Word of the Day for Friday, May 2, 2008

halcyon \HAL-see-uhn\, noun:

1. A kingfisher.
2. A mythical bird, identified with the kingfisher, that was fabled to nest at sea about the time of the winter solstice and to calm the waves during incubation.
3. Calm; quiet; peaceful; undisturbed; happy; as, "deep, halcyon repose."
4. Marked by peace and prosperity; as, "halcyon years."

fake the funk: Urban Word of the Day

• (v.) To act with a false ethos surrounding oneself in an attempt to win respect from a certain influential party. Antonym: Keep it real

I strongly suspect butt licka to be a white boy fakin the funk.

Trivia

Who was the first Boy Scout to become president of the United States?

• John F. Kennedy.

Today's Holiday

• Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)

Today in History

• Martin Luther: the 23-year-old German theologian and future Protestant reformer was ordained (1507)
• Berlin: surrendered to Russian forces during WWII; the war in Europe ended less than a week later (1945)
• GPS: President Bill Clinton announced that US citizens and the military would have equal access to the positioning system (2000)

Today's Birthdays

• Catherine the Great (1729-1796): empress of Russia who described herself as an "enlightened despot"
• Theodor Herzl (1860-1904): founder of modern Zionism
• Lorenz Hart (1895-1943): lyricist, Pal Joey, "The Lady is a Tramp"
• Dr. Benjamin Spock (1903-1998): pediatrician who wrote The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, the "bible" on child-rearing
• The Rock (36): wrestler-turned-actor; other athletes born today include Sarah Hughes and Ashley Harkleroad (both 23)