Yes today is Friday the 13. There are superstitions connected to this day, why is that and where do they come from?
The sixth day of the week and the number 13 both have foreboding reputations said to date from ancient times, and their inevitable conjunction from one to three times a year portends more misfortune than some credulous minds can bear. According to some sources it’s the most widespread superstition in the United States today. Some people refuse to go to work on Friday the 13th; some won’t eat in restaurants; many wouldn’t think of setting a wedding on the date.
LEGEND HAS IT: If 13 people sit down to dinner together, one will die within the year. The Turks so disliked the number 13 that it was practically expunged from their vocabulary (Brewer, 1894). Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue. Many buildings don’t have a 13th floor. If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil’s luck (Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names). There are 13 witches in a coven.
Although no one can say for sure when and why human beings first associated the number 13 with misfortune, the superstition is assumed to be quite old, and there exist any number of theories, most of which deserve to be treated with a healthy skepticism.
LEGEND HAS IT: Never change your bed on Friday; it will bring bad dreams. Don’t start a trip on Friday or you will have misfortune. If you cut your nails on Friday, you cut them for sorrow. Ships that set sail on a Friday will have bad luck – as in the tale of H.M.S. Friday … One hundred years ago, the British government sought to quell once and for all the widespread superstition among seamen that setting sail on Fridays was unlucky.
Some say Friday’s bad reputation goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. It was on a Friday, supposedly, that Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit. Tradition also holds that the Great Flood began on a Friday; God tongue-tied the builders of the Tower of Babel on a Friday; the Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday; and, of course, Friday was the day of the week on which Christ was crucified. It is therefore a day of penance for Christians.
But with all of this, you have to remember that Friday the 13 is just another day. Its interesting to read about but try not to think about it being a day of bad luck. Any day can have bad luck. Take it for what it is…just another day.
Walking may not seem to you to be a good way to exercise but according to an article from 
Do you get nervous when you are going to do something new? Starting school, first day of work, or learning how to do a new task can all cause a persons stomach to become all tied in knots. If you are that kind of person who’s stomach seems to become its own personal barometer for what you are feeling and butterflies take up residence in your stomach more often than not – then here is some helpful ways to cure those butterflies.
Here at HackALife, we hope you had a great and safe fourth of July weekend. I myself did not have an opportunity to do any of the ‘firework’ festivities, but did have a nice holiday meal with family on Saturday. As I was watching the news on Saturday, the reporter was talking about the increase in fines for illegal fireworks in Oregon this year. The fine had been raised from $500 to $1000 and the reporter was mentioning that their would be zero tolerance with people who lit off illegal fireworks this fourth of July season, which in Oregon, is anything over ten feet in the air.
One of our colleagues has launched him and his family on an 
Sleep can be elusive for me sometimes. It is especially disheartening knowing that in approximately seven months my sleep cycle will change forever with the expectant birth of twins into our family. I have tried to identify different patterns and problems with my sleep that sometimes causes my sleeplessness, but it has been hard to nail down. I have tried different techniques and some have worked at times and not at others.
This weekend the grocery stores were full of people buying food and other products for those famous Memorial Day BBQs. Most of the people I saw at the store were in a hurry, trying to get back to the car where their kids were waiting, or back to the party where everyone was waiting for the chip dip or more drinks. I was in the same situation, running up to the store for a few quick items and wanting to get home as soon as possible. And so, as I approached the checkout line, I saw six checkers and lines of various lengths. I realized that choosing the correct line would be pivotal to my opportunity to get home quickly. So the lottery began, which line would I pick? Would I fly through the line getting home quickly, or be stuck in the time stretching line of a checker who is taking their sweet time? Fortunately for me that day, I picked a fast line. But how did I get so lucky? Was there any strategy involved?
Baking Soda – Great gentle scrub for dishes, pots, and cooking surfaces. Great to clean silver with also. To clean silver: Use a paste of 3 parts baking soda to one part water. Rub the paste onto each item, then rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth.
Kosher Salt – A great choice when you need a tougher scrubber for dishes or counter top surfaces. Kosher salt works wonders on cast iron. To clean cast iron: Use a mixture of kosher salt and water to create a paste, then use a nylon scrub brush to scrub the cookware.
White Vinegar – Use to cut dirt, grease, and smudges on counter tops, windows and floors. To use: Dilute it with water. Works wonders on hard water deposits and soap scum but you will need to use it full strength for these. One of the most often heard reasons for not using vinegar for cleaning is the fear of smelling like vinegar. The vinegar smell dissipates once it dries.
Lemon – For a citrus cleaner, combine baking soda with a bit of dish soap and use halved lemon to scrub the paste across surfaces. Lemon can also be used to get stains out of Tupperware. Squizze some lemon juice in the Tupperware and then add some baking soda, use the lemon as the cleaning tool and work the mixture in.