"If Friday the 13th is unlucky, then 2009 has been an unusually unlucky year. But your luck is about to change. Today is the last of three Friday the 13ths to endure this year.
The other two were on in February and March. Such a rare triple-threat occurs only once every 11 years.
The origin of the link between bad luck and Friday the 13th is murky. The whole thing might date to Biblical times (the 13th guest at the Last Supper betrayed Jesus). By the Middle Ages, both Friday and 13 were considered bearers of bad fortune. In modern times, the superstition permeates society.
Here are five of our favorite Friday-the-13th facts:
1. Fear of Friday the 13th — one of the most popular myths in science — is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.
2. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor and some airline terminals omit Gate 13.
3. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and President Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.
4. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend. "They only had food for 12." Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.
5. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number — 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.
Pythagorean legacy
Meanwhile the belief that numbers are connected to life and physical things — called numerology — has a long history.
"You can trace it all the way from the followers of Pythagoras, whose maxim to describe the universe was 'all is number,'" says Mario Livio, an astrophysicist and author of "The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved" (Simon & Schuster, 2005). Thinkers who studied under the famous Greek mathematician combined numbers in different ways to explain everything around them, Livio said.
In modern times, numerology has become a type of para-science, much like the meaningless predictions of astrology, scientists say.
"People are subconsciously drawn towards specific numbers because they know that they need the experiences, attributes or lessons associated with them, that are contained within their potential," says professional numerologist Sonia Ducie. "Numerology can 'make sense' of an individual's life (health, career, relationships, situations and issues) by recognizing which number cycle they are in, and by giving them clarity."
However, mathematicians dismiss numerology, saying it lacks any scientific merit.
"I don't endorse this at all," Livio said, when asked to comment on the popularity of commercial numerology. Seemingly coincidental connections between numbers will always appear if you look hard enough, he said."
Sarah Palin's new book reprises familiar claims from the 2008 presidential campaign that haven't become any truer over time.
Ignoring substantial parts of her record if not the facts, she depicts herself as a frugal traveler on the taxpayer's dime, a reformer without ties to powerful interests and a politician roguishly indifferent to high ambition.
Palin goes adrift, at times, on more contemporary issues, too. She criticizes President Barack Obama for pushing through a bailout package that actually was achieved by his Republican predecessor George W. Bush - a package she seemed to support at the time.
A look at some of her statements in "Going Rogue," obtained by The Associated Press in advance of its release Tuesday.
See link for fact check.Sarah Palin's new book reprises familiar claims from the 2008 presidential campaign... more
FOX News is on a witch hunt, aimed at destroying the Obama administration and the progressive movement. Theyve already succeeded in pushing Van Jones out of the White House and badgered Congress into passing an unconstitutional bill to defund ACORN. Glenn Beck actually keeps an enemies list on a blackboard thats a regular part of his show.
ACORN is just the beginning. FOX has an enemies list, and theyre going to keep destroying progressive champions until we stop them.FOX News is on a witch hunt, aimed at destroying the Obama administration and the... more
# A Crocodiles tongue is attached to the roof of its mouth.
# A group of larks is called an exaltation.
# A elephant is the heavest of all land mammals at around 8,000 pounds.
# A kangaroo can’t jump unless its tail is touching the ground.
# A male emperor moth can smell a female emperor moth up to 7 miles away.
# A man had the hiccups for 69 years.
# A millipede has 4 legs on each segment of it’s body.
# A mole can dig over 250 feet of tunnel in a single night.
# A monkey was once tride and convicted for smoking a cigarette in South Bend,Indiana.
# A noisy resturant is 100,000 times as lound as a watch ticking. Rock Consert 1,000,000,000 times as loud. Loud headphones 10,000,000,000. Shotgun blast 1,000,000,000,000
# A peanut is neither a pea nor a nut.# A Crocodiles tongue is attached to the roof of its mouth.
# A group of larks is... more
We as Americans have a duty of civil disobedience and the marijuana effort should be no different ..
4/20 is almost upon us and i for one would not like to see this day wasted organize a smoke -n the bigger the better...we can this there are those of us that smoke everyday, but if your hiding its not civil disobedience, its cowardice.
