense of wonder made Congress recognize him as a “living legend.” Now, alas, he is no longer living, but this essential collection of his writing shows the scope and depth of his legacy.

THE RICHNESS OF LIFE: THE ESSENTIAL STEPHEN JAY GOULD, by Stephen Jay Gould; edited by Steven Rose (W. W. Norton, 2007)

SPOILED ROTTEN . . . AND LOVING IT

Hooters, Hollywood, Paris couture, the Concorde, plastic surgery, cryogenics, and spas . . . GQ writer-at-large David Rakoff has the gloves off and is landing punchlines right and left. With wit, panache, and a healthy dose of bitterness, Rakoff takes on the Ugly American.

DON’T GET TOO COMFORTABLE: THE INDIGNITIES OF COACH CLASS, THE TORMENTS OF LOW THREAD COUNT, THE NEVER-ENDING QUEST FOR ARTISANAL OLIVE OIL, AND OTHER FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS, by David Rakoff (Broadway Books, 2006)

ST. PETER’S CREAM STOUT

St. Peter’s Brewery, St. Peter’s Hall, Suffolk, England

Black as the ace of spades this one, but you can see clear ruby tints if you really look for them. Light espresso roasted malt and a bit of curaçao orange fruitiness in the aroma . . . “Cream” is not a literal ingredient, but an apt description of the smoothness of flavor and finish here. A pleasant surprise, St. Peter’s Cream Stout is deftly formulated to retain a lightness of body while still providing a satisfying stout experience. One to look for.

STYLE TIP

Milk or cream stouts are typically milder, smoother, and sweeter than other stout styles, but they don’t necessarily contain milk sugar; their sweetness may also come from a lower hop-bitterness level and/or a higher level of unfermentable dextrins.

CZECH REBEL BEER

Mestansky Pivovar Havlickuv Brod a.s., Czech Republic

Bohemian pilsner is one of the most refined of beer styles. A transparent smoothness exposes all ingredients, water included, to close scrutiny. So it’s easy to brew badly—which means that an excellent pilsner should be savored. Czech Rebel fits the bill, and that’s cause for celebration—you couldn’t always find an imported beer of this quality at your corner market. Full gold, with a big, tightly beaded and lasting layer of foam on top, it’s a beautiful sight. As you drink, that foam will lace the glass completely, just as with an Irish stout. Grassy Saaz hops bring a freshness to the aroma, which is perfectly balanced by malt. Malt sweetness edges out hop bitterness in the flavor, but hops catch up in the end, leaving you with a paradoxically smooth and dry finish. Unbelievably good—close to perfect. What Czech pils is supposed to taste like.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/27/2010

7/27/2006:
Corey Pavin birdies eight of the first nine holes (including the first six in a row) to card a PGA record nine-hole score of 26 in first-round play at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. He'll complete this round with a nine-under-par 61 and go on to win the tournament. His 26 strokes on the front nine betters the previous PGA record of 27 for nine holes shared by four golfers: Mike Souchak (1955), Andy North (1975), Billy Mayfair (2001), and Robert Gamez (2004).

Birthdays:
Leo Durocher b. 1905
Mack Calvin b. 1947
Peggy Fleming b. 1948
Hugh Green b. 1959
Alex Rodriguez b. 1975

Packers Fact:
Linebacker A.J. Hawk, the Packers' top pick in the 2006 draft (no. 5 overall), started every game in each of his first two NFL seasons and posted 284 tackles.

WASHINGTON RODE HERE

In 2003 Americans and the world duly celebrated the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark’s 1803 expedition, commissioned by Thomas Jefferson; but our first president started it all 20 years before the great trek. A shrewd judge of real estate, by 1784 Washington had amassed some 49,000 acres in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and the fertile Ohio Valley, and he wanted to see them. In a 34-day journey on horseback, he got as far as his property in western Pennsylvania called Washington’s Bottom, 680 miles from the Potomac. A fascinating picture of Washington’s vision for and of the country and of the beginnings of westward expansion.

