Open Thread - 13 August 2026 - Thirteen!
Thirteen!
So, it's the thirteenth of August, 2026. 13. A number which apparently really makes people uneasy and worried. I have never been really scared of 13. But I know people who are. So, why? Why is 13 so feared and unlucky, to the point that high rise buildings don't have 13th floors, rooms aren't numbered 13, and more?
Apparently there are a couple of reasons - and none of them make a lot of sense to me. It seems 13th is disliked and feared because of Norse and Christian mythology, at least in part. In Norse mythology, Loki, the god of mischief, crashed a feast to which 12 gods had been invited. Loki was the 13th and he wasn't invited. He showed up anyway and started a fight between two of the gods, who were brothers, Hödr, the blind god of darkness, and Baldr the god of light, joy and purity. Hödr shot Baldr with mistletoe (Loki had to aim and do all of that for him) and Loki had a laugh. And the death of Baldr started the countdown to Ragnarök - the end of the Norse world.
The shooting of Baldr by his blind brother Hödr from this article about Loki.
And of course, at the Last Supper, Judas was the 13th one to dip his bread and he betrayed Jesus. The next day Christ was crucified. Supposedly on a Friday. No wonder Friday the 13ths are supposed to be unlucky!
It used to be thought that the code of Hammurabi, one of the world's oldest legal documents, skips over a 13th law, letting people know 13 was disliked even back then. But 'In reality, the omission was no more than a clerical error made by one of the document’s earliest translators who failed to include a line of text—in fact, the code doesn’t numerically list its laws at all.'
Fear of 13 may have to do with the usual hatred of pre-Christian traditions and beliefs that arose during the early middle ages. If one follows the lunar calendar, there are 13 months in a year; 13 lunar cycles (and 13 menstrual cycles). This was part of the worship of goddesses and 'earth based spirituality'. The Roman Christian church standardized the solar calendar into 12 months, and the lunar calendar became associated with paganism and the feminine. Gotta wipe those out!
Fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia and fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia. I suffer from neither, at least, yet... 
Ok, Here's the open thread! What's up, whatcha doing? Reading? Thinking? Listening to? Remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!
Comments
Thursday, the 13th!
Happy Thursday!
It's smokey here, although not nearly as bad as in other places. And we don't have any fires, yet. My heart is breaking for those close to and in the fires that are happening all over, it seems. I remember watching a wildfire march down the mountains in California, towards where I lived. I lucked out in that it didn't get far enough down into the foothills to take out my apartment complex, and it left my parent's home, which was up in those mountains (the Santa Cruz mountains at that time), alone. The fire was on the other side of the highway, and so they were protected.
Anyway, I remember that vividly. Collecting the important things, the papers, making sure I was ready to grab my cat and put him into a carrier so we could both go to safety - where ever that was. I am so sorry for all the people that have to do this now, and in so many places. Norway? Britain? Really? It is insane. So, hopefully, none of us are going through this right now. And if you are, I hope everything turns out ok.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Hmm, call me strange
.
13 is one of my lucky numbers.
While the world burns, Israel is catapulting
fireballs into Lebanon. Evil incarnate.
Good luck with the smoke.
Thanks for the OT Sima.
Zionism is a social disease
13 as a lucky number?
I think I agree with that! As for Israel, yes, evil incarnate. Thanks for stopping by and have a great upcoming Friday and weekend!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Certainly, more & more, those speaking & acting in the name of
Zionism and Israel appear to have crossed what website TV Tropes calls the “Moral Event Horizon” …
https://www.qwant.com/?q=moral+event+horizon
Good morning, sima, et al!
I am signing an earnest money contract to sell my office this morning. I managed to get 75% more money for it than the local realtor was willing to list it for. It will be converted into a city government office with a large parking lot.
My final probate appearance was postponed at the last minute. The person applying to become administrator of an estate forgot to mention she was a convicted felon. Now, a probate judge might overlook a felony drunk driving conviction, but being convicted of assault causing serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon sort of disqualifies the applicant pretty quickly.
Thanks for the OT, chica, and may today bring you a breath of fresh air!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Woohoo, selling the office!
And for a good sum. Very nice, very nice. Retirement is coming and may it be very, very good. As for the probate... I'm sorry it was postponed but wanna say to the person applying, 'Really? Did you really think being a convicted felon wouldn't matter so you didn't mention it?' Sheez.
Have a great weekend!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Good morning Sima. Thanks for the OT. I recall once doing
something on 13 myself but don't think that I at all mentioned or even saw the linkage to the pernicious wars on the Nature/Earth/Woman oriented "pagan" religions by the paternalist religion(s) and cults. (There is an alleged difference between a cult and a religion, but I strongly suspect that it is simply a matter of whose ox is being gored) I recall a female writer at DK who did a bit of a series on the goddess in all her variants and the overthrow of same by the man god(s) and the resultant cultural shifts, and may have written a brief condensed echo thereof in one of my columns here.
