Wednesday, May 10, 2023

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

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

• John Wilkes Booth 1838 - Stage actor, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln
• Montgomery Blair 1813 - Politician, lawyer
• Ottmar Mergenthaler 1854
• Fred Astaire (Frederick Austerlitz) 1899 - Film and stage dancer, choreographer, singer, actor
• Dimitri Tiomkin 1899 - Film score composer and conductor
• David O. Selznick 1902 - Film producer ("Gone with the Wind")
• Maybelle Carter ("Mother Maybelle" Carter) 1909 - Country musician (Carter Family)
• Charles McGraw (Charles Butters) 1914 - Actor
• Margo O'Donnell ( Margeret Catherine O'Donnell) 1917 - Singer
• Nancy Walker 1922 - Actress, comedienne
• Pat Summerall 1930 - Sportscaster
• Larry Williams 1935 - Musician
• Francoise Fabian 1935 - Actress
• Gary Owens 1936 - Announcer ("Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In")
• Arthur Kopit 1937 - Playwright
• Manuel Santana (Manuel Martínez Santana) 1938 - Tennis champion
• Henry Fambrough 1938 - Musician (The Spinners)
• Danny Rapp 1941 - Musician (Danny & The Juniors)
• Jim Abrahams 1944 - Writer, director ("Airplane")
• Judith Jamison 1944 - Dancer and choreographer
• Marie-France Pisier 1944 - Actress
• Graham Gouldman 1945 - Musician (10cc)
• Donovan (Donovan Philips Leitch) 1946 - Singer, father of Donovan Leitch, Jr.
• Jimmy Ponder 1946 - Musician
• Dave Mason 1947 - Musician (Traffic)
• Jay Ferguson 1947 - Musician (Spirit)
• Ron Banks 1951 - Musician (The Dramatics)
• Sly Dunbar 1952 - Musician (Sly & Robbie)
• Sid Vicious 1957 - Musician (Sex Pistols)
• "Bono" (Paul Hewson) 1960 - Musician (U2)
• Suzan-Lori Parks 1963 - Playwright
• Linda Evangelista 1965 - Model
• Jason Brooks (Jason Maxwell Brooks) 1966 - Actor ("Days of our Lives")
• Young MC 1967 - Rapper
• Erik Palladiono 1968 - Actor ("ER")
• Richard Patrick 1968 - Musician (Filter)
• Amanda Borden 1977 - Gymnast
• Kenan Thompson 1978 - Actor ("Saturday Night Live")
• Jason Dalyrimple 1980 - Musician (Soul for Real)
  Nicky Whelan 1981 - fit actress (Hall Pass) 
  Halston Sage 1993 - actress ( The Orville)