THE GRAND IDEA: GEORGE WASHINGTON’S POTOMAC AND THE RACE TO THE WEST, by Joel Achenbach (Simon & Schuster, 2004)

GAMBRINUS PREMIUM PILSNER

Gambrinus Brewery, Pilsen, Czech Republic

SHADOW AND FLAME BOHEMIAN PILSNER RECIPE FOR 5 GALLONS

7½ lb. extra-pale malt extract syrup
½ oz. Magnum hops, 60 minutes from end of boil
¾ oz. Spalter Select hops, 15 minutes from end of boil
¾ oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker hops, 5 minutes from end of boil
Bohemian Pilsner lager yeast
¾ cup corn sugar for priming
Dissolve malt extract into 3 gallons of water, add Magnum hops and bring to a boil. Boil 60 minutes, adding hops as directed. Remove from heat and cool. Siphon into primary fermenter with enough cold, pre-boiled water to make 5 gallons. Add yeast when beer is 50–55°F. Ferment for one to two weeks at 50–55°F. Transfer to secondary fermenter and condition at 35°F for two to three months. When finished, dissolve ¾ cup corn sugar into beer, bottle, and age at room temperature for two weeks.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/26/2010

7/26/1970:
At age 35, Australian Ken Rosewall outlasts 23-year-old Texan Cliff Richey, 7-9, 9-7, 8-6, in the finale of the Western Open tennis championships in Cincinnati. Trailing 2-5 in the deciding set on a rain-soaked clay court surface, Rosewall abandons his baseline strategy to charge the net, knocking off several volley winners to draw even and run out the nearly three-hour-long match. In September, he'll capture his second U.S. Open championship, 14 years after winning his first in 1956, setting a record for the interim between winning two titles at the same Grand Slam event.

Birthdays:
Bob Waterfield b. 1920
Hoyt Wilhelm b. 1923
Tommy McDonald b. 1934
Bob Lilly b. 1939
Dorothy Hamill b. 1956

Packers Fact:
Don Hutson caught 99 touchdown passes from 1935 to 1945. Steve Largent was the first NFL player to notch 100 scoring recpetions. He reached that mark 44 years after Hutson last played an NFL game.

http://www.seattledreamhomes.com/PageManager/Default.aspx/PageID=1352444&NF=1
Fun House
Pop surrealist artist Lisa Petrucci lives among the many objects that inspire her paintings. Her house is a museum to pop culture where you can see dolls of every description, B-movie posters, kitchy porcelain cats, tiki bobble-heads, a wall of reproductions of Margaret Keane's "Big Eye" paintings, and a fifties-style room of dollhouse furniture complete with turntable and console TV. After your tour, follow the link to Lisa's website to see how many of these things you can find in her work.

RAISING THE BARRE

Raised in poverty in a tiny rural village with five siblings, dancer Li Cunxin was plucked from obscurity by scouts for Madame Mao’s cultural rehabilitations, rigorously trained in the Beijing Dance Academy, and at age 18 awarded a scholarship to train with the Houston Ballet. In 1981 he defected in a dramatic scene at the Chinese consulate in Houston, a move just as audacious as the 1961 defection of Rudolf Nureyev at a Paris airport. There’s much more after that, too, as Li became a principal dancer in Houston and Australia. A remarkable story and a remarkable man.

MAO’S LAST DANCER, by Li Cunxin (Putnam, 2004)

SMALL CRAFT WARNING UBER PILS

Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, Maryland

A pale lager that might be construed as a thematic essay on the pilsener style, this Über Pils starts with a light body and an attractive foam. The chewy drink is bursting with malts, which are followed by an herbal Hallertau-hop character in the finish. Satisfying, with Old World, European nuances—though it would certainly complement a serving of Maryland crab cakes.

FROM THE BREWERY:

“Our brewery is named for the famed clipper ship—a symbol for a strong nautical and maritime heritage with a commitment to craftsmanship of the highest caliber.”

Sports Fact of the Day 7/25/2010

Moving from the American League's Minnesota Twins to the National League's New York Mets in 2008, two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana noticed some distinct differences in the two leagues: "American League batters take a lot of pitches and go into deep counts, but National League batters don't want to get to two strikes. Throw a fastball and they'll swing right away."

Birthdays:
Whitey Lockman b. 1926
Nate Thurmond b. 1941
Walter Payton b. 1954
Doug Drabek b. 1962
Billy Wagner b. 1971

http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/search
Reading Oracle
If you were uninspired by Art Garfunkel's reading list and would rather rely on your own taste, just fill in the name of a book you liked and you'll get a number of suggestions for what to read next.