I firmly believe that a lot of the grief and strife in history and in today's world does harken back to and derive from the invention of the Jealous, hateful, sadistic male war god as part of a particular creation myth and its increasing paternalist influence, especially after it evolved into a monotheistic horror after some sort of psychological cross breeding with Amun. And, of course the son-of-war-god who in reality spoke patience, not peace, as some allege and the genocidal tendencies of the followers of both.
Thursday the 13 it is. A character in either Pogo or else Peanuts used to pop up now and then on the 13th of this or that month proclaiming that Oh moes, Friday the 13 fell on a tuesday or saturday or whatever this week (or month), throwing a subtle punch at the whole Friday the 13th schtick.
In keeping with that, we just had a quake, not too big but definitely noticeable, immediate report is 4.0 or 4.1.
be well and have a good one
edited to fix many typos (would that be polytypoes?)
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Good evening!
I sure do agree with your take on the religion/cult stuff. I think a religion is just a cult with a few more followers. Or a cult is a religion with a few less followers. All of them are just insane in some ways.
For some reason, looking outside at the yellow dried up grass, the orange/red smoke filled sky, and the sorta brown/green tree leaves, fits with how all of this makes me feel. Hoping for a change, not sure it's coming... Your quake fits in with all that too! Hope there are no more!
I think I am going to start celebrating the 13th of each month, even if I just do a little jig (not a hempen one!), and listen to some good music like the video you posted. Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Also
https://sputnikglobe.com/20260813/us-spent-533-million-on-shell-factory-...
https://sputnikglobe.com/20260811/head-of-top-russian-bank-details-revol...
https://www.rt.com/news/644164-uk-russia-miiltary-dialogue/
https://www.rt.com/news/644183-germany-domestic-spy-agency-to-be-given-g...
Yeah, only directed at "adversaries" wink, wink
https://www.rt.com/news/644202-kurils-japan-putin-medvedev/
Japan keeps forgetting that it lost WWII
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
It is amazing how the US financial system
.
continues its tumble down the hill of relevance.
Yuan and ruble are much more attractive to global
trading currencies as US continues its sanction insanity.
Can they not recognize the damage to the dollar? Must be
a terminal case of hubris and arrogance.
Zionism is a social disease
Yeah, you got that right. They're sure that, any day now,
the row will fall into line, kneel, beg forgiveness and surrender all traces of sovereignty to the mighty imperial hegemon. fat chance.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Kevin has a related post up today
.
Sorry uncle sammy, you are falling behind (and taking us with them).
Zionism is a social disease
Takaichi is far right
I listened to a Japanese professor who speaks Korean well on Son Seok-hee's program this am. They were talking about the prime minister's new relationship tying the right wing faction of the LDP to the Japan Restoration Party. The Komeito Party is no longer supportive of the LDPs program because it is too far right for them. Not everyone in the LDP is onboard either. She's pretty extreme. Sanseito Party is ok with it, I'm sure. I think some of their fans described South Korean bottled water shipments to Japan's earthquake zone as bathwater, so don't drink it.
I think the obvious thing about Takaichi's reaction to Putin's visit to the Kurile's is her hypocrisy. Japan claims Dokdo, in the Sea of Japan. It's Korean territory. Japan claims Diaoyu Islands. They are Chinese territory, but the US "gave" them to Japan. Japan also claims any mainland blockade or invasion of Taiwan would be a "survival threatening" event which allows Japan to take military measures. Japan also orchestrated the bogus 2016 PCA UNCLOS decision on Chinese territorial and EEZ claims in the South China Sea. Japan is also staking out expansionist EEZ claims in the western Pacific that are not supported by the very UNCLOS provisions they always refer to against China (eg Okinotori atoll). Japan is encouraging the Philippines delusions of military grandeur vis a vis China. She's off the chain. With her anti-foreigner measures at home, she's catering to the far right elements domestically. Now people wonder if she will go to the Yasukuni shrine to worship the war criminals on August 15. That's sure to go over poorly on the mainland. She contends that's a personal matter with no diplomatic connotations.
Had this melody on my mind for two days, and finally found it. "No one else like that," Aki Azuma does Ali's great hit.
己所不欲，勿施于人。
Zero useable shells?
Dang, that first article really made me laugh ironically, but not with surprise. I wonder which government creature(s) got rewarded by General Dynamics?
The other articles were all good too. Thanks for posting them!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Hey, Sima!
Don't know much about superstition. In Korea there is some superstition about the number 4 四 , because it's a homophone for the hanja character for death 死 . They are pronounced the same in Korean "sa." There are many different meanings for the single phoneme. Envoy, affair, corporation...I can't remember them, usually Korean words are two syllable or more, so one call recall the meaning from the other syllables and the general context. Other than this little example I don't know much. There are so many different words for mediums, fortune tellers and so on in Korean, I decided a long time ago not to delve into it. It's a distraction. Yoon and his wife were really into it. She mostly but sometimes with him consulted those "holy men" or whatever that claimed to have some kind of spiritual gift that enabled them to advise on policy, choose where their official presidential offices and living quarters should be, and what the future held. One predicted Korea would be unified in
20152025 if I remembered correctly. Kim's defense when denying these issues in a recorded phone conversation was that she had her own spiritual gift, and therefore didn't need to consult mudangs.Prof. Jiang I think is the youtuber who appeals to those who believe that some people have the gift of predicting the future.