This idea is far from new in Dunedin, New Zealand, members of Otago NORML and some students at Otago University meet every Wednesday and Friday at 4:20 pm under a Walnut tree on the Otago University Union Lawn to smoke cannabis in defiance of New Zealand's cannabis laws. There was considerable media and police interest in the '420' group in 2008, resulting in the arrest of a student and the issuance of trespass notices to members of the public at one of the 4:20 pm meetings.....
Btw..if you live in the CT area contact me ksutherland27@gmail.comWe as Americans have a duty of civil disobedience and the marijuana effort should be... more
A serious dialogue with a Christian
Hello , my name is XXXX and I was taking a look at your web page . I am interested in it because I am in a Religious Studies class and I am interested in learning more. I just wanted to know your response to this,
if I am correct in saying this...
In Islam heaven is thought of as paradise of wine, women and song. It is achieved by living a life in which, ironically, one abstains from the things with which he or she will be rewarded in paradise. In addition to this abstentiion, one must follow the five Pillars of Islam.
It seems to me that the Islamic faith is a do-it-yourself proposition.
Follow this "way of life", they say, and you will gain favor with God and eventually achieve salvation. There is NO assurance. I would hate to live like that. I realize that Muslims do not believe in "original sin", but regardless of wether or not a man is born sinful or not, would you not agree that every man/woman is sinful? How does one pay for his/her sin?
I understand repentance. I agree with that...but it seems as though one can NEVER do enough to win favor with God. That is why He sent his Son to die for us. All of our sins past present and future.
There is no possibility of assurance in the Islamic faith. I think that would be an awful way to live knowing that I was never gonna make it...not knowing of my salvation until the "day of judgement" whether or not I have done enough "goodworks" or prayed enough...etc.
I have asked a couple of Muslims in my class whether or not they were for sure if they were going to "paradise" or "heaven" when they died. I have not yet had one reply in the affirmative. Rather, they referred to the imperfection of their lives as being a barrier to this realization. THERE IS NO ASSURANCE IN ISLAM, BECAUSE THERE IS NO ATONEMENT, AND SALVATION DEPENDS WHOLLY ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S GAINING ENOUGH "MERIT"
Aslo, if I wanted to become a Muslim, I couldn't. If Muslims think that they are the "chosen people" then why aren't they spreading their faith.
Do you just have to be lucky enough to be born Muslim? If a person wants to become a Christian they can. ANYONE can become a Christian in a matter of seconds. All they have to do is confess that Jesus Christ is who He said He was and repent and believe...that is all a lot easier said than done. But basically that is it. I wasn't born Christian...or raised Christians assert that Jesus Chrit is the only way to God because
Scritpture says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) Jesus Christ said himself
"I am the way the truth and the life, NO ONE comes to the Father except through me..."
He didn't say, I am one way or a way or one truth etc....THE WAY!!!
I and the Father are ONE! Jn 5:18
I just don't understand how anyone could be blind to these facts. Unless they are never told. Which was me.
I would just like a little feed back
Jon Stewart began his show last night by skewering CNN for fact-checking a "Saturday Night Live" skit in which Fred Armisen (playing Barack Obama) claimed to have done "nothing" since taking office. In this hard-hitting report, CNN found that while many of the president's initiatives have not moved forward, he has in fact done "something" since taking office. Take that, comedy show.
"While you were doing your research did you also find that sharks live in water and don't deliver candy grams... and that the majority of boxes do not have d*cks in them?" Stewart asked. He went on to show several instances of CNN guests saying spurious things and introducing made-up statistics without being asked where their numbers came from or countered with facts.
At the end of the 11-minute segment, Stewart brought in Aasif Mandvi and John Oliver to put the final nails in CNN's coffin.Jon Stewart began his show last night by skewering CNN for fact-checking a "Saturday... more
Suppose I told you that I knew for a fact that the following statements were true:
* If you paint yourself a certain exact color between blue and green, it will reverse the force of gravity on you and cause you to fall upward.
* In the future, the sky will be filled by billions of floating black spheres. Each sphere will be larger than all the zeppelins that have ever existed put together. If you offer a sphere money, it will lower a male prostitute out of the sky on a bungee cord.
