Your “Paraskevidekatriaphobia” Friday Evening Open Thread

I don’t believe in luck, good or bad.  I do believe in chance and random occurrences, however.  I also believe that our actions, or in some cases our REactions, will determine, or at least influence, certain outcomes.  Life happens.

Example #1 (bad):

When I was a kid, a friend of mine’s brother suffered a severe and crippling injury on a Friday the 13th.  He was a quadriplegic after this injury.  It obviously altered his life in ways I can’t even begin to imagine.  And even now, decades later, I still feel a great deal of compassion and sorrow for him and what happened.

However…..

It didn’t happen because it was Friday the 13th.  It happened because my friend’s brother was a dumbass and dove into murky water in a rock quarry without first knowing the depth of that water.  He made a mistake.  In this case, a big one.  But after that, every Friday the 13th that came up, his entire family (aside from him, that is) lived in fear that their family curse was to return that day.

It never did.

But they (mostly his parents) had so convinced themselves that it was bad luck and it was because of the day/date, that after that they wouldn’t even leave the house anytime Friday the 13th occurred.  I find that very sad.

From Wikipedia:

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 [Friday the 13th], making it the most feared day and date in history. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. “It’s been estimated that [US]$800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day”.[7]

Example #2 (good):

I do believe in timing, both good and bad.  But again, this is something we don’t necessarily control.

A little over two months ago, I innocently walked into a legal weed store in California.  The young lady there who waited on me, as it turns out, was/is a pretty awesome chick.  We hit it off immediately.  Long story, short…we now have an ongoing relationship.  Do I feel  lucky for this?  Yes, of course I do.  I’ll be seeing her again very soon, in fact.

But that wasn’t luck.  It was timing.  If I walked into that store five minutes earlier, or five minutes later and she isn’t the one who waits on me?  Or I choose to take my business to another weed store altogether? (which I almost did, btw)….

Well, that meeting never happens.

Usually my timing sucks.  So I’ll take this one as a win.  But I don’t attribute the initial meeting to anything but chance.

Having said that, however…

Since then, she and I have both worked, some days harder than others (phrasing), at making a go of it.  Or at least trying to.  Time will tell.

My point is, in spite of the random and very slim chance, including the unlikely timing, of us meeting, we did meet.  Now we care about one another.  So in spite of all of that, and also in spite of the current distance and inherent difficulties, we’re trying to make our own “luck” going forward.  We’re communicating and working hard toward it, one might say.

Will it work out?  I don’t know.  But I do know neither of us is OK just leaving it to chance.

Which means there’s a chance.

DFO This Week

It was a slow week, folks.  Quality over quantity, however.

As always, BeerGuyRob anchored the week with his untiring open thread output.  That guy is a saint.  But I’m still gonna steal his dogs.  Eventually….when the authorities give me my passport back.

BallsofSteelandFury kicked off the week (get it? kicked?) with his rundown of last weekend’s AFL results.  It was an especially sweet round because our Geelong Cats took down Sydney, even if it wasn’t pretty.  One might even say the Cats got “lucky”.

(we won’t talk about this week’s round just yet…fuck you Adelaide).

The Maestro kept everyone up to date on north of the border footy, just as he always does.  As an aside, I think the NFL should go to 20 yard endzones, btw.  It just seems more fun.

We also got another update of all things mechanical and murdery from Senor Weaselo, too!!!!  Seriously, that’s a fun read and Battlebots  is a fun show to watch.  You should do both!!!!!

But this week’s Employee of the Week Award goes to Rikki-Tikki-Deadly.

Not only did he keep our toes tapping with DFO Radio on Tuesday, and then again earlier today with a whole new DFO Request Line (and with a topic I think we can all relate to in one way or another) … But he also continued his saga Dak Prescott Summer of Maturity.  That’s some funny stuff.  If you haven’t already begun reading it, then you suck.

And of course, some of you guys talked about The World Cup too.  Get yer head out of the oven, King Hippo.

Tonight’s Sports

CFL

  • Toronto at Edmonton – 9:00pmEDT – TV: ESPN2

MLB

  • NYY at Cleveland – 7:00pmEDT – TV: MLBN (regional split)
  • Toronto at Boston – 7:00pmEDT – TV: MLBN (regional split)

Full Schedule

NBA Summer League

Somebody is playing somebody pretty much all night tonight on ESPNU…6pm, 8pm and 10pm EDT.  I could probably dig around and give you the matchups.  But I’d have to care about the NBA Summer League to do that.  I don’t.  So, like the onscreen guide one mah teevee box says…. “Teams TBA”.

