Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
chicanery \shih-KAY-nuh-ree\, noun:
1. The use of trickery or sophistry to deceive (as in matters of law).2. A trick; a subterfuge.
Chicanery comes from French chicaner, "to quibble, to use tricks," perhaps from Middle Low German schicken, "to arrange," with the sense "to arrange to one's own advantage."
Deja boo
Wearing the same old Halloween costume to parties, year after year.
Oh, hell, there's Amelia in that same slutty witches costume she wore 5 years ago when she was still skinny and hot!
It's deja boo all over again.
Trivia
What celebrity musician released the album Yes, I’m a Witch in 2007?
- Yoko Ono.
History
- Harry Houdini: master magician/escape artist died of peritonitis resulting from a punch to the stomach that ruptured his appendix (1926)
- Mount Rushmore: drilling and sculpting work on the four presidents' heads near Keystone, South Dakota, was finished (1941)
- Indira Gandhi: the prime minister of India was assassinated outside her residence by her Sikh bodyguards (1984)
Birthdays
- Jan Vermeer (1632-1675): Dutch painter of Girl With a Pearl Earring
- John Keats (1795-1821): Romantic poet of odes
- Vallabhbhai Patel (1875-1950): Indian leader who peacefully unified the princely states
- Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975): Nationalist leader of the Republic of China and later of Taiwan
- Dick Francis (1920-2010): former jockey to Queen Elizabeth and prolific mystery novelist
- Dan Rather (79): CBS Evening News ex-anchor; and TV journalist Jane Pauley (60)
- Peter Jackson (49): New Zealand-born director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy
- Vanilla Ice (42): Miami-born white rapper of "Ice Ice Baby"; also, musicians Ethel Waters (1896-1977), Larry Mullen, Jr. (49)
Labels:
Birthdays,
Cinema,
Halloween,
History,
Humor,
Literature,
Music,
People who suck,
Television,
Trivia,
Word of the day,
Zombies
It's HALLOWEEN!
Halloween: Holiday observed on October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day. Its pagan origins can be traced to the Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated in ancient England and Ireland to mark the beginning of the Celtic new year. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on Samhain eve, and witches, goblins, black cats, and ghosts were said to roam abroad. The night was also thought to be the most favorable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. The pagan observances influenced the Christian festival of All Hallows' Eve, celebrated on the same date. The holiday was gradually secularized and was introduced into the U.S. by the late 19th century. Still associated with evil spirits and the supernatural, it is celebrated by children in costume who gather candy by ringing doorbells and calling out "trick or treat," "trick" referring to the pranks and vandalism that are also part of the Halloween tradition.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
caterwaul \KAT-uhr-wawl\, intransitive verb:
1. To make a harsh cry.2. To have a noisy argument.
noun:
1. A shrill, discordant sound.
Caterwaul is from Middle English caterwawen, "to cry as a cat," either from Medieval Dutch kater, "tomcat" + Dutch wauwelen, "to tattle," or for catawail, from cat-wail, "to wail like a cat."
What the actual fuck?
An expression of surprise or confusion used when what the fuck is insufficient to convey the magnitude of the situation. The increasingly flippant use and associated devaluation of the query 'what the fuck?' has necessitated the creation a more heart-felt derivative.
"What the actual fuck are you doing?"
"Have you seen Russell's beard yet?"
"Yeah... what the actual fuck?"
Trivia
What role did honey once play in the game of golf?
- It was used in the core of golf balls. Before the solid core was introduced in the late 1960s, most golf balls had a rubber center that was filled with a liquid—which frequently was honey. Today synthetic materials are used in mass-produced golf balls with liquid centers.
