Finally...

Happy Friday the 13th, everybody. I'm rather fond of the fact that cavemen couldn't count past twelve. If they didn't have toes, couldn't they have found rocks? Leaves? I'm sure there was something count-worthy in their world.

It is interesting, though, that 13 represented women and 12 men. Sadly, 12 won over 13 way back then and the numbers haven't ever really been equal since (Heh, equal)... It's tragic what a recurring theme this is thoughout history.

Teresa Heinz Kerry said, in July, "... Freedom is... a sacred gift, sanctified by those who have lived it and those who have died defending it. My right to speak my mind, to have a voice, to be what some have called ”opinionated,” is a right I deeply and profoundly cherish. And my only hope is that, one day soon, women — who have all earned their right to their opinions — instead of being called opinionated, will be called smart and well-informed, just like men."

Having been raised to be "opinionated," I know exactly what she's talking about. My brother and I, probably equally intelligent, give or take a few small differences, for example. He's considered "clever, witty" and so on. Despite the similarities in our senses of humour, I tend to be called a "bitch" or "smart ass." While it's true that sometimes the off button in my head doesn't work properly (You'll see more of this in posts to come,) it doesn't make me less smart. It makes me quick and very able to think on my toes. But in a woman, it's not an asset. And that's where this whole system of thought is wrong.

It's tragic that in the year 2004, we judge "feminism" by how many women have infiltrated "men's clubs." Two of nine members on the United States Supreme Court are women. Nice, but should we have to look at it that way?

I'm not saying down with men, god knows I adore men. It's just that occasionally I long for a matriarchal society. Of course, having a bunch of women in charge may not help, but at least I'd be on the upswing of financial success. I've seen it in action. Highly "fair minded" companies promoting no one who doesn't have a penis. In all things we were equal, except that a lot of the people who did the work were female and a lot of the people who got promoted were men. Or family. But that's something else altogether.

Oddly enough, my department at said company was located on the 13th, and therefore 14th, floor: fear and the cure.

"The disastrous dinner for 13, 12 apostles plus Jesus Christ, included Judas Iscariot -- the 13th apostle to arrive and the first to leave. Iscariot ultimately betrayed Christ and gave rise to the pox on dinners of 13. Biblical interpretations vary, but some say the next day, a Friday, Christ was crucified, according to the illustrated encyclopedia." My many years in Catholic school makes me giggle and yet leads me to curiosity at this. We Catholics surely are a superstitious lot.

There's good news, though, fashionably speaking: Lucky 13 but sadly the positive spin is so rarely taken. And wouldn't you love to have the number to this catering company? And even Professor Trelawney mentions the fear of thirteen, but she's a kook. Kind of like me.