| Tuesday, May 13, 2008 |
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| Stephen Colbert |
Spotlight: He's gotten Emmys and Peabody Awards, an honorary doctorate and Columbia, SC's key to the city. Virgin America named a plane for him and Time magazine named him as one of its 100 most influential people (in 2006). But, in the celebrity world, you know you have really arrived when Ben & Jerry's names an ice cream flavor for you. In February 2007, Ben & Jerry's unveiled its "Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream." Comedian Stephen Colbert, who turns 44 today, is the host of the satirical TV news show The Colbert Report. His portrayal of what he himself calls a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot," has been an international hit. Next month, Colbert is scheduled to give the commencement address at Princeton University.
Question of the Day: What is 'truthiness'?"Truthiness" is a word coined by comedian Stephen Colbert; it describes something that is felt in the gut or in the heart to be true, but not necessarily borne out by fact or logic. Even though the word "truthiness" was an archaic form of the word "truth," found in the Oxford English Dictionary and The Century Dictionary, since it was not used in the way that Colbert used it, it is considered a new word.
Word of the day: progenitorThe source from which something develops. Also: Ancestor.
Usage: The progenitor of the idea of the computer came along long before the first computer was actually made.
It was Mother's Day this week in the United States, Canada, Australia, India and elsewhere around the globe. We dedicate this week's words to our mothers — those who gave birth to us, those who raised us and those who love us through thick and thin.
Today's History:
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| Endeavour's 3-Man Space Walk |
- Mexican War: was declared by US president James Polk; the resulting land expansion was widely justified by manifest destiny (1846)
- space walk: Endeavour astronauts completed the first 3-person in-orbit excursion (1992)
- greenback: the $20 bill was revamped — and colorized — to thwart counterfeiters (2003)
Today's Birthdays:
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| Dennis Rodman |
- William Petty-Fitzmaurice (1737-1805): British PM, first British Home Secretary
- Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989): author of Rebecca
- Bea Arthur (86): star of Maude and The Golden Girls; actors Harvey Keitel (69), Zoë Wanamaker (59), Julianne Phillips (48) and Samantha Morton (31) were also born on this date
- Stevie Wonder (58): R&B musician who has garnered more than 20 Grammys; other musicians born on this date include Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) and Ritchie Valens (1941-1959)
- Dennis Rodman (47): outlandish former NBA star
