Wednesday, March 25, 2009

tumult \TOO-mult; TYOO-mult\, noun:

1. The commotion or agitation of a crowd, usually accompanied with great noise, uproar, and confusion of voices; hurly-burly; noisy confusion.
2. Violent commotion or agitation, with confusion of sounds; as, "the tumult of the elements."
3. Irregular or confused motion; agitation; high excitement; as, "the tumult of the spirits or passions."--tumultuous, adjective

Tumult is from Latin tumultus, from tumeo, tumere, to swell; to swell with anger or excitement.

Recessionista

• A person who is able to stick to a tight budget while still managing to dress stylishly.

She's superstylish, always able to buy a round of drinks and still seems to be wearing a new outfit every time you see her. She's a recessionista, that New York marvel who's a magnet for a good deal. And in this economy, she's got a lot to teach us.

Trivia
How many feet of DNA are packed inside almost every cell in the human body?

• Six feet.

Today in History:

• Robert the Bruce: became king of not-yet-independent Scotland; in 1328, after many battles, England's King Edward III finally recognized Scotland's independence and Bruce as its king (1306)
• Coxey's Army: the first popular protest march on Washington left Massillon, Ohio, led by Jacob Coxey; the men sought legislation to create jobs in a depression year (1894)
• Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire: a factory fire caused the deaths of 146 female workers; the disaster led to the creation of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, which fought for better working conditions (1911)
• European Economic Community: was established with the Treaty of Rome; it comprised W. Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands & Luxembourg (1957)

Today's Birthdays:

• Bela Bartok (1881-1945): composer and ethnomusicologist; conductor Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957) shared this birth date
• Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964): Southern writer of short stories
• Jim Lovell (81): astronaut, commander of Apollo 13
• Elton John (62): singer/songwriter, "Candle in the Wind"; singer Aretha Franklin (67) was also born on this date
• Marcia Cross (47): Desperate Housewives' Bree Hodge; also, actors Simone Signoret (1921-1985), Paul Michael Glaser (66), Bonnie Bedelia (61), Mary Gross (56), James McDaniel (51), Brenda Strong (49), Lisa Gay Hamilton (45),butterface Sarah Jessica Parker (44) and Lee Pace (30)

Quote:

• "Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning." — Gloria Steinem