What Pushes My Buttons

Poor number thirteen

Ah...the number thirteen.

Treize.

Trece.

Δέκα τρία

Dreizehn

Dertien

However you say it, the number thirteen has long been considered "unlucky" by most. Most buildings forgo the thirteenth floor. There’s no number 13 horse in horse racing. There’s even a fear of the number 13, Triskaidekaphobia. The number 13 might as well be the red headed, freckled kid at a grade school dance.


If the number 13 was a person, it would most likely be a "ginger"

So as we exist here on this Friday the 13th, I'm happy to say 13 is my favorite number. Like my favorite basketball players Chris Mullin and Mark Jackson, I wear 13 on my jerseys. I always play it in the lotto (not that I ever win of course). I love the "bakers dozen" (who doesn't love getting an extra bagel or donut!). But honestly I don't know why people have such a fixation with the number that prevents them from embracing it.

Obviously there’s some cultural, religious and historical significance behind the number that would invoke fear in some and hope in others. Actually there’s much more to the number 13 than I thought. Check out the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_(number) for a detailed listing of 13's significance throughout history.

Anyway, why is this important? Well it's not. Just felt like saying the number 13 gets a bad rap sometimes. That's all. I know it was an awkward age for many…especially boys because that's when puberty starts to set in. That and for us jewish kids, 13 is barmitzvah time, which is a train wreck in and of itself. But for others, don't be a playa-hater. Embrace the number 13. Love it. Cherish it. Enjoy it. Make love to it. (Okay, maybe that’s going too far, but you get the point!)

Anyway, it's Friday so we should have some fun before the weekend. Some of you may have seen these “unlucky” moments before, but I actually haven't seen most of these clips. It's really funny and good for a cheap laugh or two. And who couldn’t use a cheap laugh?