January 13th - Today is the 13th day of the year, with only 352 days remaining in 2006.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia: Fear of Friday the 13th
Strangely, there is evidence to suggest that Friday the 13th is actually unlucky for some. Psychologists have found that some people are especially likely to have accidents or fall ill on Friday the 13th. This has been attributed to such people feeling a heightened state of anxiety on that day. The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina estimates that in the United States alone, $800 or $900 million is lost in business each Friday the 13th because some people will not travel or go to work.


"Universal Time" (UT) which is sometimes referred to, now colloquially, as "Greenwich Mean Time" (GMT)
FIRST QUARTER - Jan 6   6:56 p.m.
FULL MOON - Jan 14   9:47 a.m.
LAST QUARTER - Jan 22   3:14 p.m.
NEW MOON - Jan 29   2:15 p.m.


TAGLINES (http://taglinesgalore.com)
13 FAMOUS LAST WORDS ...
- C'mon, let's see some REAL monsters!
- Don't worry, it doesn't bite.
- Hey, Dragon - got a light?
- I bet it's an illusion.
- I think it's dead.
- I'm not afraid.
- It's perfectly safe. Let me show you.
- That could never happen to me.
- They're JUST kobolds. What're you scared of?
- This should be easy.
- Watch me goose that sleeping dragon!
- We really didn't need a Cleric anyway.
- You saw a WHAT around the corner?


ACTING -
1919 Robert Stack (Charles Langford Stack), LA CA, actor (Eliot Ness-Untouchables, Airplane, Unsolved Mysteries) [D: 05/14/2003]
1925 Gwen Verdon, Culver City CA, actress (Bess-Cocoon, Judith-All My Children) [D: 10/18/2000]
1931 Charles Nelson Reilly, Bronx NY, actor (Match Game, Ghost & Mrs Muir)
1934 Rip Taylor, Washington DC, comedian (Gong Show, $1.98 Beauty Show)
1938 William Bruce Davis, Toronto Canada, actor (Smoking Man-The X-Files)
1943 Richard Moll, Pasadena CA, actor (Bull-Night Court, Scary Movie 2)
1961 Julia Louis-Dreyfus, NYC, comedienne (SNL, Elaine-Seinfeld)
1964 Penelope Ann Miller, LA CA, actress (Adventures in Babysitting, Kindergarden Cop)
1966 Patrick Dempsey, Lewiston ME, actor (Can't Buy Me Love, Dr "McDreamy"-Grey's Anatomy)
1977 Orlando Bloom, Canterbury, England, actor (Legolas-Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean/2)

ARTISTIC -
1834 Horatio Alger Jr, Revere MA, author (Lost at Sea, Work & Win) [D: 07/18/1899]
1893 Clark Ashton Smith, Auburn CA, sci-fi author (Lost Worlds, Genius Loci) [D: 08/14/61]

HISTORIC -
1879 Melvin Jones, Fort Thomas AZ, founder-Lions Clubs International [D: 06/01/61]

MUSIC -
1884 Sophie Tucker, Russia, singer/commedian (Some of These Days) [D: 02/09/66]
1952 Cornelius Bumpus, Santa Cruz CA, keyboard/woodwinds (Bobby Freeman, Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan) [D: 02/03/2004]

SCIENCE -
1864 Wilhelm Wien, Fischhausen East Prussia, physicist/Wien's Law (Nobel 1911) [D: 08/30/28]

SPORTS -
1933 Tom B Gola, Philadelphia PA, (Warriors) NBA Hall of Famer '76
1969 Stephen Hendry, Auchterarder Scotland, World Snooker Championships x 7


1830 Great fire of New Orleans, Louisiana begins.
1849 Vancouver Island granted to Hudson's Bay Co.
1863 Thomas Crapper pioneers one-piece pedestal flushing toilet.
1888 National Geographic Society founded (Washington DC).
1930 "Mickey Mouse" comic strip 1st appears 1942 German U-boats begin harassing shipping on US east coast.
1942 Henry Ford patents a method of constructing plastic auto bodies.
1943 Hitler declares "Total War".
1957 Wham-O Company produces the first Frisbee.
1966 First black selected for Presidential cabinet (LBJ selects Robert C Weaver-HUD).
1967 Rolling Stones appear on Ed Sullivan Show.
1979 YMCA files libel suit against Village People's YMCA song.
1982 Hank Aaron & Frank Robinson elected to Hall of Fame.
1987 Seven top New York Mafia bosses sentenced to 100 years in prison each.
1989 "Friday the 13th" virus strikes hundreds of IBM computers in Britain.
MORE EVENTS

SOURCE: Earth Calendar
Defenders of Freedom Day - Lithuania
Greater Bairam (Feast of the Sacrifice) - Albania
Silversterchläuse - Switzerland
St. Melania's Day - Ukraine
+ + + + + + + + + +
Maghi - Sikhism


THE CURSE
Once upon a time there was a Prince who, through no fault of his own, was cast under a spell by an evil witch. The curse was that the Prince could speak only one word each year. However, he could save up the words so that if he did not speak for a whole year, then the following year he was allowed to speak two words.

One day he met a beautiful princess (ruby lips, golden hair, sapphire eyes) and fell madly in love. With the greatest difficulty he decided to refrain from speaking for two whole years so that he could look at her and say "My darling".

But at the end of the two years he wished to tell her that he loved her. Because of this he waited three more years without speaking (bringing the total number of silent years to 5).

But at the end of these five years he realized that he had to ask her to marry him. So he waited ANOTHER four years without speaking. Finally, as the ninth year of silence ended, his joy knew no bounds.

Leading the lovely princess to the most secluded and romantic place in that beautiful royal garden the prince heaped a hundred red roses on her lap, knelt before her, and taking her hand in his, said huskily, "My darling, I love you. Will you marry me?"

And the princess tucked a strand of golden hair behind a dainty ear, opened her sapphire eyes in wonder, and parting her ruby lips, said, "Pardon?"


Don't believe in superstition - it brings bad luck. - Unknown


PIN-THE-TAIL-ON-THE-DONKEY: Blind luck. (WordFoolery)

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