MOONSTONE PORTER

Six Rivers Brewery, McKinleyville, California

Unlike many stouts, porter doesn’t hit you over the head with roasted grain. It’s rich and black and full of flavor, but perfectly approachable. Moonstone satisfies like a good cup of coffee, with a big, bold flavor that’s chewy and substantial up front, silky smooth in the finish—no sharp edges or bitterness. Some hops come into the equation, but they’re almost superfluous to the sweet-dry malt interplay in this velvety soft brew.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/24/2010

7/24/1999:
The world champion New York Yankees explode for 21 hits and 21 runs to demolish Cleveland, 21-1, at Yankee Stadium. Veteran Chili Davis, thoroughly enjoying the final season of his 19-year career, goes 5-for-6 with six RBIs in the rout. Cleveland will deliver some big-time payback to the Yankees, however, on September 1, 2004, when they embarrass New York, 22-0, also at Yankee Stadium, the most one-sided loss ever in the Yankees' meritorious history.

Birthday:
Walt Bellamy b. 1939
Julie Krone b. 1963
Karl Malone b. 1963
Barry Bonds b. 1964
Brian Blades b. 1965

Packers Fact:
Lambeau Field was named in honor of the Packers' founder and long-time coach three months after his death in 1965.

http://www.mazapan.se/games/burnTheRope.php
Burn the Rope
The only way to rid yourself of the big bad boss is to burn the rope holding up the chandelier while he's standing underneath it.

WHERE’S THE REEF?

Apreeminent expert on corals and the Great Barrier Reef, J. E. N. Veron believes that most coral reefs will soon be bleached and dead—with ramifications throughout the food web—unless the present ecological trend toward a mass extinction, like others he describes, is averted. An impassioned and knowledgeable exposé.

A REEF IN TIME: THE GREAT BARRIER REEF FROM BEGINNING TO END, by J. E. N. Veron (Belknap Press, 2008)

SIERRA BLANCA NUT BROWN BEER

Sierra Blanca Brewing Co., Carrizozo, New Mexico

This very dark brown ale from beautiful New Mexico is topped by a pleasant layer of foam. Sweet malt and chocolate aroma with a buttery note is followed by a malty sweet flavor, with an interesting hazelnut edge that’s purely a result of dark malts and yeast. No sharp edges in the finish; on the whole exceptionally smooth and long on aftertaste. A big-tasting brown in the English style, with very little mention of hop character throughout.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/22/2010

7/23/1957
Determined to keep his salary structure low (even for star players), Detroit Red Wings general manager Jack Adams trades union-organizing All-Star Ted Lindsay to the Chicago Black Hawks. The Detroit fan base is outraged by the move, but Lindsay, the heart and soul of four Stanley Cup winning teams, is now 32 and well past his prime. Adams' zeal to teach him a lesson about loyalty (i.e., playing for below-market value) also compels him to include young goalie Glenn Hall in the trade, which proves to be a monumental blunder. Hall will go on to play another 14 seasons in the NHL, at one point playing a record 502 consecutive games, and earn Hall of Fame enshrinement in 1975.

Birthdays:
Pee Wee Reese b. 1918
Don Drysdale b. 1936
Gary Payton b. 1968
Nomar Garciaparra b. 1973
Terry Glenn b. 1974

Packers Fact:
Cornerback Al Harris was the oldest player on the Packers' kickoff weekend roster in 2008. He was 33.

http://www.colorflip.com/
Paper Peeler
A click of the mouse won't do it. You've got to hold down the key to give it enough oomph to keep peeling back the papers. Strangely addicting.

DON’T DRINK MILK WHILE READING THIS

Hillary Carlip found her first discarded grocery list when she was a teenager, and she has been collecting them ever since. She felt that a list of “whole milk, heavy cream, ice cream, cheese, and Gas-X,” for example, said quite a lot about the person who made it. Extrapolating from the lists, Carlip tells us about these shoppers’ loves, tragedies, and ambitions. Her 26 subjects include an ex-porn star, a goth boy, and an octogenarian stand-up comedian. With photographs of the author made up as these characters in action at the market.

À LA CART: THE SECRET LIVES OF GROCERY SHOPPERS, by Hillary Carlip; photography by Barbara Green (Virgin, 2008)

BLACK TOAD DARK ALE

Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, Illinois

Black Toad is intriguingly dark, not quite black, and brilliantly clear with a deep red tint when held to the light. The aroma has a nice balance of roast and caramel malts, with just a bit of hop charm. The flavor leads off quite sweetly, with some caramel, roast, and coffee complexities. Grain and hop provide a slight bitterness to fend off the chewy cascade of toffee and malt sweetness, but the finish is still a bit long, decidedly malty. Not a bad thing at all—this is a most pleasantly complex dark ale with lager-like smoothness.

