Blog Entries reposted from the my blog

Friday the 13th Reflections

Friday the 13th Reflections
Friday and 13th and other superstitions

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         I wrote this on Friday the 13th but it took a few days before I was able to post it. There are many superstitions in the world. Among them, is fear of the numbers four, six, and 13, particularly Friday the 13th. Here are my poetic reflections followed by a list of suggested readings on this topic., generated by our friendly AI Bing, and a few personal memories as well.. Enjoy and would love to hear back from my readers on this or any other topic.

Friday the 13th

There are many superstitious

In the world.

In the West -


The number 13

Is considered particularly unlucky,

On Friday for some reason.



There are words for it.

Triskaidekaphobia.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia.

Frigga triskaidekaphobia.


I don’t have the fear.

But many do



So why is Friday the 13th so unlucky?

The hearsay is.

That is because of Judas.

The Betrayer of Jesus

Was the 13th dinner guest

On the Last Supper.

Fear of the number 13
from Bing AI Chat

The word for fear of Friday the 13th is either paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia12. These terms are derived from Greek and Norse words for Friday and thirteen, as well as the word phobia, which means fear12.

         People fear Friday the 13th because of various superstitions and folklore that associate the number 13 and the day of Friday with bad luck, misfortune, or death. Some possible reasons why people fear Friday the 13th is:

         In Norse mythology, there was a dinner party for 12 gods in Valhalla, but Loki, the trickster god, crashed the party and became the 13th guest. This resulted in chaos and the death of one of the gods3.

         

The number 13

         In Christianity, Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th person to sit at the Last Supper. Jesus was crucified on a Friday, which is also known as Good Friday.

         In tarot card games, the Death card is numbered 13 and represents death and misfortune1.

         There is a superstition that if 13 people sit at a table, one of them will die within a year1.

         Some historical events that happened on Friday the 13th are considered unlucky or tragic, such as the bombing of Buckingham Palace in 1940, the murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964, the Andes flight disaster in 1972, and the declaration of COVID-19 as a national emergency in 202045.

         However, there is no scientific evidence that Friday the 13th is unluckier than any other day or date. It is mostly a cultural phenomenon that has been influenced by media, literature, and folklore over time. Some people may even consider Friday the 13th as a lucky day or a day to celebrate3.

Fear of the number four
4

A counterpart

To the fear of 13th

In the west




Is the fear of the number four

Throughout East Asia

And the East Asia diaspora worldwide

Called Tetraphobia


This has to do with the fact.

The word “death” and “four”

Are homophones in Chinese?



This originates from Classical Chinese,

in which the pronunciation

of the word for "four" (四, is in Mandarin)

is very similar.

to that of the word for "death" (死, is in Mandarin),

and remains so in the other countries' Sino-Xenic vocabulary.


(Korean sa for both.

Japanese she for both.

Vietnamese tự "four" vs. tự "death").


So, throughout Asia

And Asian communities

There are no fourth floors.


Sometimes they use the English word.

Or simply the letter F


And in SF, NYC and LA

444 buildings

Are not to be found.

Fear of Number 4

(from Bing AI Chatbox)

         this (fear of the number 4 sic) originates from Classical Chinese, in which the pronunciation of the word for "four" (四, is in Mandarin) is very similar to that of the word for "death" (死, is in Mandarin), and remains so in the other countries' Sino-Xenic vocabulary (Korean sa for both; Japanese she for both; Vietnamese tự "four" vs. tự "death").

The word “death” and “four”

         The number 4 is considered unlucky in some Asian cultures, such as China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam because it sounds similar or identical to the word for death in those languages. This is called tetraphobia, which means fear of the number 412

         Some examples of how this fear affects people’s behavior are:

         Many buildings skip the fourth floor, or use a different name for it, such as F or 3A2

         Some people avoid phone numbers, addresses, license plates, and product names that contain the number 412

         Some people avoid using the number 4 in dates, such as birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries1

         Some people avoid giving gifts or money in multiples of four, as it may imply bad luck or death1

         However, not all Asian cultures have the same attitude towards the number 4. For example, in Vietnam, the number 4 does not sound like death because of the different tones and pronunciations. Also, some people may consider the number 4 as an auspicious number, depending on their personal beliefs or experiences23

Personal note:

         in 1985, I spent the summer studying in Korea through a grant from the Korea Research Foundation. I was given a room in the International House and complained that they gave me room 444 and that was a bad luck number. The building owners did not consider 444 to be an unlucky number for foreigners, so they did not move me.

