Sunday, April 20, 2014

omphaloskepsis \ om-fuh-loh-SKEP-sis \ , noun; 

• contemplation of one's navel as part of a mystical exercise. 

Origin: Omphaloskepsis comes from the Greek roots omphalos which means "navel" and sképsis which means "act of looking."

classy smashed

the state of being mildly intoxicated by wine or champagne

the state of intoxication preceding being smassy clashed

the type of intoxication that occurs at a formal event

the type of intoxication that occurs whenever wine or champagne is consumed.

After a few glasses of wine, the maid of honor found herself classy smashed and in good spirits

Holiday

• Easter: Christian festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion at Calvary as described in the New Testament

History

• Fenway Park: Boston Red Sox played their first game in the new stadium (1912)
• school busing: in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, the Supreme Court held unanimously that it was legitimate to use busing as a tool for achieving racial desegregation in schools (1971)
• Columbine High School massacre: two students at Columbine High School killed 12 classmates and a teacher in a shooting spree (1999)
• Danica Patrick: became the first female winner in IndyCar history, winning the Indy Japan 300 (2008)

Birthdays

• Phillip Pinel 1745
• Napoleon III 1808 - Emperor of France
• Daniel Chester French 1850 - Sculptor, created Minute Man statue in Concord, MA, Abraham Lincoln seated in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
• Adolf Hitler 1889 - German leader during World War II
• Joan Miro 1893 - Artist
• Harold Lloyd 1893 - Comedian, actor ("For Heaven's Sake")
• Norman Norell (Norman David Levinson) 1900 - Costume designer, fashion designer
• Lionel Hampton 1908 - Singer, songwriter, jazz musician, bandleader
• Tito (Ernest) Puente 1923 - Jazz musician, bandleader
• Nina Foch (Nina Consuelo Maud Fock) 1924 - Actress ("Spartacus", "An American in Paris")
• Leslie Philips 1924 - Actor ("Harry Potter" films)
• Henri Renaud 1925 - Jazz musician, pianist, record producer
• Elena Verdugo 1926 - Actress ("Little Giants", "Meet Millie")
• Phil Hill 1927 - Auto racer
• Bob (Robert Earl) Braun 1929 - Television host ("The Bob Braun Show"), actor ("Die Hard 2", "The Young and the Restless")
• Beaver Harris (William Godwin Harris) 1936 - Musician
• George Takei 1937 - Actor ("Star Trek", "Star Trek" movie series)
• Johnny Tillotson 1939 - Singer
• Ryan O'Neal 1941 - Actor ("Love Story", "Peyton Place")
• Michael Brandon (Feldman) 1945 - Actor ("Red Alert", "Promises in the Dark")
• Jimmy Winston (Langwith) 1945 - Musician (Moments, Small Faces)
• Steve Spurrier 1945 - Football player
• Tom (Thomas George) Hutton 1946 - Baseball player
• Brian Lavender 1947 - Hockey player
• David Leland 1947 - Actor ("Time Bandits"), director
• Joe Bonner 1948 - Jazz pianist, composer
• Craig Frost 1948 - Musician (Grand Funk Railroad)
• Jessica Lange 1949 - Actress ("Tootsie", "Blue Sky")
• Luther Vandross 1951 - Singer, songwriter
• Denis Leary 1958 - Actor
• Clint Howard 1959 - Actor ("Backdraft", "Cocoon")

  
• Crispin Glover 1964 - Actor ("Dead Man", "Twister", "Back to the Future")
• Mike Portnoy 1967 - Musician, drummer (Dream Theater)
• Wade Hayes 1969
• Carmen Electra 1972 - Actress ("Baywatch"), singer/dancer
• Joey Lawrence 1976 - Actor ("Gimme a Break", "Blossom")