Friday, April 21, 2006

28 Today

Another year, another birthday. This is now the 5th birthday I’ve spent in Japan. Originally I was thinking I’d be back in America for this birthday, but Calypso is keeping a tight hold on me. I’ll be back soon.

I guess birthdays are usually a time to reflect on how old we are and how much we’ve changed. Last year I did a post worrying about how old I was getting, so I’ll just skip that this year. Besides I don’t think there’s much of a difference between 27 and 28. It’s just another number. The jump from 26 to 27, from mid twenties to late twenties, is the big one.

Instead, I want to borrow another leaf from Mr. Guam and play a game with the date. Besides being my birthday, today, April 21st, is also the anniversary of an event which forever changed the face of world history. Anyone know what that is? (Mr. Guam, Mr. Lucretius, I’ll be disappointed if one you boys doesn’t get this one.)

Useless Wikipedia Fact
Although historically Che Guevara and Evita Peron never met, in the musical "Evita" Che acts as a narrator and commentator on the events.

Link of the Day
Bush's Latest Nuclear Gambit

7 comments:

Otherside said...

Happy birthday!!!

SN said...

happy birthday joel. is the event that jenn was also born on this day? :)

lucretius said...

Happy Birthday, Joel.
I'm assuming you're going for the traditional date for the founding of Rome in 0 A.U.C. (753 B.C.) Either it's that or the day Geraldo Rivera opened Al Capone's vault. Or Grounation Day?

Chris Powell said...

Happy birthday, Hope u had a good day. Ive only had one birthday in Japan but its definitely strange not being around your family and friends.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Joel!!:)I hope you have a great day! Yay, less than a month till you come home!

Joel Swagman said...

Thanks everyone. Sarah, close, but not exactly. Hell of a coincindence though, isn't it?

Go to the head of the class Lucretius. Hey, wait a minute! Is that a link to Wikipedia's entry on April 21st? Did you look it up? You're a latin teacher. shame on you.

lucretius said...

C'mon, Joel--we all know that history isn't about dates and names--it's only about the dates and names that I can remember.

Besides, there was some serious debate in Augustan times as to the actual date itself. Livy went so far as to suggest that if Romulus and Remus, if they did exist, were raised by a prostitute (lupa) rather than a she-wolf (lupa). But Happy Birthday nonetheless.