Exactly what is a "hollaback girl"?

Doesn't that song drive you bananas? The incessant beat, the stomping, the shushed-out swear words, and just what the heck is Gwen Stefani talking about? We don't want to get everybody fired up, so we put our pom-poms down and tackled this most important inquiry. After a few times around that track, we discovered what a Hollaback Girl is and why Gwen ain't one.

The OC Weekly's insightful analysis points to cheerleading as the source of the slang. The cheerleading captain 'hollas' a chant to the squad, and the girls 'holla' it back. So the hollaback girl is a follower, and by extension, she is treated like a doormat, especially by boys. Writers on the Urban Dictionary add that a hollaback girl is all talk, no action, and won't fight back.

Obviously, Gwen is gonna fight and give it her all. She even socks it to us by proudly confirming her cheerleader roots. And while similarly a cheerleader at heart, Toni Basil doesn't appear to be a hollaback girl either.

source: http://ask.yahoo.com/20060414.html

Why do magicians like to say "abracadabra"?

We all know how magicians saw people in half, but why do they say "abracadabra"? Many have wondered, and while theories abound, none definitively solve the mystery.

According to World Wide Words, the term first appeared during the second century in the Latin medical poem "De medicina praecepta." Apparently the poem's author, a physician named Quintus Serenus Sammonicus, believed the word could heal the sick when inscribed on an amulet and spoken in a particular way. Start with "abracadabra," then say "abracadabr," then "abracadab," and so on. Sort of like the kiddie ditty "B-I-N-G-O"--but in reverse.

As for how the word went from medical to magical, The ES Press believes abracadabra may have come from the Hebrew phrase "abreg ad habra," which means "strike dead with thy lightning."

Another theory argues the phrase comes from the Aramaic phrase "avrah kedabra," which translates to "I will create as I speak." Given magicians' flair for the dramatic, that makes sense to us.

Source: http://ask.yahoo.com/20060720.html

King Richard III Suffered from Cerebral Palsy?

While I was searching on the web for the "oldest person with cerebral palsy", I stumbled across a thread on YAHOO!Answers, where I found out that King Richard III was one of the persons who suffered from cerebral palsy.

There it mentioned:

'King Richard III was probably the oldest person historically to have the description of cerebral palsy documented.

In this case, the cerebral palsy symptom was spastic rigiditiy caused by lack of oxygen or damage from premature birth.

This was described by Shakespeare when he wrote, speaking as the then Duke of Gloucester, proclaming:

I that am curtailed of this fair proportion,
cheated of feature by this dissembling nature
Deformed, unfinished, sent before my time
Into this breathing world, scarce half made up
and that so lamely and unfashionable
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them….'

So now we know... But take note that there is still no accurate evidence on this claim that King Richard III really had cerebral palsy.

King Richard III Suffered from Cerebral Palsy? on UNUSUAL|INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ALL

Celebrity Interesting Facts

Here are some list of interesting facts on some celebrities. I got these from Hunt Famous. I think you might want to see this interesting celebrity facts that's why I decided to post it here. Enjoy!


LIST OF SOME INTERESTING CELEBRITY FACTS

Tommy Lee Jones and Al Gore were freshman roommates at Harvard.

Actor Richard Gere attended the University of Massachusetts on a scholarship for gymnastics.

Billie Jean by Michael Jackson was the first video to air on MTV by a black artist.

Brad Pitt is banned from entering China because of his role in Seven Years in Tibet.

Julia Roberts is the highest paid actress in film history.

Actor Richard Gere attended the University of Massachusetts on a scholarship for gymnastics.

George Clooney says he will never get married, nor have any children.

Tom Cruise once enrolled in a seminary to become a priest but dropped out after only one year.

The longest Oscar acceptance speech was made by Greer Garson for 1924's Mrs. Miniver. It took an hour.

Nicole Kidman is scared of butterflies.

MGM star Spencer Tracy won consecutive Best Actor Oscars in the late 1930’s for his appearances in Captains Courageous in 1937 and Boys Town in 1938. This wouldn't happen again until Tom Hanks won back-to-back Oscars in the 1990s for Philadelphia in 1993 and Forrest Gump in 1994.