BEER FACT

Black Toad Ale is brewed by Goose Island for Trader Joe’s, and marketed by Black Toad Brewing Co.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/22/2010

7/22/1911:
In a 1-0 victory for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Washington Park, left-hander Nap (short for Napoleon) Rucker has his bid for a second career no-hitter broken up with two outs in the ninth inning on a clean single to right field by Bob Bescher of the Cincinnati Reds. (He had a no-hitter against the Boston Braves in 1908.) The shutout is just one of 38 he'll amass in his 10 big-league seasons, all with Brooklyn. His 38 shutouts out of only 134 lifetime wins (28%) is the second-highest such ratio in baseball history, trailing only Hall of Famer Ed Walsh, who had 195 wins and 57 shutouts (29%).

Birthdays:
Ron Turcotte b. 1941
Sparky Lyle b. 1944
Lasse Viren b. 1949
Tim Brown b. 1966
Keyshawn Johnson b. 1972

Packers Fact:
The youngest player on the Packers' kickoff weekend roster in 2008 was rookie tight end Jermichael Finley. He was 21.

http://bentobjects.blogspot.com/
Border Art
Using bent wire and grocery items, artist and photographer Terry Border creates food creatures in comic tableaux. See an Ore-man posting a missing Oreo poster on a milk carton, the tragic end of Fidel the Fire-eating Circus Peanut, two cornflake men coming upon their mate drowned in milk, and orange snack foods bonding together as the Three Musketeers. With a video interview in which Border demonstrates how he creates his semi-edible wonders.

VOODOO ECONOMICS

Our irrational behaviors are neither random nor senseless—they are systematic,” says Dan Ariely in this eye-opening look at people’s decision making. Ariely’s field is behavioral economics, and he has been using it to study human beings for some 20 years. Did you know that the painkilling effectiveness of aspirin is affected by its price? Or that voters are likely to vote for those at the top of the ballot? His question then is: Can markets know best or work well if the people in them aren’t rational? Entertaining and eye-opening.

PREDICTABLY IRRATIONAL: THE HIDDEN FORCES THAT SHAPE OUR DECISIONS, by Dan Ariely (Harper, 2008)

JUMPING COW AMBER ALE

Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, California

Once again, Firestone Walker delivers with a big English-style malt aroma—but this time there’s some hop to it. With a nice reddish-amber color and some off-white foam, this ale is comfortably session strength at 5.5%/vol. In the flavor, a candy-like malt sweetness carries through to lengthen the finish. Hop bitterness makes a valiant effort at balance, but it is vanquished in what is ultimately a good, clean amber ale, though a bit on the sweet side. Marketed by Steinhaus Brewing Co. for Trader Joe’s.

BEER QUOTE

“In my opinion, most of the great men of the past were only there for the beer.”
—A.J.P. TAYLOR, BRITISH HISTORIAN

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/21/2010

Explaining his self-effacing nature, Phillies All-Star second baseman Chase Utley recalled: "My dad always told me you don't need to tell people how good you are. If that's the case, people will tell you."

Birthdays:
Gene Littler b. 1930
Gene Fullmer b. 1931
Dave Henderson b. 1958
David Carr b. 1979
C.C. Sabathia b. 1980

Packers Fact:
Curly Lambeau led the Packers first NFL (then called the APFA) team in scoring in 1921. The founder and coach also scored a team-best 28 points that season.

http://www.gemueseorchester.org/
Jazz Salad
The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra performs its music solely on fresh vegetables that they turn into musical instruments for each performance, including pepper trumpets, carrot recorders, and leek violins. At this site you can listen to samples of their music, see where they will be performing next, and watch a video that includes preparations that begin at the local produce market.

SNOW, RED, AND OTHER COLORS

Winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature and a score of international literary awards, novelist Orhan Pamuk (Istanbul; Snow) enjoys the essay form and loves writing, the life of a writer, and his life. It all shows in these masterful pieces on his readings, reminiscences, and ruminations from 30 years in the profession. In the Los Angeles Times Book Review, Richard Eder writes, “A voice, part playful and part deadly, whose refracted reality a real nightingale might envy.”

