Tuesday, June 7, 2016

fathom \FATH-uhm\, verb:

1. To penetrate to the truth of; comprehend; understand.

2. To measure the depth of water by means of a sounding line; sound.

noun:

1. A unit of length equal to six feet (1.8 meters): used chiefly in nautical measurements.

Fathom starts its history meaning a "length of the outstretched arm" (a measure of about six feet). The verb sense comes into being approximately 1600.

 

Inverse Midas

• The effect of turning everything into shit. The opposite of the Midas touch, where King Midas was said to turn everything he touched into gold. The act of fail, to blunder, to make a snafu, or catastrophe

1. Bill: That guy has the Inverse Midas touch. He can't do anything right

George: Nah, it's just a snafu. Could happen to anyone.

2. George: That guy's just like me, he's got the Inverse Midas touch. Everything he touches turns to shit.

Bill: No George, you fail way worse than this guy.

3. Barry: This oil spill is a catastrophe, BP's engineers really have the Inverse Midas touch

Kim: I have on my big boy glasses

Barry: Sure you do.

 

History

• Treaty of Tordesillas: divided the New World between Spain and Portugal (1494)
• Continental Congress: the delegates heard a motion to declare the United Colonies free and independent from England (1776)
• Vatican City: became an independent, sovereign state as the Lateran Treaty was signed in Rome (1929)
• The $64,000 Question: game show premiered on CBS (1955)
• Betamax: Sony released the first popular videocassette recorder, making it possible to tape one show while watching another (1975)

Birthdays

• Beau Brummel (George Bryan Brummell) 1778 - Arbiter of men's fashion in Regency England
• Paul Gauguin (Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin) 1848 - Post-Impressionist artist, painter, sculptor
• Jessica Tandy 1909 - Actress
• Virginia Apgar 1909 - Physician that specialized in anesthesia
• Dean Martin (Dino Paul Crocetti) 1917 - Singer, actor ("The Dean Martin Show", "Rio Bravo", "Young Lions")
• Gwendolyn Brooks 1917 - Writer
• Ray Scherer 1919 - Newsman, White House correspondent
• Charles Strouse 1928 - Composer, lyricist
• James Ivory 1928 - Director
• Randolph Turpin (Randolph Adolphus "Randy" Turpin) 1928 - Boxer known as the Leamington Larruper
• Dolores Gray 1930 - Actress
• Virginia McKenna 1931 - Actress
• Wynn Stewart 1934 - Country musician
• Bert Sugan 1937 - Boxing journalist
• Tom Jones 1940 - Singer
• Ken Osmond 1943 - Actor, known for his role as Eddie Haskell in the original "Leave It To Beaver" television series
• Nikki Giovanni (Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni) 1943 - Poet, activist, author
• Jenny Jones 1946 - TV talk show host
• Anne Twomey 1951 - Actress
• Liam Neeson 1952 - Actor
• Colleen Camp 1953 - Actress
• Johnny Clegg 1953 - Singer, songwriter
• Louise Erdrich 1954 - Author
• William Forsythe 1955 - Actor
• L.A. Reid 1956 - Record producer
• Prince (Prince Rogers Nelson) 1958 - Musician, actor ("Purple Rain")
• Gordon Gano 1963 - Musician (The Violent Femmes)
• Ecstacy 1964 - Musician (Whodini)
• Eric Kretz 1966 - Musician (Stone Temple Pilots), Stone Temple Pilots Merchandise
• David Navarro (David Michael "Dave" Navarro) 1967 - Guitarist (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction)
• Helen Baxendale (Helen Victoria Baxendale) 1970 - Actress ("Cold Feet")
• Mike Madano 1970 - Hockey player (Dallas Stars, Minnesota North Stars)
  Karl-Heinz Urban 1972 - Actor (Dredd)
• Allen Iverson 1975 - Basketball player
• Bill Hader 1978 - Actor, comedian ("Saturday Night Live")
• Anna Torv 1979 - Actress ("Fringe") (top pic Anna, next three are her pr0n doppleganger Susana Spears)
• Larisa Oleynik (Larisa Romanovna Oleynik) 1981 - Actress
• Anna Kournikova 1981 - Tennis player
• Michael Cera 1988 - Actor ("Juno," "Superbad")
  Emily Ratajkowski 1991