The World Cup

(and also some VERY brief sexy…but don’t get used to it)

It’s all over this weekend, gang.   Saturday morning, we get what many folks thought would be the Champeeeeeenship match.  It’s not.

Tomorrow at 10am EDT, Belgium faces England for 3rd place…

VS

Then on Sunday at 11am EDT, it’s for all the marbles between France and Croatia…

VS

Ummmmmm….Go Croatia?

GO CROATIA!!!!!!!

Best of Luck

Go grab life by the balls and go make your own “luck”.  It’s really not difficult.  Be true to yourself and the results will follow.

And it sure as hell doesn’t matter what day it is.  Today is as good a day as any to start.  You’ll be glad you did.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Love ya’s.

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theeWeeBabySeamus
An unapologetic, even if often manic-depressive (it's a requirement given his choices of sports teams), fan of NC State University, the Baltimore Ravens and the Baltimore Orioles. When not parked in front of the computer and/or TV, can often be found on the golf course shouting obscenities to no one in particular.
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ALXMAC
yeah right

I don’t know why this song is stuck in my head apart from the fact that crippling alcoholism leads to setting yourself on fire.

I guess

If you’re into that.

Hi folks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJcPJKDQaVc

Brick Meathook

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Spur

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Spur

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Wakezilla

Fashion done right

Wakezilla

Everyone needs more Daddy Yankee in their life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk5QMZq8L5A

Spur

we’re about a month out from pre-season, we doing team previews?

yeah right

Oh hell yes.

Wait for additional orders.

Yep.

Spur
Wakezilla

THESE CROATIAN WOMEN, THEY’RE MY FAVORITE TYPE OF WOMEN BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN COMING HARD LATELY (In terms of showing pictures of themselves online)

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Wakezilla

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WCS

Edmonton RB ded

WCS

His eyes were literally crossed and bloodshot as he walked off the field.

Spur

get that man to Tim Horton’s stat.

WCS

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Wakezilla

Thumbs down on the Edmonton Slurs alternate jersey

Wakezilla

Both hits that Gable took on that play looked dirty to me.

Spur
Spur

Folks.

Spanky Datass

Jeez Edmonton Eskimos (If that is your real name?) You should be up by like thirty (Not sure what that would be with the exchange rate?) by now. Stop assing around and win this thing already … eh?

WCS

Marc Trestman’s Windowless Van: (Frowns)

Spanky Datass

Not sure why TSN MIC’D-UP! *ROCKIN’ GUITAR RIF* Trestman ’cause he’s boooring.

King Hippo

how many rouges?

Brick Meathook

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Senor Weaselo

I’d say that guy’s the favorite for the 100m Skip-It.

herodotus450
Brick Meathook

Are you sitting there on Friday the 13th wishing you could hear some Dave Matthews Band but can’t? Then you need a Dave Matthews Tribute Band like these guys! The violin player might be retarded, God bless him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s6ZhmsuvdY

King Hippo

it’s not every day one runs into a mental picture as glorious as a possibly retarded violin player. In a Dave Matthews Band tribute thingamajig. Thank you, good ded cat.

Senor Weaselo

I mean I know a few. They’re not in Dave Matthews Band tribute bands though. To my knowledge at least.

King Hippo

the #BFIB are booing! Can you believe it??

/something called a Dilson Herrera just homered to make it 1-8, and Redshirt isn’t even here to revel in it. Must have a hot Tinder date.

blaxabbath

Well that didn’t work

WCS

Watching MST3K clips on youtube, and in the “Recommended” section is Jimmy Buffet, Live from Wrigley Field.

Delete the internet.

King Hippo

aw, gee whillikers, you strike Hippo as a parrothead who loves the ivy!

WCS
King Hippo

Losing to Matt Harvey’s drunken, bloated corpse at home. Jesus fookin’ wept.

Senor Weaselo

It seems that Domingo Germán only pitches well in weekend getaway starts. What I’m saying is it only seems like he has his Sunday bests.

/I’m gonna go figure out how to pretend to be a conductor some more now.
//Dick joke

King Hippo

telling you man, Fantasy Conductor League is the way to go. Just don’t get sucked into that daily shite.

Brick Meathook

Hey I’m watching the CFL and lovin’ the hell out of it! These TSN halftime studio hosts are awful though.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I wish I was watching football. Instead I’m slaving over a hot stove while my wife watches Nashville.