* Your grandchildren will think it is not just foolish, but evil, to put thieves in jail instead of spanking them.Suppose I told you that I knew for a fact that the following statements were true:... more
From the perspective of thousands of Disney World visitors conceals a maze of out-of-sight tunnel called utilidorsFrom the perspective of thousands of Disney World visitors conceals a maze of... more
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Ya Sin. (1) By the wise Qur'an, (2) Lo! thou art of those sent (3) On a straight path, (4) A revelation of the Mighty, the Merciful, (5) That thou mayst warn a folk whose fathers were not warned, so they are heedless. (6) Already hath the word proved true of most of them, for they believe not. (7) Lo! We have put on their necks carcans reaching unto the chins, so that they are made stiff-necked. (8) And We have set a bar before them and a bar behind them, and (thus) have covered them so that they see not. (9) Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not, it is alike for them, for they believe not. (10) Thou warnest only him who followeth the Reminder and feareth the Beneficent in secret. To him bear tidings of forgiveness and a rich reward. (11) Lo! We it is Who bring the dead to life. We record that which they send before (them), and their footprints. And all things We have kept in a clear Register. (12)
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A young child who memorized the whole Quran from cover to cover
Did you know that there are millions of children who memorized the whole Quran from cover to cover .. Every year more than the number ..
Why and how they managed that!!
God says in the Qur'an:
(( And in truth We have made the Qur'an easy to remember; but is there any that remembereth? )) Al-Qamar (17)
ِAnd : Did you know that there are thousands memorized the whole Quran in Arabic and they are not of Arab origin .. And can not speak Arabic !!!Ya-Seen
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Ya Sin. (1) By the... more
They will ask thee of the mountains (on that day). Say: My Lord will break them into scattered dust. (105) And leave it as an empty plain, (106) Wherein thou seest neither curve nor ruggedness. (107) On that day they follow the summoner who deceiveth not, and voices are hushed for the Beneficent, and thou hearest but a faint murmur. (108) On that day no intercession availeth save (that of) him unto whom the Beneficent hath given leave and whose word He accepteth. (109) He knoweth (all) that is before them and (all) that is behind them, while they cannot compass it in knowledge. (110) And faces humble themselves before the Living, the Eternal. And he who beareth (a burden of) wrongdoing is indeed a failure (on that Day). (111) And he who hath done some good works, being a believer, he feareth not injustice nor begrudging (of his wage). (112) Thus we have revealed it as a Lecture in Arabic, and have displayed therein certain threats, that peradventure they may keep from evil or that it may cause them to take heed. (113)
Chapter : Maryam ( Mary )
From Verse 77 To Verse 98
Hast thou seen him who disbelieveth in Our revelations and saith: Assuredly I shall be given wealth and children? (77) Hath he perused the Unseen, or hath he made a pact with the Beneficent? (78) Nay, but We shall record that which he saith and prolong for him a span of torment. (79) And We shall inherit from him that whereof he spake, and he will come unto Us, alone (without his wealth and children). (80) And they have chosen (other) gods beside Allah that they may be a power for them. (81) Nay, but they will deny their worship of them, and become opponents unto them. (82) Seest thou not that We have set the devils on the disbelievers to confound them with confusion? (83) So make no haste against them (O Muhammad). We do but count out unto them a number (of days). (84) On the day when We shall gather the righteous unto the Beneficent, a goodly company. (85) And drive the guilty unto Hell, a weary herd, (86) They will have no power of intercession, save him who hath made a covenant with his Lord. (87) And they say: The Beneficent hath taken unto Himself a son. (88) Assuredly ye utter a disastrous thing (89) Whereby almost the heavens are torn, and the earth is split asunder and the mountains fall in ruins, (90) That ye ascribe unto the Beneficent a son, (91) When it is not meet for (the Majesty of) the Beneficent that He should choose a son. (92) There is none in the heavens and the earth but cometh unto the Beneficent as a slave. (93) Verily He knoweth them and numbereth them with (right) numbering. (94) And each one of them will come unto Him on the Day of Resurrection, alone. (95) Lo! those who believe and do good works, the Beneficent will appoint for them love. (96) And We make (this Scripture) easy in thy tongue, (O Muhammad) only that thou mayst bear good tidings therewith unto those who ward off (evil), and warn therewith the froward folk. (97) And how many a generation before them have We destroyed! Canst thou (Muhammad) see a single man of them, or hear from them the slightest sound? (98)Chapter : Maryam ( Mary )
From Verse 77 To Verse 98
Hast thou seen him who... more
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
