(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!

March Magic and Such

I have decided to try something different this year as far as my miniature hobby goes. Starting in March, I am going to alternate monthly between whether I am painting fantasy or scifi figures. Thus far, I have completed a set of Reaper Bones Pirates and am now working on a set of their goblins.  (I love their stuff!!!)  Pics to follow later.

I ordered some figs from Megacon Games.  I purchased a set of their Mercs figures (KemVar) and a set of their Banner Saga figures.  Not crazy about the Mercs, the Banner Saga stuff is great.  My only gripe about the BS figs is that some of their weapons are horribly bent.  I'm hoping that the old boiling water/ice water trick will work to straighten them out.

Tried some Sam Adams '76 last weekend.  As much as I normally enjoy their products, I gotta say this one missed the mark with me.  It tastes too much like an IPA and seemed to have a grapefruitish aftertaste.  Not my cup of tea.  Speaking of beer, I'm headed down to the Hoffbrauhaus this week, I'm looking forward to it!

Also missing the mark was Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok.  The Thor and Avengers Movies have been great so far.  This one however, came up short.  The Thor character seemed a bit out of character.  Too many attempts at humor like in the Guardians of the Galaxy.  While it works there, it didn't in Ragnarok.  The Warriors Three were out of the film in a heartbeat.  No Lady Sif and no Natalie Portman....boooooo!!!!  The Executioner and Korg characters were weak at best.  The portrayals of Loki, Hela, Heimdall, and Valkyrie were amazing!!!! LOVED the Hulk in this!!!!  The talents of Jeff Goldblum and Anthony Hopkins were completely wasted.  (Is Odin the new Yoda?!) I'm hoping that the new Avengers movie will be better.  We will have to wait and see.