/no, I’m not watching Nashville too. YOU’RE the one who is watching Nashville.

Brick Meathook

Ludicris (sp?) is the halftime show. He’s pretty awful too.

King Hippo

It is shameful that I know who that is. But yes, very, very awful.

Senor Weaselo

He has hoes in those area codes too? The man has a gardening addiction!

Senor Weaselo

I mean I can think of… one reason why I would watch Nashville.

King Hippo

my #HAILGAMBLOR started super awful, but I finally got my bitcoin sorted, customer service got me loaded on a much better platform (5dimesDOTeu), I hit a $30 bet at +4900 and here I sit retired for the evening with my #BFIB up 8 bills for the day.

/#BFIB are still liquid shit, though

Shogun Marcus

Those are words and numbers.

Brick Meathook

Does that mean you won $147,000?

King Hippo

Nope, just $1,470. Too bad, $147K would buy lotsa drugs!

Brick Meathook

Oh, I see. So the 8 bills are:

1 x $1000
4 x $100
1 x $50
2 x $20

8 = $1470

King Hippo

nah, a “bill” is 100. I was waaaaayyyyy under earlier, and salvaged my day at the end. That part I learned from Jimmy the Greek!

/not the vile racism, I had a racist grandpa for that

Brick Meathook

Oh, I see. Grover Cleveland is on the $1000 bill.
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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

The neat thing about gambling with bitcoin as the currency is that it fluctuates so much it’s like, double gambling.

Brick Meathook

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Brick Meathook

PILOT: “You got the wheel? Bye.”
YOU: “Huh?”

WCS

Ooh, ooh, I like making fun of Maryland, too!
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Don’t stare at this for more than five seconds, or you risk permanent retina damage.

King Hippo

Paul Lynde finds this tacky.

Gratliff

Apparently, the E.T. on Atari of Next Gen gaming has just been fixed when an incredibly bored person noticed a typo in a .INI file which fixed the hilariously bad xenomorph AI, the crown jewel of one of the all time worst launch receptions.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/aliens-colonial-marines-ai-fixed-by-a-single-letter.55247/

Example of bad AI:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J8SzBhjqaQ

Spanky Datass

I see from the telecast that the Dirt Ravens are giving away these at tomorrow’s game. Sorry about your eyes and all.
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litre_cola

Machado for Tebow straight up. Put some bums in them seats.

King Hippo

oh u noe u want!

Gratliff

I present Cursed Image #652

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King Hippo

Teebs is…noticeably erect, eh?

Brick Meathook

I think the Maryland State flag is one of, if not the best looking flag in the world. The flag with the AK-47 is probably the best one I guess.

Gratliff

They are all just awful, really. I do appreciate Alabama’s big red X indicating that they understand how shockingly wrong they are about everything.

Spanky Datass

Hell yeah. I even like the Terps flag-helmets.

Senor Weaselo
Gratliff

Couldn’t technically fit this into this week’s playlist, but it is the logical conclusion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XO-8SmOQ84

WCS

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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Hey there everybody!

litre_cola

Evenin. How is the darkest timeline going for you?

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I’m making salmon tacos and drinkin’, so less dark than usual.

blaxabbath

Hi. We chatted earlier. On the app.

Gratliff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5AA_OV8HkU

That was meant for the other thread. Sticking to it.

herodotus450
herodotus450

The later seasons of MST3K were weird.

litre_cola

Dirt Argos Dirt P*ts is 8-7 in the 4th.

Senor Weaselo

Go… Dirt Argos, ugh.

Brick Meathook

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litre_cola

Wife is out, baby s asleep, I just got stoned and ordered a bucket of chicken. Haven’t done that in years.

blaxabbath

Nice.

That’s my parenting goal.

blaxabbath

Man what a fuck week.

And this one has been head and shoulders the best week I’ve had in months.

As far as this kid goes, I feel like I’m just waiting to take an exam I did not bother to prepare for and will not use any additional time to cram on. Let’s just get this thing over with and send him. Just hoping the labor isn’t too long.

King Hippo

#ItGetsWorse

ballsofsteelandfury

Fun fact: In México, Friday the 13th is Tuesday the 13th.

Martes Trece

Shogun Marcus

Tell us about it! Can’t live with em, can’t kill them either apparently.
-Adolph, Josef, Benito, Pol, Mao, the Kims.

litre_cola

But they sure are tasty – I Amin