Sunday, September 12, 2010

subaudition \suhb-aw-DISH-uhn\, noun:

• An act or instance of understanding or mentally supplying something not expressed.

Subaudition comes almost directly from the Latin subauditiō-, meaning "under" and "to hear."

screenior citizen 

• An old person who spends all his/her time at the computer or television.

My grandma spends all her time at the computer now that I taught her to surf the web. She's a screenior citizen. 

Trivia

 How many red roses are in the garland of roses that’s draped over the winning horse at the Kentucky Derby?

• 554. 

History

• Henry Hudson: began exploring the Hudson River (1609)
• Elizabeth Barrett: eloped with fellow poet Robert Browning (1846)
• Jacqueline Bouvier: married John F. Kennedy in an enormous wedding (1953)
• Bonanza: Ben Cartwright and his sons rode onto the screen in America's first TV series taped in color (1959)
• Haile Selassie: Ethiopia's emperor was deposed in a military coup after a 58-year reign (1974); he died a year later, while under arrest
• Steven Biko: black civil rights leader died in police custody in South Africa; international protests and a UN arms embargo ensued (1977) 

Birthdays

• Richard Gatling (1818-1903): inventor of the Gatling gun; plus, inventor of a high-speed printing press Richard March Hoe (1812-1886)
• Herbert Henry Asquith (1852-1928): British PM; plus, world leaders Francis I (1494-1597) and Juscelino Kubitschek (1902-1976)
• H.L. Mencken (1880-1956): controversial journalist and critic; also, writer Michael Ondaatje (67)
• Ben Shahn (1898-1969): painter and graphic artist
• Jesse Owens (1913-1980): black track-and-field star who won four gold medals at the Berlin Summer Olympics

• Yao Ming (30): 7-and-a-half-foot-tall Houston Rockets center
• Jennifer Hudson (29): American Idol finalist who went on to win awards for her role as Effie White in Dream Girls; also, entertainers Maurice Chevalier (1888-1972), Ian Holm and George Jones (both 79), Linda Gray (70), Maria Muldaur (67), Barry White (1944-2003), Joe Pantoliano (59), Gerry Beckley (58), Peter Scolari (55), Amy Yasbeck (48), Josie and Josh Hopkins (both 40), Paul Walker (37), Benjamin McKenzie and Ruben Studdard (both 32) and Emmy Rossum (24) 

 

Saturday, September 11, 2010

 rue \ROO\, verb:

1. To wish that (something) had never been done, taken place, etc.

2. To feel sorrow over; repent of; regret bitterly.

noun:

1. Any strongly scented plant of the genus Ruta, esp. R. graveolens, having yellow flowers and leaves formerly used in medicine.

Rue descends from the Middle English ruen and shares the same root as ruth, compassion or pity. 

beer me

• Besides the obvious "give me a beer," it is used to ask someone to pass or hand an object to you. It also can be used in a more figurative sense as a request or plea. Used by character Andy in "Product Recall" ep. of "The Office" ("the joke only gets a laugh 25% of the time").

Hey, beer me that torque wrench.

Lord, beer me strength.

Trivia

Whose desk did Richard M. Nixon get when he requested the “Wilson desk” for his White House office?

• Not the desk he wanted and believed he had been given—the one used by President Woodrow Wilson. He was provided with, and used, the desk of Henry Wilson, vice president during Ulysses S. Grant’s administration. 

History

• Battle of Lake Champlain American troops score a decisive victory over the British in the War of 1812 (1814)
• Boulder Dam: was dedicated by FDR (1936); it was renamed Hoover Dam in 1947
• World Wide Fund for Nature: conservation and environmental group was formed, in Switzerland (1961)
• coup: General Augusto Pinochet's forces topple the Chilean government of democratically-elected Salvador Allende; Pinochet retained power for nearly 17 years (1973)
• Scottish Parliament: a referendum of the Scottish electorate approved a separate parliament, breaking from England after 290 years of union (1997)

Birthdays

• D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930): author of Lady Chatterly's Lover; plus, writers O. Henry (1862-1910) and Jessica Mitford (1917-1996)
• Ferdinand Marcos (1917-1989): Philippine president forced into exile after executing opposition leader Benigno Aquino
• Tom Landry (1924-2000): football player and coach of the Dallas Cowboys; plus, U-Alabama coach Paul (Bear) Bryant (1913-1983)
• Robert Crippen (73): space shuttle astronaut
• Mickey Hart (67): drummer, Grateful Dead; also, musicians Tommy Shaw (57), Moby (45), Harry Connick, Jr. (43) and Ludacris and Jon Buckland (both 33)
• Scott Patterson (52): Luke on Gilmore Girls; also, actors Betsy Drake (87), Earl Holliman (82), Amy Madigan (60), Roxann Dawson (52), Anne Ramsay (50), Virginia Madsen (49), Kristy McNichol (48), Taraji P. Henson (40) and Tyler Hoechlin (23)