Tuesday, May 10, 2011

animalcule \an-uh-MAL-kyool\, noun:

• A minute or microscopic animal, nearly or quite invisible to the naked eye.

Animalcule stems from the Latin animiculum, "little animal."

my phone's about to die

• This is an expression commonly used to signal to another party that either a) you no longer want to text them, or b) you intend on hanging up. This is a smooth way to avoid answering or hearing things from other people. However, sometimes, it's true, and the person's phone really is about to die. This is rare.

(speaking on the phone)

Katie: So I've really been thinking about you a lot. I think I might love y-

Michael: Oh, shi*, sorry, my phone's about to die! -click-

(texting)

Chelsea: Myfriend Kyle said he really digs u. what did u think about him?

Sam: sry my phones about 2 die

Trivia

What is the estimated age of the oldest-known plant in the world—a creosote bush found growing in California’s Mojave Desert?

• 11,700 years, based on radiocarbon dating and the plant’s known growth rate. That means the bush, known as King Clone, has been growing since the last ice age.

History

• transcontinental railroad: a golden spike linked the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines at Promontory Summit (1869)
• J. Edgar Hoover: became director of the FBI; he held the post until his death 48 years later (1924)
• Nazi book burnings: as part of Goebbels' "synchronization of culture," some 25,000 "un-German" volumes were destroyed in a single day (1933)
• Micronesia: adopted a constitution, becoming a self-governing federation (1979)
• Nelson Mandela: South Africa's first black president was sworn in to office (1994)

Birthdays

• Einar Gerhardsen (1897-1987): Norwegian PM
• Fred Astaire (1899-1987): elegant and dapper dancer/actor
• David O. Selznick (1902-1965): producer of such films as King Kong and Gone with the Wind; the composer of the scores for both films, Max Steiner (1888-1971), shared this birthday
• Barbara Taylor Bradford (78): bestselling romantic novelist, A Woman of Substance
• Jim Abrahams (67): writer/director of parodies like Airplane! and The Naked Gun
• Richard Patrick (43): singer/ guitarist, FILTER
• Bono (51): lead singer of U2 and social activist; musicians Milton Babbitt (1916-2011), Donovan (65), Dave Mason (65) and Young MC (44)
• Linda Evangelista (46): Canadian supermodel