Well, not according to the Jewish tradition. Seven is their perfect number, and six is the imperfect number.
That’s where the whole “666” thing comes from – repetition as a way of denoting the comparative and the superlative. If 6 is imperfect, then 66 is more imperfect, and 666 is most imperfect.
This may also be a small part of why slot machines have the jackpot on 777.
Actually, you might have hit on something. It was under the direction of Meyer Lansky (Jewish) that the slot machine is in its present form. Lansky also figured our how to make money operating a casino. He ran the mob for many years.
The number 6 may have some positive connotations, but it is indeed associated in the Bible with imperfection, and in fact, evil. There is also the little detail that the sixth seal, the sixth trumpet, and the sixth bowl depict God’s judgment on the followers of the beast.
Revelations 13:18 says that 666 is the number of the beast. Here is one reasonably good explanation for why it is.
U.N.I.T.Y. is having too much fun at the moment and doesn’t want it to end, so she’s giving Tip an extra challenge so she can continue as long as possible.
And watching Tip come up with reasons 5 through 7 just adds to the fun.
For that matter, how does the system work with house reps that are reality blind? Or senators? World leaders? How can the leadership function when everyone may well be working with entirely different perceptions of reality? *looks at workplace leadership* Oh right, nvm.
Speaking of referendums we had one Puerto Rico the day before yesterday turns out annexation to the US won by 97% with a 23% voter turn out a little more than half the voter turn out for general elections last year, 55.1%. Thoughts?
It seems a bit silly to give people a choice of three options on what sounds like a continuum, and then use a voting system which doesn’t let people say which option they like the least.
The choices are do nothing, take a referendum on a choice between being a nation state or being a nation state with afileation to the us, become annexed. So they do represent pretty much all plausible choices.
I’m afraid that’s not quite correct. See, Koine Greek used letters to stand in for numbers when nobody wanted to write out “six hundred and sixty-six.” In the case of Revelation 13:8, we’re looking at the letters “chi,” “xi,” and “stigma,” which correspond to “six hundred,” “sixty,” and “six” respectively. The upshot? Nobody back then would have thought of the number “666” as a series of three sixes. They would have thought of it as “600 + 60 + 6,” or else they would have thought of it as “chi xi stigma.”
As for interpretation, “chi xi stigma” might be somehow related to the name of the emperor Nero if it were translated into Aramaic and then back into Greek, but it’s hard to say for sure. Honestly, the apocalyptic genre popular in first century Judaism has no modern analogue, so trying to interpret the book of Revelation is extremely difficult.
Why exactly seven? Because it’s more than three?
Seven is a magic number!
Perhaps, but SIX is a PERFECT number. 😛
Well, not according to the Jewish tradition. Seven is their perfect number, and six is the imperfect number.
That’s where the whole “666” thing comes from – repetition as a way of denoting the comparative and the superlative. If 6 is imperfect, then 66 is more imperfect, and 666 is most imperfect.
This may also be a small part of why slot machines have the jackpot on 777.
Actually, you might have hit on something. It was under the direction of Meyer Lansky (Jewish) that the slot machine is in its present form. Lansky also figured our how to make money operating a casino. He ran the mob for many years.
If 6 is an imperfect number, then shouldn’t it be six 6’s that’s “most” imperfect? 😛
To add to the complications, 6+6+6 adds up to 18, which is *also* a traditionally lucky number for us…
I don’t know where you’re getting that from. In Jewish numerology 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, and 40 are all numbers with positive connotations.
The number 6 may have some positive connotations, but it is indeed associated in the Bible with imperfection, and in fact, evil. There is also the little detail that the sixth seal, the sixth trumpet, and the sixth bowl depict God’s judgment on the followers of the beast.
Revelations 13:18 says that 666 is the number of the beast. Here is one reasonably good explanation for why it is.
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/what-does-666-mean/
No, three is a magic number. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU4pyiB-kq0
Since I know I’m not the only Discworld fan here, I’m surprised nobody’s put in a shout for 8 yet.
Be careful where you shout that number. We don;t want another run-in with Bel-Shamharoth.
Not according to “Schoolhouse Rock”…
Best guess: “name seven” because she’s only been able to think of six.
Headcannon: they already experienced four more besides Fancy’s objections.
Nine is the evil number. It’s the first number that’s not even that’s not prime.
It is my favourite number. My birthdate is 9/9/1979.
I was expecting my 20th birthday to be especially awesome, but in fact it was quite quiet.
U.N.I.T.Y. is having too much fun at the moment and doesn’t want it to end, so she’s giving Tip an extra challenge so she can continue as long as possible.
And watching Tip come up with reasons 5 through 7 just adds to the fun.
Now, when they have a referendum like this, are the weirdness-blind aware of it at all? Or do they think it’s for gay rights or something of the sort?
Perhaps all the “rights for the discorporate” petitions look like “rights for corporations” instead?
Whimsy’s covered either way, I guess. Dr Collodi was so resourcefully mad he’s leveraged human evil to support his non-human evil creation!
If I had to guess, they just see silly joke-protest signs, like you find pictures of all over the internet.
For that matter, how does the system work with house reps that are reality blind? Or senators? World leaders? How can the leadership function when everyone may well be working with entirely different perceptions of reality? *looks at workplace leadership* Oh right, nvm.
How does OUR system work when senators and leaders are reality-blind?
Can we get a better look at that dress Tip is wearing in panel 1 (and yesterday)? Maybe a pinup? I’m fascinated by it.
Watch out, guys. Nobody likes outsiders coming to their state to tell them their business.
What outsiders? They don’t exist!
Speaking of referendums we had one Puerto Rico the day before yesterday turns out annexation to the US won by 97% with a 23% voter turn out a little more than half the voter turn out for general elections last year, 55.1%. Thoughts?
It seems a bit silly to give people a choice of three options on what sounds like a continuum, and then use a voting system which doesn’t let people say which option they like the least.
So, the 2016 Republican primaries?
The choices are do nothing, take a referendum on a choice between being a nation state or being a nation state with afileation to the us, become annexed. So they do represent pretty much all plausible choices.
In the us it seems no one will ever get the hint first past the post is a tribal system for elections
Shouldn’t the rest of us get a say?
You do congress has the final say in annexation.
Should a referendum where half the people don’t bother be binding?
That is precisely the question Puerto Rico is facing right now.
Really? I would have thought that if the referendum was legally binding, the turnout and margin requirements would have been decided on beforehand.
Perhaps if that half plus 1 % votes in unison.
I love Unity’s sign. I’ll have to use one like it sometime in the future!
I’m afraid that’s not quite correct. See, Koine Greek used letters to stand in for numbers when nobody wanted to write out “six hundred and sixty-six.” In the case of Revelation 13:8, we’re looking at the letters “chi,” “xi,” and “stigma,” which correspond to “six hundred,” “sixty,” and “six” respectively. The upshot? Nobody back then would have thought of the number “666” as a series of three sixes. They would have thought of it as “600 + 60 + 6,” or else they would have thought of it as “chi xi stigma.”
As for interpretation, “chi xi stigma” might be somehow related to the name of the emperor Nero if it were translated into Aramaic and then back into Greek, but it’s hard to say for sure. Honestly, the apocalyptic genre popular in first century Judaism has no modern analogue, so trying to interpret the book of Revelation is extremely difficult.