Monday, September 27, 2010

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

QUOTE OF THE DAY

One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives.
          - Mark Twain

From The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson {1894}
Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar, Chapter 7


ORIGINAL NAMES OF FAMOUS PEOPLE

Singer Engelbert Humperdinck was born Arnold George Dorsey to British parents in India. He later changed his name to Gerry Dorsey, but it wasn’t until he adopted the name of a German-born composer named Engelbert Humperdinck that he became famous. Audiences did not forget that name.

Humperdinck, the composer, is best known for his opera Hansel and Gretel. He died on September 27, 1921, exactly 89 years ago today.

Actor Rock Hudson was born Roy Harold Scherer, Jr. in Illinois on November 17, 1925. When his stepfather Wallace "Wally" Fitzgerald adopted him, he changed his last name to Fitzgerald. According to Hollywood lore, his agent, Henry Wilson, came up with the name “Rock Hudson” by combining the Rock of Gibraltar and the Hudson River.

Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta on March 28, 1986 in New York City.  According to her official website, she took the stage name Lady Gaga from the song Radio Ga Ga by Queen.


LANGUAGE CORNER

The words “convince” and “persuade” are not interchangeable. A way to remember the correct usage of this word is to memorize the following little ditty.

Convince of a fact
Persuade to act

Here are some examples.

1. Peter was convinced that he had a great singing voice.

2. Laura’s friends persuaded her to go back to work.


ON THIS DAY IN SPORTS

On this day in 1950, Ezzard Charles defeated Joe Louis in 15 rounds for the heavyweight boxing title at Yankee Stadium in New York.  A year after his retirement in 1949, Louis returned to the ring to fight Charles. The bout lasted 15 rounds and Louis lost the decision.


The Troy Trojans were a long ago Major League Baseball team. They played in the National League for four seasons from 1879 to 1882. On September 27, 1881, the Trojans lost to the champion Chicago White Stockings 10-8 in a heavy rain storm in front of a paltry 12 spectators at Haymakers' Grounds on Center Island in upstate New York.


SPORTS

The Jays defeated the Baltimore Orioles at the dome yesterday by a score of 5-2. Shaun Marcum went 7 innings to earn his 13th victory of the season as the Jays swept their final series of the year against the O’s. Slugger Jose Bautista was hit twice by pitches in the game. The Jays took exception to that, but the bottom line is that the Jays won 15 out of 18 games against Baltimore this season. The Orioles can sign themselves “Winless in Toronto” as they did not taste a single victory in the dome in 2010.


After a week of Grey Cup-like activities called Touchdown Atlantic, the Toronto Argonauts were beaten soundly by the lowly Edmonton Eskimos in front of 20,725 fans in Moncton, New Brunswick. The final score was 24-6 for Edmonton.

- Joanne