Friday, March 4, 2011

gastronome \GAS-truh-nohm\, noun:

• A connoisseur of good food and drink.

Gastronome is ultimately derived from Greek gaster, "stomach" + nomos, "rule, law."

microwave mentality

• Having the attitude that if something can't be done in 5 minutes or less, it's not worth doing.

Someone's mom: "You know, I just hate how our son never gets his chores done."

Someone's dad: "Yeah it's his microwave mentality. He gets it from you."

Trivia

What countries are you traveling between when you fly from Dakar to Dhaka?

• Senegal (Dakar) and Bangladesh (Dhaka).

History

• US Constitution: went into effect as the United States Congress met for the first time, in New York City (1789)
• American Automobile Association: the "triple A" club was established; it now has 50 million members (1902)
• New Deal: economic recovery and social welfare plan was outlined by Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his inaugural address, in which he told Americans that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" (1933)
• John Lennon: the ugly egomaniac sparked controversy by saying that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus, possibly during a drug enduced haze (1966)

Birthdays

• Henry the Navigator (1394-1460): explorer
• Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741): baroque composer
• Johann David Wyss (1743-1818): author of Swiss Family Robinson; plus, novelist Enrique Larreta (1875-1961)
• Casimir Pulaski (1748-1777): Polish general who fought for the Colonists in the Revolutionary War
• Knute Rockne (1888-1931): legendary football coach
• Miriam Makeba (1932-2008): South African folk singer; plus, musicians Bobby Womack (67), Chris Squire (63), Emilio Estefan (58), Grand Puba (45) and Jason Marsalis (34)
• Steven Weber (50): actor, Wings, Brothers and Sisters; also, actors Catherine O'Hara (57), Mykelti Williamson (54), Patricia Heaton (53), Whitney Port (26) and Andrea Bowen (21)