(Un)Lucky Number

If you ever get the chance, listen to Lene Lovich's song, Lucky Number, on her 1978 Stateless LP.  It's a quirky little pop number that is quite catchy.  13 is considered an unlucky number and Friday the 13th is viewed as a day of bad luck.  On this Friday the 13th, I thought I'd share some trivia about this day of dread.

Fun facts - There can be no more than 3 Friday the 13ths in a calendar year and no fewer than 1.  Any month starting with a Sunday will contain a Friday the 13th (*see current month). 

History - One possible source is found in Norse Mythology.  A dinner party was held in Valhalla.  12 gods were invited.  Loki was not included.  He arrived as the 13th guest.  He then tricked the Goddess of Darkness, Hoor, to shoot Balder, The God of Joy, with a mistletoe tipped arrow.  His death sent the Earth (Midgard) into despair.  Since then the number 13 has been viewed as unlucky.

In Christianity, there were 13 individuals who attended the Last Supper on the night before the crucifixion of Jesus. Also, members of the Knights Templar were arrested by officers of King Philip IV of France on Friday the 13th, 1307.

Of interest is the 1834 play, Less Finessus des Gribouilles, in which a character with a long string of bad luck states, " I was born on a Friday, December 13, 1813 from which come all of my misfortunes."

Also, the Italian composer Rossini was always fearful of the number 13 and disliked Fridays.  He felt them to be "unlucky".  Rossini died on Friday the 13th, 1868.

Probably more about Friday the 13th than you ever wanted to know.  Regardless, be safe out there today.  Maybe stay away from Camp Crystal Lake!

The Cruelest Month

In his poem, The Waste Land, T.S. Eliot, states the April is the cruelest month.  For the University of Pittsburgh Panther Football Team it was November. The Panthers lost  all 5 of their games by a combined score of 167 to 100.  Boston College, Louisville, Clemson, Virginia, and SMU all took it to the boys in blue and gold.  It was embarrassing at times to watch how badly the Panthers were playing. They were on a roll going into month number 11, 6 wins in a row.  Then the bottom dropped out. What happened??? Too many turnovers and penalties, overall failure to execute the offense, and/or the defense couldn't stop the other team.  I wish I knew.  It was good while it lasted.  Time to regroup and look ahead to next season.  As always...Go Pitt!