Saturday, February 14, 2009

myopia \mahy-OH-pee-uh\, noun:

1. an abnormal eye condition in which only closeup objects are seen clearly; nearsightedness
2. shortsightedness; lack of foresight

by 1727, medical Latin, from Late Greek myopia, from myops "near-sighted," from myein "to shut" + ops "eye"

chick flick

• A film that indulges in the hopes and dreams of women and/or girls. A film that has a happy, fuzzy, ridiculously unrealistic ending.

My best friend's wedding, Mona Lisa Smile, Runaway Bride, The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan, Josie and the pussycats, Mean girls, A cinderella story, Freaky Friday.... I could go on forever!

Trivia

In the vio1993 romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle, where was the climactic scene on the observation deck of the Empire State Building filmed?

• In an abandoned airplane hangar at the former Naval Reserve Air Station at Sand Point in Seattle, Washington. The observation deck was re-created—slightly larger than life-size—in the hangar, with a huge photo of Manhattan’s famous skyline serving as the background.

Today in History:

• St. Valentine's Day massacre: seven gangsters were killed as Al Capone's gang ambushed Bugs Moran's (1929)
• ENIAC: "Giant Brain" computer was unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania (1946)
• fatwa: edict was issued by Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini urging Muslims to kill Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie (1989)
• NEAR Shoemaker: space probe went into orbit around 433 Eros, becoming the first craft to orbit an asteroid (2000)

Today's Birthdays:

• Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834): economist and demographer; theorized that populations will always grow faster than food supplies
• Jack Benny (1894-1974): penny-pinching, violin-playing comedian who made the silent stare into an art form; other entertainers born on this date include Hugh Downs (88), Florence Henderson (75), Gregory Hines (1946-2003), Teller (61), Meg Tilly (49), Enrico Colantoni (46) and Freddie Highmore (17)
• Michael Bloomberg (67): mayor of New York City
• Renée Fleming (50): opera and lieder soprano; also, musicians Maceo Parker (66) and Michael Doucet (58)
• Steve McNair (36): NFL quarterback; NFL members Woody Hayes (1913-1987), Jim Kelly (49) and Drew Bledsoe (37) were also born on this date