Thursday, July 8, 2010

sibylline \SIB-uh-leen\, adjective:

1. Prophetic; oracular.

2. Of, resembling, or characteristic of a sibyl; prophetic; oracular.

3. Mysterious; cryptic.

Sibylline derives from the Greek Sibylla, any of several prophetesses consulted by ancient Greeks and Romans, of uncertain origin.

Penny it Forward

• The act of leaving your left over penny or pennies from unwanted change at the counter of a convenient store.

"Mister, don't you want the rest of your change?"

"Nah, just Penny it Forward'"

Trivia

What is unusual about the eggs of the seabird known as the guillemot?

• They are pear-shaped, which is fortunate because the guillemot nests on steep cliffs and lays its eggs on bare rock. Because of its shape, a guillemot egg will roll in a circle if disturbed, and will not fall off the cliff.

History

• Liberty Bell: was rung to call Philadelphia citizens to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence (1776)
• The Wall Street Journal: began publication (1889)
• Ziegfield Follies: producer Florenz Ziegfield staged his first "follies" on the roof of New York City's New York Theater (1907)
• Oklahoma!: the Broadway musical's soundtrack became the first album to go gold (indicating one million sales), as certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (1958)

Birhdays

• Nelson A. Rockefeller (1908-1979): governor of NY and vice president under Gerald Ford; his grandfather, industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) shared his birth date
• Wolfgang Puck (61): celebrity chef
• Anna Quindlen (58): journalist and author, One True Thing

• Kevin Bacon (52): actor, Frost/Nixon, Taking Chance; also, actors Jeffrey Tambor (66), Anjelica Huston (59), Billy Crudup and Michael Weatherly (both 42), Kim Darby (63), Milo Ventimiglia (33), Sophia Bush (28), Jake McDorman (24) and Jaden Smith (12)
• Andy Fletcher (49): rocker, co-founder of Depeche Mode; musicians Jerry Vale (78), Steve Lawrence (75), Raffi (62), Toby Keith (49) and Beck (40)