OTHER COLORS: ESSAYS AND A STORY, by Orhan Pamuk, translated from the Turkish by Maureen Freely (Knopf, 2007)

GOUDEN CAROLUS

Brouwerij Het Anker, Mechelen, Belgium

Gouden Carolus’s complex bouquet betrays dark malt, fruit, and nuts—cherries, dried currants, raisins, prunes, dates, and almonds. Warming alcohol, to the tune of 7.5%/vol., balances this sweet brew, though it comes off almost like a dark cherry liqueur. Nothing better on a snowy winter evening.

BEER FACT

Gouden Carolus is another one of the beers named after beer lover and Holy Roman Emperor Charles Quint: It means “Cuvée of the Emperor.”

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.

Sports Fact of the Day 7/18/2010

7/18/1948:
White Sox outfielder Pat Seerey becomes only the fifth big leaguer since 1876 to join the MLB four-homers-in-one-game club as he leads Chicago to a 12-11 win in 11 innings at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Seerey hits consecutive blasts in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and then wins the game with a solo shot off Lou Brissie in the 11tt. Not a great average hitter or a gifted glove man, he'll be gone from the majors by early next year. The other members of the club (to date) are Bobby Lowe, Ed Delahanty, Lou Gehrig and Chuck Klein.

Birthdays:
Joe Torre b. 1940
Nick Faldo b. 1957
Dan O'Brien b. 1966
Anfernee Hardawayy b. 1972
Teril Hunter b. 1975

http://millionnumbers.com/
Own Your Own Number
999999 is a very popular number and, sorry to say, it's already taken. So has 666-it belongs to someone called "Diablo." If you act soon, you can still get your pick of many of the best numbers between one and a million, and the best part is they won't even cost you a cent.

TRIPLE MOINE

Brewery Du Bocq, Purnnode, Belgium

A very pale, strong triple, heavily spiced with coriander. This one is slightly vegetal in both aroma and flavor. It finishes with a lingering spiciness, dry, not too sweet and without the overwhelming alcohol content and taste of many triples (though still strong at 8%/vol.). With a slightly smoky aftertaste, Moine has a similar perfume aroma to many saison beers.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/17/2010

7/17/1989:
It's a good night at the office for young left-hander David Wells at SkyDome. Still working in relief early in his career, Wells receives credit for both victories as the Toronto Blue Jays sweep a twi-night doubleheader from the California Angels, 6-4 and 5-4. Wells works a total of 4-2/3 scoreless innings for his dual triumph.

Birthdays:
Lou Boudreau b. 1917
Johnny "Red" Kerr b. 1932
Daryle Lamonica b. 1941
Connie Hawkins b. 1942
Calbert Cheaney b. 1971

Packers Fact:
Second-year fullback John Kuhn made his first career start when the Packers played Detroit in the 2007 regular-season finale. He caught 1 pass for 5 yards and also helped spring Brandon Jackson for a 46-yard run by making a key block.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQrC_C6SexI
Roller Coaster Bowling
Did the designers of those virtual amusement park construction programs think people would always keep the trains on the tracks?

A ROSE WAS A ROSE WAS A ROSENew Yorker writer Janet Malcolm has produced a work of mystery, biography, criticism, and morality. It begins with the question of how two Jewish-American lesbians managed, without leaving or hiding, to survive in a Europe overrun by Nazis. By the end she has thrown light on Gertrude Stein’s and Alice B. Toklas’s lives, their work, and much that has been written about them, giving them due reverence while revealing their deepest secrets.

TWO LIVES: GERTRUDE AND ALICE, by Janet Malcolm (Yale University Press, 2007)

BELGISSIMUS

De Hopduvel, Gent, Belgium

Pears, persimmons, papayas, guava, and passion fruit. Strawberry, perhaps? With a light flavor for all the fruit in the aroma and a dry, light and somewhat bitter finish, Belgissimus is somewhat of a surprise—must be that 9% ABV drying everything out. A refreshing if volatile beer that shares much in common with a sparkling wine.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/16/2010

Using his own litmus test to evaluate when a young player is ready for a steady job in the majors, manager Joe Torre insists: "Players become big leaguers when you find out how they handle failure."

