Today is Friday the 13th, and considering the fact there are still lots of people out there who seem to think a number can be unlucky, I thought it would be fun to try and discover the story behind this superstition (you know, to seem all smart and shit). While there are lots of theories as to its origins, the truth is no one knows exactly why it persists. I suppose it may not even really matter; so long as people are told that they have something to fear, typically they will respond in kind. Statistically, fear of this day actually causes people to act more cautiously, and car accidents have been reported in many countries as actually being lower than most other Fridays of the year.

2009 was a bit unique, as it has three Friday the 13th’s (that’s the most you can have in a given year). The next year when this occurs is 2012. You know how disdainful I am of the crackpot theory that the earth is supposed to end on Dec 21, 2012, and I have to wonder if any of these idiots will try to make a correlation between all those “Black Fridays” and the stupid belief that an invisible planet will collide with Earth. Here’s hoping I didn’t give them another talking point!

I say spend the time walking under ladders, breaking mirrors, and stepping on every crack in the sidewalk.