Actress Demi Moore is totally blind in her left eye after undergoing an operation to correct a squint when she was a child.

Christina Ricci was turned down for two roles opposite Leonardo DiCaprio including Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and Rose in Titanic.

1,400 actresses were interviewed for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.

Aerosmith's Dude Looks Like a Lady was written about Vince Neil of Motley Crue.

Zsa Zsa Gabor wins the list of most married female celebrities with a record 9 husbands

Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison were all 27 years old when they died.

The title role of the 1971 movie Dirty Harry was originally intended for Frank Sinatra. After he refused, it was offered to John Wayne, and then Paul Newman, before finally being accepted by Clint Eastwood.

Lisa Kudrow has a degree in Sociobiology. She originally planned to be a doctor.

Many of the sweaters worn by Mr. Rogers on the popular television show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, were actually knitted by his real mother.

For the blockbuster movie The Terminator, O.J. Simpson was considered to play the role of the Terminator, but producers rejected him as they thought he would not be taken seriously.

Barbara Streisand has waxed more gold and platinum albums than any other solo female artist.

When Tom Cruise was seven years old, he was diagnosed as dyslexic. He claims Scientology helped him overcome it.

Christian Brando, Marlon Brando's son, murdered his pregnant, mentally disturbed sister's boyfriend in a drunken rage. Brando and prosecutors reached a plea and Brando pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. EDIT: MARLON BRANDO HAD A CRAZY ASS DAUGHTER AND MARLONS SON SHOT HER CRAZY ASS BOYFRIEND. END OF STORY.

Oprah Winfrey's production company Harpo is Oprah spelt backwards.

Sheryl Crow's front two teeth are fake -- she had them knocked out when she tripped on the stage earlier in her career.

Julia Roberts lies on her back to have her make-up applied before going onto a film set. She insists it gives her a relaxed look.

Actress Sissy Spacek got so into the part of Carrie that she slept with fake pig's blood all over her to ensure continuity.

Zsa Zsa Gabor is the great aunt of Paris Hilton.

As a teenager, actor-writer Matt Damon, earned extra cash by being a sidewalk break-dancer.

Jamie Lee Curtis says plastic surgery makes her look weird and claims it is the worst thing she’s ever done.

A childhood virus left Rob Lowe completely deaf in his right ear. "No stereo for me" he says "It's a mono world".

Madonna is related to both Gwen Stefani and Celine Dion. Gwen's great aunt's mother-in-law shares the same last name as Madonna Ciccone and an ancestor of Madonna's mother was married to a distant relative of Celine's dad.

Julia Roberts' left eye tears up when she gets nervous.

Jack Black and Jon Favreau both auditioned for Philip Seymour Hoffman’s role as Lester Bangs in Almost Famous.

Matthew Perry is missing part of his middle finger on his right hand due to a door-shutting accident.

Musician Eric Clapton grew up thinking his mother was his sister.

At age 37 Jack Nicholson discovered that the woman he'd always thought his sister was actually his mother.

The actor who played Wedge in the original Star Wars trilogy has a famous nephew: actor Ewan McGregor, who plays the young Obi-Wan in the new Star Wars film.

Jim Morrison (of the 60's rock group The Doors) was the first rock star to be arrested on stage.

American Beauty star Thora Birch's mom acted in 21 adult films including Deep Throat under the name Carol Connors before retiring in 1993.

Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey began his career as a juggling unicycle-riding clown.

Angelina Jolies uncle, Chip Taylor, wrote the song "Wild Thing"

Christina Applegate attended the 1989 MTV Movie Awards with Brad Pitt, but dumped him at the event and left with someone else.

Keira Knightley was Queen Amidala's decoy in Star Wars: Episode 1 though the film was promoted as if Natalie Portman played both roles.

Sean Connery wore a Toupee in every James Bond movie he was in.

Interesting Facts About Celebrities on UNUSUAL|INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ALL