Friday, April 29, 2011

osmose \oz-MOHS\, verb:

1. To gradually or unconsciously assimilate some principle or object.

2. To undergo osmosis.

Osmose comes from the biological term osmosis, "the tendency of a fluid, usually water, to pass through a semipermeable membrane into a solution where the solvent concentration is higher, thus equalizing the concentrations of materials on either side of the membrane." Osmosis derives from endosmose, with endo- being French for "inward" and osmos meaning "push, thrust" in Greek.

ghost

• A term meaning you're leaving. Similar to "outta here."

I don't like those people you invited over so I'm ghost.

Trivia

Fingerprints are used to identify people. What prints are used to identify cattle?

• Noseprints. Each animal’s nose has a distinct pattern of ridges and grooves.

History

• Joan of Arc: led her army into Orléans in victory over the English (1429)
• Dachau: concentration camp was liberated by US soldiers (1945)
• Naomi Uemura: became the first person to reach the North Pole alone; he traveled by sled dog (1978)
• Los Angeles race riots: began after the acquittal of police officers accused of beating Rodney King (1992)
• space walk: astronaut Jerry Linenger and cosmonaut Vasily Tsibliyev stepped out together on first joint US-Russian walk in space (1997)
• Rent: Rock musical opened on Broadway; the Manhattan-set retelling of La bohème went on to win several Tonys, a Pulitzer and many other awards (1996)

Birthdays

• Alexander II (1818-1881): Russian emperor who freed the serfs; Japanese emperor Hirohito (1901-1989) shared this birth date
• Rod McKuen (78): '60s poet and composer
• Zubin Mehta (75): music director for life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; also, musicians Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961), Sir Malcolm Sargent (1895-1967), Duke Ellington (1899-1974), Otis Rush (77), Tommy James (64) and Carnie Wilson (43)
• Dale Earnhardt (1951-2001): NASCAR superstar
• Jerry Seinfeld (57): comedian who made much ado about nothin', Seinfeld; also, actors Celeste Holm (94?), Lane Smith (1936-2005), Kate Mulgrew (56), Daniel Day-Lewis (54), Michelle Pfeiffer and Eve Plumb (both 53) and Uma Thurman (41)
• Andre Agassi (41): one of history's top tennis players