Thursday, August 27, 2009

saturnine \SAT-uhr-nyn\, adjective:

1. Born under or being under the astrological influence of the planet Saturn.
2. Gloomy or sullen in disposition.
3. Having a sardonic or bitter aspect.

Saturnine comes from Saturn, in Medieval times believed to be the most remote planet from the Sun and thus coldest and slowest in its revolution.

afterclap

• That last person/people who keep(s) clapping after everyone else has stopped. normally parents, but it could be die-hard fans etc.

*Large chorus of clapping*
Mom: "Did you hear little Billy's singing?"
Aunt: "Yes his voice really stood out"
*Mother and Aunt only ones clapping still*
Bystander 1: "That afterclap is lame, their kid totally sucks, it was a choir of 200 kids!"
Bystander 2: "Yeah afterclap kills a show sometimes.."
Trivia
What were the first names of TV cops Starsky and Hutch? How about Cagney and Lacey?

• Starsky and Hutch were Dave Starsky (played by Paul Michael Glaser) and Ken Hutch, for Hutchinson (David Soul). The show ran from 1975 to 1979. Cagney and Lacey were Chris Cagney (Sharon Gless for most of the series) and Mary Beth Lacey (Tyne Daly). The show ran from 1982 to 1988.

Today in History:

• Krakatoa: volcano erupted in the loudest explosion ever recorded; the resultant tsunami killed 36,000 (1883)
• Anglo-Zanzibar War: the shortest war in history ended after less than an hour when Zanzibar surrendered (1896)
• Kellogg-Briand Pact: multinational treaty signed in Paris outlawed war — about 11 years before the same nations took part in WWII (1928)
• Mars: the red planet got up close and personal with Earth — only 55,758,006 km away (2003)

Today's Birthdays:

• Georg Hegel (1770-1831): metaphysical philosopher
• Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945): novelist, Sister Carrie, An American Tragedy; writers C.S. Forester (1899-1966), Jeanette Winterson (50) and Dean Devlin (47) were also born on this date
• Man Ray (1890-1976): photographer and painter
• Mother Theresa (1910-1998): humanitarian nun who won the Nobel Peace Prize
• Chandra Wilson (40): Dr. Miranda Bailey on Grey's Anatomy; also, actors Tommy Sands (72), Tuesday Weld (66), Barbara Bach (62), Paul Reubens (57), Diana Scarwid (54), Sarah Chalke (33) and Alexa Vega (21)
• Tony Kanal (39): musician, bassist of No Doubt