Thursday, September 2, 2010

bilocation \bahy-loh-KEY-shuhn\, noun:

• The state of being or the ability to be in two places at the same time.

Bilocation is said to originate in the 19th century as a description for the alleged ability of certain Roman Catholic saints.

geriatric bypass

1. The act of denying your actual age in order to give others the impression that you are younger.
2. A medical procedure intended to provide persons of advanced years the appearance of being younger.

For the last twenty years, Jack claimed to others that he's only 39 years of age, and for the last five, he's even used hair coloring. He acts as if he's had a geriatric bypass.

Trivia

Where in the world is the Skeleton Coast?

• In Namibia, Africa, on the northern part of its Atlantic coast. There the desolate Namib Desert is littered with the skeletal remains of shipwrecks, beached whales, and humans who fell victim to the area’s dense fog, fierce currents, frigid waters, and treacherous reefs.

History

• Great Fire of London: conflagration that wiped out much of London began (1666 OS)
• United States Department of the Treasury: was established by an act of Congress (1789)
• "Speak softly and carry a big stick": policy was enunciated by US vice president Theodore Roosevelt at the Minnesota State Fair (1901)
• Japan's surrender: WWII officially came to an end with a ceremony aboard the USS Missouri (1945)
• Principality of Sealand: North Sea micronation located off the coast of Suffolk was established by Paddy Roy Bates, who has ruled it ever since (1967)

Birthdays

• Peter Ueberroth (73): businessman, former baseball commissioner and 1984's Time "Man of the Year"; ballplayer who turned to producing sporting goods A.G. Spalding (1850-1915) and high-tech executive Andrew Grove share this birth date (74)
• Nate Archibald (62): NBA hall-of-famer; other athletes born on this date include John Thompson (69), Terry Bradshaw (62), Jimmy Connors (58) and Eric Dickerson (50)
• Christa McAuliffe (1948-1986): teacher who died in the Challenger space shuttle explosion
• Mark Harmon (59): Jethro Gibbs of NCIS; also, actors Linda Purl (55), Keanu Reeves (46), Salma Hayek (44), and Cynthia Watros and Kristen Cloke (both 42)