Birthdays:
Joey Giardello b. 1930
Margaret Smith Court b. 1942
Miguel Indurain b. 1964
Claude Lemieux b. 1965
Barry Sanders b. 1968

Packers Fact:
Before Jim Taylor's string of five consecutive 1,000-yard rushing years beginning in 1960, Tony Canadeo was the only Placers' player to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a season. He gained 1,052 yards in 1949.

http://www.revfad.com/flip.html
Flip It
You sometimes feel like you live in a topsy-turvy world. This will just get you there faster.

CYBERPUNK NO MORE

Following up on his successful bestseller Pattern Recognition, William Gibson gives us a spiky meditation on America as it lurches into the 21st century. Three characters (a writer, a Chinese-Cuban immigrant, and an amphetamine junkie) get involved with spies and criminals while they search for a missing freight container. As the plot slowly unfolds we take in the dystopia that seemingly awaits us. Washington Post Book World calls Spook Country “a devastatingly precise reflection of the American zeitgeist.”

SPOOK COUNTRY, by William Gibson (Putnam, 2007)

BLUE HERON PALE ALE

Mendocino Brewing Co., Ukiah, California

Blue Heron Pale Ale has been a solid favorite for decades, though the brewery changed hands some years ago—fortunately the quality has largely remained consistent. It’s still bottle-conditioned, for one, though the globby white yeast of yore seems to have been replaced with a more powdery strain. Pale yellow with a good white crop of foam, this brew boasts lots of those California hops—salty, grapefruity, pungent and unabashed. After the aromatic assault, the flavor is moderately hoppy and devoid of harshness.

BEER FACT

Mendocino Brewing Company was started in Hopland, California, in 1983, but soon expanded with another, larger brewing facility in Ukiah. Additional restructuring resulted in the company’s purchase of the Olde Saratoga Springs Brewing Company in New York, which brews for East Coast markets.

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/13/2010

7/13/1996:
The Cleveland Indians bat around in the fifth and sixth innings and thrash the Twins, 19-11, at the Metrodome. Albert Belle goes four-for-four with three RBIs for Cleveland; Jeromy Burnitz accounts for five RBIs and Kenny Lofton adds three doubles for the Tribe. In all, the Indians pound out 22 hits, including an American League record-tying 12 doubles. They'll lead the AL in hits, team batting average and on-base percentage this year.

Birthdays:
Jack Kemp b. 1935
Bob McKillop b. 1950
David Thompson b. 1954
Michael Spinks b. 1956
Spud Webb b. 1963

Packers Fact:
In 2007, the Packers became the first NFL team in 11 years to open the season with two rookie starters in the backfield (running back Brandon Jackson and fullback Korey Hall).

http://www.bigthings.ca/
Big Things in Canada
Even if you're not planning a road trip to Canada, you should still visit some of its greatest man-made wonders at this site, which showcases huge monuments like a nineteen-foot potato, a 205-foot hockey stick, giant flowers and fruit, a whole herd of giant moose scattered across the country, and the world's largest Easter egg in Vegreville, Alberta.

A BANANA WITHOUT A REPUBLIC

A terrifying real story of a tiny, hip political consulting firm named Sawyer Miller that started out in the Pepsi–Coke wars, which it won with Miller’s catchy “Coke is it” campaign, and ended up amid the rubble of governments and campaigns it had helped ruin for its clients, in part through its GNP-size fees. A surprising number of political news stories over the past two decades involved these men (and one woman), and the tightening noose around their bloated self-image gives increasing piquancy to the thought of how many of these stories could have turned out differently.

ALPHA DOGS: THE AMERICANS WHO TURNED POLITICS INTO A GLOBAL BUSINESS, by James Harding (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008)

OLD VISCOSITY

Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, California

Old Viscosity is the sort of beer that turns traditional styles on their heads. It’s not really an English Old Ale, but it shares the caramel-malt tones and the aging process. It’s not really an Imperial stout, but it definitely has the black color, the brown foam, and a bit of roastiness. It’s not really a barley wine, but it has the imposing 10%/vol. strength, and some pruney, fruit cake malt notes. And then there’s the viscosity, a velvety texture nicely balanced with hop and roast malt bitterness, ending with enough alcohol to leave a slight impression of dryness after all the engine-oil thickness. Lots of paradox here, and all of it good. Surprisingly, bourbon-barrel aging doesn’t contribute any tartness, but it does add a mellow vanilla tone to the roast malts.