The Number of The Beast
666

In some cultures

The number 6

Is considered bad luck.


The number of the beast

666

in revelations


Many buildings are not numbered

666


among the most notorious 666 buildings

are 666 Sixth Avenue

in NYC

and 666 5th Avenue

Also in NYC

Fear of number 6

         The number 6 is not universally considered unlucky. In fact, in some cultures, such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, the number 6 is considered a good number, because it sounds like the word for "smooth" or "well"12 The number 6 is also associated with harmony, balance, and love in numerology34

                   However, in some Western cultures, the number 6 may be seen as unlucky or evil, especially when it is repeated three times, as in 666. This is because 666 is known as the "number of the beast" in the Book of Revelation in the Bible, and it is often associated with Satan or the Antichrist1 Some people may avoid using the number 6 or 666 in their names, phone numbers, addresses, or product labels because they fear it may bring bad luck or misfortune1

Therefore, the perception of the number 6 as unlucky depends on the cultural and religious context of the person who uses it. There is no definitive answer to why the number 6 is considered unlucky by some people and lucky by others. It is mostly a matter of personal belief and interpretation.

666 6th Avenue

The story is that.

666 6th avenues

Was renamed.

other some number

On Lexington Avenue


because ever since it open

there were so many mysterious

fires, and crimes

committed in the building


The building has a distinctive facade

with the number 666 on it.


there was a fatal fire

in 1912


and in 2015

a murder-suicide




they finally renamed it

and it is re-opening

soon.

from AI Chat

666 6th Avenue

         There is some controversy surrounding the building at 666 6th Avenue in New York City, which is not to be confused with the more famous 666 Fifth Avenue that was owned by the Kushner family. According to the web search results, here are some of the reasons why 666 6th Avenue is controversial:

         The building was originally built in 1897 as a hotel and restaurant, but it was later converted into a warehouse and showroom for hotel and club equipment1

         The building has a distinctive facade with a large number 666 on it, which some people may associate with the biblical “number of the beast” or Satanism1

         The building was the site of a fatal fire in 1912, which killed six people and injured several others. The fire was caused by an explosion of gasoline stored in the basement1

         The building was also the site of a murder-suicide in 2015 when a man shot his wife and then himself in their apartment on the fifth floor. The motive for the killing was unclear, but some speculated that it was related to financial troubles or domestic violence

666 5th avenue
666 5th

Jared Kushner bought

666 5th Avenue


and paid way more

than he should have


1.8 billion Dollars

It had so many problems.

he lost almost a billion dollars


but was finally able to recoup

some of his losses

through the provision


of “dark” money
from shadowy investors

just before he went

to work in the White House.

From Bing AI Chat

         666 Fifth Avenue is a skyscraper in New York City that has a long and controversial history. Here are some of the main events that shaped its story:

         The building was originally designed by Carson & Lundin and built by Tishman Realty and Construction from 1955 to 1957. It had a distinctive facade with a large 666 address on it, which some people may associate with the biblical “number of the beast” or Satanism1

         The building was the site of a fatal fire in 1912, which killed six people and injured several others. The fire was caused by an explosion of gasoline stored in the basement2

666 5th Avenue

The building was sold to Sumitomo Realty & Development in the late 1990s, and then to Tishman Speyer in 20001

In 2007, Kushner Companies, led by Jared Kushner, bought the building for $1.8 billion, which was the most expensive real estate deal in New York City’s history at the time. The purchase was ill-timed, as the 2008 economic collapse dealt a blow to the real estate industry and the building’s value

         Kushner Companies struggled with financing and debt for the building and sold off parts of it to other investors, such as Vornado Realty Trust. Kushner also searched for foreign partners to help redevelop the building into a luxury tower designed by Zaha Hadid, but faced conflicts of interest and media scrutiny due to his role as a senior adviser to President Trump342

          In 2018, Brookfield Properties leased the whole building for 99 years and hired Kohn Pedersen Fox to renovate it extensively. As part of the renovation, the building was renumbered to 660 Fifth Avenue145



