8 JUL 07: BYE, THE NUMBERS
So can we all calm down now? The day of sevens is over - what the Georgia Lottery declared "the luckiest day of the century." Apparently no one there thought ahead a few decades, to 7-7-77.
Let's think seriously about this. If Saturday really was that lucky a day....
+ Shouldn't the winning Georgia Lottery numbers have been filled with sevens? The "Millionaire Raffle" code had two sevens in 24 numbers - and ball number seven never came out of the Fantasy Five machine at all. So your chances of losing were just as strong as ever.
+ Shouldn't Clint Bowyer have won the NASCAR race at Daytona Beach Saturday night? He drove car #07, but faded out as late as someone who drinks the Jack Daniels whiskey he promotes on his car.
+ Shouldn't Boeing have enjoyed several lucky days this past week? You know, on 7-2-7, 7-4-7 and 7-6-7....
+ Why didn't any supermarket offer a sale on black-eyed peas to go with it?
One Georgia Lottery vendor in Columbus claims its ticket printer was overwhelmed Saturday, because so many people asked for tickets with sevens on them. So the big winner in the short-term should be repair companies....
I happened to be Worship Leader at church this weekend, and noticed weeks ago what day I was assigned. I went to the Presiding Elder in advance, about doing something special for the day - what I carefully called a "Seven-Centered Sabbath Song Service."
I wanted an elder's approval before trying this sort of service, because my church association doesn't really believe in luck. Yet we often note all sorts of sevens in the Bible. After all, how many of you noticed 7-7-07 happened to fall on a "seventh-day" Sabbath?
Several people in the congregation giggled, when I asked them to turn to page seven in the hymnal to begin the service. The song there was the classic "God Speaks to Us" - and thankfully not "Luck Be a Lady Tonight."
The hymns of the day also included page 77 (a number for an Old Testament sacrifice) and page 70 (as in forgiving "70 times seven"). But I admit I could have done more for this special day. Only in the middle of the service did I think about stopping at a grocery store, to buy Seven-Up.
There was a slightly smaller fuss over the numbers on a date last year, on 6-6-06. And for some odd reason, people considered 11's significant in the wake of the September 11 attacks. If the military death count since then in Afghanistan and Iraq was only 11, I might find that number important....
BLOG UPDATE: One of the organizers of "Thunder on the Hooch" disputes Stephen King's claim that King came up with the event's name [4 Jul]. So that issue is in dispute - but King has the advantage of being able to aim rocket launchers at the critic's home.
I'm also told Stephen King was NOT "outbid" for the Thunder on the Hooch fireworks shows - instead he was fired for fouling several of them up. King admitted to me last week he felt like jumping off the Dillingham Street Bridge in 1999, after the "finale" series went off at the beginning by mistake. At least he taught people not to show up late for the show.
By the way, Stephen King put on a fireworks show at this weekend's "Redneck Games" in East Dublin, Georgia. He did not tell me how many old Chevrolet and Ford pickup trucks were launched in the process.
E-MAIL UPDATE: Now an update on our exclusive item from Friday:
Richard:
In your poll your #1 question ACCURACY. My reply sometimes or not always.
I appreciate your follow-up with the city clerk - but as always - she told you what she felt would be acceptable to the "mare" when she finds out about this mess. She is "Hurt'sboro's Tony Snow!!
If you had checked with Lynn Gowan of Sunflower - you would have learned that Sunflower has had absolutely nothing to do with a pick-up in "Hurt'sboro since 5/23/07.
Furthermore - as of 7:00 pm 7/5/07 The "Teusday" trash was still sitting on the curbside!
I've been told that FOX TV 54 is coming to town tomorrow to talk to those who are still waiting patiently for pick-up.
I agree that the "mare" should have a vacation - a permanent one - Donald Duck could do a far better job!!!
Constable R.J. Schweiger....
If there's trouble reported involving Hurtsboro city government, I'm just dumb enough to call the city government first to confirm it. Maybe I should have also called the Court Clerk - to see if that was Sunflower Waste Disposal which stopped by Wednesday, or someone wanting to fire a trash bag from a cannon.
But speaking of accuracy: if WXTX "News at Ten" went to Hurtsboro in recent days for a garbage update, I missed it. But then, the Russell County Sheriff is trying to find the killer of a woman in Cottonton -- and I think the dumping of a human body along a highway is slightly higher priority.
By the way, Constable Schweiger should be thrilled to learn Russell County's Emergency Management Office will install new storm sirens in Hurtsboro. Federal grant money will pay for 20 new sirens across the county -- while people at the outer edges of Americus have to hope no loud trucks pass by during a thunderstorm.
There may be more to come from Hurtsboro, so keep watching this space. Now let's check other interesting items from the weekend:
+ Columbus Police Corporal David Sanders was arrested on battery charges, apparently involving abuse within his family. If it's true, this is sad news. But
maybe it explains why police officers don't even jump-start car batteries anymore.
+ Columbus Police also warned about a new e-mail scam, where writers threaten to hire a contract killer against you unless you pay ransom. I didn't realize those British and African bankers handling accounts of plane crash victims had become so desperate.
(WRBL's report on this scam showed an online warning dated January 11. Which reporter went bankrupt making monthly payments on this threat?)
+ Georgia Public Radio updated the story of a Valdosta woman who was barred from a court for wearing a Muslim head scarf. Believe it or not, the Muslim woman is an on-air announcer - at a country music radio station! Does she cover her ears, every time she plays a Toby Keith song?
+ Aflac's NASCAR entry finished 11th (not seventh?!) in its first "Busch Series" race at Daytona Beach. I didn't realize Carl Edwards was driving the Aflac car. If he wins a race, he'll need that insurance to cover one of his back-flips off the car roof.
+ Instant Message to Fone-Mart: About your billboard on Veterans Parkway offering a way to "download music wirelessly" - is that what the rest of us call a radio?
SCHEDULED MONDAY: We track down a tip about a cave-in....
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