History
- Act of Supremacy: the English parliament passed a law making King Henry VIII head of the English church (1534)
- War of the Worlds: Orson Welles' radio broadcast purported to deliver news of a fictional Martian invasion; outrage and panic ensued (1930)
- Tsar Bomba: the largest and most powerful nuclear weapon ever tested was detonated by the Soviet Union over the Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya (1961)
- the rumble in the jungle: Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman for the world heavyweight title (1974)
- Quebec: voters opted to stay part of Canada by a hair's-breadth majority of 50.6% to 49.4% (1995)
Birthdays
- John Adams (1735-1826): the first vice president of the US, and its second president
- Alfred Sisley (1839-1899): landscape artist
- Charles Atlas (1893-1972): Italian-born bodybuilder who ran a mail order course for "97-pound weaklings"
- Louis Malle (1932-1995): New Wave film director, My Dinner With André; also, director Claude Lelouche (73) and broadcast pioneer Fred Friendly (1915-1998)
- Henry Winkler (65): The Fonz of Happy Days; also, actors Ruth Gordon (1896-1985), Dick Gautier (73), Harry Hamlin (59), Kevin Pollack (53), Jack Plotnick (42), Nia Long and Ben Bailey (both 40) and Gael Garcia Bernal (32)
- Diego Maradona (50): Argentinian soccer great who led his country to the 1986 World Cup; also, gold-medal gymnast Nastia Liukin (21)
- Bobby "the blue" Bax0jayz (39): Drummer, accountant, supreme evil dictator of the universe
Labels:
Baxojayz,
Birthdays,
Cinema,
History,
Music,
Politics,
Rock,
Science Fiction,
Special Days,
Sports,
Television,
Trivia,
Word of the day
Friday, October 29, 2010
Rock out with your cock out! Halloween Edition!
Here is one of their best songs ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0E0ynyIUsg&ob=av3e
More Human Than Human
Yeah I am the astro-
Creep a demolition
Style hell american
Freak yeah - I am the
Crawling dead - a
Phantom in a box
Shadow in your
Head say acid
Suicide freedom
Of the blast read
The fucker lies yeah -
Scratch off the -
Broken skin - tear
Into my heart make
Me do it again yeah
yeah
More Human Than Human (6 times)
Yeah I am the jigsaw
Man I turn the
World around
With a skeleton hand say -
I am electric head a cannibal core a
Television said
Yeah do not victimize
Read the mother
Fucker-psychoholic lies yeah -
Into a psychic war I
Tear my soul
Apart and I
Eat it some more yeah
Yeah
More Human Than Human (6x)
I am the ripper
Man a locomotion
Mind love american
Style yeah I am
The nexus one I
Want more life
Fucker I ain't
Done - yeah
More Human Than Human (8x)
Friday, October 29, 2010
trepidation \trep-uh-DAY-shuhn\, noun:
1. [Archaic] An involuntary trembling; quaking; quivering.2. A state of dread or alarm; nervous agitation; apprehension; fright.
Trepidation is from Latin trepidatio, from the past participle of trepidare, "to hurry with alarm, to tremble," from trepidus, "agitated, restless, disturbed." It is related to intrepid, "bold" (from in-, "not" + trepidus).
subprime rib
- A low quality cut of beef, as opposed to prime rib.
A: How is your steak?
B: This crap is subprime rib.
Trivia
What international airport is named for a world-renowned French writer?
- Saint-Exupéry International Airport, which is located near Lyon, France, hometown of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince and a legendary World War II aviator. Formerly known as Lyon Satolas Airport, it was renamed for Saint-Exupéry in 2000.
History
- Republic of Turkey: was established when forces led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, "the father of modern Turkey," wrested control from the Ottoman Empire (1923)
- Black Tuesday: the US stock market crashed and the Great Depression began (1929)
- Star of India: giant star sapphire was stolen, along with other fabulous gems, from the American Museum of Natural History (1964)
- NOW: the women's organization was founded (1966)
- Internet: the first host-to-host connection was made on the ARPANet between UCLA and SRI in California (1969)
- John Glenn: the first American in orbit took flight aboard the Discovery shuttle, becoming, at 77, the oldest person to visit space (1998)
Birthdays
- James Boswell (1740-1795): biographer of Samuel Johnson; plus, writer Jean Giraudoux (1882-1944)
- Melba Moore (65): R&B singer; also, musicians Sonny Osborne (73), Denny Laine (66) and Peter Green (64)
- Dan Castellaneta (53): the voice of Homer Simpson; other performers who share this birth date include Fanny Brice (1892-1951), Richard Dreyfuss (63), Kate Jackson (62), Rufus Sewell and Joely Fisher (both 43), Winona Ryder (39), Tracee Ellis Ross and Gabrielle Union (both 38), Milena Govich (34) and Brendan Fehr (33) and Ben Foster (30)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
kvetch \KVECH\, adjective:
1. To complain habitually.
noun:
1. A complaint.2. A habitual complainer.
Kvetch comes from Yiddish kvetshn, "to squeeze, to complain," from Middle High German quetzen, quetschen, "to squeeze."
organic stairmaster
aka a hill.
I'm gonna go get some exercise on the organic stairmaster.
I climbed every organic stairmaster in Florida the other day.
The organic stairmaster sure tires out Fluffy.
Trivia
How did members of the nobility come to be called blue bloods?
- In Spain, blue blood was claimed by pure-blooded aristocratic families to differentiate themselves from those who had intermarried. They were not referring to the color of the blood they bled, but rather to the blueness of their veins, which could be seen clearly through their very fair skin.
History
- Harvard College: Harvard University's oldest school was founded (1636)
- Statue of Liberty: the iconic monument — a gift from France — was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland (1886)
- Prohibition: US Congress passed the Volstead Act, overriding president Woodrow Wilson's veto; manufacture, sale or transport of alcoholic beverages were banned (1919)
- Benito Mussolini: the Fascist leader took control of Italy's government (1922)
- Nostra Ætate: the Second Vatican Council under Pope Paul VI absolved the Jews of collective guilt for the crucifixion of Jesus (1965)
- Prospero: the first and only satellite launched from a British rocket went into low Earth orbit (1971)
Birthdays
- Georges Escoffier (1846-1935): world-class chef
- Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966): novelist, Brideshead Revisited
- Bruce Jenner (61): winner of 1976 Olympics decathlon
- Bill Gates (55): founder of Microsoft
- Julia Roberts (43): Oscar-winning actress; also, actors Joan Plowright (81), Jane Alexander (71), Dennis Franz (66), Telma Hopkins (62), Annie Potts (58), Mark Derwin (50), Daphne Zuniga (48), Lauren Holly (47), Jami Gertz (45), Andy Richter (44) and Joaquin Phoenix (36)
- Brad Paisley (38): Grammy-winning country singer, songwriter and guitarist; other musicians with birthdays today include Cleo Laine (83), Charlie Daniels (74), Wayne Fontana (65), Caitlin Cary (42), and Justin Guarini (32)
Labels:
Babes,
Birthdays,
Cinema,
History,
Technology,
Television,
Theology,
Trivia,
Word of the day
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Quote of the day: 10/27/2010
Do zombies dream of undead sheep?
Some graffiti from the game Zombie Pandemic.
Hasselhoff Wednesday: HOFFoween!
this year we're making Halloween special with HOFFOWEEN!
Labels:
Best of the Net,
Blogs of note,
Halloween,
Hasselhoff,
Humor,
Images
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
onomancy (ON-uh-man-see)noun:
- Divination by the letters of a name.
Etymology: From Greek onoma- (name) + -mancy (divination). Earliest recorded use: 1603.
spot tease
A parking spot that appears to be open, but is actually taken by a small car or motorcycle. Also can refer to a car that takes up 90% of its own spot and 10% of the one next to it, leaving no room for another car to park.
Alright! Parking spot just two away from the mall! Wait...damn Smart Car's parked there! Stupid Spot Tease!!!
Trivia
What field ration did General John J. Pershing claim was needed “as much as bullets” to win World War I?
Tobacco. The U.S. distributed cigarettes free to GIs beginning in 1917. They were eliminated from C rations and K rations in 1975.