Learn more:

1. en.wikipedia.org2. thedailybeast.com3. cbsnews.com4. money.cnn.com5. post.com6. sixsixtyfifthave.com+3 more


         The history of 666 Fifth Avenue is a story of ambition, controversy, and debt. Here are some of the main events that shaped its story:

         The building was originally designed by Carson & Lundin and built for its developer Tishman Realty and Construction from 1955 to 1957. It had a distinctive facade with a large 666 address on it, which some people may associate with the biblical “number of the beast” or Satanism1

         The building was sold to Sumitomo Realty & Development in the late 1990s, and then to Tishman Speyer in 20001

         In 2007, Kushner Companies, led by Jared Kushner, bought the building for $1.8 billion, which was the most expensive real estate deal in New York City’s history at the time. The purchase was ill-timed, as the 2008 economic collapse dealt a blow to the

         666 Fifth Avenue is a skyscraper in New York City that has been the subject of controversy due to its connection to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law and former senior adviser of former President Donald Trump. Kushner bought the building in 2007 for $1.8 billion, which was the most expensive real estate deal in the city’s history at the time1. However, the purchase turned out to be a bad investment, as the building suffered from low occupancy, high debt, and outdated design. Kushner tried to find investors to help him redevelop the property into a luxury tower designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid, but his efforts were unsuccessful and raised questions about potential conflicts of interest with his role in the White House2.

         One of the most controversial aspects of the deal was Kushner’s alleged involvement with Qatar, a Middle Eastern country that has been at odds with Saudi Arabia, a key ally of the Trump administration. In 2017, Kushner reportedly met with a Qatari official who offered to invest in 666 Fifth Avenue, but Kushner turned him down. Shortly after, Trump backed a Saudi-led blockade of Qatar, which some critics suspected was influenced by Kushner’s personal interests2. In 2018, however, Kushner’s family business received a bailout from Brookfield Asset Management, a Canadian company that had a major investment from Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund. Brookfield agreed to lease the entire building for 99 years and pay $1.1 billion in upfront rent, effectively saving the Kushners from defaulting on their loan1. Brookfield denied any involvement of Qatar in the deal, but some lawmakers and watchdog groups called for an investigation into whether Kushner’s actions on US policy in the Persian Gulf region were influenced by his family’s financial troubles2.

         The saga of 666 Fifth Avenue illustrates how Kushner’s business dealings and political influence have been intertwined and scrutinized throughout his tenure in the White House. The building has also been seen as a symbol of Kushner’s ambition and hubris, as well as his failure to deliver on his grand vision. As one critic put it, “The prospect that he may have been jockeying for Chinese or Russian financiers to bail out him and his family from a potentially disastrous investment at 666 Fifth Avenue presents complex but obvious conflicts of interest as well as the prospect of injudicious or self-serving White House policymaking”

Entrance to Hell

         in one of my short stories, “Escape from Hell” I write about secret entrances to Hell scattered around the world. Hell is in another dimension and one can only go to Hell or escape from Hell through gateways known only to a few. the Lovecraftian occult classic book, The Necromicron is a real book that provides clues to some of the ancient gateways to Hell and other dimensions.

         The founder of the Church of Satan claimed he had a map accurate of 1930 that showed entrances. Most gateways were located in rough neighborhoods the so-called Hell hole neighborhoods found in every big city. SF Tenderloin is one such location and NYC Chelsea is another. Later a secret VIP gateway was built between 666 6th and 666 5th Avenue, the other end opened up on 666 Hell Central Plaza where Satan Inc is located. Satan Inc. manages Satanic investments in our world. Demon functionaries are allowed R and R on full moon nights and that is while there is always a spike in weird violent crimes around the world as demons run wild in these Hell hole hoods, they have to be back by dawn.

