Tuesday, August 10, 2010

absquatulate \ab-skwoch-uh-leyt\, verb:

• To flee; abscond.

Absquatulate is an example of a pseudo-Latinism, which combines Latin roots to form a new word. This was a 19th century linguistic trend in various parts of the United States.

Youtube Attention Span

• Your normal attention span only significantly decreased due to Youtube. Whereas normally 10 minutes is a short amount of time, Youtube turns it into a cinematic experience.

Jill: Watch this video!

Jack: Okay.

Jack: wtf? 10 minutes? That's way over my Youtube Attention Span.

Jill: *cries*

Trivia

What baseball legend was the first player in the 20th century to hit four home runs in a single game?

• New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig, in 1932.

History

• Ferdinand Magellan: set sail from Seville to circumnavigate the globe; of the five ships that set out under his command, only one — the Victoria — returned to Spain (1519)
• Smithsonian Institution: was created with $500,000 left by English scientist James Smithson (1846)
• Son of Sam: New York serial killer David Berkowitz was arrested (1977)
• Yuri Malenchenko: Ukrainian cosmonaut became the first person to be married in space, to a woman on the ground in Texas (2003)

Birthdays

• Herbert Hoover (1874-1964): 31st POTUS, believed in private enterprise
• Jorge Amado (1912-2001): novelist, Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands; plus, writer Alfred Döblin (1878-1957)
• Ian Anderson (63): musician, Jethro Tull; also, singers Jimmy Dean (1928-2010), Eddie Fisher (82), Ronnie Spector (67), Patti Austin (60), Jon Farriss (49) and Aaron Hall (46)
• Antonio Banderas (50): actor/voice actor, The Mask of Zorro, Puss in Boots in the Shrek sequels; also, actors Rhonda Fleming (87), Kate O'Mara (71), James Reynolds (64), Daniel Hugh Kelly (58), Rosanna Arquette (51), Justin Theroux (39), Angie Harmon (38) and Ryan Eggold (26)
• Phoolan Devi (1963-2001): gang leader who became a member of India's Parliament