�������������������������������������������������������������������������ͻ � It's All In The Numbers � � By: Lou C Fer � � � � Goodevening. I'm glad to see you found your way back to � � my humble home. Please do come in...before we start our � � conversation for the evening I'd like to send a special hello � � to my good friend Inez. You see Inez was concerned about her � � new phone number, her new exchange..seems she has the 666 � � exchange. Inez...you should'nt be surprised, after all, � � once you start doing business with me...well....you have to � � expect these things... . � � � � Numbers have played an important part in culture for a � � long, long time. From the far east to the far west. Numbers � � have held sacred & mystic meanings. Look at the number 3, � � among the Greeks, the dead and gods were invoked three times. � � Nine, which is a multiple of 3 was also considered a mystic � � number. The number 5 was also a significant number. 5 fingers � � on the hand; in China there are the 5 cannons of the � � Confucian classics. � � � � 3 is also always poping up in Chinese culture. In � � chinese art, the three friends of winter are the pine, bamboo � � and plum. They were the only plants that would display their � � colors against the snow, hence the symbols of consistancy. � � The 3 religions in China are Buddhism, Taoism and � � Confucianism. Not to mention the bad luck of 3 on a match. � � � � And who can deny the bad luck of the number 13...as far � � back as the biblical times. It seems that a fellow was the � � 13th at a dinner...now what was his name...seems to have � � slipped my mind.... � � � � Numbers are everywhere, it seems we can't get away from � � them. Infact we take them for granted. Try getting up in the � � morning without that annoying alarm blasting its time in your � � ear. Try to go through the day without looking at a clock or � � watch, Easy? Maybe. But then don't go to a store and buy � � something..or ride a bus or train. Don't even use the tv or � � radio..and for heaven's sake (Did I say that?!?!?!??) � � don't use the phone! � � � � And as for the significance of the number 666...well, we � � will leave that for another night....ok Inez?? � � GoodNight..and...pleasant dreams. � �������������������������������������������������������������������������ͼ