PARASKAVEDEKATRIAPHOBIA

You might be familiar with the word Triskaidekaphobia, which is the fear of the number thirteen but did you know the name for the specific fear of Friday the 13th? It’s Paraskavedekatriaphobia. It is derived from the concatenation of the Greek words Paraskeví (Παρασκευή) (meaning Friday), and dekatreís (δεκατρείς) (meaning thirteen).

According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. It's been estimated that [US]$800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day. Some people won't go to work on this day; some won't eat in restaurants; many wouldn't think of setting a wedding on the date.

Here’s an interesting story I heard on the radio today. 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.

A special ship was commissioned, named "H.M.S. Friday." They laid her keel on a Friday, launched her on a Friday, selected her crew on a Friday and hired a man named Jim Friday to be her captain. To top it off, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage on a Friday, and was never seen or heard from again. A quick look on the net says that no such ship ever existed.

What is true as that a plane did crash into a Clarence Center home Thursday night. New York State Police say all 48 people on board Continental Airlines flight #3407 that crashed in Clarence Center and one person on the ground were killed. This obviously a far different outcome than the plane that landed in the Hudson River after encountering birds.

A mother and daughter, ages 57 and 22, were treated and released for non-life threatening injuries from Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital.
Two volunteer firefighters are also being treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries. They are expected to be released later this morning.
Here is a Facebook Group for Victims’ Family and Friends as well as community support.

One ironic story involves Beverly Eckert, the widow of Sean Rooney, who was killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Eckert was traveling to Buffalo for a family celebration of what would have been her husband's 58th birthday. She had planned to take part in presentation of a scholarship award at Canisius High School that she established in honor of her late husband.

We know she was on that plane and now she's with him," Eckert’s sister, Sue Borque, told The Buffalo News. Her husband had been her high school sweetheart and had been on the phone with her when he died.

Reality check Cathy—you really don’t have it as bad as you think. Just today I had a student bring me a cupcake. (It was my favorite from Walmart). Another student gave me a piece of cake she baked. Another brought me a couple of pieces of chocolate and another gave me a pack of conversation hearts. Now those things all belong in a gratitude journal.

First period, one of my students asked me if I remembered a student I had in my class last year. He’s graduated now, but of course I remembered him. Well the student said “Mrs. Copeland he says he misses you and he still thinks you were his best teacher. “ So when I grouse I really do have much to be thankful for.
Guess I didn’t win that vow renewal contest from the Fish. I called the station and they said that they notified all the winners by email yesterday. If they didn’t hear from you then they called you. I didn’t hear from them so that means I didn’t win.

I wonder how they judged it. This is not to say I absolutely felt it is unfair that I didn’t win, just to say that sometimes they say that there is a max number of words and some people will disqualify you if you have too many and some don’t. I tried hard to stay under the word limit so I wouldn’t get disqualified. Some contests say that they will read the essays but they don't. I found that out about my local station. Still I find these much more fair then having people vote for their favorite. I guess mine just wasn’t a one in ten entry. Sniff….sniff.

When I went for a walk during my planning period I did get a phone call and I was excited when they asked for Catherine. That’s usually a good sign. It turns out I’m one of the finalists in a contest to win race tickets. In order to win I have to go to a bar in Atlanta. I was told only thirty people are in the running for this. I will have to check the prize because I don’t know if it’s worth traipsing down there on a Sunday. I checked the bar on line and it didn’t get favorable reviews and seemed pricy.

I also found out that I won't be getting extended day which will be a big pay cut for me. Let's just say there will be some personnel changes that will cut back on expenses and will do so by changing one teacher's responsibilities. Just like that movie Animal House when they were getting wacked during initiation I will grab my ankles and shout, "Thank you sir can I have another."