The Reality! (1) What is the Reality? (2) Ah, what will convey unto thee what the reality is! (3) (The tribes of) Thamud and A'ad disbelieved in the judgment to come. (4) As for Thamud, they were destroyed by the lightning. (5) And as for A'ad, they were destroyed by a fierce roaring wind, (6) Which He imposed on them for seven long nights and eight long days so that thou mightest have seen men lying overthrown, as they were hollow trunks of palm-trees. (7) Canst thou (O Muhammad) see any remnant of them? (8) And Pharaoh and those before him, and the communities that were destroyed, brought error, (9) And they disobeyed the messenger of their Lord, therefor did He grip them with a tightening grip. (10) Lo! when the waters rose, We carried you upon the ship (11) That We might make it a memorial for you, and that remembering ears (that heard the story) might remember. (12) And when the trumpet shall sound one blast (13) And the earth with the mountains shall be lifted up and crushed with one crash, (14) Then, on that day will the Event befall. (15) And the heaven will split asunder, for that day it will be frail. (16) And the angels will be on the sides thereof, and eight will uphold the Throne of thy Lord that day, above them. (17) On that day ye will be exposed; not a secret of you will be hidden. (18) Then, as for him who is given his record in his right hand, he will say: Take, read my book! (19) Surely I knew that I should have to meet my reckoning. (20) Then he will be in blissful state (21) In a high Garden (22) Whereof the clusters are in easy reach. (23) (And it will be said unto those therein): Eat and drink at ease for that which ye sent on before you in past days. (24) But as for him who is given his record in his left hand, he will say: Oh, would that I had not been given my book (25) And knew not what my reckoning is! (26) Oh, would that it had been death! (27) My wealth hath not availed me, (28) My power hath gone from me. (29) (It will be said): Take him and fetter him (30) And then expose him to hell-fire (31) And then insert him in a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits. (32) Lo! He used not to believe in Allah the Tremendous, (33) And urged not on the feeding of the wretched. (34) Therefor hath he no lover here this day, (35) Nor any food save filth (36) Which none but sinners eat. (37) But nay! I swear by all that ye see (38) And all that ye see not (39) That it is indeed the speech of an illustrious messenger. (40) It is not poet's speech - little is it that ye believe! (41) Nor diviner's speech - little is it that ye remember! (42) It is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds. (43) And if he had invented false sayings concerning Us, (44) We assuredly had taken him by the right hand (45) And then severed his life-artery, (46) And not one of you could have held Us off from him. (47) And lo! it is a warrant unto those who ward off (evil). (48) And lo! We know that some among you will deny (it). (49) And lo! it is indeed an anguish for the disbelievers. (50) And lo! it is absolute truth. (51) So glorify the name of thy Tremendous Lord. (52)Al-Haaqqa : Chapter 69
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
The... more
The section that Youtube viewers cried and asked translating the West
More than a million viewers ..
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Do you really have peace in your heart?
Are you truly happy in life?
Do you really know the purpose of your life?
Is that all that you do with your life play games, workout,talk on the phone about nothing, x-box,drugs, partying,listening to same song 100 times in your car, chasing girls,teasing boys, aren't you sick of this? Do you really want to be the old man or old women in the Club?
Aren't you ready to live your true purpose in life and work on your soul and truly have peace and purpose in life because you'll finally know your doing the right thing?
Watch this video with and open heart and an open mind and if your sincerely looking for peace and purpose in life this video will be your first step in attaining that true peace and purpose and at the end of it all the ultimate reward , Paradise.The section that Youtube viewers cried and asked translating the West
More than a... more
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Do you really have peace in your heart?
Are you truly happy in life?
Do you really know the purpose of your life?
Is that all that you do with your life play games, workout,talk on the phone about nothing, x-box,drugs, partying,listening to same song 100 times in your car, chasing girls,teasing boys, aren't you sick of this? Do you really want to be the old man or old women in the Club?
Aren't you ready to live your true purpose in life and work on your soul and truly have peace and purpose in life because you'll finally know your doing the right thing?
Watch this video with and open heart and an open mind and if your sincerely looking for peace and purpose in life this video will be your first step in attaining that true peace and purpose and at the end of it all the ultimate reward , Paradise.From inside the Mecca .. Reading Soorat Hood
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Texas currently has the third-highest teen birth rate in the country and “the highest rate of repeat teen births.” It also leads the nation in the amount of government money it spends on abstinence-only education. But some school districts in the state are now shifting away from that approach, admitting that it isn’t working:
“We mainly did it because of our pregnancy rate,” said Whitney Self, lead teacher for health and physical education at the Hays Consolidated Independent School District. “We don’t think abstinence-only is working.” [...]