For more info see the following (from Bing search chat box results)

List of phobias

Some common phobias are:

Arachnophobia: an intense fear of spiders and other arachnids12

Ophidiophobia: an intense fear of snakes12

Acrophobia: an intense fear of heights12

Aerophobia: an intense fear of flying12

Cynophobia: an intense fear of dogs12

Astraphobia: an intense fear of thunder and lightning12

Trypanophobia: an intense fear of injections12

Social phobia: an intense fear of social interactions13

Agoraphobia: an intense fear of places that are difficult to escape, sometimes involving a fear of crowded or open spaces13

Mysophobia: an intense fear of germs, dirt, and other contaminants1

         These phobias can cause symptoms such as nausea, trembling, rapid heartbeat, feelings of unreality, and being preoccupied with the fear object. They can also interfere with a person’s daily life and well-being. Phobias are treatable conditions that can be minimized or eliminated with cognitive and behavioral therapy techniques and medication. If you or someone you know suffers from a phobia, you may want to seek professional help.

Note: I cured my Cynophobia: an intense fear of dogs by having two dogs in my life.

Common superstitions
personal note:

         in 1974, I broke a mirror, My mom who was a woman well-versed in superstitions and occult lore, said I would have seven years of bad luck. I met my wife eight years later. Go figure,

Bad news comes in threes:

         This superstition is based on the idea that bad things tend to happen in groups of three, and after the third one, you can expect some relief. Some people believe that this superstition comes from the Christian belief in the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit12.

"samjae" Three Years of Bad Luck - 1994-1997

         in Korean and East Asia, fortune tellers say that bad luck comes in a wave of bad luck for three years in a row, known as "Samjae". I experienced this in 1995- to 1997 when I almost lost my life due to breaking my heel while jogging and developing a multiple resistance staph infection and spend eight months in the hospital and had 14 operations, later i spend a few weeks in the ICU as my internal flora went wild due to excessive antibodies, and also developed a frozen shoulder syndrome for the same reason.

for more details on my health nightmares, see

cheating Death twenty Times

AI Chat:

         Superstitions are beliefs that certain actions or events can influence the outcome of something else, usually positively or negatively. There are many common superstitions around the world, and some of them may vary depending on the culture or religion of the people who believe in them. Here are some examples of common superstitions and their possible origins:

Knocking on wood: This superstition is based on the idea that wood has magical properties that can protect you from bad luck or evil spirits. Some people believe that this superstition comes from ancient pagan rituals of tapping on trees to ask for the favor of the spirits that lived in them12.

Wishing on a star: This superstition is based on the idea that stars are powerful celestial beings that can grant your wishes if you look at them and say them out loud. Some people believe that this superstition comes from ancient Greek mythology, where stars were associated with gods and goddesses12.

Breaking a mirror: This superstition is based on the idea that mirrors reflect your soul, and breaking one means breaking your soul and bringing bad luck for seven years. Some people believe that this superstition comes from ancient Roman times when mirrors were expensive and rare, and breaking one was considered a serious offense12.

Four-leaf clover: This superstition is based on the idea that four-leaf clovers are rare and lucky, and finding one can bring you good fortune. Some people believe that this superstition comes from ancient Celtic culture, where four-leaf clovers were seen as symbols of the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water12.

Bad news comes in threes: This superstition is based on the idea that bad things tend to happen in groups of three, and after the third one, you can expect some relief. Some people believe that this superstition comes from the Christian belief in the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit12.

Don’t open an umbrella inside: This superstition is based on the idea that opening an umbrella inside can bring bad luck or anger to the spirits of the house. Some people believe that this superstition comes from ancient Egyptian times, where umbrellas were used to shield the pharaohs from the sun, and opening one inside was considered disrespectful12.

Lucky penny: This superstition is based on the idea that finding a penny on the ground can bring you good luck, especially if it is a heads-up. Some people believe that this superstition comes from ancient times, where coins were made of precious metals and had value12.

Beginner’s luck: This superstition is based on the idea that beginners or novices tend to have more luck than experts or professionals when they try something new. Some people believe that this superstition comes from the notion that beginners are more relaxed and confident than experts, who may be more stressed or anxious.

         These are just some of the common superstitions that people believe in. There are many more superstitions out there, and some of them may be very personal or specific to certain situations. Superstitions can sometimes help people cope with uncertainty or fear, but they can also limit their choices or actions. Superstitions are not based on facts or evidence, but rather on beliefs and traditions. Therefore, it is important to be aware of them, but not to let them control your life.

         I hope you enjoyed my poetic musings on common superstitions and additional reading provided by Bing.



the End