YAY! Today was the final puzzle of the Da Vinci Code Quest, and I had time to log on at 1pm and finish the final puzzle to try and win the grand prize. The final puzzle was kinda easy/kinda hard. I haven't read the Da Vinci code (as previously stated) so I didn't know the 3rd answer, but I don't want to spoil it for you so that's all I'll say. I skipped History lecture on Monday night (I've only missed one other class, and that was because of our Texas vacation, so I'm not that guilty), so I'm sitting here taking notes on the chapter I missed. I'm kind of upset because I missed the lecture on the Investiture Controversy and that is one of my favorite topics. One of the classes I took at Pitt, and actually did well in, was a course on Midevil Society and Government and the Investiture Controversy was one of our essay questions that I nailed. I think the whole story of it is pretty funny too. Time for a history lesson, kids. Basically, an investiture, is the practice of laymen appointing church officials. This happened because, during feudalism, the lords would give part of their fief's to make a church and then so that made them think they had to right to elect the priest of that church. The church didn't like that because they, of course, thought that they should appoint who got to be a priest. The great fight was between King Henry IV of Germany and Pope Gregory the VII. Henry sends this letter to Gregory asking him for help with his unruly german nobles. Gregory thinks hey, this guy is in a weak postion with his nobles rebelling against him so he excommunicated some of Henry's advisors. This pisses Henry off and so he sends a letter back declaring Gregory a "false monk" and says "descend and relinquish the qpostolic throne which thou has usurped...I Henry, king by the grace of God, do say unto thee, together with my bishops: Down, Down, to be damned through all the ages." The word usurped is just so mean and nasty, and of course with the whole Down Down to be damned part, Gregory of course is even more pissed and excommunicates Henry. Well, you can't be king if you aren't a part of the church(breaks feudal vows of loyalty) so of course not Henry is in a bad deal. Henry's enemies demand he be judged by Gregory and so everyone agrees to meet at Augsburg. Henry's a smart one though and so he arrives there pleading for absolution. Being a pope, Gregory has a duty to forgive him and absolve his sins, or else he couldn't be pope, so after making Henry wait in the snow for 4 days, he forgives him. Henry has the upper hand now. Gregory eventually excommunicates him again, but Henry's army is so close that Gregory has to flee and ends up dying bitterly. I just love this story cause each of them think that they are so powerful and have the upper hand and in the end the big ole mean pope loses. I am doing ok with the watching of the food intake, actually I didn't eat my soup I brought for lunch today because I wasn't particularly hungry. I only had a sandwhich, a sugar free pudding cup, and a low fat string cheese. I'll probably be ready to chew off my arm by dinner time.