Friday, March 20, 2009

diatribe \DAHY-uh-trahyb\, noun:

• a bitter verbal attack or speech

by 1581, from Latin diatriba "learned discussion," from Greek diatribe "discourse, study," literally "a wearing away (of time)," from dia- "away" + tribein "to wear, rub."

Lehman Sisters

• Wives/girlfriends of recently-orphaned Lehman Brothers executives who bond to share their collective, unexpected fall down the socio-economic ladder.

Amande and Jane are now the Lehman Sisters 'cause the Devil took away their Prada when their boyfriends lost their jobs on Wall Street.

Trivia
Which of Shakespeare’s plays features the appearance of 11 ghosts?

• King Richard III. Each is the spirit of someone Richard has killed.

Today in History:

• Uncle Tom's Cabin: antislavery novel was published by Harriet Beecher Stowe, whom Lincoln called "the little woman who started this big war" (1852)
• "I shall return": was spoken by Gen. Douglas MacArthur as he left the Philippines during WWII; he did return, two years later (1942)
• John Lennon: wed Yoko Ono in Gibraltar (1969)
• Libby Riddles: became the first woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race (1985)
• Tokyo subway gas attack: Aum Shinrikyo group released sarin, killing 12 and injuring thousands (1995)

Today's Birthdays:

• Carl Reiner (87): comedian and writer, director and producer who created The Dick Van Dyke Show; creator of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Fred Rogers (1928-2003) shared this birth date
• Brian Mulroney (70): former Canadian Prime Minister; also, Mexican statesman Alfonso Garcia Robles (1911-1991)
• Bobby Orr (61): hockey player, the Boston Bruins
• William Hurt (59): award-winning actor, Kiss of the Spider Woman, A History of Violence; other actors with this birthday include Sir Michael Redgrave (1908-1985), Hal Linden (78) and Holly Hunter (51)
• Spike Lee (52): indie-film director of Do the Right Thing, Inside Man; TV producer Paul Junger Witt (66) also has a birthday today