Sunday, October 31, 2010

Superstitions

Unlucky 13
Some experts think that this belief might have started with the Last Supper in the Bible, where there were 13 people at the table. Judas, the apostle w­ho betrayed Jesus, was the 13th member of the party to arrive. Also, Jesus was crucified on a Friday (which may have helped contribute to Friday the 13th being such a feared day).

Knock on wood
Ancient people couldn’t understand why some trees stayed green all year and others lost their leaves. They thought some trees must have supernatural powers. For that reason, they would knock on trees to get their attention.

Don’t spill salt
At one time, salt was very valuable. To spill any was believed to bring bad luck. People also thought that evil spirits lived in the left side of the body. If a person spilled salt, he or she would try to please the evil spirits by throwing salt in their direction.

Cross your fingers
This custom began as a sort of shortcut for people making the sign of the Christian cross. People believed the cross protected them from evil or bad luck.

Broken mirrors
In ancient times, people believed that their reflection in the water or in glass was really their “other self.” They thought that if you disturbed this image, you would bring bad luck. Ancient Romans believed that life is renewed every seven years. This is where we got the idea of seven years bad luck if we break a mirror, disturbing our reflection.

Walking under a ladder
This belief might be traced to the fact that a ladder leaned against a wall forms a triangle. To many Christian people, the triangle stands for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If you walked under a ladder, you would break the triangle and bring bad luck.

Source: The Orange County Register's "Mini Page"

Monday, October 25, 2010

Impressive impressions

Check out these impressions of Denzel Washington and Will Smith by new SNL cast member Jay Pharoah. Awesome!



Monday, October 18, 2010

Settling the score

While I'm not what you would call a "sports fan," I do love to watch football. I have been a fan of the San Diego Chargers for nine years now and I have to say it has been a roller coaster of emotion.

So far this season has been a major disappointment. In fact, I was so frustrated by their performance that I went out and bought Madden NFL 11 in order to take matters into my own hands. I am happy to report that although the Chargers you see on TV are 2-4, my Chargers team is sitting pretty at 5-1. It's sad when you have a better time watching video game football than you do watching the real thing.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Fried possum!

Yesterday I ate lunch at a diner off Highway 101. While perusing the menu I noticed that they offered a meal called the "Road Kill Scramble." I tried to order it (because I'm such a manly man) but the waitress informed me that the entree was fake. Although my dream of eating a possum/squirrel was crushed (at least for now), I have to give the restaurant credit for their commitment to the joke. It's on the permanent menu and they even assigned it a price.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Top 5 albums (+ worst ever)

1. 40oz. to Freedom (Sublime)
2. From a Basement on the Hill (Elliott Smith)
3. Workingman's Dead (Grateful Dead)
4. Hot Fuss (The Killers)
5. Mutations (Beck)

Worst: Time, Love and Tenderness (Michael Bolton)

Disagree? Submit your own list as a comment!

Friday, October 08, 2010

Public servant arrested in Washington state

Disoriented 'superhero' arrested in motorhome
Associated Press - October 5, 2010

Police who responded to a report of a prowler at a motorhome in Washington state found a "superhero" inside.

Commander Jim Rich told KITI-AM the man in a Green Power Ranger costume appeared lost and disoriented and apparently had been drinking.

Rich says the 28-year-old Centralia man apparently was dropped off by some friends at the wrong house after a weekend party. He was arrested for investigation of trespassing.