13

13 trivial things about Friday:



1. Etymologically speaking, "friday" refers to "day of the planet Venus." (photo from voobie's photostream on flickr)
2. The original Friday the 13th in 1980 made the name Jason and hockey masks super scary. The franchise spurned eleven, count 'em, eleven sequels, including a mashing of the series with another iconic horror franchise Nightmare on Elm Street in Freddie vs. Jason. And now, a new revamped Friday the 13th opens in theaters today, at a multiplex near you.
3. Freaky Friday is a classic children's book by Mary Rodgers in which a mother and daughter wake up and find themselves in each other's bodies for a day.
4. The hit 1995 film Friday helped boost the acting careers of Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. Two sequels: Next Friday and Friday After Next.
5. The first T.G.I. Fridays restaurant opened in New York City at First Avenue and 63rd Street. Now in strip malls across America.
6. In Robinson Crusoe, Man Friday is a native whom Crusoe saves from other savage cannibals. Man Friday becomes Crusoe's personal slave, I mean, servant. Now we use the terms Man Friday or Girl Friday to describe a loyal, dedicated assistant.
7. Black Friday often refers to that lovely day after Thanksgiving when shoppers go insane on the first shopping day or the Christmas season. The anti-Black Friday is "Buy Nothing Day" a day of protest started by Adbusters Magazine.
8. Ironically (or not) Black Friday also refers to human disasters like the Haymarket massacre, the Eyemouth disaster and the US Canadian tornado outbreak in the 80s.
9. Casual Friday, in which companies allow their employees to do away with the suit and tie for a day, actually started in the 50s with a few companies, but became more popular in the 70s, then the 90s with the dot-commers.
10. Friday is the title character in Robert Heinlein's award-winning 1982 sci-fi novel about a superior artificial woman.
11. In the classic kids song "Today is Monday" where you go through foods associated with each day of the week, Friday is fish day.
12. In Christianity, Good Friday is the day that Jesus Christ was crucified, three days before Easter when he arose from the dead. Maybe it's just me, but "good" in this case seems a misnomer. I'd go with something more like "Crap Friday" or "Shite Friday but don't worry Good Sunday."
13. Speaking of divinity, TGIF/Thank God It's Friday was first coined by an Akron, Ohio deejay Jerry Healy in the 70s. Another Ohio deejay, Alan Freed, is credited with first using the term "rock and roll." Go, Ohio, my home state.

when in doubt, make a list

oy, i've been so busy that i've had little energy for blogging. so, what to do? time to make a list. here's a list of places i'd like to see, based on recommendations or inspiration from trusted friends. domestic sites for today; i'll go international another...

the boneyard: a part of the neon museum in las vegas, the boneyard is a a lot filled with non-restored signs of all kinds. seems pretty surreal, industrial, nostalgic.
(photo by angie1611 on flickr, creative commons license)



grand canyon: what can i say, i've never been.

high desert test sites: from their website - "The High Desert Test Sites are a series of experimental art sites located along a stretch of desert communities including Pioneer town, Yucca Valley, Joshua tree, 29 Palms and Wonder Valley. These sites provide alternative space for experimental works by both emerging and established artists." andrea zittel is one of the artists who founded it. rad stuff.

sequoia national park: hamblog recently made the trip, and it inspires. big, old gorgeous trees in the amazing sierra nevadas.