History
- Philadelphia: the City of Brotherly Love was founded (1682)
- Federalist Papers: the first of a series of essays was published, calling for the ratification of the US Constitution; the essays were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay (1787)
- IRT: New York City's first rapid transit subway opened (1904)
- nylon: chemical company DuPont announced the name of its new synthetic fiber (1938)
- Wall Street crash: trading was halted for a cooling-off period after the Dow fell more than 500 points (1997)
Birthdays
- Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919): 26th POTUS; he and first wife, Alice Lee, were married on this date in 1880
- Emily Post (1872-1960): etiquette authority
- Dylan Thomas (1914-1953): playwright and poet; plus, writers Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), Maxine Hong Kingston (70) and Fran Lebowitz (60)
- John Cleese (71): actor who played Basil Fawlty, Nearly Headless Nick and Q; also, actors Nanette Fabray (90), Ruby Dee (86), Peter Firth and Robert Picardo (both 57), and Sheeri Rappaport (33)
- Scott Weiland (43): rock singer and songwriter, Velvet Revolver; also, musicians Niccoló Paganini (1782-1840), Lee Greenwood (68), Garry Tallent (61), K.K. Downing (59), Simon LeBon (52) and Kelly Osbourne (26)
Labels:
Automotive,
Birthdays,
Cinema,
Commute,
History,
Music,
New York,
Rock,
Television,
Trivia,
Word of the day
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Lee Abramson For President News!
leeabramson.com is being rebuilt with an "Obama style" e-mail collector, but there's already a mailto link now. Please, post your feedback directly to Lee today!
Connect with Lee Abramson:
Doobie Brothers Signed Guitar Giveaway
The Doobie Brothers' musical legacy spans nearly four decades, from their classic 70's hits "Listen to the Music," "Black Water," "Long Train Running" to their chart-topping new album World Gone Crazy
, the band's first release in over ten years. To celebrate their recent success the band is teaming up with Baxojayz to give one lucky fan an acoustic guitar autographed by the entire band, including founding members Pat Simmons and Tom Johnston and longtime bandmates John McFee and Mike Hossack.
Enter HERE or visit Facebook.com/TheDoobieBrothers for a chance to win. World Gone Crazy is available now; in stores, on iTunes, on Amazon, or through the band's website at DoobieBros.com.
Good Charlotte's Cardiology Now Streaming on MySpace
Good Charlotte's fifth studio album, Cardiology, is now streaming in its entirety on MySpace.com. Fans can hear what the band has been working so hard on over the past couple of years and see how they've evolved since their debut self-titled disc hit the streets 10 years ago. Head over to MySpace now for a first listen of the highly anticipated album which will be streaming all week.
Fans can now pre-order Cardiology in a number of packages at GoodCharlotte.com. Each purchase counts as an entry to win a private 45 minute acoustic set by Benji and Joel Madden for one winner and 50 friends.
Jimmy Eat World Announces First Tour Dates of 2011
Hot on the heels of releasing their sixth studio album, Invented
, and an intensive tour across the United States with a November trek across Europe/United Kingdom to follow, the band will be performing first single “My Best Theory” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this Friday, October 29th. Fans and listeners everywhere propelled “My Best Theory
” all the way to #3 on the Modern Rock Charts and onto Billboard’s Top 10. New York Magazine wrote: "The pounding single ["My Best Theory"] from Jimmy Eat World's forthcoming album, Invented, reminds us that emo used to actually rock, not whine." Tune in to NBC at 11:35pm ET to watch the band’s performance of this new hit song on the show.
Jimmy Eat World have also announced their first tour dates of 2011, with more dates to follow. Beginning on January 28th in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the tour will run through the southern states before heading up the east coast, with shows at the 930 Club in Washington D.C. and Club Zoo in Pittsburgh. See below for the full list of tour dates (additional dates to be announced).
Tickets will be available by pre-sale starting on Wednesday, October 27th at 11am. Please check http://www.jimmyeatworld.com/ for more details. On sales to the general public start Friday, October 29th (except where noted). Special guest Dave Bazan and Band will support all dates.
