Cantbreathecantbreathecantbreathe!

Well, I'm back from my vacation! Actually i didnt go on anything like a vacation. i could only wish. so i havent written an email since i think Wednesday. in case you like getting my emails, im sorry. and if you dont like getting them, merry Christmas and a happy new year. should i even bother trying to make up the lost days? i am thinking probably i wont. but for everyone's information, April 8th had a couple of birthdays, Buddha and my awesome cousin Amy. i guess i will still tell you all the holidays for last week, but im going to skip the history stuff. So um, the 7th was World Health Day and No Housework Day. The 8th was Astronomy Day, All Is Ours Day, and Draw a Picture of a Bird Day. (I actually drew a picture of a bird that day without realizing i was supposed to!) The 9th was Name Yourself Day and Winston Churchill Day (he's mos def on the stud list). and the 10th was Golfer's Day and National Siblings Day. (Again, i accidentally celebrated that when i called home to talk to my mom but Andy answered the phone, so i talked to him for a bit) and the 11th was 8-Track Tape Day and Barbershop Quartet Day. yesterday was Look Up At The Sky Day (i celebrated this one unknowingly too), Big Wind Day, and Reach As High As You Can Day. and today: Blame Someone Else Day, and SCRABBLE DAY!!!!! IF ANYONE IS UP FOR A GIANT AWESOME SCRABBLE PARTY, ITS GOING ON TONIGHT, CONTACT ME FOR DETAILS!!! DONT MISS IT!!!

ok thats one of my favorite obsessions right there. probably some of you knew that anyway. So i think starting today i will put an asterisk by my personal favorite in each section. just for kicks. And also, i just wanted to make it known that i have gotten 7 hours of sleep in the last 72 hours. pretty snazzy eh? Today is the birthday of:
Catherine DeMedici, 1519
Thomas Percy, 1729
William Stephen Walker, 1822 (first person to tell me how he died wins the prize)
*Alfred Moser Butts, 1899 (THIS IS THE DUDE THAT INVENTED SCRABBLE!!!)
Alfred Schutz, 1899
Howard Keel, 1917
Peter M Harris, Official Solicitor, 1937
Max Weinberg, 1951 (hes the drummer on the Conan O'Brien show)
Mike Kennedy, 1972 (stupid Stars, beating colorado like that. it was obsene)

And now for some death information. (did anyone else notice that the hanging feet/flower thing in the HFAC is made of death records? i find it a little awkward to look at)
*Jean de La Fontaine, 1695 (STUD LIST)
Vasili Vereshtshagin, 1904
Christopher Wilder, 1984 (this guy was on the FBI's most wanted list for years and he accidentally killed himself!)

And today in history:
Battle at Abydos, 989. Byzantine emperor Basilius II beats Bardas Phocas (the Byzantine Empire is seriously one of the most interesting empires of all time. WAY cooler than rome, for sure)
Gelnhausen Republic forms, 1180
Crusaders occupy Constantinople, 1204
Osmaanse army occupies Cairo, 1517
John Dryden (36) becomes 1st English poet laureate, 1668 (this guy is one of my first stud list appointments)
Dutch people protest bad quality of bread, 1741 (dont they have anything better to do? like perhaps make signs denouncing flags?)
George Frederic Handel's "Messiah" performed for 1st time, 1742 (first person to name the place wins a prize!)
Battle of Bergen, 1759
1st elephant arrives in US from India, 1796
HMS Beagle anchors at river mouth of Rio Santa Cruz, Patagonia, 1834 (name the captain! but no prize for this one. too easy, yo!)
Hospital for Ruptured & Crippled in NY becomes 1st orthopedic hospital, 1863
J(ames) C(ash) Penney opens his first store, 1902 (name the location and you get a prize!)
1st flight over Mount Everest, 1933 (name the pilot for a prize!)
Nazi's discover mass grave of Polish officers near Katyn, 1943
Montreal Canadiens sweep Chicago Blackhawks in 4 games, 1944
Hank Aaron's 1st game, 1954
Robert Oppenheimer accused of being a communist, 1954
Colin Bosher shears a record 565 sheep in 1 work day, 1964
Apollo 13 announces "Houston, we've got a problem!", 1970
Jackson slugs a 3-run HR in the 1st inning, & the field is showered, 1978
"Grease" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 3,388 performances, 1980
US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site, 1983 (ok, i have to admit, i find this every single day, and im wondering whether the US actually has tested 365 nuclear weapons, one for every day of the year, or if there is some mistake. i like to think that we are nukehappy)
President guard at Kigali Rwanda, chops 1,200 church members to death, 1994
Hartford Whalers last NHL game, 1997
NHL Pitts Penguin Mario Lemieux's last NHL regular game, 1997
Brian actually went to American Heritage, 2004

And today's Psychology History:
The New York state law established the New York State Lunatic Asylum for Insane Convicts, the world's first mental hospital for criminal patients, separate from a prison or general hospital. The first facility opened in 1859 in Auburn, New York, ajoining a state prison, 1855
Frank Beach was born, 1911
The National Mental Health Bell was cast, using metal from chains and shackles formerly used to restrain mental patients. The bell, cast by the McShane Foundry of Baltimore, became the symbol of the National Mental Health Association, 1953
The Children With Specific Learning Disabilities Act, providing funds for research, professional training, and services, was passed by Congress. It appeared as Title VI(G) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1970
The North Carolina Psychological Association was incorporated, 1979

And today's Canadian Headlines:
Saudis Free Father of Canadian Terror Suspect
Canada Trying To Prove Identity of Aid Worker
Dumping of Avian Flu Carcasses Sparks Protest
and of course... Game 4 Pivotal For Some

So i think everyone in provo should come to my university chorale concert tonight. its at 7:30 in the DeJong. I am going to go over around 7:15 with some people, so if you want to meet us and walk over with us, that is permissable. and also everyone should come to my Quoque concert on thursday @ 5 PM in the MOA. thats really all i have to say.