Both approaches to sex education teach that refraining from sexual activity is the safest choice for teens.
But abstinence-only gives limited information about contraceptives and condoms and tends to downplay their effectiveness, while abstinence-plus stresses the importance of using such protection if teens are sexually active.
Medical experts have stated concluded that not only do abstinence-only programs not curb teen pregnancy, but “there is evidence to suggest that some of these programs are even harmful and have negative consequences by not providing adequate information for those teens who do become sexually active.”Texas currently has the third-highest teen birth rate in the country and “the... more
in his objective study of the texts, Maurice Bucaille clears away many preconceived ideas about the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Qur'an. He tries, in this collection of Writings, to separate what belongs to Revelation from what is the product of error or human interpretation. His study sheds new light on the Holy Scriptures. At the end of a gripping account, he places the Believer before a point of cardinal importance: the continuity of a Revelation emanating from the same God, with modes of expression that differ in the course of time. It leads us to meditate upon those factors which, in our day, should spiritually unite rather than divide-Jews, Christians and Muslims.
As a surgeon, Maurice Bucaille has often been in a situation where he was able to examine not only people's bodies, but their souls. This is how he was struck by the existence of Muslim piety and by aspects of Islam which remain unknown to the vast majority of non-Muslims. In his search for explanations which are otherwise difficult to obtain, he learnt Arabic and studied the Qur'an. In it, he was surprised to find statements on natural phenomena whose meaning can only be understood through modern scientific knowledge. He then turned to the question of the authenticity of the writings that constitute the Holy Scriptures of the monotheistic religions. Finally, in the case of the Bible, he proceeded to a confrontation between these writings and scientific data. The results of his research into the Judeo-Christian Revelation and the Qur'an are set out in this book.
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Here is the development of many common questions about Islam and Muslims and their beliefs, customs and morals, and a lot of things different
Join this group to find many answers to your questions :
The Life of Cat Stevens and How he Became Muslim. This Documentary follows the life of Yusuf Islam, from his family background, early years through to the work he does today. It is a nice documentary which shows how a famous Pop Star became Muslim. His family and other people from the music industry are interviewed.
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May I suggest to the seeker of truth do the following NINE STEPS for purification of the mind:
Clean their mind, their heart and their soul real good.
Clear away all the prejudices and biases.
Read a good translation of the meaning of the Holy Quran in a language that they can understand best.
Take some time.
Read and reflect.
Think and pray.
And keep on asking the One who created you in the first place, to guide you to the truth.
Keep this up for a few months. And be regular in it.
Above all, do not let others who are poisoned in their thinking influence you while your are in this state of "rebirth of the soul."
The rest is between you and the Almighty Lord of the Universe. If you truly love Him, then He already knows it and He will deal with each of us according to our hearts.
Peace to you and Guidance from Allah the One Almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of all that exists.
thank you
abdullah basprenThe Life of Cat Stevens and How he Became Muslim. This Documentary follows the life of... more
Malcolm goes on the Hajj and finds True Islam. Malcolm Renounces his past with Nation of Islam and becomes a True Muslim following Sunni Islam. Malcolm talks about his experience on the hajj, and what it means to be a Muslim. He suprises everyone on his return from Makkah, and unfortunately just before he could make an even greater impact by calling people to Islam he was assassinated. May Allah bless him, one of the most important people in 20th Century Politics and American History.
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May I suggest to the seeker of truth do the following NINE STEPS for purification of the mind:
Clean their mind, their heart and their soul real good.
Clear away all the prejudices and biases.
Read a good translation of the meaning of the Holy Quran in a language that they can understand best.
Take some time.
Read and reflect.
Think and pray.
And keep on asking the One who created you in the first place, to guide you to the truth.
Keep this up for a few months. And be regular in it.
Above all, do not let others who are poisoned in their thinking influence you while your are in this state of "rebirth of the soul."
The rest is between you and the Almighty Lord of the Universe. If you truly love Him, then He already knows it and He will deal with each of us according to our hearts.
Peace to you and Guidance from Allah the One Almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of all that exists.
thank you
abdullah basprenMalcolm goes on the Hajj and finds True Islam. Malcolm Renounces his past with Nation... more
