Tuesday, June 12, 2012

pochismo \poh-CHEEZ-moh\, noun:

1. An English word or expression borrowed into Spanish.
2. A form of speech employing many such words.
3. An adopted U.S. custom, attitude, etc.

Pochismo entered English in the 1940s. It is a variation of the word pocho which refers to a person of Mexican heritage who has adopted American customs. The suffix -ismo is usually the Spanish equivalent of the English suffix -ism.
harmaceutical

• A medication FDA approved and released for public consumption by a pharmaceutical company only to be re-called and be the subject of a class-action lawsuit because of its previouslly unreported dangers.

Although the diet pill seemed to facilitate rapid weight loss, it was only when Jack spontaneously developed an extra set of nipples did we suspect the new drug was actually a harmaceutical.

Trivia

What famous American author wrote a fictional biography of Joan of Arc?

• Mark Twain, in 1895, using the pen name Sieur Louis de Conte, who was identified as Saint Joan’s page and secretary on the title page of Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc.

History

• Virginia: became the first state to adopt a bill of rights — the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776)
• perfect game: John Lee Richmond pitched the first MLB game in which no batter reached base during the entire nine innings (1880)
• Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: shrine to the US national pastime was dedicated in Cooperstown, New York (1939)
• Loving v. Virginia: US Supreme Court struck down all bans on interracial marriages (1967)
• Gossamer Albatross: human-powered aircraft was flown by Bryan Allen across the English Channel (1979)
• "Tear down this wall": challenge was issued by US President Ronald Reagan to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev; the Berlin Wall did indeed come down two years later (1987)
• $50 bill: new and improved design was unveiled by the US Treasury to help the elderly and hinder counterfeiters (1997)

Birthdays

• David Rockefeller 1915 - Banker
• Irwin Allen 1916 - Television and film producer, nicknamed "The Master of Disaster"
• Samuel Z. Arkoff 1918 - Movie producer
• Uta Hagen 1919 - Actress
• George H.W. Bush 1924 - 41st President of the United States, father of President George W. Bush
• Vic Damone 1928 - Singer
• Anne Frank (Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank) 1929 - Known for her diary which documented her experiences during World War II
• Jim Nabors 1930 - Actor, singer ("Gomer Pyle, USMC")
• Rona Jaffe 1932 - Novelist
• Robert Bower 1936 - Attorney
• Chick Corea 1941 - Musician
• Marv Albert 1941 - Sportscaster
• Reg Presley 1944 - Musician (The Troggs)
• Brad Delp 1951 - Musician (Boston)
• Bun E. Carlos 1951 - Musician (Cheap Trick)
• Junior Brown 1952 - Musician, singer
• Rocky Burnette (Jonathan Burnette) 1953 - Musician
• Timothy Busfield 1957 - Actor ("The West Wing," "thirtysomething")
• Jenilee Harrison 1959 - Actress
• John Linnell 1959 - Musician (They Might Be Giants)
• Grandmaster Dee 1962 - Musician (Whodini)
• Paula Marshall 1964 - Actress ("Gary Unmarried")
• Frances O'Commor 1967 - Actress
• Bobby Sheehan 1968 - Musician (Blues Traveler)
• Hideki Matsui - Baseball player
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd 1977 - Musician
• Robyn (Robin Miriam Carlsson) 1979 - Singer, songwriter
• Wil Horneff 1979 - Actor
• Dallas Clark 1979 - Football player
• Adriana Lima 1981 - hot Brazilian supermodel
• Kendra Wilkinson 1985 - former Girl Next Door