Thursday, March 31, 2011

bivouac \BIV-wak, BIV-uh-wak\, noun:

• An encampment for the night, usually under little or no shelter.

intransitive verb:

• To encamp for the night, usually under little or no shelter.

Bivouac comes from French bivouac, from German Beiwache, "a watching or guarding," from bei, "by, near" + wachen, "to watch."

sympathy seeker

• A person whose status updates on facebook are solely for the purpose of gaining sympathy.

Johnny is such the sympathy seeker that he would go on Facebook to say that his Pet-Rock died if it would get him sympathy

Trivia

How much longer than standard twin beds are the twin extra-long beds manufactured for college dorms?

• Five inches. The standard twin is 39 by 75 inches; the twin extra-long, 39 by 80.

History

• Alhambra Decree: was signed by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, giving Spain's Jews four months to convert or face expulsion (1492)
• Eiffel Tower: was dedicated in Paris; designed by bridge engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the open-lattice wrought iron masterpiece was the tallest structure in the world at the time (1889)
• Daylight Savings Time: was instituted in the US for the first time (1918)
• premieres: Rogers and Hammerstein's musical Oklahoma! (1943) and Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie (1945) opened on Broadway
• Newfoundland: became Canada's tenth province (1949)
• Dalai Lama: Tibetan spiritual and political leader went into exile and was granted asylum in India (1959)

Birthdays

• René Descartes (1596-1650): scientist/philosopher who posited, "cogito ergo sum" — "I think, therefore I am"; and, chemist Robert W. Bunsen (1811-1899)
• Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809): Classical composer; plus, musicians Herb Alpert (76) and Angus Young (56)
• Sergei Diaghilev (1872-1929): impresario who created Ballets Russes
• César Chávez (1927-1993): UFW's founder and director who spearheaded migrant worker boycotts of grapes and lettuce
• Al Gore (63): former US Veep who cashed in on being a fake environmental activist, douchebag
• Gordie Howe (83): champion ice hockey forward; also, boxer Jack Johnson (1878-1946) and NHL right-winger Pavel Bure (40)
• Christopher Walken (68): actor, The Deer Hunter, Hairspray; plus, actors William Daniels (84), Shirley Jones (77), Richard Chamberlain (76), Gabe Kaplan (66), Rhea Perlman (63) and Ewan McGregor (40)