Wednesday, May 2, 2012

kowtow \KOU-TOU\, verb:

1. To act in an obsequious manner; show servile deference.

2. To touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling, as an act of worship, reverence, apology, etc., especially in former Chinese custom.

noun:

1. The act of kowtowing.

Kowtow comes from the Chinese practice of touching the ground with your forehead to show respect, called k'o t'ou. It literally means "to knock the head."

yeash

• To be annoyed with something

will you cool it. yeash!

Trivia

What year is this in Roman numerals?

• MMXII.

History

• Martin Luther: the 23-year-old German theologian and future Protestant reformer was ordained (1507)
• Good Housekeeping: first went on sale (1885)
• Berlin: surrendered to Russian forces during WWII; the war in Europe ended less than a week later (1945)
• Nelson Mandela: won in South Africa's first multiracial election (1994)
• GPS: President Bill Clinton announced that US citizens and the military would have equal access to the positioning system (2000)
• Osama Bin Laden was killed in a raid by American Special Forces: Seal Team 6 (2011)

Birthdays

• Catherine The Great (Ekaterina Alekseevna) 1729 - Russian leader Catherine II
• Henry M. Robert 1837 - U.S. Army General, author
• Hedda Hopper (Elda Furry) 1890 - Actress and gossip columnist
• Vernon Castle 1887 - Dancer, actor ("The Whirl of Life")
• Baron Von Richthofen (The Red Baron) 1892 - German fighter pilot
• Lorenz Hart 1895 - Composer, lyricist, half of Rodgers & Hart
• Brian Aherne 1902 - Actor ("A Night to Remember", "The Best of Everything")
• Dr. Benjamin Spock 1903 - Baby doctor, author ("The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care")
• Bing Crosby 1903 - Singer, according to Bing Crosby his birthday is May 2nd, his birthday is actually May 3, real name: Harry Lillis Crosby
• Pinky Lee (Pincus Leff) 1907 - Entertainer ("The Pinky Lee Show"), burlesque
• Nigel Patrick 1913 - Actor ("The Jack of Diamonds", "The Mackintosh Man"), director, writer
• Theodore Bikel 1924 - Singer, actor ("Fiddler on the Roof", "The African Queen")
• Roscoe Lee Browne 1925 - Actor
• Françoise Fabian (Michele Cortes De Leon y Fabianera) 1932 - Actress ("Reunion", "Dressmaker")
• John Lee Gardner 1933 - Musician (Mothers of Invention)
• Link Wray (Frederick Lincoln Wray Jr.) 1935 - Musician, composer (Link Wray and His Ray Men)
• Engelbert Humperdinck (Arnold George Dorsey) 1936 - Singer
• Lorenzo Music 1937 - Actor, voice of Garfield, producer
• Gates (William James) Brown 1939 - Baseball player
• Clay (Palmer) Carroll 1941 - Baseball player
• Mickey (Lee Oddis) Bass III 1943 - Jazz composer, musician (New York Powerhouse Ensemble)
• Hilton Valentine 1943 - Musician (Animals)
• John Verity 1944 - Musician (Argent)
• R.C. Bannon 1945 - Country singer
• Bianca Jagger 1945 - Model, human rights activist, was married to Mick Jagger
• Goldy McJohn 1945 - Musician (Steppenwolf)
• "Rudy" Randy Cain 1945 - Musician (The Delfonics)
• Lesley Gore 1946 - Singer
• David Suchet 1946 - Actor
• Robert Henritt 1946 - Musician (The Kinks)
• Gerald Irons 1947 - Football player
• Larry Gatlin 1948 - Singer (Gatlin Brothers)
• Lou Gramm 1950 - Musician (Foreigner)
• Joe Callis 1951 - Musician (Human League)
• Christine Baranski 1952 - Actress ("The Good Wife")
• Angela Bofill 1954 - Singer
• Bruce Robert Howard 1961 - Musician (Blow Monkeys)
• Elizabeth Berridge 1962 - Actress
• Ty Herndon 1962 - Country singer

• Todd Sucherman 1969 - Musician (Styx)
• Dwayne Johnson 1972 - Wrestler, actor, known as The Rock
• David Beckham 1975 - Soccer player
• Jenna Van Oy 1977 - Actress
• Gaius Charles 1983 - Actor ("Friday Night Lights")
• Sarah Hughes 1985 - Figure skater
• Lily Allen 1985 - Singer
• Kay Panabaker 1990 - Actress