Tuesday, August 11, 2009

cynosure \SY-nuh-shoor; SIN-uh-shoor\, noun:

1. An object that serves as a focal point of attention and admiration.
2. That which serves to guide or direct.
3. [Capitalized]. The northern constellation Ursa Minor, which contains the North Star; also, the North Star itself.

Cynosure derives from Latin cynosura, from Greek kunosoura, "dog's tail, the constellation Ursa Minor," from kuon, kun-, "dog" + oura, "tail."

go primitive

• Instead of keyboarding or texting a long and detailed story someone suggests a phone call as a more direct way to have the conversation.

Dude, I'm good with texting but this is giving me carpel tunnel, let's "go primitive" I'll call you tomorrow at 8.

Trivia
On what part of the body is a vampire bat most likely to bite a sleeping human victim?

• On the big toe.

Today in History:

• Alcatraz: island prison in San Francisco Bay received its first civilian inmates (1934)
• Hussein ibn Talal: 16-year-old was proclaimed king of Jordan after his father was declared mentally unfit (1952)
• Watts riots: civil disturbances in Los Angeles left 34 dead (1965)
• The Mall of America: the most-visited mall in the world opened on the site of Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota (1992)

Today's Birthdays:

• Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778-1852): father of gymnastics
• Alex Haley (1921-1992): author of Roots; also, writers Eduard Devrient (1801-1877), Hugh MacDiarmid (1892-1978) and Louise Bogan (1897-1970)
• Jerry Falwell (1933-2007): Moral Majority founder
• Steve Wozniak (59): cofounder of Apple Computers
• Hulk Hogan (56): wrestler/actor, host of NBC's American Gladiators
• Julia Anne Clarke (37): aka Julie Clarke, Playmate 03/91, actress, model, hardbody