Invented has received the most praise of any Jimmy Eat World album in the last decade. For Invented, the band reunited with producer Mark Trombino, who served as producer on seminal Jimmy Eat World albums Clarity and Bleed American. Critics have noticed the re-energized nature of Invented, with the New York Times noting that “Jimmy Eat World…has been broadening its music for more than a decade. It also plays power ballads, heartland rock, U2-like anthems and, in songs like the new “Action Needs an Audience,” grunge.” The Denver Post put it most succinctly, claiming Invented to be “one of [Jimmy Eat World’s] best.”
Tour Dates (additional dates to be announced):
January 28 Alburquerque, NM Sunshine TheatreJanuary 30 San Antonio, TX Backstage LiveJanuary 31 New Orleans, LA House Of Blues *February 2 Tampa, FL The RitzFebruary 3 Ft Lauderdale, FL RevolutionFebruary 4 Orlando, FL House of BluesFebruary 5 Charlotte, NC Amos SouthendFebruary 7 Athens, GA 40 Watt ClubFebruary 8 Richmond, VA The NationalFebruary 11 Atlantic City, NJ House of BluesFebruary 12 Allentown, PA Crocodile RockFebruary 13 Washington, DC 930 ClubFebruary 14 Pittsburgh, PA Club Zoo*on sale November 6th
Official Music Video from Alyssa Bernal
To get a taste of Alyssa's sweet and sunny style, catch her on tour with Lifehouse now through the end of November, and find her on Facebook and Twitter for updates from the road. A full list of tour dates can be found on her website, AlyssaBernal.com.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
eke \EEK\, transitive verb:
1. To gain or supplement with great effort or difficulty -- used with 'out'.2. To increase or make last by being economical -- used with 'out'.
Eke is from Old English ecan, "to increase."
Mooselini
A petty dictator from a sparsely populated state with a large moose population.
Governor Mooselini today fired yet another agency chief for daring to question her policies.
Trivia
Which African countries merged to form Tanzania?
Tanganyika and Zanzibar, in 1964.
History
- Erie Canal: 160-mile (257 km.) waterway opened, offering a route from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River (1825)
- Gunfight at the OK Corral: a legendary Wild West shootout in Tombstone, Arizona, killed three, wounded three, inspired movies; it did not actually take place in the corral (1881)
- Baby Fae: neonatal infant was given a baboon's heart by transplant surgeon Dr. Leonard L. Bailey in Loma Linda, California; she lived for 21 days (1984)
Birthdays
- Pat Sajak (64): host of TV game show Wheel of Fortune
- Pat Conroy (65): author of The Prince of Tides, South of Broad
- Hillary Rodham Clinton (63): US Secretary of State
- Keith Urban (43): country singer; gospel singer Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972) shares this birth date
Labels:
Babes,
Birthdays,
Cinema,
History,
Literature,
People who suck,
Politics,
Television,
Trivia,
Word of the day
Monday, October 25, 2010
Blow Soulja Boy A Kiss And Win Big
Calling all Ladies! Head over to Facebook.com/SouljaBoy and click on the “Blow a Kiss” tab at the top of the page for your chance to win a number of prizes including Beats By Dre Headphones and a DJ Hero 2 Bundle. From there, all you have to do is upload a photo of yourself blowing a kiss to Soulja Boy and you will be entered to win. The best photos will be chosen for a 2nd round of voting by other Soulja Boy fans. Good luck!
Soulja Boy's highly anticipated third studio album, The DeAndre Way, will hit stores everywhere on November 30th featuring the tracks "Blowing Me Kisses" and "Pretty Boy Swag!"
Katy Perry Launches Firework Contest
Katy Perry tied the knot to her firework, Russell Brand, this weekend and now she’s inviting fans to dish about the fireworks in their lives. Who is the special person that puts a smile on their face? To enter the contest, fans just need to record a video telling Katy about their personal “Firework
” whether it’s a teacher, loved one, parent or even themselves. The grand prize winner can pick three people to fly to London and meet Katy at a live show.
Fans can also watch Katy talk about Russell being the inspiration behind the song “Hummingbird Heartbeat
” which appears on her new album Teenage Dream
available now.
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