Ms. So said she smelled a fire outside. I heard some sirens earlier this am. I guess we're gonna have heat advisories every day for a while. Hope it rains tomorrow.
Thanks for the OT, Sima!
edit- I'll add this from an article I wrote 4 years ago, which included a picture of Jeon Dosa (master Jeon) aka Jeon Gong.
(Source 열린공감TV 3.21.22 다시 주목받는 3년 전 천공의 용산시대 예언! 윤석열 멘토로서 그의 영향력은 어디까지? ) Teacher Cheon Gong says he isn't Yoon Seok-yeol's mentor but has been "coaching" him according to his conscience. The Yongsan era begins! How far does the mentor's influence extend?
It's pretty obvious everything I say and write including my old blog is being vacuumed up by AI lately.
己所不欲，勿施于人。
Superstition!
Man, I haven't heard that song for a LONG time. And it fits right in. I have never been superstitious, I have to admit. My 'superstition' seems to be 'don't hurt others and they won't hurt you.' And so it's been most of my life, at least, on a personal level. I can't control what TPTB do.
Hope you get some rain. I would like some here too. Instead it's smoke, orange-red skies, dry vegetation and... it's cool tonight. How weird. But I'll take it!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Carl Jung's synchronicity
Sima, I'm not sure I understand Jung's concept of synchronicity. But I was watching Son Seok-hee again. I used to watch him regularly for a few years. He is a leading South Korean journalist. He would cover current events by tying them to 20th Century history, mostly from Korea's experience. He then gave up his news commentary program for awhile to run the JTBC network. He just reappeared not too long ago with his own "talk show" recently where he largely sticks to cultural topics by interviewing authors, singers, and others in the arts. It seems this is what he wants to do in his late career.
By coincidence, Son was interviewing 이승철 Lee Seung-Cheol on August 12. Oddly enough this is about the time, I woke up with the song No One Else on my mind, but only the melody not the title or singer. I searched for it for two days and finally posted it. I had thought it was an original hit with Ali. But Lee Seung-cheol was the original performer. Which I found out later after seeing him on Son's program for the 40th anniversary of his debut as a popular performer. I think he first performed the song in 2009. His video has a respectable 21 million views.
Before I put on my tin foil hat...I'll say that thinking of this nature (I already knew and loved Ali's version of the song) comes from not recognizing significant personal events or circumstances. So the alleged "serendipity" allows or permits insight or connection. That's my theory...well actually Jung's.
Cool is good!
己所不欲，勿施于人。
Found this of interest today
maybe you will.
We know sleep, exercise and diet are vital for health. But why? Taipei Times 08/14/2026
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Funny 13 story
On a tour through Shanghai, the guide lectured us about certain Chinese superstitions, with 13 and most odd, as opposed to even, numbers were lucky. It was good luck to be in apartment 13, or any apartment on the 13th floor. 11,33, and 17 were other favorites.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I'm not sure about Chinese numbers but...
...I liked this one from numerical internet slang-
Chinese numerology
Seems appropriate for the times.
I wish I had visited the mainland OtC. I was afraid to do so, even before all this craziness.
己所不欲，勿施于人。
describes US to a tee
.
except it may be more descriptive to say criminally insane.
刑事疯狂
Zionism is a social disease
It was a Gateway Travel
tour, a cheap one, for 3 weeks. The bus was full, so maybe about 42 of us.
China was already doing a rotation on a/c. A hotel we stayed in for several days did not have the green light for a/c. Food was so strange. They did not use fertilizer, soil was so depleted, you could no taste the difference between, say, a pear and an apple. Butchers at market sold you a 1/2 lb of chicken, but laid the chicken on the table and just started chopping at one end or the other. You got meat, not differentiated by white or dark.
I will never forget Red Square, Mao's Tomb, the Terra Cotta soldiers, the walk on the glass walk way alongside the Yangtze. The mostly nude cave dwellers.
I doubt I ever engaged with such sweet, loving people, except maybe in Russia.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
What an experience!
I never got to Asia, at least, not yet. Would have loved to have visited China years ago. And Russia!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
I regret missing
Japan and Viet Nam, but the world is so dangerous at present, I will just stay home. Japan acts like Germany. Viet Nam is sort of neglected.
I also visited Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. I had done some research on Mongolia, but tourism infrastructure, meaning hotels, restaurants, roads, internet, taxis, buses, was very sketchy.is
Of all the Asian countries I would recommend as the most important one to explore would be China.
As for Russia, the part of it around St. Petersburg has always had a European identity, whereas Moscow
identifies as patriotic Mother Russia. Mongolia and Siberia trend Asian.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Smokey, it was smokey!
It was smokey today, but now it's cool tonight. Still smokey though. Weird!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
In 1992, a Dutch kids’ group did a song on TV about superstition
Lyrics translation: