Monday, August 17, 2009

undulation \uhn-juh-LEY-shuhn, uhn-dyuh-, -duh-\, noun:

1. A regular rising and falling or movement to alternating sides; movement in waves.
2. A wavelike form, outline, or appearance.
3. One of a series of waves or wavelike segments.

Undulation is from Late Latin undula, "a small wave," diminutive of Latin unda, "wave."

brom com

• Short for bromantic comedy

"I love you man is a terrific brom com."
Trivia

Which state is home to the only public university in the U.S. that awarded degrees to students in the 18th century?

• North Carolina. The University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill, was chartered in 1789 and opened in 1795.

Today in History:

• Pike Place Market: Seattle's top tourist destination and one of the oldest farmers' markets in the US opened for business (1907)
• Peter Fechter: 18-year-old was killed as he attempted to cross the Berlin Wall; East German guards shot him and he was left to bleed to death (1962)
• Double Eagle II: became the first hot-air balloon to complete a transatlantic flight, from Presque Isle, Maine, to Miserey, France (1978)
• harmonic convergence: new age gatherings wrapped up in Stonehenge, Mount Shasta and other places, having prayed and meditated for peace (1987)

Today's Birthdays:

• Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665): mathematician, Fermat's Last Theorem
• Jiang Zemin (83): former president of China
• V.S. Naipaul (77): Nobel Prize-winning author of A House for Mr. Biswas
• Guillermo Vilas (57): tennis hall-of-famer; other sportsmen born on this date include Jon Gruden (46), Jorge Posada (38), Antwaan Randle El (30) and Dustin Pedroia (26)
• Sean Penn (49): Oscar-winner for Mystic River and Milk; also, actors Mae West (1893-1980), Maureen O'Hara (89), Robert De Niro (66), Donnie Wahlberg (40), Bryton McClure (23) and Brady Corbet (21)
• Everette Harp (48): R&B saxophonist
• Belinda Carlisle (51): singer